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About Stephen C. Host


I've been into photography since 2001 - but like many others grew up interested in all things railway from an early age. I reside in Guelph, Ontario, Canada and currently use two cameras: Nikon D800, and a Nikon D90 (Backup or videos only). Prior Nikon cameras include D60, D70 and D100, and a F65 for when I dabbled in Film (Kodachrome/Fuji Velvia and Provia). Lenses used tend to be either 70-200 F/2.8, 50mm/1.8, or 16-35 F4 (Until 2016) and a 18-35 F/4-5.6 (2016+). I acquired a 80-400 Nikkor which I've been playing with and after some trial and error and a free repair by Nikon it is producing nice sharp results. Professionally - I am an Engineer (P. Eng. - Computer) for a large automotive concern. I also freelance as a photographer with the Canadian Press and their affiliates (AP/etc.) since 2009.

Stephen C. Host's Railpictures.ca photo upload statistics


Number of images: 921
Total gold: 8104
Number of comments recieved : 2744
Number of comments posted : 4431
Total views: 1066697


Stephen C. Host has the #3 all time image on railpictures.ca!
Stephen C. Host has the #20 all time image on railpictures.ca!
* Note: Placement on the Top all time image list is subject to change. Taken from the 'Top Shots' page measured by number of favourites


Stephen C. Host has won Editors Choice 1 time




Stephen C. Host has 4 images in the Time Machine


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Stephen C. Host's 921 photos on Railpictures.ca:


