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About Daniel Odette

I've been a railfan since I was little, thanks to my very close proximity to CP's North Toronto Sub. I have been photographing and filming trains since I was eight years old, but have used disposable film cameras prior to that. Over the past few years, I have lived in Barrie, St. Catharines and Toronto, however now reside in the latter two, which is the area I most often do my photography. As trains have become more bland in character recently, my approaches to railway photography have changed. I find myself shooting long exposures, shooting in uncommon, unique and hard to reach locations, or simply shoot on branchlines. Standing trackside for hours at locations like Bayview is not something I usually do however.

Daniel Odette's Railpictures.ca photo upload statistics

Number of images: 155
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Daniel Odette's 155 photos on Railpictures.ca:

The heads up for these lashups are always appreciated. In this particular case, CN 394 has a colourful lashup of CN 3152, GECX 2037, CN 5797 and QNSL 528. The QNSL is a former Australian BHP unit that got rebuilt by Progress Rail in Tacoma, Washington, and is in transit to get to Quebec's north shores. CN 3152 for whatever reason has the entire conductor side window area painted black, which seems to have been this way for well over a year, if not from when it left the GE plant in Fort Worth. Near the end of the train sandwiched in is CN 2801 as DPU, not seen here of course. No doubt I made the trip down for the QNS&L.
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With rain drizzling down, I figured the bridge off of Homestead Avenue just a short distance up the hill from Bayview would be a good location. The tree branches proved to be a challenge, so a little bear crawling to get under the bridge was done. Not to increase my rants about Hamilton parking enforcement, but Homestead Avenue is off limits to parking. The locals here don't seem to care as long as the road isn't blocked, but a reminder should be served that Hamilton's parking enforcement does not mess around in case anyone wants a shot here. Nonetheless, that likely further explains why pictures from this location are uncommon. While this spot does not work well when the sun is out, it seems perfect during a light rainfall. I will be back at some point, though probably on my bicycle.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	04/26/2020
Location:	Hamilton
Province:	Ontario

11 Comments | 10 Favourites

The single track section on the CN Grimsby Sub between Jordan and Nelles Road is a mere 10 miles, so overtaking occurrences here really are quite rare. The waiting CN 331 most certainly had enough time to stay ahead of the noon hour GO train from Niagara Falls, so my guess is this had something to do with congestion around Hamilton.
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The weekend GO trains to Niagara Falls are permanent year round now. While their stay is mostly certain, CN 331's stay was always in question, as was its counterpart 330. Since 2008, they have now been cancelled three times. Unless CN creates a different plan with the new container traffic, 330/331 will likely be back again when the MacMillan Yard hump gets busy again.
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The rare Jordan overtake will be even harder to accomplish with 331 gone, though this does open up more of a possibility that it will occur in better evening light come spring. Extra westbounds such as X422 have a much higher tendency to run in the late afternoon, which may allow a meet with the Toronto bound Amtrak Maple Leaf or second last GO train on weekends. While I've heard of it happening twice, this is the first Jordan overtake I've seen railfanning in Niagara over my 12 years here. It was a welcome surprise when ATCS indicated that an overtake was certain to happen in the last block before Jordan, and sure enough, 331 had already rolled up to the signals minutes before GO arrived. Occurrences like this were fairly common when Jordan was a crew change point, but with trains starting and terminating at Port Robinson now rather than Buffalo, that rarely if ever happens anymore.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	GO Transit
Date:	11/17/2019
Location:	Lincoln
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 8 Favourites

I had plans to upload this shot a while back, but with the Amtrak Maple Leaf's sudden fame with a P32-8BWH leading it for what likely was the first time ever, I kind of forgot about this.
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The P32AC-DM's once held a fairly common presence on the Maple Leaf, but that has changed. An appearance of 705 in the summer of 2017 and then 700 in March 2018 is all I can recall in more recent years, despite regularly seeing this train. Essentially, they've become rare. It's no BWH of course, but 700 does carry the distinct Empire Service scheme. At the time, it was one of just a few Amtrak units carrying this slightly modified Phase III livery. The word that 700 was on the Maple Leaf the night before was out there, but unlike Amtrak 514, which got basically drowned in foam, I have yet to see a photo of 700 leading the Maple Leaf. I get it, it's a Genesis at the end of the day.
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The location of choice to stand was where I shot the Amtrak double header two months earlier, being the Michigan Central overpass. With the Amtrak crew marking its departure with two short blasts as they normally do, getting into position in time is no big deal. Despite still being on the Canadian side, the departure code is a norm. With the various loud noises (especially horns) that cross the border on a regular basis, local residents probably don't even notice.
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The timing of the upload is more related to the Whirlpool Rapids bridge closure, which will last until the beginning of November for bridge work. The Maple Leaf will be absent from Canadian trackage until then. I'm unaware of past extended down time for the Maple Leaf, but this will probably be the longest one since its inception in 1981. For a train that's already struggling for ridership, this certainly won't help. Amtrak seems to have made clear its commitment to international rail service however.
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With GO train service now 7 days a week to Niagara Falls, the tracks rusting over between over Niagara Falls and Clifton won't be an issue.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	Amtrak
Date:	03/15/2018
Location:	Niagara Falls
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 6 Favourites

