Last Friday night, I wrote my Bucket List. Number One on the list was to go railfanning on the Belleville Road overpass over the CN Kingston Sub at Mi 199.5 and not wanting to procrastinate, I decided to fulfill this Bucket List item the next morning. Setting the alarm for 0430 after lining up my kit: handheld tape recorder for data, scanner (batteries soon died), camera (batteries lived), cold-weather clothing and bug spray.
That last item would not be needed. The day dawned clear but cold...minus 2 Celsius! Frost on the roof. The Tim Hortons drive-thru in Collins Bay had no Timbits yet. This happens to be the world's slowest drive-thru. Driven to surmont this setback, I asked for a half-dozen donuts. For the medically-minded, I would administer these q1h. Parking nearby, I walked in to the overpass, which overlooks a straightaway that starts just west of Napanee station and curves southwest after the start of triple-tracks 1, 2 and 3. At 0513, a CN intermodal darted through the darkness, 20 minutes before sunrise, with 8841 and 2100 leading double-stacks.
Old gantry, new signals. Looking east from the south (above) and north (below) the recently-removed lead to the Smiths Falls Sub is at left. Most recently this served the Strathcona Paper plant as well as Napanee's Goodyear plant. CN eschews mainline switches and industrial trackage it can't maintain and use, so this segment had to go. The overpass looms above:
Lull. Then at 0628, CN No 373 energetically emerged from the east. Led by 2313-2452, the train comprised lumber, tanks and even two Lantic cylindrical covered hopper cars - LATX 7035-7006.
Those new signals frame VIA No 655 assiduously approaching after its Napanee station stop at 0708. VIA 910 leads HEP2 coaches 4006-4110-4119-4108 toward Toronto. Can you see why I wanted to railfan this spot?
Tuscany? How about Trenton and Toronto?
On 655's block was CN No 371 with 5751-2316. All auto racks, all the time. Axle count 448, temperature 3 C. Napanee's dairy farm-laced shopping district is on the horizon past the extra-tall telegraph poles.
Scroll down two photos to see my photo-editing of that visually-distracting S&C cabinet right outta there!
G is for Gantry. G is for Graffiti.
At 0803, CN No 368 rounds the curve to the west.
The train's locomotives returned west the next day as 369. Spot the scrap yard and railfan ride?
2877 leads Pan Am boxes, DPU 2812, empty cent-beam bulkhead flat cars, TBOX boxcars and ingot cars CN 618185, HPJX 52238, 52397 and 52228. Axle count 668, temperature 6 C.
Surprise! VIA No 50/60 surreptitiously scoops me at 0845 with 905 leading 4 HEP2 cars, 6432 and 3 LRC cars.
At ground level, VIA No 641 zappily zips west with 10-dollar bill unit 6459 dragging 3458-3310-3332-3318 at 0900.
About to drop to the south track, the middle aspect of the right-hand signal appears to be missing but is just flashing green.
Recently dormant trackage at the former CN Millhaven Spur has come alive with stored tank cars loaded with UN1267 oil like CTCX 718393, and UN1075 propane like PROX 35410, SHQX 5135 and GATX 201573. In every conceivable spot. Lake Ontario glistens in the distance.
And tucked in behind, in a place only a telephoto lens can see, is OBRY 1000, now unused and photographed from Taylor-Kidd Boulevard:
Upon my return to Kingston, CN No 305 was passing under the Bayridge Drive overpass. Led by 8939, Irving lumber, propane tanks and some UN1267 oil tanks like TILX 255642, CTCX 726222 and TGIX 155011.
Running extra...
VIApardy. Please phrase your answer in the form of a question. Part of my upcoming presentation for the OVAR June meeting, in the nation's capital! Looking forward to it!
Global TV's Big Brother Canada just wrapped. Good try, Godfrey! A train-themed "comp" included a G-scale layout! CBS's Big Brother debuts June 24. HoH, POV...these guys have more abbreviations than...railfans. LOL.
