Caption: CN train 411 (MacMillan Yard to Sarnia via the Guelph Sub) passes by the station at Stratford with Bombardier HR616 2111 in the lead. On the track next to it sits a train of ballast cars with two Goderich-Exeter GP9's, 180 "Falstaff" and a 17x sister, which came from another operation of owner RailTex (they were originally built for the Quebec Cartier Mining railway).
The Goderich Exeter Railway, or GEXR, was created a year earlier in 1992 to operate CN's Goderich Sub (Stratford to Goderich line). In 1998, the GEXR would take over the Guelph Sub from CN (who leased the line to them) and handle its daily operations, as well as those on associated spurs and branches. In September 2014, it was announced CN would sell part of the Guelph Sub to GO Transit parent Metrolinx, with CN (at this point, actually GEXR) retaining rights for freight operation on the line. But there are rumours CN might be taking back operations when the lease comes up for renewal in the near future.
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What an unlikely sighting!! Jolly good show, Bill.
And the rumours were true…