Double stack container trains used to be a routine sight sight on CN in Niagara, unironically due to the lack of availability of a capable tunnel under the St. Clair River. The opening of the Tellier tunnel largely changed that. CN 154 and 155, the only stack trains that went through Niagara as an efficient route, weren't able to hold their own, typically extremely short in length, and often mixed with autoracks to make up for the lack of intermodal.
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This likely was the first dedicated stack train to roll over the CN Grimsby Sub in about 15 years, and not a stubby one either. Running under the number 122, this is 148's typical train that otherwise would operate over the Dundas Sub. The wreck in the Sarnia tunnel meant for three options, go north and come down the already overcrowded Bala Sub, run all hicubes as singles through Windsor (tunnel is too short for hicube stacks), or take the CSX or NS Chicago Line to Buffalo, and come across in Fort Erie. Ultimately, the last option was chosen, much to the joy of Niagara railfans including myself.
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For power is CN 8804 and 2454. Used to hearing container trains on smooth track, hearing the sound of empty containers thrashing about on a bumpy south track was fairly intimidating. It certainly has a much more intense feel than the sound of what is essentially sheet metal on autoracks. A car count was not kept, but the train was around 200 cars. It felt odd seeing a complete stack train at the bottom of the Niagara Escarpment on the south side of Lake Ontario. I decided to be up really early, anticipating this might be the only chance to see this reroute in early morning light or even with any light at all, given this was the first run and future runs likely would be smoother. Was I ever wrong, and I'm glad. The first reroute of this train ended up being the earliest, and a few others came in decent afternoon light. Afternoon light would've required a different location however, and this was the only 122 to come before nasty backlighting set in, so making sure I shot this 122 here was well worth it.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	06/30/2019
Location:	St. Catharines
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 6 Favourites

Though Via Rail essentially abandoned Niagara over 6 years ago now, they still find their way around. Whether it be providing a rescue unit to help the ailing Amtrak Genesis units on the Maple Leaf, or running charters, it's not a once in a blue moon occurrence.
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Via 6435 leads chartered train 698 through Vineland en route from Niagara Falls to Toronto. The train stopped in St. Catharines to pick up Canadian legends Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, part of the band Rush. Neil Peart unfortunately hasn't been able to keep up with two of them. He wasn't on the last charter four years ago either. The last time, this train was lead by Via 909, in what ended up to be a humiliating photography learning experience. I was unable to attach my lens in time for a sufficient photo, so it's good to get a second chance.
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I don't opt for far in zoom shots often, though it was quite interesting here. In the distance is the signal for the Jordan control point where the Grimsby Sub returns to double track, a full 2.5 miles away. Even further back, in front of the Niagara escarpment backdrop, somehow visible is the water tower at the Welland Canal. The tower is at control point Seaway, about 11 miles away. While by no means level east of Jordan, this photo illustrates just how straight the Grimsby Sub is. There are multiple lengthy sections of perfectly straight track on this subdivision, though this section between east Grimsby and Seaway is the longest at 17.8 miles. The other reason the water tower is likely so visible is the elevation is 130 feet higher than here. To get there is a stretch of multiple large dips that without a doubt wreak havoc on CN's monstrous trains 421 and 422 on a fairly common basis. A telephoto zoom shot on a ladder would be pretty fitting here.
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Despite how straight the Grimsby Sub is, Geddy, Alex, and whoever tagged along with them, will trundle down the Grimsby Sub at an uninspiring 65mph, easily eclipsed by the vast majority of traffic on the QEW. Though, maybe they can still write a song about their slow train ride through the wine fields of Vineland. If Geddy and Alex make this trip again in four years, they will likely be greeted with solid double track the entire way, perhaps with speeds peaking 80-100mph. Time will tell.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	10/13/2018
Location:	Lincoln
Province:	Ontario

