Wintertime at the Station, Jan-Feb 2026 - Part 1

Two Saturdays of post-pickleball parole possiblized a pair of pop-ups at Kingston's VIA station. On January 31 it was a short visit sunny-side featuring two VIA trains and one CN freight under big skies. The following Saturday, February 7 was shady-side three-plus hours with a plethora of trains and a positively polar -17 degrees Celsius! This three-part series will include all the trains I photographed plus some interesting freight cars. Parts 1 and 2 will include some B&W images. The trains I observed will be listed in this post with by time, direction, train number, locomotive numbers or VIA Venture Set #'s.

1223 EB CN No 372: 3927, DPU 3826 (top photo).

1231 WB VIA No 63: Set 13.

1241 WB VIA No 45: 6402-3 LRC-4002-901. There was confusion in the station about which train would be arriving first. A staffer tool the under-track tunnel to peer down the south track to the east!

VIA has created several Corridor consists of three LRC Economy coaches and one HEP Business Class car. I'm not sure if this is due to several LRC Business Class cars running out of lifespan, and/or some LRC consists having two or three LRC Business Class cars!

One of four remaining original-paint P42's: 901, 902, 915 and 917.

February 7, 2026 - this day it was all parking lot photography, no sunny-side. Photo-editing to the rescue!

1235 W VIA No 45: 903-3356Future-3336-3357F-4000-910.

1246 EB CN No 322: 2892, DPU 8363 while 45 was doing its station stop.

Shiny new remanufactured 8363 mid-train:

Another one of those reassigned HEP Business Class cars:

CN No 322 still going by as VIA No 45 departs:

Watch for more trains from this second day trackside, including some snowbank mountaineering,  if you get my drift, in Part 2.

Running extra...

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Model Railroad Planning 2026 is now available.

February 8 Unofficial colour - an otherwise black gon becomes a video game on CN No 321:

February 8 Official colour - CN helpline unit on CN No 306:

On No 306 again on Feb. 10, westbound on Feb.11:

(Images courtesy Railstream, LLC.)

First past the post...

Tumbler Ridge RCMP detachment. If the US had addressed gun control and shooting sprees, we would not have imported such atrocities into our country. In this instance, the Mounties did not have to get their man. They do, however, each deserve a medal. We grow, through, what we go, through.