Railpictures.ca - Canadian Railway Photography - photographie ferroviaire Canadienne. » Stephen C. Host http://www.railpictures.ca The BEST Canadian photos on the Internet, eh? Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:06:08 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Images by headtailgrep http://www.railpictures.ca/2026/%postname?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=1 http://www.railpictures.ca/2026/%postname#comments Sun, 31 May 2026 09:46:44 +0000 Stephen C. Host
Concrete mileposts that date back to the Erie & Huron Railway, a "new" station name sign as this was the Wallaceburg siding (Bruce - was this a re-located name sign when the station ceased to exist?) and D724 passing it all - in reality, this was the only siding that was actually used to meet trains from time to time and as you can see it was still in use. Most often it was used to run-around, and I did see parked cars in the siding after the big freights stopped operating in '06, but in this era it seems to have been kept clear for operational flexibility. The "new" wallaceburg siding was about 6000 feet in length. <a href=http://steve.hostovsky.com/clearance_nine_north_chatham_wallaceburg.mp3 target=_blank>Here's an audio recording with a clearance to Wallaceburg taking the siding at Wallaceburg.</a> <br><br> Here's something neat: I didn't realize the names "Subdivision No 1" and "Subdivision no 2" went as far back as the Pere Marquette. Check this out! Get a copy before this link is no longer valid folks. https://wx4.org/to/foam/maps/2-Zukas/30/O/1939-04-09PM_Canadian16-Zukas.pdf
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: CSX Transportation
Date: 8/25/2005
Location: Wallaceburg
Province: Ontario
9 Comments | 18 Favourites
One of the OSR Guelph Division engineers Manley Johnson preferred Alco/MLW's. He also preferred this pair. Pictured is Job 2 heading North in the early afternoon, passing a farm located between Corhwin and Arkell on the Guelph Junction Railway. This day the boys will run straight to the CN interchange and north end of Guelph, by the time they arrive in the north end of town, the sun would come out. <br><br> I had missed the BC Rail era - didn't make it out west before they sold to CN. What BC Rail scheme do you guys enjoy the most? What I find the most striking is the Erie Lackawanna did this scheme first. Was it a 1776-1976 thing or something else?
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Ontario Southland
Date: 12/17/2019
Location: Guelph
Province: Ontario
6 Comments | 16 Favourites
With the RERA crew in a celebratory mood, and extra flags flapping, smoke was coaxed out of 3612's 251 block for the photographers waiting for the final departure out of Goodwood on March 29 2026.<br><br> It took three months, and it was only supposed to be a single day of movements back on <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=58053 target=_blank>December 21 2025</a>, but the Railroad Equipment Restoration Association pulled it off. Despite numerous attempts over the winter, extreme cold, snow, and motive power that can be best described as "temperamental", warmer weather coupled with mechanical repairs to 3612 and the movements started actually going off without a hitch. Goodwood, a hamlet that once had a Station and passenger trains, along with a grain elevator and frequent service, was mostly silent for the last few decades. Between December and March, Goodwood became a beehive of activity: Mechanical repairs were conducted on equipment, locomotives were watered, repaired and tested, crews reported for duty and when everything worked, trains operated along the Uxbridge sub between "the dip" (A location 4 miles south of Uxbridge) and Lincolnville all based out of Goodwood. The best part? It was all done with locomotives with prime movers designed in 1944 and 1951, MLW/ALCo's, which as noted in December, are a dying breed in Ontario.<br><br>All of it came to an end on March 29 2026: Pictured the last cut of cars is now ready to go, mechanical modifications to the cars are completed, and the last order of business is to load the train with *everything left* that wasn't already tied down into the coaches. You see, the RERA purchased *everything* that the former YDHR owned, including all sundries: this included old souvenirs, TV's, mechanical equipment, uniforms, stuff in storage, historical artefacts, everything. The RERA was tasked, contractually, with removal of it all and it took a team of about 10-15 people to hand bomb what remained all into these coaches and send it to Saskachewan and North Bay. After the picture you see above the train would stop on the crossing and the last of it would be loaded from waiting trucks and vehicles. Then they'd reverse back to Goodwood to make one final run out of town, blasting the horn, again, to a gaggle of waiting cameras and a few locals observing the end of their tenure on the Uxbridge subdivision.