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About mercer

Originally from Burlington ON; lived in Brantford, Aldershot, Chatham, Brights Grove and currently Brantford (2nd time), retired in 2014 from Ontario Southland Rly; also worked for CN, TH&B, C&O/CSX. Began photography in 1963 taking B&W and colour prints; began taking slides in 1966. No longer active in photography, enjoy helping younger fans with their aspirations in sharing my experiences.

mercer's Railpictures.ca photo upload statistics

Number of images: 100
Total gold: 1536
Number of comments recieved : 217
Number of comments posted : 699
Total views: 295376

mercer has 1 image in the Time Machine

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mercer's 100 photos on Railpictures.ca:

A very clean 6512 is assisted by an F9B, also quite clean, as they bring train 73 and 11 cars westward from Chatham. Wanting to get some elevation, I waited until he was in view, and then climbed to the upper perch of the eastward Absolute signal. Only one half of the old motor car pulloff is now in existence ( opposite the first coach) having been removed when the westward track was refurbished with ties in 1984. This equipment will turn at Windsor and cycle east as train 78 later in the day.

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	03/22/1987
Location:	Chatham
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 7 Favourites

While living in Chatham and wanting to document the twilight of VIA's FP9's and FPA/FPB's, I also wanted to blend in the LRC fleet. But it was difficult to find those units on Windsor trains, and be able to coordinate that with my own available time. But on a nice October day in 1986, the 6910 was presented to me on train 74 as I spent a few hours at my favorite location. The sumacs have turned to their fall colours but other foliage is just on the cusp, as the MLW heads east to it's station stop in the Maple City.

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	10/17/1986
Location:	Chatham
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 10 Favourites

FPA-4 6791 with a typical mid-week consist of 3 coaches as it glides across the CPR Windsor Subdivision a few miles west of downtown Chatham. The old round city water tower and the Wheels Inn resort are in the far left background, beyond 'Ringold' siding on CP. The MLW's days are numbered, as the first order of F40's is about 45 days away from being delivered.

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	10/12/1986
Location:	Chatham
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 13 Favourites

Knowing that VIA trains 72 and 74 had older power, and not the dreaded, new F40's, I went trackside from the house on a beautiful Tuesday morning in early March. In Canada's ' Sun Parlor ' you can expect this type of weather at this time of the year. With 8 coaches and a full baggage car behind them, FPA-4's 6782-6793 bring train 72 across the CPR Windsor Subdivision, just a few minutes from their scheduled station stop. Even on a Tuesday in March, this early morning run warrants a big consist. It was probably well-filled going west the night before as train 77. 6782 went for scrap, but 6793 was initially operated as Western Maryland Scenic RR " B&O 893" before ending up on the Grand Canyon Rly, renumbered to 6793 again. It may or may not be in service.

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	03/06/1987
Location:	Chatham
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 14 Favourites

1987 would be the final year we lived in Chatham ( in November we moved to Bright's Grove, as CSX began to alter their Canadian operations). The first group of F40PH were in service, so I had stepped up my recon activities to catch the fading fleet of cab's and boosters. Once again, on a calm sunny day, I'm at the diamond crossing of the CN Chatham Sub and the CPR Windsor Sub. Train 74 is due and when I hear him at Prairie Siding, I get into position on the Windsor Sub, so as to obtain some elevation and keep the image 'clean'. Another single unit/6 car consist in the Corridor, as the aging FP9 drifts by the Absolute signal and clatters through the automatic interlocking. Happily, this engine exists today, on the Boone and Scenic Valley tourist operation, at Boone IA painted in C&NW colours.

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	03/06/1987
Location:	Chatham
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 9 Favourites

VIA's criteria for motive power relative to train length, at least in the Quebec/Windsor corridor, was 1 engine for up to 6 cars, 2 engines for up to 10 cars and 3 or more engines for longer trains. On a quiet Sunday afternoon train 72 from Windsor is gliding to a stop at the recently repainted Chatham station. FPA-4 6785 is sporting a pair of CN-style clip-on ditchlites as it brings 6 cars to the platform for a small group of revenue passengers. Just prior to repainting this station was grey, but I preferred this colour. Even the attempt at some horticulture was a welcomed touch.

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	10/12/1986
Location:	Chatham
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 11 Favourites

April 1, 1984. ( the day singer Marvin Gay died). But for me, just another day of hanging out at the CN + CP diamond west of Chatham. I lived on the near west side of the city, so it was only a 10 minute drive to get here. I only made the effort on days that were sunny and clear from humidity. I would also only spend time when certain passenger trains were scheduled because I knew the F40's were going to be purchased, and I wanted to get the cab units in their twilight. On this Sunday, I waited for train 75 to appear in the distance, then I hastily climbed to the first-level perch of the eastward Absolute signal and grabbed this image as the A-B pair of MLW's throttled up again.