I'm glad I spent a couple years getting all I could on GEXR before the lease expired - took no chances really, get your shots while you can is the motto de jour. Here's a neat shot, the Agro-Mart facility in Belton Ontario, has an almost complete loop-track set to take unit trains of Fertiliser. 516 is shoving with 17 cars into the loop track to lift 17 empties, then will set off the empties on the main, shove the 17 loads into the loop track by the loading pits, run around the train and return to Stratford. The last unit potash trains for this facility were CN powered approx 2003, after which they resorted to sending unit trains from the west to mac yard and sending blocks of cars from mac on GEXR 431. The switch to this facility is right in the middle of the plant at Kellys hence the signals. <br> Agro-Mart gets service two days a week from CN 568 these days and is busy right now. I'll make it out there for that some day :)
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Goderich-Exeter
Date: 11/6/2016
Location: Belton
Province: Ontario
3 Comments | 13 Favourites
This is the VIA CFL train snaking it's way through Guelph on the GJR along Carden St - the Guelph Youth Music Centre would be at left. As per local historian Jacob Patterson, where I'm standing was once CNR track part of the Guelph CNR/CPR interchange prior to '75. I enjoy the juxtaposition of an obvious Branchline and a VIA Rail locomotive. All Aboard???<br><br>I know a number of rp.ca viewers remember this day - ever go back into your photos and wonder... why did you choose these as your best? Who was in your shots? Why/what you choose to shoot? I was a very different photographer in 2012 and just getting my groove on with my telephoto lens and this camera... and for whatever reason I DID NOT select this photo as one of my best from the day, so I haven't really looked at it since then but looking at it now, I quite like this. I also found a few rare photos of Arnold Mooney who was one of the gang who was documenting this event - it was a cloudy day after all. And no Snake, I can't send them to you, he has to remain as elusive as ever :)
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: VIA Rail
Date: 11/5/2012
Location: Guelph
Province: Ontario
6 Comments | 12 Favourites
Where's winter? At least, in Southern Ontario - we're asking this question - as of January 9 it's yet to really arrive. Exactly one year ago, winter was in full blast mode and I had the pleasure of photographing <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=35914 target=_blank> GEXR battling snow in the morning to Goderich </a> only to get a call about OSR doing the same thing. A Doubleshot? Pinch me. I made sure to pinch myself and booked it for Salford to get at least one shot of OSR - I only needed one. This is it. The plow broke after this shot was taken and needed repair, but my mission was accomplished. <br><br> Five years ago today, I also had the pleasure of a doubleshot - OSR called a plow for 0800 out of Salford, so I spent a <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=12926 target=_blank> gorgeous kodachrome morning photographing OSR </a> and afterwards I went home via Stratford, the long way, because I heard a plow may be out on GEXR. I got lucky - they still hadn't <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=12924 target=_blank>plowed the Guelph sub.</a> It will be interesting to see what CN does this winter in the St. Marys area, CN does have spreaders in the area - anyone know if CN has wedge plows in service or stored anywhere?. Both GEXR and OSR Still have their plows, crossing fingers they will have to pull it out and use it, if lucky, maybe on the same day.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Ontario Southland
Date: 1/9/2018
Location: Salford
Province: Ontario
4 Comments | 14 Favourites
Here's a lashup I never thought I'd ever shoot - Sarnia Terminal's Plank Rd job is switching the west end of "A" yard with a GTW Burdakin Blue (Named after the President of GTW that devised this red/white/blue scheme). I've seen GTW Power so often in the area that I think it's as if this yard is sharing power with the Michigan divisions, every single visit to Sarnia or Port Huron since 1/1/2018 I've managed GTW and in Blue. Now if I can get a pair of them solo... i'd be in GTW heaven. I'll be back in February to try again :)
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Grand Trunk Wester…
Date: 01/01/2019
Location: Sarnia
Province: Ontario
6 Comments | 11 Favourites
Bill, Arnold, and station fans I don't have good news - Bill just last week posted <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=35934 target=_blank>This great shot</a> of Ingersoll GT station in the final years of it's heyday, I'm going to guess in the 80's or early 90's the large GT built Ingersoll station was traded for the shack to the east, and once CN MOW forces abandoned this building in the mid 2000's, and CN crews stopped calling out of the portable placed to replace the station (Around 2010 when OSR took over CN CAMI runs) this only accelerated the rapid decline - the roof has clearly given way and in late December, CN erected this fence around the building. An image speaks loudly and I waited for VIA 72 to pass by, thankful I could photograph VIA's latest scheme by this old girl one last time. I won't hold my breath to see how long into 2019 this structure survives. There were rumours coming out of Ingersoll a brewery/brewpub wanted to move/save it - still not too late but it'll probably have to be moved brick by brick. The interest in this building by the locals was rather tepid.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: VIA Rail
Date: 12/30/2018
Location: Ingersoll
Province: Ontario
5 Comments | 7 Favourites
