Welcome aboard this year-long retrospective series celebrating my Fifty Years Trackside - watching trains and taking numbers. This is the Eighth of a year-long series celebrating those five decades - each month's post is a time capsule; a five-year slice of those fifty years. In the previous post, we continued into the second half of the new millennium's first decade. This month, it's the third-last post in the series. A Ren(aissance) consist behind VIA 907 westbound at Shannonville on August 15, 2011 showing third track roadbed at right (top photo).
June 15, 2010 found me boarding VIA No 47 and the start of two journeys...the first was a finite one to Toronto, the second was a professional journey into laboratory quality assurance at the provincial level. The first journey was easy to begin - just buy a ticket and get on; the second required a bout with imposter syndrome - was I really able to fulfil the requirements as a member of the Ontario Quality Management Program - Laboratory Services? (QMP-LS, later rebranded Institute for Quality Management in Healthcare - IQMH).
The route to Toronto? Totally known. The second I took was more circuitous. Normally a slide survey assessor joined the Anatomic Pathology Committee whose role it is to review slide survey assessment results. I had no experience yet with assessing, but my Quality Management training and sincere interest led me to a posted vacancy on the committee. Not only that, my involvement would last six years beyond the usual three-year mandate - nine in total - to retirement and beyond!
So on that auspicious June 15, I observed P42-hauled LRC train Nos 64, 46 and 65 in the hour prior to boarding my No 47 at Kingston behind hard-luck unit 911 and taking window seat 12A in VIA1 car 3470. Trips to regular committee meetings, and later to slide assessments as well, were reimbursed. Not only that - since half of the committee membership were pathologists (doctors) they did not travel in Economy! Watch for an upcoming post on my 'club car' trips: dates, train numbers and car numbers. So far, I'm up to about 25 trips and counting.
The usual panoply of CN Kingston Sub sights and sites revealed themselves on each trip: Millhaven, Belleville, Cobourg, Bowmanville, Whitby, Oshawa, Mi 319 industries, and Union Station. At Mile 270 near Port Hope, there was an original three-sided concrete mile marker with the modern motel replacement on a steel T-rail banded to it. Returning the next day on No 68, I was in north side window seat 5D of HEP2 VIA1 car 4006. We met Renaissance-equipped No 67 near Trenton Junction.
Same-day trips meant a morning arrival at Toronto Union and the VIA/Amtrak Maple Leaf on the track ahead of us under the train shed. If we were on time, and I was lucky, I could hustle ahead to catch its departure on video.
The following month, CN intermodal No 107 was led by GP-9's CN 4139-4018. The trains' previous leader, 5791 was offline as it passed me at 1025, and it was more train than 2619 could handle, it seemed. Now, where was my camera? Erika was the photographer, and I was the glassy-eyed (!) driver when two other Geeps, CN 4131-4132 led a 12-car No 590 west at Vista Drive/Bath Road:
On August 25, 2010 Karen and I retraced my steps to some notable trainwatching locations east of Napanee - ones that my brother and I had rail fanned in the late-seventies such as McIntyre Road and Big Creek Road. A September 18 visit to Belleville revealed new trackage at the VIA station that allowed freight and passenger operations to be disentangled - one track at station, three tracks in yard. CN 8877 at west end of yard with westbound VIA train:
A September 30 stop at Kingston's VIA station revealed a seldom photographed (by me) Renaissance consist: 919-7005-7221-7305-7113-7211-7104-7106, and westbound No 53 at 0909:
October 11, 2010 we were in Washago to see ONR 1809-204B-604-601-609-700 and on October 30, some intriguing well cars for Saudi Arabia. There was also a trip to Belleville on March 12, 2011. On March 19, 2011 after the Kingston train show I came across Work 6020, a rail train lifting the former Queens track 1. I noticed that CNWX cylindrical grain cars were having the 'WX' of their reporting marks painted out. My Canada will always include WX, from my early Western trainwatching days and the use of 'WX' to donate dedicated grain fleets.
My first book on VIA Rail was another journey I embarked on in these five years. On Wed, Nov 7, 2007 at 1:29 PM, I had received this eminent email from uberVIAphile Jakob Mueller...
"I am researching VIA Rail equipment in the early transition period, and I'm especially interested in the paint scheme progression of the passenger cars. I'd be interested to see any VIA consist you have from about 1979 to 1983 that records paint scheme information. I certainly don't want to burden you with what I expect would be a lot of transcribing or typing - if you're willing, though, I would be interested in purchasing photocopies of your consist info."
