Caption: When it comes to photographing the ONR, Boston Creek is undoubtedly one of the signature shots. However, like the majority of great locations for railroad photography, you'd better be ready to put in the leg-work to get the shot. The drive to Boston Creek is questionable, at best, during the warmer months of the year. And during the winter, it is an entirely different story. Now, I’m not saying that it’s impossible to access, but if I had to pick one word to describe the drive, “harrowing” would probably be it. So, with the recent frenzy of Canadian National detour traffic over the ONR, I knew that a trip (or two) up north wouldn't be complete without checking this shot off of the list. As I soon discovered, though, that photo wouldn’t come easily - and it didn’t. Fortunately though, staying true to the adage “third time’s the charm”, I finally got my opportunity on attempt number three. First though, a nail-biting chase from Swastika to Boston Creek would ensue. As if the sketchy road conditions weren’t bad enough, getting stuck behind a slow-moving pickup loaded with logs (go figure) was the icing on the cake. However, with some creative maneuvering, I arrived at Boston Creek with just seconds to spare. The crossing lights were already activated when I threw the car into park. I likely uttered an expletive, or combination thereof, as I frantically waded through the waist-deep snow. With just enough time to frame up the shot, CN 2561 popped into view. Here, detoured CN stack train Q188 is seen rolling through the scenic rock cut at Boston Creek on their southbound run from Hearst, ON to Noranda, QC (via Englehart). Phew - that was close! Afterwards began the long drive back to Hamilton. However, there was great satisfaction in knowing that all of the hard work paid off in the end.