Switching Shantz Station Terminal Ltd (Parrish and Heimbecker) located near Breslau, after rolling from Acton to Breslau light power, they lifted P&H. Thanks to the Radio chatter I knew to go here for a second shot - didn't have much time, because they only had to lift 3 cars and I nearly missed the shot. But all you have to do is be there, right? Surprisingly in this hobby this is often the hard part. For the youngins, this terminal was built in 2003, new. There was nothing here before other than that house in the background and the mainline which is now the terminal operators office. Dial back 60 years and there were stations at Breslau and Mosborough once upon a time, but they are a half mile to a mile in either direction. Despite this being "Shantz Station" road I don't think there was ever a station here.<br><Br> Also - CN 1444 was sent back to Mac Yard last night - so that's it for now for the GMD1 - until the next one is assigned - right now a highly likely prospect as long as these are active in the Toronto area roster.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Canadian National
Date: 12/14/2018
Location: Breslau
Province: Ontario
5 Comments | 11 Favourites
L540 working Traxxside Transloading in Guelph on the south industrial spur of the Guelph Junction Railway, with some of CN's finest motive power in the lead. (Note: This is a railfan opinion - railroaders may see it differently!). L568 would instead take two CN GP38-2w's which would normally be assigned to 540. Why they swapped power I don't know, but it's nice to see the GMD1 return to my hometown.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Canadian National
Date: 12/29/2018
Location: Guelph
Province: Ontario
10 Comments | 13 Favourites
Heavy snow ahead as a 20 foot high drift, taller than the train, sits on the right of way of the GEXR Goderich subdivsion.<br><br> I kind of wonder what the crew is thinking in this moment. Here's to a great 2019 - hoping the snow flies this season enough to bring this badboy out.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Goderich-Exeter
Date: 1/9/2018
Location: Near Clinton Ontar…
Province: Ontario
2 Comments | 12 Favourites
Caledonia is a neat place, but we all tend to focus on the historic stuff such as the bridge and river downtown, but this scene looked nice so I tried to capture it and had success when the Southern Ontario Railway ran on the line in daylight back in April this year. Three RLHH engines, in G&W's best effort of "matching" paint schemes is passing over the Caledonia Bypass of HWY 6 built around 1980.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Southern Ontario R…
Date: 4/21/2018
Location: Caledonia
Province: Ontario
3 Comments | 9 Favourites
Tis Christmas eve 2015, and not a person was stirring, not even a mouse. Aside from the crew of GEXR 584 and myself, I didn't see a single other person anywhere, parking lots were all empty, and GEXR ran this extra train to Elmira in Daylight - I had the run of the place and I took full advantage of it. At the time, Chemtura was still the name of the plant being serviced, but now it's owned by Lanxess. GEXR 3821 is now GEXR 2073. Merry Christmas to everyone - wishing everyone a festive holiday season and here's to good things to come in 2019.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Goderich-Exeter
Date: 12/24/2015
Location: Elmira
Province: Ontario
3 Comments | 10 Favourites
A late day train coming from Woodstock with autoracks for CAMI in Ingersoll - that low late summer sun just looked so good on the nose stripes of our Action Red GP9's - sister to OSR 8235 - CP 8234 in the lead - now history, and now OSR territory. You can replicate this shot if 8235 gets on point of the Woodstock Turn - until OSR paints it :)
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Canadian Pacific
Date: 08/31/2006
Location: Woodstock
Province: Ontario
5 Comments | 12 Favourites
Ice covered insulators glow in colours matching the blue of VIA's 6443 as train 84 blasts by Mosborough toward Toronto after an overnight storm.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: VIA Rail
Date: 03/25/2016
Location: Mosborough
Province: Ontario
5 Comments | 14 Favourites
Caption: Kevin's recent shot of L566 parked on the Waterloo spur, had consequences for the rest of the Guelph sub as now the Kitchener terminal would be quite short of motive power. To ensure two jobs operated the GMTX units (2) were assigned to 568 and L540 took this as their sole motive power to putter around between Kitchener, Guelph, Acton, and back. Returning from Canwel in Acton light power I took the opportunity to photograph 1444 passing Guelph's famous beside-street running at Kent St. In the far background are some of Guelph's landmarks - the Armoury an active yet historic 1906 DND facility and the new River House condos. A GMD1 on the Guelph sub in 2018? Pinch me.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Canadian National
Date: 12/14/2018
Location: Guelph
Province: Ontario
11 Comments | 20 Favourites
Zebras return to the Guelph sub, as L540 returns from Canwel in Acton. The small bridge crosses over Crewson's Line. In fact, this little spot is where Erin, Milton, Wellington County, and Halton Hills townships meet.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Canadian National
Date: 12/4/2018
Location: Crewson's Corners
Province: Ontario
1 Comments | 13 Favourites
Peekaboo: A family marvels at the rare sight of a train along Crimea St in Guelph, 4777 plays peekaboo behind a house where the rails are mere feet to the cornerstone of the property. This track is the wye of the Guelph N Spur and has been like this for well over 70 years, the houses and factories dating to the 1940's at least if not older. This was taken across the tracks and behind <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=35603 target=_blank> Kevin Flood's shot </a> taken a couple days earlier.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Canadian National