5 Comments | 9 Favourites

The 50th anniversary of New York Central's demise has brought about some amazing photos from fellow contributors, so I might as well upload this before the year's end.
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Coincidentally enough, Norfolk Southern's NYC heritage unit managed to end up on the Buffalo-Fort Erie transfer in time for the big 50, sandwiched between NS 9187 and chiselled nose SD70M 2593. This is believed to be NS 1066's first visit, so it was good timing. NYC's presence on this section of the Canada Southern was not well documented, however Fort Erie was a significant hub for them. Track 99, which was the former CASO Fort Erie yard bypass track, is behind the autoracks, now owned by CN. Only about a quarter mile west of here is where the Chippawa Branch split off to Niagara Falls. The part of the CASO ROW that extends towards Welland was torn up a few years ago as far as Stevensville. The rest remains in CP's hands, now known as the Stevensville Spur.
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The NS transfer typically ends up with around three to four heritage units a year. NS 1066 (NYC heritage) appears to be the first to visit that had any major significance to past railroad history in the area. The Wabash unit almost showed up once, but the air compressor failed before leaving Buffalo.
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Being a bright spot in what is becoming an increasing dilapidated and depressing part of Fort Erie, NS C93 and the NYC heritage unit completed their yard work within a couple hours and waited some length of time to get clearance back stateside. Past memories of this train involved a typically much shorter consist, and the train would get clearance back into Buffalo almost immediately after finishing work. It's not quite as simple as it used to be, but at least the train is longer. Somewhat frequently now, CN has to run an X422 just to handle how much traffic NS is bringing across. Looking back about 10 years down to the month, this is when the Great Recession really began to take its toll on Niagara's rail traffic. CP never recovered it, though CN seems to be at its strongest point in the area since then.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	Norfolk Southern
Date:	03/18/2018
Location:	Fort Erie
Province:	Ontario

4 Comments | 10 Favourites

Most remember that the fall colours last year were pretty subpar, and there wasn't much to show for here either despite being late October. At the time, CN 421 and 422 were the only regularly scheduled freights on the Grimsby Sub, yet for the past few weeks, could not stay out of each other's way numerous times. I finally got the opportunity for a meet here. The Stamford Sub is all single track to Port Robinson, so 422 had to come off first before 421 would get the go ahead. The morning Amtrak went ahead into the Falls to get out of the way of the fray. Unfortunately, 421 was still creeping around the corner when it went by, so a passing shot was not possible.
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This was good enough however. As 422 bobs through the 15mph crossover, the conductor of 421 raises his hand for a wave. Meets at Clifton are not rare, and seem to happen fairly often. The lack of ATCS has made them difficult to predict though.
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The level crossing had very recently been repaved, and surface rust has built up on the south track rails over the crossing, despite most likely being used in the past couple of days. The weed growth in front of CN 2605 follows the contours of the plow. That's pretty much how weeds are held back around here. Just around the corner, a tree's drooping over the north track seemed unnaturally flat looking, evidently getting a routine skim by autoracks. GO cabcars are frequently met with strong whacks against the engineer side mirror further into Niagara Falls, due to their lack of frequency here.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	10/24/2017
Location:	Niagara Falls
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 11 Favourites

After nearly a month of procrastination, I decided to drive to Hagersville to get some shots of the CASO station before it came down. Aware CN would be resuming operations in the area after nearly 21 years the next day, I felt unease that the station had not been removed yet. It felt in the back of my mind that CN was going to mark their first day back with some teeth, so I went. Since it was a last second decision, there was barely any sun left by the time I got there.
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CN's new operations base was laid down here a couple weeks prior, directly on the former CASO right-of-way. The Hagersville CASO station had spent over a century standing in this position, seeing the rise of the automobile, transition from steam to diesel, the collapse of one of America's most famed railroads (New York Central), the demise of passenger rail and eventually the CASO Subdivision itself. Arson attempts and other overall neglect led to the station being considered unusable for operations by CN on the Hagersville Sub, and so its fate became sealed as well.
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My guess was as good as anyone's on when the station would come down, though it's a good thing my anxiety spiked when it did. This would end up being the station's final sunset. In less than 24 hours, the walls would be chewed apart by construction equipment, and the station leveled completely the day afterwards. It's a bit of a surreal feeling, knowing you're capturing the last chapter, but then realizing afterwards that it was actually the last page. This was not the last photo taken of the station nonetheless, as another railfan stayed a few minutes after I left, and I'd have to imagine some photos were taken in the morning before demolition began. Or maybe not. Time will tell.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	Canada Southern Ra…
Date:	09/16/2018
Location:	Hagersville
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 10 Favourites