<br><br>What does the future have in store for this line? At the moment, nobody knows for sure, but it would appear GO transit isn't exactly done with the railway and neither is the town. The town is working on a "railway district improvement plan" and their plans show trains calling at the Uxbridge station but with much improved lands surrounding what I would call a GO station platform. The town and Metrolinx are also re-negotiating the lease in 2026. Could GO service happen? Is a 6 car train that far off the mark when it's only a 10 mile run and about 30 minutes from Uxbridge to Linconville at 30 MPH, then they can blast off at the Uxbridge's 50 MPH after stopping at Old Elm. Until the tracks are ripped out, never say never. A train or two to Uxbridge would also help the town re-develop the lands and reach the Province's goals of urban intensification, by right, near transit stations. We'll just have to see what happens from here. In the meantime, the 244's and 251's are silent in Uxbridge and the York Durham's legacy is now gone for good and on to better things.<br><br>Over the next few days and weeks, all this equipment would move over Metrolinx and CN to Mac Yard, and then to North Bay and Kronau, Sackachewan. For updates on the equipment and their plans, visit the RERA Canada website at <a href=http://www.reracanada.ca> www.reracanada.ca </a> where announcements are yet to be made as I type this. I couldn't be happier to see the equipment at least preserved, it took a ton of money and effort to pull this off and folks, please give the RERA a good look. They deserve it.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Preservation
Date: 3/29/2026
Location: Goodwood
Province: Ontario
9 Comments | 25 Favourites
Well, there weren't many places in 2020 where you could find two RS18's working a mainline, and now, it's even harder to find in Ontario, let alone Canada. Pictured is 182 and 181 paired together for the first time in years as they haul autoracks on the CP mainline back when OSR's largest customer CAMI was actually shipping by rail. Where else can you find MLW/Alcos working the mainline in Canada, anywhere? And by mainline i mean a CN or CPKC Class 1 mainline track, or any major mainline like a GO/AMT mainline. Comment below with your knowledge if you have it!
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Ontario Southland
Date: 11/24/2020
Location: Woodstock
Province: Ontario
2 Comments | 12 Favourites
The last CSX Train (to date) is reversing across the C&O Drawbridge over the Sydenham River in Wallaceburg complete with it's C&O markings. Not only was this the last CSX Train to Wallaceburg, the C&O Built (Typical of them per Bruce Mercer - cheap cinder block construction) RTC office pictured at left also closed on this day with the line changing to rule 105 territory on the 3'rd. By this time the CSX dispatchers were all consolidated in Jacksonville except for this tiny office, which also housed the Bridgetender's equipment. A clerk would have to come down from Sarnia to operate the bridge, joining the dispatcher for a visit prior to the train's arrival and to ensure the bridge was properly closed and safely secured for trains to pass over. The Region of Chatham-Kent bought the line the next day and has since sold it to a numbered company - the rails are still in place, but it will cost millions to bring the line back to service and 13 years later as I write this, nothing has operated south of Sombra since. The track from Dresden south to Chatham also hasn't seen a train since 2006 and is also still in place. What do you think the future holds for this line? I'd love to see another train and this is NOT the last train to Wallaceburg. Add a comment below to add what you'd like to see happen. <br><br> Bonus: Let's go back into the white C&O cinder block Dispatchers office again.<a href=http://steve.hostovsky.com/clear43.mp3>RTC asks a train to clear track for the next northbound where they clear mile 43.</a> then this happens <a href=http://steve.hostovsky.com/clearance_nine_north_chatham_wallaceburg.mp3>Clearance nine</a><br> Audio recorded July 15 2005, back when the Sarnia division had about 60-80 employees on the payroll and started 8 to 10 crews per day. Now they have about 6-7 employees and run 1 to 2 crews per day. Sigh. <br><br> If you are interested in more recordings, check out <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=23404 target=_blank>This pic at Whitebread</a> and <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=25773 target=_blank>More wallaceburg</a> and you just might find more photos. I've posted more than half of my stuff from this line, but still more to come!