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	04/01/1984
Location:	Chatham
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 17 Favourites

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	8/22/1980
Location:	Chatham
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 13 Favourites

On a cool clear October morning, I was spending time trackside until my C&O assignment went to work at 1600. I had been over at the C&O station to check on how many cars our job, Local 3 the Courtright Turn would have, when the yard foreman told me there was a CP westbound getting close and he had a southside set-off. So I walked around the block and waited for this guy to show up. RS18u's 1813-1826 with leased Conrail GP38 7823 and idling CP 8153 ( for Windsor use) were pulling ahead to allow the trainman to make the 'cut' on the set off. The old CPR interlocking tower was still standing, with it's wood and insul-brick rotting away. The CP train order signal can be seen above the 3rd car, set for "Y" in both directions. At one time this interlocking was named East End. When the old tower was removed from use, with it's rods and levers, the diamond was then controlled in the concrete block structure which is on the north side of the Windsor Sub. To the left of the nose of 1813 is the C&O's Dover spur which serviced a few customers along Colborne and William Streets (Cash & Carry lumber and Dover Flour Mill).

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	10/26/1985
Location:	Chatham
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 14 Favourites

CPR had a Roadswitcher based at Chatham in the 1980s and as required, 3 or 4 days per week, it would make the trek westward to switch customers at Tilbury ( Hunt-Wesson Foods) and perhaps as far as Saint Joachim ( although I have no first-hand knowledge of that). The engineer on this job, a nice man named Maurice (---) lived beside the C&O Sarnia Sub. in Wallaceburg. He would always give us a hi-ball when we went through that town. Anyway, here's his job returning east at the diamond of the CN Chatham Sub. just west of CP Ringold siding near Dillon Sideroad. This is pretty much the normal operating procedure when heading home to tie down, having the caboose (van) next to the engine. The last car is definitely from Hunt-Wesson, one of those SOLID COLD reefers probably with frozen peas or french fries. The pole lines are still in place, the Chatham Sub. is still 2 tracks and 1268 has yet to receive ditchlights. This engine still exists today, living a sheltered life at Unimin Corporation in Hephzibah GA.

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	3/6/1987
Location:	Ringold
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 24 Favourites

I don't have the dates pinned down but I believe sometime in mid- to late 1985, CPR began operating what was described as "SOO business" via Montreal/Chicago routings and numbered the trains 500-501-502-503 ( at least). Anyway here's eastbound 502 at Center Street in Chatham as he cuts the city in half during his passage. SOO 6620 is leading CP SD-40's 5546 and 5528, which in turn are hauling dead, leased GATX power SD-40 5081 and 5073 still in Missouri Pacific paint. In 1987 CPR leased 10 of these units from GATX Leasing but this was the only time I caught them on film. They were enroute to Toronto or Montreal for placement in service. Trains 501 and 502 were usually daytime passings in the Chatham area, so I did shoot them a few times (between work and family etc). This elevator, whose name I've long since forgotten, is no longer in existence.

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	3/28/1987
Location:	Chatham
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 13 Favourites

CP 4050-8431-4466 on train ‘OOD’ at Guelph Jct May 16/73.
The 'OOD' ( Oshawa Oakville Detroit ) was a dedicated auto industry train that could be counted upon to show up in the same timeframe every day with whatever power was necessary to keep it on schedule. This brightly painted lashup was irresistible as it worked throttle wide open to make the top of the grade with 76 cars.

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	05/16/1973
Location:	Guelph Jct
Province:	Ontario

14 Comments | 35 Favourites

CP GP9 8635 taken sometime in 1975 by unknown photographer.
In 1971 CP put three geeps through Ogden shops, Calgary and without upgrading them or repainting, simply chopped their noses. The other two, 8633, 8634, remained in red with the multimark, and in the script (respectively).
In the later rebuild program, these 3 were completely rebuilt and emerged as 1576 (8633), 1579 (8634) and 1580 (8635). The 1576 and 1580 were " trade-ins" for the CP GP20ECO program and were cut up; but 1579 still exists at Viterra, Kindersley SK renumbered 1319.

Name:	Bruce Mercer collec…
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	1975
Location:	Calgary
Province:	Alberta

2 Comments | 20 Favourites

Leased Boston & Maine GP7 1569 with CP 8149 on eastbound train First 50 at Guelph Jct. in approx. April 1974. Photos of leased power displaying green flags are not all that common. The water tower is still standing and the Goderich yard is full of cars. There are no tracks yet to store GO equipment and no enginehouse for OSR to use. The tracks in the immediate foreground are the associated connecting tracks for the Hamilton Sub. and the various yard tracks, where fans have stood for decades. Green flags, under the older Uniform Code of Operating Rules, indicated that there was (at least) another Section of this timetable train to be operated.