After stopping at Glenridge, CN 330 has gotten back underway up the 1.6% grade into Niagara Falls, passing Garner Road. While leaser power has been common on CN 330, the trailer doesn't show any indications of being leased variety. CN 2145 leads the way, with BNSF 9916 trailing. Older EMD's of any variety under foreign class 1 ownership are pretty rare sightings here nowadays. I don't remember the late 2013-early 2015 foreign power craze bringing any Niagara bound on CN, so this is quite remarkable. 9916 looks like an early EMD relic, but in reality it's just less than 20 years old. All those years hauling coal trains in the midwest have not done the paint well. CN 2145 of course has BNSF heritage as well, so these two units likely have had their share of meets. The AC traction from 9916 seemed to provide a noticeable boost to 330's trip up hill, and the chase to Clifton afterwards was almost unsuccessful because of it.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	08/15/2018
Location:	Niagara Falls
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 8 Favourites

Halloween doesn't mean much to me, although seeing GMDD SD40-2's plying the rails certainly does. At this point, the majority of CP's SD40-2's had been sidelined since early 2016. Until just shortly prior to this, only a few were active, all being 6000 series units designated for hump assignments in St. Paul, Minnesota. It looked as if the story line of CP's SD40-2's were over, but... Not quite. A few SD40-2's, including 5833, were brought back into service as traffic began to sustain itself after a hard drop in traffic after the oil boom. SD40s were commonplace on the Expressway throughout the majority of its history, often forming solid sets until the most recent GEVO order invaded. Once the oil boom ended, SD40s would rarely be found on the Expressway at all. About a year and a half later, the grit of the Expressway had returned, to some extent.
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5833 was quickly assigned to the Expressway train after return to service, and was partnered with a surprisingly clean 9657. On this night, 5833 would lead train 132 from Milton to Montreal. In this shot, routine switching activities take place, and the train will soon be doubled up with the cars on the north yard track. Meanwhile, a Milton bound GO train zips past at around 70mph as the Niagara Escarpment looms in the background.
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Reflecting on this day, it's hard to believe SD40-2's were rare almost two years ago. It's been that long. A few are still active, but most have since been sold off for use on other roads, or scrapped after extensive time in storage. 5833's return to service was short lived, and was scrapped less than a year after this photo. As for the Expressway? Well, as we know, service ended the first day of June. CP's strike seemed to disrupt the ending, and the final two Expressway's may have run during the early hours of May 29th. The Milton Expressway terminal looks deserted now. Some of the cars remain sitting around, but the days of this train have drawn to a close.
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The creation of the Expressway was a response to the common trend at the time to have trains compete with short haul trucking. The original followed the name of the Iron Highway, already used stateside for a few years, and CP's subsidiary ST.L&H followed the concept in 1996, with Lambton Yard used as a terminal. Milton EWT was built a few years later to better address the issue, more out in the open near the 401 and 407, unlike Lambton, which was cramped well into the city of Toronto. The Iron Highway was rebranded the Expressway in 2000, and took over Roadrailer service that went to Detroit, but Detroit service only lasted a few years. The Montreal section had been fairly successful, but even had two round trips dropped since. Service was fairly well used until the end, however, CP decided to put their resources elsewhere, where more money could be made.
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Short-haul competition is generally agreed upon as outside the logistical interests of railroads now. Customers really committed to rail likely would switch to containers, where as CP's four intermodal trains between Montreal and Vaughan can pick up what was dropped by the Expressway. While short-haul competition is no longer economically viable, emissions and highways being jammed well over capacity have been a ballooning issue in recent years. In reality, the amount of trailers the Expressway hauled barely addressed that problem to begin with. The poor flexibility of trains simply make them non-competitive with short-haul trucking. Maybe as technology progresses, one day that'll change, and the emissions and traffic issues can finally be addressed.
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Until then, enjoy the memories of the efforts railroads made to compete. Not much lights nostalgia like remembering a trio of CP SD40-2's charge up the main at 60mph, hard pressed to keep time. It wasn't economical, but it sure was entertaining. On this night, those memories were at least partially revived. What I didn't realize is the trailer on flatcar setup was soon to be a memory as well. With the Expressway being the last TOFC comprised train in Canada, the extensive history of piggyback trains here has reached its closing chapter.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	10/31/2016
Location:	Milton
Province:	Ontario

