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About Bill Purdy

I reside in Puslinch. I have been a long time rail fan but a very recent "attempted photographer". I can be found around mile 43 on Galt sub almost everyday. It was there I met fellow rail fans Bill Clarke, Arnold Mooney and Brian. Bill became ill so I took my camera one day just to send him photos of the CP line. I got hooked. Bill Clarke passed on but now another Bill carries on a long tradition of rail fans at mile 43.

Bill Purdy's Railpictures.ca photo upload statistics

Number of images: 408
Total gold: 5056
Number of comments recieved : 794
Number of comments posted : 249
Total views: 603338

Bill Purdy has 1 image in the Time Machine

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Bill Purdy's 408 photos on Railpictures.ca:

This shot took weeks in the making and many attempts to get it right. It has to be cloudy, (wrong side of tracks), it has to be a westbound, it has to have an engine, (not a GO cab car), and before my pick up time for the grandkids. The only real shot at this is CN 540 or a Via in daylight hours. On this day, I finally, after just over an hour of waiting and freezing, saw the headlight around the bend. CN 4725 with CN 4906 head through Guelph Station on their way back to Kitchener with a nice reflection off the glass shelter.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	11/28/2024
Location:	Guelph
Province:	Ontario

7 Comments | 21 Favourites

The CWR train sits waiting on the North track at Guelph Junction for CPKC 134 to pass to continue on its way west. I heard that CPKC had a KCS leader but when the grey KCSM 4544 showed I was very happy. An SD40-2 (CPKC 5989)and a KCSM "grey ghost" (KCSM 4544) in one shot. Here, the pair meet just past Milburough Line with the crew of the CWR out for their inspection.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	Canadian Pacific K…
Date:	11/24/2024
Location:	Campbellville
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 16 Favourites

After picking up my grandson for another days adventures, we decided to get the 9am GO train headed from Guelph to Union Station. It was a beautiful bright sunny morning as one of the few remaining F59PH's, GO 561 flew by us on the approach to Watson Road. He was a little disappointed it wasn't his favorite GO 564 that we shot the year before but I was Ok with either. My grandson loves the F59's and the plan is to hopefully ride on a GO train next summer with one leading, if they are still out there.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	GO Transit
Date:	09/03/2024
Location:	Guelph
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 14 Favourites

Well the long overdue ballast train finally headed out today to dump ballast along the Galt sub. They had finished dumping by the time they hit Twiss Road in Campbellville. Flying by are SD40-2, CP 6011 all decked out in a new paint job, SD30C-ECO, CP 5029 and SD40-3, KCS 3137. The former CN 5117 was sold to KCS in 1998 and rebuilt in to its current KCS 3137 SD40-3 style. The trio would wye their train at Guelph Junction and head back east to Lambton.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	Canadian Pacific K…
Date:	07/18/2024
Location:	Campbellville
Province:	Ontario

6 Comments | 16 Favourites

With the CWR train sitting waiting for the eastbound CPKC 134 to clear, its tail end Engineering Services MOW caboose 420984, makes a nice back drop for CP 7010. The former CP 9153, now all decked out in its heritage script paint job, rolls on by at track speed as it prepares to depart Guelph Junction. Aiding in the power are KCS 4592 and CP 3024.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	Canadian Pacific K…
Date:	07/07/2024
Location:	Campbellville
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 21 Favourites

I was sitting here watching the Nascar race, when I got a text of a westbound CP coming my way, so off I went to wait it out. I sat in my usual spot watching the birds and deer for twenty-five odd minutes, when on came the red signals at mile 42 saying the train was in the block. I got in position to wait it out. The horn sounded as it approached the fourteenth concession and it sounded a bit funny. In to view comes SD40-2, CP 5743 with CP 2283 and KCS 4127 leading what I was later told was CPKC 135. An SD40-2 leading was a great surprise. The only thing missing was a bit of sun but at 7:41pm, I'll take what I got.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	Canadian Pacific K…
Date:	06/29/2023
Location:	Puslinch
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 19 Favourites

One of the few remaining EMD GP40-2 Grand Trunk Western locomotives in GTW 6420 still in its original Blue and Red paint scheme proved to be a nice surprise today. I had time to kill and figured I'd head off to the industrial basin and see if the GEXR crew were working Dawson Road. There was no one there so I turned around to head off and in the rear view mirror this guy crossed the road so off I took to hopefully get a shot in the bright sunshine. The weeds are very tall along Edinburgh Road but luckily a few tires were stacked there so up I went to get over them. They had quite the large train but wasted no time headed through town and off to Kitchener. GP 38-2, CN 4732 provided the extra power.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	04/26/2024
Location:	Guelph
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 17 Favourites

This pair of SD70ACu's has been roaming the area for quite a while as CPKC 238 South and CP 239 North. Little did I know that this southbound trek as CPKC 238 led by CP 7037 with CP 7030 would be its final trip down the Hamilton sub during this run. The pair returned north later in the day on CPKC 237 and then went west on CPKC 135 during the early hours the next morning. Here, they round the bend through the woods on the approach to the 3rd Line on a bright warm spring afternoon. The lack of leaves let the sun in nicely.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	Canadian Pacific K…
Date:	03/13/2024
Location:	Campbellville
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 11 Favourites

CPKC has sent us a number of interesting lash ups over the past month or so with a BNSF leading a great number of trains both east and westbound. Here, BNSF 7859 with BNSF 5470 pull their way across Appleby Line with forty nine auto racks in tow as they work their way up the grade on the approach to Guelph Junction cleared to Ayr.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	Canadian Pacific K…
Date:	03/08/2024
Location:	Glen Eden
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 16 Favourites

