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About wmthomson

An enthusiast interested in trains since my high school days (1939-45) at Port Credit High School (beside the CN main line), although not always with a camera. Recently moved to Guelph from Kingston Ontario. Still have my Pentax K1000 but mainly shoot digital now. *All photos copyright Bill Thomson. Editors note: Bill passed away in July 2022, his page is being maintained by RP.ca staff in his memory. https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/guelph-on/william-thomson-11195826

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Number of images: 715
Total gold: 10824
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Number of comments posted : 21
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wmthomson's 715 photos on Railpictures.ca:

Chesapeake and Ohio SW9 5242 works Chatham ON in August 1974. Another Canadian-built unit, it was built by GMD London for the C&O as their 5242 (S/N A151, blt 2/1951), part of a group of 5 units (5240-5244). This unit went on to serve on the Port Stanley Terminal RR as their L3 in 1985, and later went to OSR to become their 52 (currently stored out of service).
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<i>(Geotagged location not exact)</i>.

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Chesapeake and Ohi…
Date:	August 1974
Location:	Chatham
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 5 Favourites

Numerous fantrips were run in the 1970's with the "Credit Valley Railway" 136 and 1057, the famed former CPR 4-4-0 and 4-6-0 (D10) that went onto hauling excursions after the end of steam. On one such run under the Ontario Rail Association, CVR 136 and 1057 haul their train past Campbellville Ontario on the CP's Galt Sub in 1974, with a nice head of steam.
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Today, both enjoy a post-retirement career on the South Simcoe Railway, hauling tourists in vintage heavyweight passenger cars along the former CN Beeton Sub out of Tottenham ON.

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Preservation
Date:	00/00/1974
Location:	Campbellville
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 14 Favourites

A large group of first Generation Geeps, the GP7's that killed steam in the 50's, sit stored and out of service at Chesapeake and Ohio's roundhouse/shops off Wilson Ave. in St. Thomas ON. Some of the units visible are C&O 5737, 5732 and 5730, all in matching Chessie System paint with their long hood doors secured, deemed surplus by their owner. Most were sold off ending up on shortlines and regionals.<br><br>Also worthy of noting is these particular units are Canadian-production (GMDD) GP7's, built in London ON for the C&O in 1951.

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Chesapeake and Ohi…
Date:	09/28/1984
Location:	St. Thomas
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 10 Favourites

New York Central Rail Detector Car X8015 (by now operating under Penn Central, but still lettered NYC) rests at St. Thomas ON, on the Canada Southern division (CASO). A "Doodlebug", it was built by Brill in 1931 and served as a Rail Detector Car for the NYC (and later PC) for track inspection purposes.
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Some notable things on this car are the lower lights pointed down and inward at the rails, likely for inspection purposes only. The miniature coupler, for "Emergency Only" use. The steam-era style bell, headlights and marker lights, and bent-down horn often found on Doodlebugs. As well, all the silver vents and equipment lining the rooftop of the car.
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<i>(Geotagged location not exact).</>

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	New York Central
Date:	March 1970
Location:	St. Thomas
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 9 Favourites

An eastbound C&O train with B&O GP40 3763 and a C&O 42xx GP40-2 is joining the joint track territory on the Conrail (ex-NYC CASO Sub) mainline at St. Thomas ON. Note the train order hoop post to the right of the lead unit, and the semaphore signals to the left.

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Chesapeake and Ohi…
Date:	January 1980
Location:	St. Thomas
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 23 Favourites

Sunnyside flashback: long before shiny new GO MP40's hauling 12 car trains hustled back and forth along this corridor, a CN freight with three Ontario Northland units as power (ONT FP7's 1507 and 1511, sandwiching RS3 1305) heads westbound through Sunnyside in Toronto, back in October 1964. They're hauling a freight train bound for CN's large Mimico freight yard, before CN moved most of its operations to MacMillan yard and GO and VIA took over. In the background shiny maroon and cream PCC streetcars sit outside the TTC's Roncesvalles Carhouse, and further down the The Queensway stands St. Joseph's Hospital (Health Centre today). Part of the CN Sunnyside Station platforms are visible in the lower right, and in the lower left is the Gardiner Expressway, not yet 10 years old.