5 Comments | 25 Favourites

The Stouffville line is another that has a number of assigned L6 sets, and therefore, F59PH's are regularly visitors to this line. Three would end up running the Stouffville line as the sun setted, while another went up the Richmond Hill line. L6 sets are also primarily based on the Richmond Hill, Barrie and Kitchener lines, and therefore they are the most likely to see F59PH's. According to Transsee however, the Stouffville line seems to provide the most consistency in their appearances. Neither the Kitchener or Barrie lines saw one this evening. After the final eight F59PH's were rebuilt, many were shuffled into L10L sets, and were used primarily on the Barrie line. L10L's are seemingly a thing of the past though, and L6's are now common, so the Stouffville line has taken those reigns.
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GO 563 and train 872 has just hopped over the famous Lincolnville hump, and is slowing to enter Lincolnville station and yard. While the Newmarket, Bala, and Uxbridge Subs all pass through the Oak Ridges moraine, a brief skim of the Uxbridge Sub indicates it is by far the most hilly. No wonder CN had no interest in using this line for their transcontinental route.
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I can still recall that Stouffville was a more relaxed town on the outskirts of GTA just 15 years ago, still having a bit of a rural like atmosphere to it. That's changed, so much so, the houses can now be seen creeping up to Lincolnville. The two crossings here even have a whistle ban. While Whitchurch-Stouffville has been GTA'ized, the Uxbridge Sub still extends a fair distance north to Uxbridge thanks to usage by the York-Durham Heritage Railway. It'll be interesting to see if the GTA invades even further northeast in the coming years, and brings GO train service with it to Uxbridge. Speaking of which, Google Maps indicates that new housing developments are occurring in Uxbridge. Pristine farmland views like this one are bound to be overrun in the coming decades. Though the F59PH's won't be around to see it. A Canadian cowl body, even in GO paint, looks pretty fitting plying through the rural fields. Enjoy the view while it lasts.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	GO Transit
Date:	05/31/2018
Location:	Stouffville
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 9 Favourites

A lot has changed since I took my last photo here. GO trains on the Barrie Line now stop at Downsview Park, with a direct connection to the recently opened TTC Spadina Subway extension. Weekend trips, and off peak trips in both directions now run also.
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That made this shot possible. Even better, many of the off peak trains are L6's, typically designated to GO's F59PH's. The Transsee server now allows for tracking of GO Transit locomotives. So the remaining eight on the roster can be tracked, and endlessly stalked by foamers until their retirement. The AC Tier 4 MP40's seem sluggish in their delivery process, so perhaps there are still a couple years left in the F59PH's.
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In this shot, GO 558 leads train 808 southbound, having originated at Aurora. It just met northbound train 791 around Snider, which had 557 pushing for power. Yes, the train numbers have been completely shuffled around. With Downsview Park station just a little north, GO trains no longer rip through here at 75mph. Not as entertaining, though that made this shot easier, as the high sun was reeking havoc on my lens.
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I'd imagine at some point in the next few years, this section will be double tracked. PNR was quite busy in the area on this day. Further changes recently have included more development of the former Downsview airport hangers for extra-carricular activites (sports, etc...). This area has changed plenty in the last decade besides the GO trains, and many more changes are to come. Speaking of which, a couple of construction workers photo bombed my shot, and can be seen just above the front of the F59PH on the right.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	GO Transit
Date:	05/07/2018
Location:	Toronto
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 6 Favourites

<b>Divided by the Canadian and American border, locomotives of each country's national passenger railroads sit on their respective sides of the bridge.</b>
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Amtrak 121 was uncooperative and refused to pull the Maple Leaf back to the states on this morning. After hours of trying to resolve the situation, Via 6419 was finally placed on to lead the Maple Leaf to Niagara Falls.
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6419 has done its job, and one of Via's finest begins to throw the switch so 6419 can back into the siding. On the other side of the Whirlpool Rapids bridge on the American side is Amtrak 110. It will back across the bridge as soon as 6419 backs into the siding and the switch is realigned. It will take over the duties of Via 6419 to Albany-Rensselaer. 121 was coupled to the Maple Leaf alone at this point, still capable of providing HEP to the coaches, but unable to move under its own power. These type of movements are quite rare, but it is something Via and Amtrak have performed before. The majority of Amtrak's P42DC's are one to two years overdue for another rebuild or retirement, so perhaps this will become more frequent since it appears since neither seem imminent under Amtrak's budget woes.
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Amtrak used two crews for this move, with one already on the Canadian side and the other in Amtrak 110. Since ownership of the Whirlpool's upper deck was transferred to Amtrak, the Via unit is technically in Amtrak territory, as the sign on the left adjacent to the bridge indicates. The Canadian flag is flying at half mast for the 16 people that lost their lives in the Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy, likely with each day dedicated to each life lost.
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This move occurred only one half hour before the CBSA showed up for the arrival of Via 98. Known to be very territorial and precautious at the station, this shot most certainly would not have been possible if this switching move was done after they arrived. Since Via 97 arrived at Niagara Falls so late, it had to wait for Amtrak 63 (to become Via 98) to depart Niagara Falls, NY. Amtrak 64 (formerly Via 97) left Niagara Falls after the CBSA arrived, anticipating boarding Amtrak 63. The CBSA was very clearly confused, seeing the power was at the other end. They wandered about talking to the crews, and even hopped on the train at one point, probably under the assumption the passengers were Canadian arrivals on 63. Thankfully, the poor passengers, already seven hours late, did not have to deal with confused CBSA guards. The American CBP still await them however.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	04/20/2018
Location:	Niagara Falls
Province:	Ontario