Having finished their work in Acton and waited for a westbound GO train to pass and clear, CN 540 with BNSF 2090 high tails it back to Guelph with a short load of empty lumber cars. It was nice to see the BNSF 2090 back on CN 540 after being off it for a while. Who knows how long it will stay in the area.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	11/16/2023
Location:	Guelph
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 12 Favourites

SD40-2F, CP 9014 with SD40-2 CP 6028 rumble their way up the grade as they head under the Twiss Road signal bank hauling a load of rails westward up the Galt sub. The former CMQ 9014 looks quite nice in its new CPKC red paint scheme but I think I would have preferred the old original blue and white a bit more. Running low on fuel, they decided to pull in to Puslinch siding to refuel but after the crew stopped to check the tanks, they decided to continue on to Wolverton where refueling would be easier. The sun came out as they rounded the bend with the still very dark skies in the background making the clean red stand out nicely.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	10/23/2023
Location:	Campbellville
Province:	Ontario

4 Comments | 22 Favourites

I was sitting at this location just hoping for a westbound anything and on the scanner comes GO 257 east and I thought, dam. Then I realized that the engine would be pushing from the rear so this worked out better than expected. After passing, GO 680 proved to be a decent shot as they powered their way to Kitchener. I would catch the same pair several hours later headed west.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	GO Transit
Date:	10/17/2023
Location:	Guelph
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 10 Favourites

I finally got a shot at getting this BNSF 2090 leading from the Jones Baseline Bridge. It always seems to elude my short period of time I'm in Guelph to pick up my grandson. Today, I was in early and shot other locals and decided to head to the Watson Road crossing and wait a bit. GO 362 got a clearance through a foreman and then CN 540 got the same clearance a few minutes later so I took off for the Baseline bridge and waited it out. The giant Bell wire hanging on this side of the bridge is quite the obstacle so I had to kneel on the road to shoot under the railing and under the wire with cars, trucks and tractors driving by. But, it finally showed up with about 10 minutes to spare. BNSF 2090 heads west with a small string of empty lumber cars headed to the siding at Guelph Junction to wait out another GO.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	10/05/2023
Location:	Guelph
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 17 Favourites

I had no intention on leaving the house when I got a text about a CSX leading CPKC 132 up the hill from Hamilton. The sun angles are poor for north bounds so off I went to mile 37 on the Galt sub for a better angle if the sun should happen to appear. The rather late CPKC 132 powered by CSX 992 and CN 2875 heads east down the Galt sub with a short train for a meet with CPKC 236 in Milton.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	CSX Transportation
Date:	09/10/2023
Location:	Campbellville
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 10 Favourites

Well my six year old grandson graduated from his Fisher Price camera today to his new, (to him it is), Canon camera and this was his first train using it. Its just after 9am and the green light came on so through the field we went fully expecting the standard GO locomotive leading. The F59PH is a common sight (GO 562) at 8am but I have rarely saw one after. Around the bend came GO 564 and all I can hear is "Papa, an F59" and he was right. His photo turned out OK for his first shot so the learning curve has began. Now, every picture he takes I get the "is this rail pictures quality?" Hmmmm.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	GO Transit
Date:	08/14/2023
Location:	Guelph
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 23 Favourites

It's just after eight o'clock in the morning and I'm standing on the Jones Baseline bridge and it's not the safest place to wait for a train but when one of the few remaining EMD F59PH locomotives in GO 562 leads, you do what you have to do. Here, it climbs the grade leaving Guelph through the haze of the wild fire smoke on its way east for its next stop at Acton. I've saw this eight o'clock train many times but lately it's been running with the solo F59PH up front where in the past, it has had two locomotives up front with the standard cab car on the rear.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	GO Transit
Date:	07/17/2023
Location:	Guelph
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 17 Favourites

After finishing their drop in Acton and waiting for the passing westbound GO, CN 4705 with CN 7068 fly under the Jones Baseline overpass on their way back to the Guelph Yard. The GP38 was making terrific time with the 3 car load. This location is tough as well with traffic right on your heels and a large Bell telephone line running through the air at picture height.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	05/30/2023
Location:	Guelph
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 11 Favourites

Well we got a very nice surprise today being CPKC 238 had a power swap. Not that having CP 7001 being a leader was bad but having a BNSF leader with a Union Pacific trailing mad it much better. Here, BNSF 7399 with UP 5711 power their way out of Guelph Junction passing the Campbellville sign on the approach to the 3rd line. The Union Pacific provides a nice smoke show to boot.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	BNSF
Date:	05/20/2023
Location:	Campbellville
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 11 Favourites

It's spring break so I have to pick up my grandson for another days adventure. I recalled last year that GO Transit ran a pair of F59PH locomotives around 8am so I went in early on a day the sun was shining and it barely made it up far enough over the horizon to get this shot. At 8:02, Go 562 with Go 563 power their way in to Rockwood on their trip to Union Station. The F59PH's still look good after the winter months.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	GO Transit
Date:	03/15/2023
Location:	Rockwood
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 20 Favourites

This train had quite the adventure today as the oversized CP 133 with CP 8727 and CP 9767 stalled out heading up the grade on the approach to Guelph Line. In the mean time, the crew ran out of hours and would have to wait several hours for a recrew from Toronto. The train was tied down for the crew change. The power for CP 135 was dispatched from Toronto to give them a final push up the hill. Here, the new crew has arrived and are passing on the needed information to get this train rolling. It would be about another 45 minutes to get the remainder of the brakes released and the air pressure up and off they went.

Name:	Bill Purdy
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	02/25/2023
Location:	Campbellville
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 19 Favourites

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