Five years ago, a thing called My Railfan Five Challenge was briefly A Thing. Illustrating my railfan journey in five photos, it was shared with several other unsuspecting but magnanimous blog partners. The photos did not have to be the best, the most stunning, the most unusual, in fact they could be very mundane and concurrently very meaningful. And they were to me. And, we're baaaaack with Take Two - five more photos showing the railfan journey over the past five years. Posted on Five/Two, no less, just three days after Palindrome Day!
Anticipation! Nearly a year ago, on my first official day of retired life, I headed over to Kingston's VIA station to watch the printing of our tickets to travel to Western Canada, then take them home to put under our pillows and dream of our upcoming VIAyage (top photo).
Additional Anticipation! What could be better than walking one mile west then east on Kingston's Railfan Walking Trail then hearing, approaching in the western distance, an eastbound freight?! Well, park it right here, rest your Timmies on the provided handrail and enjoy the passing show!
Monochromaticity. Nearly the class car of this Parrish & Heimbecker series posed patiently while I made its portrait of its grey sides on an equally greasy, grey morning at the Trenton elevator. As a rolling stock guy, I loved seeing these heraldic hoppers plying the Kingston Sub singly, and the chance to see one at my leisure and up close was a good one!
Not Wanted on the Voyage. What must this lead-sled be thinking as it's barred entry to one of the enclosed auto racks passing it by. Likely getting some TLC at our local Midas brake shop, chain-link chastity keeps it from going very far with its winsome whitewalls and fins that any fish would be proud of!
GOing Somewhere? To see a photographer on the platforms of Toronto Union Station's GO concourse is as rare as seeing some GO single-level cars there. Catching two adjacent GO trains without the harried hordes of huddled commuters - synchronicity in the City.
- Chris Mears - giving us more! Five-y!
- Steve Boyko - taking it to a whole new level!
- Michael Hammond - one photo per each of the five years!
Celebrating Railfan Five/Two day with the first train of the next five years! CN No 518 with CNNA map-scheme 9427-9461 backing to Kingston's Invista plant on the Cataraqui Spur at 1100 this morning:
Running extra...
If it was the Railfan Six Challenge, this next photo would have made the cut. Model Railroad Planning 2020 is now out and it should make excellent trackside reading!
Product Review underway - Model Railroad Planning 2020:
4 comments:
A great selection of photos - railfanning locally again, I see! I like those two GO trains together. I need to GO photograph some of them... soon.
I would alliterate more in this comment but I cannot hope to match your talent with words!
Thanks for being part of Railfan V^2!
I'm often tempted to alliterate more, Steve. I'm just afraid I'll make an assonance of myself.
Good fun, this challenge!
Eric
Thanks for the invite to join in the five fun. I love the shot of the GO Trains. I think railfanning GO is a highly underrated experience.
Thanks, fellow Take Two-er! GO can lull us by being sooooo predictable. Finding a cab car in coach service, train length and focussing on operations can reveal those little details to those of us trackside, just like railfanning VIA.
And, being at the Rogers Centre skywalk for an hour during rush hour is a humbling experience - volume!
Eric
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