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: CSX Transportation
Date: 10/2/2013
Location: Wallaceburg
Province: Ontario
5 Comments | 18 Favourites
Heritage units? While everyone freaks out about CN's America 250 heritage units the real heritage is at mac yard, toiling away, and you have to be lucky to find it working let alone this far south. CN 7311 is the last CN SW1200 officially on the CN active roster, but there are others: RT110/1394 in yellow at Mac Yard, 7304 in Hamilton, and fairly recently in 2020 one or two at the Hallet Dock company in Duluth as CN bought this dock and assigned DMIR 1250 (ex CP) and 1251 to the dock. 1250 to replace a green NW-2 that's been a fixture at that dock for many decades.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Canadian National
Date: 2/1/2026
Location: Vaughan
Province: Ontario
5 Comments | 16 Favourites
Heritage yard set CN 7600 is pictured rolling by CN's main Toronto administration building, also formerly used as the RTC centre until November 2020. Now basically the bunkhouse/hotel for Port Rob, Sarnia, Belleville or Capreol crews when needed.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Canadian National
Date: 2/1/2026
Location: Vaughan
Province: Ontario
1 Comments | 15 Favourites
The highest priority passenger train, #1 is pictured at Snider entering the York sub enroute to Vancouver. At right is a clear signal for CN's highest priority freight train, CN 101, who will follow #1 all the way to Vancouver.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: VIA Rail
Date: 2/1/2026
Location: Toronto
Province: Ontario
Comments | 19 Favourites
CN's Grand Trunk Heritage unit leads a P276 with a Siemens Venture delivery, rolling by the construction site of what is soon to become the Milton Intermodal Terminal. Chasing from Paris, it was cloudy all the way until Aldershot, when the sun came out, but the only chance of catching up to it would be a meet on the Halton. A meet indeed was scheduled at Ash, but they would wait almost an hour for the westbound to come, and a few minutes after it passed me on the bridge at Brittania Road the sun basically disappeared for good. This scene has been further changed as the CN overpass is now complete, and track installation for the new terminal should be continuing into Spring 2026.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Canadian National
Date: 3/16/2025
Location: Milton
Province: Ontario
3 Comments | 18 Favourites
ETL 107, a former EMD Demonstrator SW1500 has just exited the Essex Terminal Railway's engine shop and will head out to start switching customers on a late April afternoon. Jacob and I took the day off to finally get to Windsor and get this operation off my list (having only been in January 2006 I always wanted to go back) and with the 2 Heritage units out and about the goal was to get one of them: we got none. Little did I know that there were plans to repaint every locomotive out of the late 20'th century yellow scheme and that these photos would age very quickly as now, there isn't a yellow locomotive on the property. Note the spur and set of trucks - that is the former ETR Belt line that ran toward Downtown to serve a few industries, the lands of this former line were sold to local developers in 1998. For anyone interested, an article on the ETR will be going to Railfan and Railroad's March edition, which you can find at newsstands (Indigo/Chapters stocks it nationwide in Canada)
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Essex Terminal
Date: 4/26/2025
Location: Windsor
Province: Ontario
1 Comments | 15 Favourites
When these things were patched a year ago, Jacob and I decided to head to Hamilton to see if it was out and about - sure enough, it was, and after following them for a little bit we realized they'd run-around and shove into Railcare with this thing leading in nice light. <a href=https://railpictures.ca/author/ettorrematthew target=_blank>Matthew Ettorre</a> was also out and had the same idea, so the three of us watched them shove into the railcare yard with a cut of cars, only to slow to a crawl, and notch up into 8 under the bridge - with a sound and smoke show to match multiplied by the bridge blasting it all right back down at us - naturally we're smiling at the smells and sounds before us. I didn't think sound and smoke would get any better, then the sparks began to fly. The crew didn't take long to realize what happened and were able to recover and shove into the yard without much issue. I know the Hamilton crews watch this site - I hope they see this :) <br><br>A footnote is I'm told this unit was painted recently - why is CN in such a hurry to paint the BNSF four axle locomotives they purchased but seemingly nothing else in the series? Any ideas? Seems strange.. if you know of any other repaints or have any other ideas please comment below.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Canadian National
Date: 1/21/2025
Location: Hamilton
Province: Ontario
9 Comments | 19 Favourites