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Ontario Northland
Date:	October 1964
Location:	Toronto
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 28 Favourites

CSX power sits outside the shop at Sarnia ON. Here we have three different paint schemes coupled together: CSXT GP38 2003 wearing the pre-CSX era "Chessie" livery, behind is the original two-tone blue CSX livery on 2013, and another sister 2000-series unit sporting the modified livery with yellow ends that became standard.

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	CSX Transportation
Date:	09/15/1993
Location:	Sarnia
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 8 Favourites

Ontario Northland's Northlander makes its station stop at Washago ON. Still using the TEE trainsets (built in 1957 by the Swiss Industrial Company and acquired in the mid-70's - this one is number 1987), modified FP7's had been mated to them due to the unreliability of the original TEE power cars/locomotives. The trailing cab car was left intact, but never operated from. <br><br> An image of a set on delivery with original power car can be seen here (taken by Arnold Mooney): <b><a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=12462>http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=12462</a></b>

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Ontario Northland
Date:	05/10/1984
Location:	Washago
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 11 Favourites

A pair of Pennsylvania Railroad Baldwin RS12's, PRR 8108 and 8105, handle a transfer from Buffalo, arriving on the Canadian side of the border in Fort Erie ON. One would be hard-pressed to find Baldwins operating in service today, much less on a Class 1 Railroad. <br><br> <i>Editor's Historical Note: The RS12 (while it sounds like an ALCO designation) was a successor to the DRS4-4-1000 and VO-1000 units produced by Baldwin earlier on, not many of which were produced for Canadian Railways, but occasionally made inroads into Canada via foreign railways.</i>

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Pennsylvania Railr…
Date:	September 1963
Location:	Fort Erie
Province:	Ontario

8 Comments | 14 Favourites

Sitting near the CN station in Niagara Falls ON, is restored LNER 4472, the famed "The Flying Scotsman", operating in Canada as part of its North American visit in the early 70's. Passengers and other bystanders get to examine the cab and controls via a set of steps placed by the locomotive's cab. <br><br> And a month or so earlier, rolling through Bayview Junction: <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=15247><b>http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=15247</b></a>

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Other
Date:	10/02/1970
Location:	Niagara Falls
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 12 Favourites

With recent photos on Railpictures.ca of trains around the Detroit River Tunnel, here's an oldie from the same spot to compare with: a Penn Central freight pops out of the tunnel arriving on the Canadian side in Windsor, with a cloud of white exhaust. Power is PC GP38-2 8115, U25B 25xx (likely a former NYC U-boat), and GP38 7863, all in the black PC scheme with "mating worms" logos.

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Penn Central
Date:	October 1974
Location:	Windsor
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 25 Favourites

Penn Central was a little over 2 years old now, and here we find New York Central E8 4066 still in its previous owner's colours, with PC E8 4084 trailing, on a passenger train stopped at the station in Fort Erie ON before crossing the International Bridge into Buffalo NY.

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Penn Central
Date:	June 1970
Location:	Fort Erie
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 15 Favourites

A nice 3-pack of Chesapeake and Ohio GP30's poses by the station at Merlin ON (west of Blenheim) in May of 1964. Less than a year old, C&O 3021 leads the pack, with 3016 and another matching EMD sister as they wait at the station to meet a westbound on C&O's Subdivision 1. Note the train order hoops in front of the station, the upper one for the crew in the cab, the lower one for the crew in the caboose to grab their orders from. Canadian railways have typically favoured hand-held train order hoops, as opposed to the ground-mounted ones shown here.

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Chesapeake and Ohi…
Date:	May 1964
Location:	Merlin
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 15 Favourites

Western Maryland GP9 6413 is shown in-consist trailing a Chesapeake & Ohio train near Oldcastle ON on C&O's Subdivision 1. WM gave their early Geeps a taller chop-nose job than most, giving them a bit of an odd appearance that some will either love or hate. The unit in front is a GP30 or 35 in the Chessie System livery, the trailing unit 4813 a GP38 in B&O's blue dip. WM was absorbed into the B&O 4 years ago in 1983, and while some units were repainted into the Chessie System livery with WM reporting marks, 6413 still retains the WM's old "Circus colours" livery.
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At this point in 1987 operations were still as the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, albeit under the Chessie System banner (since 1973). Subsidiary B&O would be folded into the C&O less than two months later on April 30th. Parent CSX Corporation would officially absorb the C&O Railroad into their new railroad division, CSX Transportation, a few months after on August 31st.
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<i>Note: Geotagged location not exact.</i>

