Kingston Sub Bridges, August 2015

The Rideau Canal carries vessels between Kingston and Ottawa. A UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site, its many lockstations and the basic principles by which it operates are as interesting as they were 150+ years ago. A visit to the Kingston Mills lockstation on August 4, 2015 found us enjoying a picnic with a view of a sunlit summer sky, passing motor vessels and of course...wait for it...TRAINS. VIA Rail provided all the cameos on this day, with these video stills from a Youtube video I posted. VIA No 64 Eng 902 with eight cars rolls east, seconds before VIA No 65 Eng 6413 with four cars crosses the bridge westbound:

CN foreman rolling east. Translation...no trains on that track for a while.

Another picnic, on Sunday, August 9 found us at Napanee, where the Napanee River glides glissando-like beneath the former Grand Trunk Railway double-track bridge. Designated as Trackside Treasure's most scenic trainwatching spot in all of Canada, the views on this sunny day did not disappoint.

CN No 149 led by 5800-2568 was westbound at 1315 (above and below). A car wash-necessitating construction zone, that we'd driven through in our van on the outskirts of Napanee, was about to be visited by the water truck that photo-bombed some MSC double-stack well cars:

Then at 1331, the afternoon VIA parade was on, led by VIA No 45 Eng 6412 and 4 LRC cars:

At 1344 VIA No 63 Eng 6426 had one baggage car, a refurbished Business Class car, and five HEP2 coaches (video stills):

Three minutes later, VIA No 64 Eng 912 was eastbound with an HEP1 baggage and HEP2 coaches:

CN No 369 Eng 2294 pulled up at 1409 for a crew change stop on bridge, having been stopped in emergency at Mi 180. 

Its consist included aluminum ingots and loaded centre-beam bulkhead flats from northern Quebec, floating above the flowing fountain:

Railbox 50-foot boxcars and 60-foot high-cube TBOX's followed, lolling lazily above the lily pads:

Graffiti'd but picturesque, including different TTX logos, hanging around above the hanging baskets:

At 1413, CN No 376 with 2922-8957 and DPU 89xx-5774 blasted east pounding the mill pond, with one of the DPU cabs 'peeking' out from behind the stopped No 369:

Looming above the calm water was 369's DPU 2276:

Heavily-graffiti'd, not so picturesque TBOX 666879, blatantly blockading the bridge:

This HPJX ingot car had a suspicious-looking, possibly shifted load:

Napanee and Kingston Mills' bridges were photogenic to photographer progenitors:

North of CN's Kingston Sub (above) and timetable west along King's Highway 2 (below):

Running extra:

 To Trackside Treasure's readers -- hope you had a rascally, relaxing, restorative summer. 

--Eric

(Rejuvenating Rideau Acres Campground, 1 km north of Hwy 401 and CN's Kingston Sub. 

Three days' worth of CN and VIA whistling - great to hear, even at 0300 hours.)