Date: 11/22/2018
Location: Guelph
Province: Ontario
2 Comments | 9 Favourites
I had no plans to really spend my time following GEXR in the last weeks, with ample warning to 'get my shots' I had done so in the couple years leading up to the end, but then I started doing video in the waning days. It was sunny on Saturday November 11 when I woke up and I thought to myself, I may as well do a video at Mosborough.. and get back home in time to wake my girls for Pancakes. I enjoy trains at track speed and GEXR always put on a good show. I got out the door around 0800, went to Mosborough and noted the rails still covered in a light dusting of snow, block signals dark, zilch on the radio - usually the RTC gives 432 a work clearance to switch Kitchener or calls the RTC to denote they are done and heading east. I thought, I may as well go to Kitchener, maybe they are late. Upon arrival at Kitchener - radio silence, no train, rails snow covered, CTC dark for the mainline. That's odd, I suppose I'll just keep going - <a href=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d3/Breakfastwait.jpg target=_blank>Breakfast can wait. </a> What do I have to lose? Not like I'll have the opportunity to do this again.. Petersburg, Baden, New Hamburg.. nothing.. a friend mentioned they should still be in Stratford, ok, this is getting odd, it's nearly 0900 and the train should have been by Guelph by now - rails near HWY 7 still covered over. I'm in Shakespeare where trains do 60 MPH and it's getting dangerous to keep going - it's still sunny, a couple KM west of town I go to check the crossing to see if snow covered - as I drive down the road toward the track , I spot a headlight, and a train barrelling toward me in typical "Giver Exeter Railway" fashion at track speed - GEXR boys were not afraid of the throttle.<br><br>I was able to get back to the elevator, get in place for this quickie as these guys blasted by at track speed, not long after this shot they called "GEXR 432 clear on the approach Waterloo St" confirming to me this is an unusual move with the regular six axle motive power conspicuously absent, but with the autoracks in tow I thought maybe they'll just keep going. Nope, they stopped at Kitchener and reversed down the Huron Park Spur - then talked to 580 who was also switching the yard and confirmed they are turning back west once they return, to give 580 a turn at the interchange in the afternoon. Ultimately, I went from the prospect of a single photo/video to coming home with about 14 keepers and a few videos. I did NOT have enough time for a video here. Not even close :) <br><br>With the 10th being the first day we saw the SP 3054 - this was an ominous sign - everyone wanted that SP unit leading westbound - and with that my quiet week of observing , from a distance GEXR's operations became a mad scramble to get that "SP 3054 west" on camera - so much for my plans. But it was quite the week :) Thanks to the GEXR boys for the show.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Goderich-Exeter
Date: 11/11/2018
Location: Shakespeare
Province: Ontario
8 Comments | 13 Favourites
For Hunter and the CSX Branchlnie fans: D724 is southbound on the Sarnia Sub passing the approach signal to the Fargo diamond with the CASO Sub. 724 always ran in the mid to late afternoon so thank god it wasn't sunny. Fans from this era would remember the detectors on the CSX Sarnia sub at mile 12, 33 and 51. Here's a recording of this oddball, just north of this spot at mile 12: <a href=http://steve.hostovsky.com/csx_12.mp3 target=_blank>Here</a>. For more recordings, including the RTC and Station Operator/Clerks (friendly Skip!) see this link <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=25773 target=_blank>here - photo of CSX D724 at Wallaceburg</a>
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: CSX Transportation
Date: 08/25/2005
Location: Fargo
Province: Ontario
6 Comments | 12 Favourites
I rarely do going away shots of trains, but this one spoke to me. Rust coloured everything, appropriate for the service this train is in, showing details of these steel train cars perfect for the modeller types. CN 4725's headlight is easily seen through the empty cars approaching Victoria Ave in ever gritty Hamilton.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Southern Ontario R…
Date: 06/16/2006
Location: Hamilton
Province: Ontario
2 Comments | 6 Favourites
The Steel Train between Hamilton and Nanticoke had two runs in its day, once between approx 1970's and early 1990's and another run from approx 2000 to 2010. Curious, were these cars the same used in steel train service in its first incarnation? Could they have been further modified for the 2000's run? The cars were built approx 1969/70 per photos I took on this day. 599 ran in the late afternoon 6 days a week as far as I can recall, maybe it was 7 days a week. I usually ran into it on the way home/to my parents place.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Southern Ontario R…
Date: 06/16/2006
Location: Hamilton
Province: Ontario
13 Comments | 7 Favourites
The former CN Fergus sub between Guelph and Galt has a few spots of notable scenery, otherwise, it's largely grown in and inaccessible if only by drone in parts (See Ryan's <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=35419 target=_blank>great effort at Glenchristie</a> but this spot is fairly open, on a private driveway serving two homes. I certainly enjoyed when the flared radiator 3806 was assigned to this job and of course preferred it leading to it's slug 806.
Name: Stephen C. Host
Railway: Goderich-Exeter
Date: 02/6/2017
Location: Guelph Township
Province: Ontario
1 Comments | 6 Favourites
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