|
Caption: A Rare Meet at Waterdown North! I've always found something really intriguing about obscure industries and seldom used trackage. One such example is the Barnes industrial complex at the top of the Waterdown hill. Now operating under the Opta Minerals banner, this facility produces BriteSphere Reflectorizing Glass Beads and receives infrequent rail service from CP's Hamilton yard jobs. Much of the infrastructure here dates back to the early days of the Hamilton (nee Goderich) Subdivision, with stick rail and the old Waterdown North Station still in place. When I moved into the area 8 years ago, this location is one that I would visit from time to time in hopes of catching a train working the industry. Alas, that never happened. Once in a blue moon CP would stage a meet here but they were few and far between. Today, I finally got, not only a train on the spur track, but a meet! Here, a trio of GP38-2s are tied down in the siding as CEFX 1024 sneaks by with train no. 255. The GPs were assigned to evening pusher duties when RTC instructed them to meet 255 at Waterdown North before heading back south. A friendly crew, some nice power and golden evening light made for a very memorable photograph. For all I know, this may be the only photo ever taken of a meet here. If anyone happens to know of any other photos from this location I would love to see them!
|
Somewhere here I have an image of a meet at this spot with CP 5406 south and that pair of RS-18s that ran a local up there from Hammy but that was way the heck back around 1980. This indeed a real treat of a shot, Ryan.
Certainly a rare shot, but this is something only a ‘local railfan’ would catch. And it has a very local appeal. Since most of us have our favourites and our rarities, when we get around to making books they will kick butt once we put together our rarities all into one place
One of my rarities was a meet of two trains at Beachville – and achieved it with the CPR in 2003.
Also a meet of two trains at Arkell on the GJR.
When I started on CP, Waterdown North (correct name for this location then at least) was a designated siding, with a passing track & back track. Also back then, the TH&B was not run by CP, but independently. CP ran an almost daily turn out of London using an East Pool crew, to Aberdeen & back.The TH&B gave the CP train all cars on hand for London, including ‘shorts’ which could be mixed anywhere in the train. Sometimes the tonnage was too great for the hill and we had to double, taking the first half to Waterdown N. and going back for the rest. It was also sometimes used to switch out locals if we had a short enough train.
Regarding a Beachville meet Stephen, in 1973 after the CP clerk’s strike was settled, the C&O had a huge accumulation of CP destined cars at their yard in St. Thomas that were unable to send over CP from Windsor. As a result, CP taxied crews to St. Thomas or sent van hops from London to pick up full 80+ car trains destined for Toronto. I was working the 1830 roadswitcher in Woodstock, we went to Ingersoll & back most nights. One of those nights, we had a meet with a C&O train at Beachville. Another night, we cleared an eastbound C&O powered train at Ingersoll in the transfer track. It isn’t possible to do things like that now.