Thus began a three-year exchange of emails between us dealing with CN/CP-->VIA paint transition data. The benefit that I brought was that I'd 'been there' and taken notes. On note pads that filled a shoebox and therefore precluded photocopying! Jakob brought a more analytical mind than mine - one that could fact-check and reconcile data. It took until October 3, 2010 before I launched a 'New VIA Rail Book' blog and finally created the first draft page of consists for my first book. That blog would stay live until 2019 and include four 'new' books on VIA Rail during its lifespan in cyberspace!
In the book, along with Jakob's data was my time trackside with VIA and that meant 2,700+ consists from the first 35 of these 50 years trackside. On May 20, 2011 I received two boxes of printed books, personally delivered by my ever-affable and talented graphic designer Bryan Babcock. Who'd have ever thought those days three decades prior, shivering and taking pencil and paper notes at the sports field would have led to this publishing promontory?
We had been on a weekend trip to Syracuse and as we came back within cellphone range atop the Ivy Lea bridge, the phone began pinging with incoming book orders. Canada Post had different ideas - a mail disruption resulted in two boxes of books packaged for delivery but with nowhere to go. Regardless, it was a very exciting time.
Within days, I made book deliveries to other uberVIAphiles passing through Kingston aboard VIA. Jason Shron on No 61 on May 26 with Andrew along to preserve the moment photographically. VIA locomotive engineer Jordan MacCallum was actually operating VIA No 57 when I made his delivery, as was Terry Brennan on VIA No 55 in September. The day before Jordan's delivery, it was Matt Soknacki on June 10's LRC/Ren No 56/54: 6439-3454-3356-3358-3301-913-7002-7218-7307-7103-7205-7206-7225.
On August 6, I was recording consists onboard VIA to Toronto and back. Karen, Erika and I headed there on No 655, visiting Toronto Island and returning on No 648. On September 2, it was onboard to Ottawa with Karen and Erika, on No 44 returning on No 59 - Ren interior of VIA 7206 (below). On September 25, it was trackside on CN's York Subduing a book signing at George's Trains.
On October 12, 2011 I was Kingston platform railfanning with Adam Walker, a fellow blogger, of the Walker Express blog who was on a road trip through Kingston. Nos 46 Eng 905 and 65 Engs 6415-901 are meeting at the station:
March 18, 2012 a drive-by shot of OBRY 1000 used to switch the former CN Millhaven Spur. The unit is stabled along Taylor-Kidd Boulevard. Out of service by 2015, replaced by SW1200RSm 1004 (ex-CP 8118).
Stopping in Staunton, VA overnight on a trip to Myrtle Beach in May, 2012 we had dinner in the restored station and of course then, mid-meal, a long coal train went through. Exploring the curved platform before and after dinner, there were no trains to be seen. Two cabooses and a former work boxcar were stuffed and mounted nearby:
June 16, 2012 found me atop a berm in Shannonville to see CN Nos 369 and 149. On June 27, 2012 private car Pacific made the first of several trips through Kingston and Eastern Canada to raise awareness and funds for research into dementia using a unique promotional 'vehicle' on VIA No 48 To see a car that used to transport the King and Queen coupled to an LRC consist was mind-bending. On another stop to see Pacific pass through, VIA No 66 Eng 903 departs over the Counter Street crossing:
Early on July 16, 2012 I had time before work to catch the domed Skrillex tour train at the VIA station at 0650. Then on November 22, 2012 we Black Friday'd in Syracuse. "Take all the Time you need, honey! I'll be trackside with CSX and Amtrak at DeWitt." I watched the double stacks roll, in this case in Burlington Northern green:
A frigid day in January 28, 2013 hosted a warm meeting with fellow VIA author Chris Greenlaw inside the Kingston VIA station. We made another trip to Myrtle Beach in May, 2013 including a stop trackside in Selma, North Carolina. A trip down the Seaway to talk about my books with the Seaway Valley Model Railroaders on June 15, 2013 took me to Prescott and got me an in to the homey Macintosh Country Inn in Morrisburg.
I observed the first refurbished Business Class car with 'swoosh' scheme - VIA 3475 on No 56/54 interestingly bustituted, deadheading east from June 7, 2013 Newtonville Mudslide. I caught up with the car on August 29 in Brockville. (VIA had rebranded its 'VIA1' logo and service for the first time since the 1980s. As of 2011, VIA1 because 'Business Class'.)