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	April 1974
Location:	Guelph Jct
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 14 Favourites

CP FP7 4067 along with FPA-2 4096 take the Toronto portion of THE CANADIAN, train 11, across the West Toronto diamonds in the summer of 1973. I worked 330pm-1130pm at CN West Toronto for approximately 6 months that year, so on slower days ( weekends ) I usually brought the camera. I would say this is a Sunday train since that day was the slowest and allowed me time to walk a few hundred yards to the diamond. I took this shot as No. 11 pulled away from CP's West Toronto station ( background, right) and started it's journey to Sudbury. Not long after, the 4067 was temporarily repainted for the ficticious company AMROAD and used ( along with 4070) in the movie SILVER STREAK starring Gene Wilder and Jill Clayburgh.

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	06/03/1973 approx
Location:	West Toronto
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 17 Favourites

March 16 1985, BCR 722 freshly painted and overhauled,with trailing units 618-621-632, poised on Stone Creek bridge at mile 444.3 on the BC Rail Prince George subdivision. Without much delay I stopped the train for a quick photo opportunity. It was a rather dull morning and I opted to extinguish the ditch / corner lights, less confusion for the camera light meter. The bridge over Stone Creek was a "glue-lam" structure with concrete waterway underneath. Station name sign "Stoner", mileage 443.9 is further back in the train.

As can be seen the 722 is flying white flags and white class lights, train order authority to "run extra", Williams Lake to Prince George BC. On this day we were the symbol freight "VO" (Vancouver-Omnieca). BC Rail as well ran two other symbol freights northbound daily, "VP" (Vancouver-Peace) and the "VC" (Vancouver-Cariboo) these symbolized trains served the three regions of BC Rail. During the days of train orders and time table scheduled trains the symbol VP ran as train No23 from North Vancouver to Chetwynd. The two other north freight trains ran as "extra" although for operation purposes they had a scheduled time of operation. On this particular trip pictured, we would take rest at Prince George and then return to Williams Lake on the "OV" symbol usually running as a No.38 or a late No 36 on a "fourth class" time table schedule. No 23 the VP ran as a "third class" scheduled train.

Name:	Doug Lawson/Collect…
Railway:	BC Rail
Date:	03/16/1985
Location:	Railway name STONE…
Province:	British Columbia

Comments | 14 Favourites

On the morning of June 10/75 N&W train DN90 suffered a broken traction motor gearcase cover while moving at track speed through Simcoe on the CN Cayuga Sub. The resulting derailment caused lead F7 3659 to plummet off the Highway 24 bridge and burst into flames, killing the crew. Trailing unit 3725 derailed but remained upright. Two days later, on my lunchhour break from TH&B Brantford office duty, I drove to the aftermath and shot 3659, after it had been retrieved from the overpass and set aside in preparation for movement.

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	Norfolk and Wester…
Date:	06/12/1975
Location:	Simcoe
Province:	Ontario

14 Comments | 21 Favourites

March of 1985 the WP (Williams Lake -Prince George) freight has just completed some switching chores at the Dunkley Lumber sawmill located at mile 413.6 on the BC Rail Prince George subdivision. While waiting for the train air to settle, I stood on the roadbed and captured this image. Shortly after this picture was taken, we would continue our journey north to Prince George BC, take some rest and then return trip to our home terminal of Williams Lake. Dunkley Lumber was an interesting place to switch, there was a lumber loading track with north connection only and a wood chip track with south end connection. The lumber track held six cars and the chip track held fifteen or so wood chip cars. Quite often we would have to "pull and supply" both tracks and this would involve several run around moves in the small siding adjacent to the main track. The siding only held ten cars and to compound the switching headache there was a road crossing to be manually protected by a crew member. Dunkley Lumber was a very modern, high production mill and a valued customer of BC Rail.

Name:	Doug Lawson, collec…
Railway:	BC Rail
Date:	03/27/1985
Location:	Dunkley
Province:	British Columbia

4 Comments | 10 Favourites

Plow Extra 74 with 401 and (CP) Angus-built caboose westbound through Brantford at Newport Street yard.

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	Toronto Hamilton a…
Date:	03/10/1976
Location:	Brantford
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 24 Favourites

Winter of 1975-1976 just hung around like a bad apple. The powers that be finally decided it was time to dig out the plow and keep the railroad fluid. I was told this was the first time in 15 or 17 years that the plow had been activated. I had just been laid off as my position in the Brantford office on Eagle Avenue was abolished (Operator/Clerk). That is why the 2-position train order signal has a bag over it. Call time this day was around 1500 so the light is beginning to die by the time Plow Extra 74 West comes into town. I made an attempt to catch him again near Mt Pleasant but the roads were not conducive to a chase. A couple of weeks later I had secured my new job with C&O, and it would be 8 years before I set foot near TH&B property again.

Name:	Bruce Mercer
Railway:	Toronto Hamilton a…
Date:	03/10/1976
Location:	Brantford
Province:	Ontario

12 Comments | 44 Favourites

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