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Chesapeake and Ohi…
Date:	03/08/1987
Location:	Oldfield
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 8 Favourites

With white flags flapping on their high short hoods, Chesapeake & Ohio GP7's 5758 and 5783 roll eastbound near Oldcastle ON on C&O's Subdivision 1 with TOFC piggyback loads (Trailer On Flat Car) up front and general manifest at the rear. Running from Walkerville to St. Thomas, the line later became the CSX Blenhein Sub, and today aside from a small spur at Blenheim the line is abandoned.<br><br><i>Note, Geotagged location not exact.</i>

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Chesapeake and Ohi…
Date:	August 1962
Location:	Oldfield
Province:	Ontario

5 Comments | 31 Favourites

Rolling east over the Grand River bridge in Caledonia, CN 9173 leads her matching A-B-A set of zebra F7's eastbound on the Hagersville Sub on the Steel Train.<br><br><b><i>CN Steel Train on same day:</i></b><br>Crossing in Caledonia: <b><a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=14684>http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=14684</a></b><br>Rymal outside of Hamilton: <b><a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=14618>http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=14618</a></b>

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	06/03/1986
Location:	Caledonia
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 20 Favourites

The CN Steel Train's leading F7A, 9173, emerges from the brush as it crosses over a railway crossing just east of the Grand River bridge in Caledonia (possibly the present-day Sutherland St. W).

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	06/03/1986
Location:	Caledonia
Province:	Ontario

4 Comments | 14 Favourites

To follow up on Arnold's great Ferguson Avenue photo of the CN Steel Train, here's a photo of it running along the Hagersville Sub near Rymal on the Niagara escarpment, with a nice matching zebra-striped A-B-A set lead by CN 9173.
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[<i>Editor's notes</i>: CN for a time ran the Steel Train out of Hamilton with matching A-B-A sets of F7 units. While they were poor for switching, crews reportedly didn't mind as there was little switching done with the train. Occasionally a GP9 would be substituted for an ailing F.]
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<i>Note: Geotagged location not exact.</i>

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	06/03/1986
Location:	Hamilton
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 8 Favourites

After a day of plowing in Ontario snowbelt country, a CN plow train rests back in front of the station at Stratford. CN plow 55408 has plenty of power behind it, pushed by a trio of frozen looking GP9's (4593, 4561 and 4568). A snow-covered van punctuates the rear of the train, although if the crew inside of it could see anything going on ahead of them is anyone's guess. <br><br> For another view of CN 55408 (that later went GEXR) plowing on the "Bruce branches": <b><a href="http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=13997">http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=13997</a></b>. <br> And a CP plow train: <b><a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=14417>http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=14417</a></b>.

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	01/00/1977
Location:	Stratford
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 13 Favourites

Upper Canada Railway Society excursion trips on Saturday and Sunday, September 26 & 27 1964, were a doubleheader run and done with CNR Northerns 6167 and 6218. This was to show the change of excursion engines from 6167 to 6218, as 6167's boiler tubes needed to be retubed in October 1964 (next month) which would prevent it from continuing in excursion service. On September 26th, the train ran from Toronto to Huntsville ON and back, departing from Union Station, heading north via the Bala and Newmarket Subs, and returning to Toronto via the Newmarket. The train is shown here on one of its runbys north of Washago, heading south on the Newmarket Sub near present-day Gravenhurst.
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6167's final excursion run would be from Toronto to Brantford and back the next day. She would be stored at Spadina Roundhouse before being donated to the City of Guelph three years later to be <b><a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=2905>put on static display</a></b> near the CN (now VIA) Station. CN 6218's final excursion was in 1971, and it is now <b><a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=10469>on display in Fort Erie ON</a></b>.

Name:	Bill Thomson
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	09/26/1964
Location:	Washago
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 17 Favourites

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