On Monday, August 26, 2013 I spent a good old-fashioned 'evening at the station' from 1630-2100. Like so many spent with David and/or my Dad back in the 1970s early in the VIA era there were plethoric passenger trains on the platform: VIA Nos 644, 657, 64, 46, 65, non-stop 656, non-stop 59, non-stop 67 and 66, No 650, No 659 as well as two CN freights. The evening ended shadowing 650's equipment to Rigney Street in the shadows, where it turned on the Queens wye to become Tuesday's No 651: 907-4003-4109-4110-4118.
Some feedback received on my first book indicated there was interest in consists from further across Canada. Who was I to say 'no'? I began work on my second book on VIA Rail in February-March, 2012. which outgrew my self-imposed 500-gram limit for mailing and became two books, released that October!
Retail therapy! A Black Friday trip to Syracuse on Nov 29-30, 2013 netted 16 CSX and three Amtrak trains, before we again made it to Myrtle Beach from April 26-May 10, 2014 including NS trains in Selma, NC along the Interstate. May 26, 2014 a 'stat' run to the store for chips found me at a break apart along Golden Mile Road. LMIX flat cars...
On May 30 I was all lined up to snap an ex-BN Oakway with CN 5427-8923 on No 377 (above), its CTCX oil empties heading west. I was borrowing Andrew's camera and the auto-focus did not co-operate. It was time for my own new (and first digital) camera - Nikon 9700-S from Best Buy with 30X zoom! The above are the very last photos taken with Andrew's D-SLR.
Unit oil trains were starting to operate from the US into Canada with run-through power:
- April 4, 2014: 2280-5480-5466 VMSX TA
- June 10, 2014: 2296-BNSF Grinstein 8798-CP 8739 CTCX TA
- July 6, 2014: No 720 CN 2690-NS 8346-BNSF 4985 CTCX TA
- Aug 8, 2014: No 710 CN 2565-NS 6644-BNSF 5837
- Aug 14, 2014: No 711 CN 2276-8911
A QMP-LS meeting trip on July 10, 2014 started ominously. CN No 310 had derailed at Brockville at 0410, resulting in VIA trains cancelled and bustituted between Ottawa-Toronto and Montreal-Toronto, except for my little 651 which had spent the night in Kingston, therefore west of the derailment. Upon arrival at Toronto Union, I hurriedly rebooked my ticket to No 650, which would definitely be returning to Kingston, instead of No 48. Another derailment at Cliffe Road, Mi 155 affected VIA trains, with J-trains and even a triple-J resulting. The consists of Nos 42, 64, 44 deadheaded west to Toronto as No 669B at 2000 on August 1, and J-trains were still operating until the afternoon of August 2.
Only two freight trains were moving during our Black Friday in Syracuse trip to November 28, 2014 though there were three Amtrak!
Occasionally I would catch No 518 switching the Invista plant on Front Road but since our nephew was staying with us, he and I followed 4116-4121 south from Bath Road to the plant as they did their switching under the watchful gaze of Santa Claus on December 22, 2014.
An annual spring morning trip trackside took me to Napanee on May 23, 2015 netting five freights and three VIA trains.
The creation of my books led to various speaking engagements that were always fun. Driving to OVAR in Ottawa on June 9, 2014 we photographed a CP work train at Perth, and there was another enjoyable OVAR visit in June, 2015 to present 'Kingston Platform Scenes'.
It was still cold in Algonquin Park when Karen headed there with six family members on June 12, 2015. I headed instead to the station, catching 13 VIA and 2 CN trains. The next day I raced the rising sun to Cobourg on a sunny, warm day as far west as Cobourg, back home via Brighton, Trenton and Morningstar Road. It was as if I could feel my Dad's presence there between CN and CP mainlines, where we'd shared many times trackside. My son kindly called to ask me to dinner at their place on my way back to Kingston. His wedding to Caitie would take place there the following August.
