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Caption: The St. Thomas-Buffalo trains NS 327-328 that once ran daily thru Southern Ontario could be banked on to be early morning trains in the Hamilton area, with 327 westward around dawn, and 328 around 0945, usually just after Amtrak. But there were rare exceptions. In this view we see #327, with CP 5688, HLCX 6400 and NS 2869 on approach to Hamilton Jct at 1640. The sun is getting low to the west. Once #327 cleared onto the Dundas Sub, #328 came thru, the shadow was over the tracks, killing any decent photo. It had a yellow CP, 5430, as sole locomotive up front. Added bonus is a clear air day for Hamilton, not as common then as now.
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Weird to think how different the Grimsby Sub was 17 years ago. It seems the only things that are the same are some of the freight cars that go through (e.g autoparts cars), and some of the trackage. Needless to say, it was much better back then, industry wise and for railfans. Sucks I was too young to see it.
17? Try 10. 330, 331, 332 (ety autos, buffalo to oakville), 334, 335 (both rerouted via montreal), 339, 154 (intermodal/autos), NS 327, NS 328, 421, 422, VIA 92, 93, 97, 98.
Now you just have 330/1, 421/2, 97/8, but you do have the added GO trains on holidays.
What’s crazy in 2005 most of the traffic ran in the morning – you’d basically get 8 trains on the Grimsby 0600 to 1000, with 330 always in the afternoon and VIA’s on their own schedule.
Good comment, Mr. Host. I got to chuckling when I saw #154 on the list. Ever see that so-called train? I have one shot with two locomotives, two cars, and the van. And to think now CN has pull-aparts in the middle of Niagara because they won’t run a second section but rather 11000 ft 422s !!! A company as profitable as this and a second crew is too much expense?
Even when I started railfanning the Grimsby Sub in early 2008, there was 330, 331, 332, 333, 338, 339, 421, 422, 430 and 431. 17 years was in relation to this photo of course. Only 7 years before 05, and the Grimsby had a bustling Niagara Falls yard featuring a connection with the Hamilton Sub, complete double track, and much greater use of spurs St. Catharines eastward. Of course, I was far too young to see this for myself and remember it.
Was 154 the one that hit the Merritt St bridge? As far as I can remember, it ran in the early 2000′s a couple times and it was gone.
154 ran for a couple years, it was fairly regular, just often short… at least the years I saw it.
Wasn’t the reason why the trackage around Merriton removed was to make it leveled for stack trains? 154 was the only stack train that came down here I believe and now we don’t have any at all…I wonder if the new bridge is large enough to fit them underneath.
Also around this time period NS ran a third train, I believe it was 289, a one way westbound move for a few months – this was when NS still hauled autoracks out of Talbotville. There were also extra O99′s and O98′s as required, usually plant stopper extras. I photographed (poorly) an O99 at Ingersoll in 2005 in the late evening, just to see it and say I did it. They were rarely daylight runs around here as a result.
Here’s a clearance: David Graham recording. I was with him.
http://steve.hostovsky.com/NS-O99_clearance_23.10.mp3
Thanks Steve. For some odd reason I get a real kick out of these recordings……..
Now all that’s left is 421/2 and Amtrak 63/4, plus GO trains and multiple locals (including 523/4)… I really want that NS train back!
523 and 524 are actually quite common though.
true, they have been running a lot recently, lots of light power past brampton on the halton sub!