Caption: Three units on this job was somewhat rare on GEXR, and I last photographed a triplet back in 2014 when OSR's ex CP 8235 was on lease to GEXR. This past weekend 540 came over to Guelph with the big set of power, normally used on 568. After finishing working the north end of Guelph I was able to photograph the train southbound at Edinburgh/Paisley Rd in really nice sunlight.

History lesson time: Knight Lumber used to occupy this site and was demolished around 2012 opening up this angle. Further back this used to be the terminus (yard and station) of the Galt and Guelph Railway (Great Western) built in 1857 which by 1871 was further extended north to Fergus, Palmerston and Southampton (as the Wellington Grey and Bruce Railway) which was all acquired by the Grand Trunk Railway by 1882. With the extension to Southampton and with Palmerston as a division point for other Branches a lot of traffic from Toronto ran through here (passenger and freight) but it was quickly deteriorating by the mid to late 60's. Around 1970 passenger service stopped, but a new Nuclear plant was built at Douglas Point near Southampton and new life was breathed into the old Wellington Grey and Bruce with 80 car oil trains running along 100 miles of upgraded (fortified) branchlines from Guelph until 1975 today's oil trains are not new and imagine them running on such rickety and well worn track as it was then! CN now services this branchline 6 to 7 days a week. If anyone has pictures of the Oil Trains along the Bruce Branches consider pulling one out to share :) Thank you.