5 Comments | 27 Favourites

It's been noted that the reliability of many of Amtrak's P42DC's seems to be starting to go downhill. Granted there's been numerous occasions recently in which the Maple Leaf has seen a helper Amtrak unit. Amtrak 121 led the Toronto bound Maple Leaf last night, but was unable to get going in the morning to take it back to the U.S. It left Toronto over four hours late, and spent another hour at Aldershot. Where the Via F40PH-2 was placed on to lead is unknown to me. A rare occasion at best, the last time I remember seeing a Via unit on the Maple Leaf was about eight years ago. Multiple occasions were also noted in February 2011 requiring a Via helper, although if it has happened since then, it has gone under the radar.
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Via 6419 was called to aid the Maple Leaf on this day. With Via no longer a regular visitor in Niagara, this was a treat. By the time the mess was sorted out, the sun had long since moved into the west, meaning a nose shot was not an option.
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6419 was taken off on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, and Amtrak 110 backed across to take 121 and the Maple Leaf to Albany. 6419 would be placed on the rear on Via 98 with Amtrak 100 leading. The Maple Leaf ended up leaving Niagara Falls almost seven hours late. And yes, it did have passengers on board. Not fun... Word was it got into Penn Station in New York City around 5am.
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Most of Amtrak's P42DC's got a mid life rebuild after 10 years, meaning the majority are overdue for another or retirement. Amtrak has stated intentions to purchase new locomotives, but that would mean deliveries are at the very least a couple years away. Until then, the increasingly ailing P42's may draw more frequent interesting lashups onto the Maple Leaf. Dual Genesis lashups started to go from rare to occasional last summer, and the P32AC-DM units started to reappear on the Leaf after being mostly absent for a few years. Amtrak 514 also paid quite likely the first visit of a P32-8BWH to Niagara recently. A typically mundane train might be worth keeping up to tabs with for the next little while.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	04/20/2018
Location:	St. Catharines
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 8 Favourites

My original intention was to try to shoot by the curve at York Road, though I quickly realized that wasn't going to happen with CN MOW equipment hard at work on the south track. With some luck, the tie gang was positioned just right for a fairly open shot of CN 148's power further east. According to a local, CN had been working on tie replacements in the area since the weekend. All the ties with tie plates painted orange were replaced soon after this photo, with the majority of the track gang still extending beyond the curve at this point.
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Thanks to those who gave the heads up, I was aware of 148's lashup to make it down to Hamilton. For power here is CN 5745, GECX 9135 (ex CSX 7334, nee CR 6138), CN 5507, CN 5519. The SD60F's were along for the ride dead in tow, and with them now off the roster, it is presumed they are headed for scrap. The probability is fairly high they're destined for K&K Recycling in Pickering like the previous five that came through. Those were noted for looking quite fresh, as if they were recently outshopped from GMDD in London. The same could be said for these two, especially 5507. It's quite remarkable how well the paint has held up after nearly thirty years, while the lead SD75I (and many other 75I's) is peeling away with the red dried out, barely exceeding twenty years of age.
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Due to the track work, CN 148 is down to around 10-15mph with the dynamic brakes groaning, blaring the horn as required. It escaped my mind to grab my earplugs, and being on a bridge right above where the horn would pass under, concern ran through my mind. The crew, however, momentarily stopped sounding the horn when approaching the bridge. Courtesy measures like this are greatly appreciated.
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Hamilton West is only a half mile east of this location, but I figured I would try a little uphill. I certainly can't understate this spot. It's a nice peaceful footbridge away from traffic. Not sure how well it would work for lighting on a sunny day, but on a dreary day for eastbounds, it's a good alternative with the Niagara Escarpment providing a backdrop to remove most of the overcast lighting.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	04/18/2018
Location:	Hamilton
Province:	Ontario

