ADAM RIDES VIA TO BELLEVILLE

 

On October 13, I headed for Belleville to meet fellow railfan Adam Platt of Minnesota. (Top photo - Adam watching his train No 62/52 as it departs.) I'd previously collaborated with Adam, attempting to decode his 1981 trip across North America, and to suggest some of his trains' consists. In Canada for business, Adam voyaged aboard VIA eastward on No 52 - we met up in Belleville - then headed west again on No 65.

It was a nice surprise to have Adam suggest this meet-up after our collaboration through many emails over the summer. I didn't want to deprive Adam of his chance to have a good out-and-back ride aboard VIA, but thought I could save him some travel time by driving to Belleville. VIA did their bit, Adam's trains were not delayed, and I was not disappointed to find that in the course of our hours of discussion, Adam the journalist definitely used the phrase 'burying the lead' once! We had a few hours to talk trains, railfanning notes and publications, the genesis of our railfanning, its consists, rides and rewards, wider societal shifts, various levels of politics, and Canadian-American links. 

It was the rainiest day we'd had in a month or more! The lawn had been languishing dryly, the leaves were turning after three mornings' frost. Here is a compilation of trains of the day at Belleville: YouTube link.

Adam's arrival on VIA No 62/52 (Sets 28/10) on time at 1026 - YouTube link.

VIA No 61 pulled in behind 62/52 at 1030 - VIA 918 leading five HEP2 cars, but unfortunately no deadheading equipment for the Canadian which can often be found on VIA Nos 61/68.

On the rainy platform, checking out the J-train joint and No 61 after 62/52 departed.

Behind Adam and 918 is The Monster That Ate Belleville. Hard to believe it's been in place since 2015!

We noticed CN No 518 waiting for track time to head west to switch at Trenton Jct with several covered hopper cars. I pointed out the classic chopnosed GP-9 in the lead - CN 4130 ahead of refurbished ex-BN CN 4958:

Just three days earlier, 4130-4958 were kicking cars into track BY23 in Belleville yard when loaded covered hopper car ACFX 57973 derailed, upright. Classic 567 acceleration, heading westward following No 61 (below). We repaired to a rain-soaked but caffeine-convelying Panera Bread on Bell Boulevard. 

Always a successful meet-up venue, our local Panera here in Kingston had previously been the site of meaningful meet-ups with enthusiasts like Mark Charlebois and Chris Mears! Highly recommended - the music doesn't blare, the menu is diverse, and the coffee urns urge repeated refills.

Upon returning to the station, VIA No 64 was arriving for a 1408-1417 station stop with nine cars including the usual HEP2 Business Class car. Trenton railfan and prolific social media photographer and poster Andrew Ferguson was also there, documenting as usual.

Checking the Departure board, we noticed Adam's train would be on Track 2. We headed up The Monster from which we could see that a surprise awaited - CN No 271 with its daily dose of empty auto racks was pulling in for its crew change, behind No 64, with a locomotive consist that was a mix of CN Heritage Train and hostler's choice!

Stopped for crew change 1415-1436, enough time for Andrew Ferguson and waiting railfans to take plethoric photos. That locomotive consist! GTW 8952-BC 4652-CN 8350-RS61. The tail-end of No 64 comes into view as it departs Belleville for points east, ultimately Montreal.

The sun actually emerged once during our visit. This is that moment!

VIA No 65 arriving at 1424 YouTube link behind VIA 909. Adam boarded to head back to The Big Smoke, leaving the 1000 Islands (actually 1,800) for the Land of 10,000 Lakes (actually 15,000). After Adam headed west, I documented this krazy konsist of locomotives from two platforms.

'GTW' Heritage unit 8952

Still-blue BC Rail 4652

Rebuilt EMD SD75IACC CN 8350 (ex-5768)

Roberval & Saguenay 61

I look forward to hearing more of Adam's 1981 and subsequent well-photographed rail journeys. They're definitely worthy of publication, reminding me of TRAINS magazine's readable rambles by George H. Drury and J. David Ingles! The fact that we're discovering and disseminating Adam's travels so many years later has been not only enlightening and educational, but also edifyingly enjoyable!

Running extra...

If A.I. can't get the engine on the right end of the consist, I don't want any part of it. Off my wall you go! Highball, R.I. (not Rock Island, I mean Real Intelligence)!

You can't spell VIA RAIL without AI. Someone sitting in their basement decided to cobble together a YouTube video by collating some comments from various sources, pairing them with some AI photos and adding an AI 'grandpa' narrator to give us one of the worst videos made with AI - ever. Some screenshots for the discriminating railfan traveller who will never be able to reconcile any of these as actual VIA equipment:

Just painful to look at.

Yet another Railfan Rumour. Not a video, just a screenshot. Nose repairs, replacement with unpainted corner panels.

First past the post:

Despite all the near-constant coverage of the bruising US midterms and despite the US administration's wrong-headed trade war with its closest neighbour, Americans and Canadians are still good neighbours. Adam's visit proves it. To his benefit, he's from a border state and sure, he's travelled widely in Canada often by rail and is well-read - therefore insulated from today's online rhetoric. It's railways over rhetoric. Trains over intransigence. Coffee over conflict. After all, sharing the world's longest undefended border should mean we can let our guard down now and then.