Caption: The realities of northern railroading. A freight train had brake issues amid this snowstorm, and when its crew ran out of hours it caused a cascade of impacts. Via's Canadian #1, already behind schedule, got stuck behind it on the CPKC Parry Sound Sub and its crew also died. To make matters worse, the Holiday Train was also caught behind #1, and many people gave up waiting on its final stop of the night in Sudbury, choosing instead to escape homeward from the cold, blowing snow.
After shooting the Holiday Train at the French River I too was heading back home, but heard about the dispatch-nightmare unfolding. I got a rough sense of where #1 was stuck and braved an unplowed sideroad to find it. Soon after, a taxi pulled in with the relief crew. We chatted and walked together on a laneway toward the tracks, but I held back once I saw this clearing. The snow was just a bit too thick to pull off the exact shot I envisioned, but if you look closely near the centre of the frame, you'll see their ghostly frames walking toward the wall of light from the lead unit.
Checking my notes from that night, the Holiday Train was only pulling into Sudbury some 45 minutes after its scheduled showtime of 21:15. I was already home editing my photos by then! With yet another summer heatwave blasting Ontario, it's easier to appreciate these cold nights.