4 Comments | 12 Favourites

After checking out Niagara Falls during its shortlived deep freeze, I decided to drop by the station to see if the New York bound Amtrak Maple Leaf might have anything interesting (you never know). Sure enough, it had a double header, which is an uncommon occurrence. With trains long gone on the Michigan Central bridge, I decided to get a shot from the former CASO bridge over River Road.
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With Amtrak 108 and 111 making up this double header, the train is now under Amtrak control, about to ease onto the Whirlpool Rapids bridge (automobile deck is below). Both units at this point would be 21 years old. They are lucky enough to be assigned to the northeast routes, and have not faced the abuse many Amtrak Genesis units have faced on long distance trains. Despite this, both units are showing their age. 108 also has a large gash on the front, which appeared in 2009 and surprisingly was never repaired. Double headers appeared a number of times on the Maple Leaf between October and January, indicating many of the northeast based units (100-111) perhaps were ailing.
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I wasn't exactly comfortable with this location considering cameras and a huge barricaded wall were just east of me on the MC bridge. Despite standing here for 20 minutes, I wasn't bothered. The Chinese architecture in the background is the Cham Shan temple, a Buddhist temple that definitely stands out in the area. The American side of the Niagara River gorge is on the right. Unfortunately this spot is currently limited to the two Amtrak Maple Leaf's a day. Track inspections used to be done back a CSX geometry train, though I'm not sure if that still happens. Via Rail used the switch by the bridge until 2012 when cuts had them leave Niagara, though I'm unaware if they've backed up to here on recent Via charters. The Whirlpool bridge has been restricted to empties only for freight since the early 2000s, so there aren't many possibilities.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	Amtrak
Date:	01/10/2018
Location:	Niagara Falls
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 15 Favourites

NS is a highlight in Niagara, as it tends to deliver entertainment when CN and CP doesn't. This was one of those days. NS C93 left Bison Yard in Buffalo with a surprising leader, MEC 3402, in Pan Am Railways paint. A little research indicates NS and Pan Am came to an agreement to form a joint subsidiary railroad known as Pan Am Southern. Essentially, power and track sharing is what railfans see from this. The agreement has existed since 2009, though this may be first time NS demonstrated this in Ontario. I certainly couldn't speak for Quebec. Interesting to note on the MEC unit is the bulkier fuel tank. The cab mounted horn is also an oddity on freight locomotives in today's world. Trailing, or should I say leading at this point is NS 2573. A standard cab SD70 built in 1998 for Conrail, it was part of EMD's second last order for standard cab six axle power, at least within Canada and the U.S.
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One of the usual friendly NS crews was on board, and CN for some reason was not able to get 531 ready as early as they usually do, so C93 presumably was waiting for them to drop cars in Fort Erie yard. Hopefully they had plenty of newspapers as it would be another two hours before 531 arrived. As they read away, CP 246 clips past at track speed, beginning to slow quickly for the International Bridge. The setting and lighting made this a little awkward, though my luck at Fort Erie has never been the greatest. With the Central Avenue truss span gone for almost two years now, the location has mostly lost its photogenic appeal. Luckily, the NS transfer still makes Fort Erie reasonably interesting.
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To further elaborate on the Pan Am situation, this railroad used to be Guilford, which also included Boston & Maine and Maine Central. Through relations to Delaware & Hudson, you'll find that power from all three former railroads did make their mark in this part of Canada. In fact, look no further than one of Mr. Mooney's shots at Fort Erie in the mid 80s to see a pair of MEC units waiting to leave Fort Erie, presumably on a D&H transfer. Sometimes history comes back for another dance.

http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=7296

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	Norfolk Southern
Date:	03/11/2018
Location:	Fort Erie
Province:	Ontario

5 Comments | 7 Favourites

The lack of wide angle locations in Niagara makes shooting westbounds very difficult. So with that, I headed to Bayview. I missed the first two leaser power moves through Niagara, so it was nice to get this one. With GECX Tier 4 leasers had arrived on NS C93 from Buffalo yesterday. Today's 422, in charge of them, is feeling the holiday effects with no automotive traffic, which often makes up nearly half of 422's train. A lack of mixed traffic meant this train was somewhere around 20-30 cars long. The lashup includes CN 2949, 2839, 2863, GECX 2029, 2041, 2037, 2039.
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Power short CN should hold on to these for a bit while the order of 200 new AC GEVO's take place. Part of the reason for the order is CN supposedly anticipating increased crude shipments, so maybe the leasers will stay even longer. Time will tell.
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Seven locomotives is a lot to fit in one shot, and not many locations offer wide angle opportunities of such. Thankfully the triple track expansion of Bayview over a decade ago allowed for this. Further changes at Bayview, such as the new signal tower on the left indicate further track changes occurring in relation to Metrolinx expanding GO train service in the Hamilton area.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	12/27/2017
Location:	Hamilton
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 12 Favourites