After a fire destroyed the <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=18795 target=_blank>Orangeville Bunkhouse</a> according to those in the know (Mr. Bradley et al) insurance settlement allowed the town to re-build a new structure in Orangeville. So they built a sorta replica of the Orangeville Station on the station site, complete with a witch hat. The actual CPR station still survives and was moved off property to become a restaurant, but for about a decade this replica building was alive with rail service - complete with a waiting room and washrooms for Credit Valley Explorer patrons. What a great station and a shame the town decided enough with railways. Alas, it is still a nice looking station just no rails at present time, and now used as a GO bus station. Pictured 12 years ago is the "Snow Train" with a briefly loaned brand new Eco on the point pulling into the station after completing the last run of the weekend. This would be last passenger train until that spring.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Canadian Pacific
Date: 2/22/2014
Location: Orangeville
Province: Ontario
1 Comments | 22 Favourites
Enemy territory, or well, what used to be. Back in the hot sweaty days of Summer 2025 this locomotive was sent to Parkdale Yard for a couple months to pinch hit for <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=20713 target=_blank</a>CN 7304</a> which was sent to Lambton in Sarnia for repairs. So they chose a former <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=28585 target=_blank>Stelco unit</a> to switch the facility. In the background is Stelco's Hamilton arch nemesis, Dofasco - where until 2013 or so you could find locomotives swithcing behind their fence pictured as they had active dofasco track back there. If you're interested in more Stelco Hamilton stuff, check out <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/author/stuart-streit target=_blank>Keith MacCauley's</a> profile for more gold.<br><br>photographers note: for folks who know how to walk back here and many of us have been doing so for a while, just beware, there's an active encampment behind former Centre Mall and the pathways beside Kenilworth Ave. Have your head on a swivel, wear proper puncture proof PPE boots (steel toes if you can) and get in and get out.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Industrial
Date: 7/17/2025
Location: Hamilton
Province: Ontario
Comments | 13 Favourites
T'was three nights before Christmas, and all through Uxbridge, creatures were scurrying to capture night shots of trains. Pictured is 244-powered GVLX 22 (nee YDHR, nee R&S) The RERA folks are working to prepare the train for a 7 PM departure out of Uxbridge "for the last time", and will soon add a 2'nd locomotive to the head end before departure. Merry Christmas to all railpictures.ca viewers, and here's a story from last Sunday.<br><br> The <a href=https://reracanada.ca/ target=_blank>Rail Equipment Restoration Association</a> put on a really great show and effort, not only are they valiantly working on preserving all of the remaining YDHR equipment, including the 3 MLW/Alco's on the property, the crew hatched a plan to bring the Uxbridge rail yard to life for one last time. The goal was to get all the equipment to the GO Linconville layover yard area where CN will lift and send to their next destinations. The plan? Re-activate the serviceable locomotives, prepare all equipment for movement, and run a train out of town. The problem? Problems. Too many to list here, but let's just say this: These locomotives haven't operated a train in over 2 years, and the RERA doesn't have a shortline railway certificate so they need a railway to come operate for them. The Ontario Northland provided this service sending a crew down from North Bay. The town wants the railway gone, and badly, and the pressure was on. There's also the 2% ruling grade of the Toronto and Nippising Railway to deal with. This effort costs money, and a dedicated team of over 10 people are working to complete this plan in a show of guts the Canadian rail preservation world badly needs.<br><br> In present day 2025, there are only three operating MLW/Alcos in Ontario: one on the GIO Railway (1859 was re-activated in November) and two active on the Waterloo Central. That's it. The RERA folks nearly doubled that count during the operation of this train as both 22 (nee R&S same number) and 3612 (nee DW&P/CV same number) were used to haul the trains over the grade. Unfortunately, the ruling grade won and only half the equipment made it to the other side. Plan are being hatched to finish the job and I'm hearing a Brandt truck will be called to complete the task.<br><br> The plan is bold and if you want more information, or wish to donate check out their website. The equipment will be disbursed to various projects listed on their site along with other destinations, which will be announced soon. I for one am hoping for a Christmas miracle for the RERA folks.<br><br>Credit: Lighting in part by Jacob Patterson and the Town of Uxbridge's municipal parking lot lights.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Preservation