These were tumultuous times. With the death of my Dad very early in 2014, my Mom who had faithfully and to me, somewhat-surisingly and devotedly visited him EVERY DAY at Providence Manor, also began to show effects of dementia. It was slightly past time for her move to Conservatory Pond in December, 2014 followed by a move to Arbour Heights long-term care home in December, 2016. Between helping facilitate his care at home, moving him to long-term care then making my Mom's two moves, I had come to learn a lot about helping aging parents, and that it's not easy "raising parents". I tried my best to honour them. One of the lowest experiences was to proudly show my Dad the first copy of my first book, and for him to absent-mindedly flip a couple of page corners as if it were an old newspaper mildly of interest to him. I know that just a few years before, he would have taken hours to examine EVERY page and likely have returned to me a precisely-worded written review. He know so many facts, railway and otherwise - try to imagine watching them slowly trickle out from his reservoir of memory. At least both he and my Mom always know who I was. A high moment came when the Invista-bound wayfreight would pass the window where she and I were chatting, and she would roll her eyes in feigned boredom when I purposely let my focus switch from her face to the passing train. We would both laugh.
Skrillex, about whom I still knew nothing, started a second cross-Canada tour by train in July, 2015. His chartered consist tailed VIA No 61 on July 11 - a mini-streamliner!
On October 10, I headed to the station upon a Michael Berry OS on Skyline 8501 trailing No 47, after deadheading on No 633 Montreal-Ottawa. The car was designated to delight its its denizens the next day as they travelled to Exporail for the launch of Rapido Trains' Icons of Canadian Steam. Karen and Erika were good sports and even better videographers as they volunteered to go out that Sunday, October 11 (YouTube link here) while I was busy organ-izing, though I was able to catch the group's return passage to Toronto the next evening. Shronians! Andrew Jeanes kindly shared a photo of me in front of our Hyundai, taking a photo of them. Trackside on the dark side:
The ascent of Jason's company to the pinnacle of the pantheon of Canadian model railway manufacturers - his interests mirrored mine, though me missed most of VIA's early years being born about 10 years after me. To this day, I enjoy pillorying and praising his legion efforts with equal verve.
On November 4, our QMP-LS slide assessment finished in time for me to catch rush-hour GO action from the CN Tower Skywalk - 19 movements in 30 minutes. A few days earlier, an early-concluding committee meeting left me time to be an 'Avioner' taking advantage of the meeter-and-greeter Union Pearson Express half-fare to Pearson. The only part of my taking flight was my imagination, however. Typical views from the CN Tower Skywalk - September 29, 2013 departures of VIA No 87 Eng 6411 with LRC cars, and HEP-equipped No 75:
As 2016 dawned, VIA was reconfiguring all its coach seating to inward-facing, just as the LRCs had been delivered. Believing that the best data is that that you gather yourself, I started noting cars while trackside that I could see already had their interiors reconfigured - just as I had recorded the dates I'd observed refurbished Business Class LRC cars, refurbished LRC coaches, and rebuilt F40s.
On January 22, 2016 I was returning from a QMP-LS committee meeting and paid little attention to my seat mate in aisle Seat 9B of Business Class car 4009. After all, he was on his phone almost constantly. About Cobourg, I realized I was sitting next to Gary, brother of Greg who was a school classmate. It became an 'old home week' trip the rest of the way to Kingston. Gary would later leave us way too soon.
Thanks for being aboard this year-long train of thought as we retrace, remember, and yes, wallow in nostalgia these fifty years trackside. Watch for an upcoming [second-last!] Part 9 covering 2016-2020.
Running extra...
Watching the Jays, the colour man often comments that 'the ball Karen'd off towards left field' and I kept thinking - he means 'careened'. Don't Karens have it hard enough in today's world? Turns out it's a noun and a verb as in, "The ball caromed off Straw’s glove and went over the fence for a home run." I guess I was the one out in left field on that one!
Outstanding in its field of marine transportation is this YouTube video taken onboard the Algoma Buffalo as the laker navigates two of the Seaway's most impressive things to navigate: the Welland Canal and the Cuyahoga River snaking its way into Cleveland. The only thing slower than trainwatching is ship watching and thankfully this YouTuber made extensive use of time-lapse!
First past the post...
Watch for an upcoming post on an August, 1981 trip by Minneapolis' Adam Platt. Young Adam made an epic trip around America by plane and train, including VIA's Canadian Montreal-Vancouver on CP rails then Jasper-Prince Rupert on CN rails. Being able to assist Adam in retracing his steps and find some missing information has been rewarding, allowing both of us to wallow in nostalgia since I coincidentally also travelled west that month - west aboard the Super Continental and east on the Canadian.