I was honestly dreading this would become a railfan paparazzi shoot, but alas it has. Lol. Though I couldn't be left out. I was aware CN 5346 had come on CN 421 on Christmas Eve day. So I kept an eye on CN during the morning to see if perhaps 5346 would be shuffled about to lead 422, being it was the only widecab available. This did not happen, and all the units except the SD40 from 421 headed back to TO with a stubby train in tow, which may have even been 524. If it was, 422 most likely did not run today. It's scary to think I've railfanned without a scanner for two years... I definitely need to invest in one again.
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Nonetheless, the first try was unsuccessful so I monitored ATCS for a while wondering if perhaps CN 5346 had snuck through during the night somehow. And around 1pm a train was lined straight to Hamilton, myself having no clue what train it was since I don't have a working scanner. Sure enough, luck prevailed and CN 5346 was leading, an empty windmill train of all things. Past occurrences have seen these windmill flats tacked on the end of 422 or 524, rather than a dedicated 315. Today was different, perhaps having to do with the fact it was the day after Christmas. An independent widecab SD40-2W does look pretty iconic on a train, even if it is just flats. Only around 30 of these were in tow, so this was an easy job for this old soldier. L315 would take the cowpath to the Dundas Sub afterwards, heading back into the midwest states presumably for more windmill blades. I'll take this as a late Christmas gift, and am especially thankful it came in the afternoon, yielding a rare case a CN Niagara westbound freight is sunlit.
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I chose Beamsville as the location having no idea what type of lashup to expect. It definitely appears it worked out. Beamsville is one of the more nostalgic locations for me in terms of railfanning, as it goes back for me well over a decade. I've avoided it for most part for about six years since it's a good place to draw unwanted attention from the public unfortunately. Being in the a very flat straight section, CN trains (westbounds mostly) regularly get up to 50-60mph here, which is not as easy to find in Niagara as some may think. Passenger trains still trundle along at 65mph here, though that potentially could change once Metrolinx finally gets permanent GO train service to Niagara Falls.
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It's interesting to note I said two years ago when I saw CN 5274 lead CN 330 that perhaps that would be the last time an SD40 is seen leading a train in Niagara. With the economy downturning, it sure looked like that statement may hold. The surge in traffic on CN recently has proved otherwise however. As our moderator had mentioned, this very well could be the last stand for strong variety on CN with the company being quite power short. Class 1's in general are quickly losing that common variety aspect. Once CN's massive order of two hundred AC GEVOs arrive, a lot of coffins will be nailed. SD40s evidently have specific advantages their higher horsepower successors lack though, as many class 1's are still avid users of them for lighter train duties despite their age. So perhaps these will once again slip past the next chopping block while their closer in age successors fade away. Though, maybe not. Regardless, there's a long stood era that's coming to an end, which is the expectation that one will be kept in suspense with variety on class 1 freight roads. One can argue that era is already over, though for what remains of it, make the most of this time before it is almost unanimously agreed upon.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	12/26/2017
Location:	Beamsville
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 10 Favourites

The story behind this long hood forward move is a long one, though I'll try to keep it reasonable. CN 421 had encountered a problem with it's middle unit (8930) somewhere west of Grimsby resulting in a shutdown. The EOT then failed and had to be replaced, bringing 421 to a halt just west of St. Catharines. After replacement, the two remaining online units, 2639 and 2694 managed to get going again with about 12000 feet of mostly loads. 421, however had to battle Merritton Hill (if you want to call it that), which climbs at almost 1% until around the Third Canal east of Seaway where it increases to 1.9% for about a mile before leveling out. The head end was able to crest the hill, but 2639's wheelslip didn't help and 421 stalled just west of the QEW overpass. No help was available, and eventually 421 started up again with only the first half of its train to Port Robinson. 2694 was then set out to take 531 to Seneca Yard in Buffalo, leaving 2639 to come back alone to pick up the remainder of the train.
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Here, 2639 returns now assigned as 562 to pick up the remainder of 421. Perhaps it was overlooked that most of the remaining 5000 foot section was on the 1.9% grade. Nonetheless, 2639 got stuck for the second time this day. Luckily CN managed to resuscitate 8930 at Port Robinson, and the unit responsible for the stall was now coming to rescue the rescue train. Quite some irony there. 8930 was tacked on the end of 562 and the whole train backed down to Glenridge to get a running start at the 1.9% grade. By the time the ordeal was over, both the morning and evening Amtrak trains had passed, a span of over eight hours. Luckily, 539 doesn't usually depart Port Robinson until around 9pm, so from all that chaos, all the traffic likely still got to Buffalo in time for CSX.
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Had this happened two years ago, the eight hour ordeal likely would've been over before the end of the morning since Port Robinson still had a set of Geep power. CN 385, another one of Southern Ontario's monsters, stalled on Copetown Hill the same day, though it was quickly resolved by using 580's Geep power from Brantford. Ultimately the Niagara cuts a little while ago backfired today, though I doubt this one blip had much of an effect on CN's cost savings. That being said, it'll be interesting to see if AC and or DPU power is used more frequently on 421 in the future since help is typically not readily available to assist trains in Niagara.

Name:	Daniel Odette
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	10/26/2017
Location:	Niagara Falls
Province:	Ontario

5 Comments | 13 Favourites

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