Date: 12/21/2025
Location: Uxbridge
Province: Ontario
4 Comments | 21 Favourites
Merry Christmas to the people of the North and the people of Ontario! Doug Ford has delivered a Christmas present for you. A brand new Siemens set for the return of the Northlander! Two via sets are moving in the yard, also Siemens, and retired HEP-2 equipment has begun to fill VIA's storage space in Toronto.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Ontario Northland
Date: 12/24/2025
Location: Toronto
Province: Ontario
2 Comments | 23 Favourites
One time and one time only, both former Raillink F units were power for the OSR Plow in March 2015. Pictured is the train passing the iconic water tower in the south end of town. I had a vested interest in seeing this again, as <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=42988 target=_blank>I had seen this pair on GEXR plowing in '07</a>. <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=6604 target=_blank>Photo 2 - plow extra meeting GEXR 581</a>. Now 1400 belongs to the <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=57754 target=_blank>VHA as 6539</a> and 6508, the "Jim Brown" is of course in OSR colours - notice how similar the lines are of the OSR paint scheme? <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=57799 target=_blank>Raillink's paint was quite nice - why change a good thing too much?</a>
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Ontario Southland
Date: 3/5/2015
Location: Tillsonburg
Province: Ontario
2 Comments | 23 Favourites
Not many railways cross what you may consider a 'divided highway' and this is one of the few spots in Canada. <br><br> Pictured is CN 542 crossing Highway 6/7, the "Hanlon Expressway" in Guelph. Construction has begun on the new highway 7 finally, and this rail crossing will be closed in the not too distant future (about a year). In it's place a new connection west of Royal Road will be constructed to connect the North and South GJR industrial spurs (it will cross Massey road near Hood Packaging/Hastech). CN gave up/lost the traffic to Smurfit-Stone (Packaging plant) so they rarely cross here anymore, GEXR/GJR handles this work now
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Canadian National
Date: 6/18/2020
Location: Guelph
Province: Ontario
Comments | 18 Favourites
Sometimes the random train generator comes out and gives you a real surprise. CN 105 on *any* train outside the Algoma Central? Sure. A superliner too? What the heck? Waiting to depart Pine Orchard, the TEST train is about to head south, then turn east toward Montreal. Lucky for me I would follow this train for a hundred or two kilometers with a friend as we knew what was up, one of those things that might never happen again. It hasn't yet. Could it? And the busload of MOW employees preparing to deal with the 'aftermath'...
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Canadian National
Date: 4/24/2016
Location: Cedar Valley
Province: Ontario
2 Comments | 18 Favourites
It would only be three weeks between the time I got my first SLR digital camera, and the last run of VIA 85. I experimented with film SLR (Slides and prints) for a few months prior and I believe my reasoning was to get a digital so I could shoot the 'piss' out of this while I still could and avoid the costs and bother of film. So I pretty much shot this train every day for two weeks: Mostly to capture what I could but also to make up for my crappy camera that I had outgrown but just couldn't afford to replace. $3000 ($6000 in today's money) got me a Nikon D70 with 6 megapixels a 64 meg memory card. Today you can get this camera for 50-100 bucks. By comparison my first car cost me $10,000 in 2001 and it was used. In 2010-2012 I dropped a car's worth of money on camera gear and never looked back. Still rocking most of that gear today. What's your camera gear story? Film or digital - post below :)
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Amtrak
Date: 4/21/2004
Location: Mosborough
Province: Ontario
1 Comments | 15 Favourites
CSX Y190 is heading back to the Depot/Roundhouse in Sarnia passing by SW8 DESX 7731 which is parked at the south end of OWS Railcar in Sarnia. I don't know where this thing is, or if it's even still there. But here's a picture of it when it was at <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=20843 target=_blank>Agrium in Kapusskasing area.</a> and if you want to see more on this locomotive, check out <a href=http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/industrial/ont/agrium.htm target=_blank>old time trains</a>. The DESX builders plate on this unit calls it a SW900 with a rebuild date of August 30 2014.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: CSX Transportation
Date: 10/8/2023
Location: Sarnia
Province: Ontario
5 Comments | 16 Favourites
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