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rsmith's Railpictures.ca photo upload statistics

Number of images: 367
Total gold: 3440
Number of comments recieved : 1065
Number of comments posted : 885
Total views: 520920

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rsmith's 367 photos on Railpictures.ca:

Every Wednesday, after VIA 72 departed the station, CN 580 would leave the yard to go serve the Burford Spur. I spent many lunch hours standing at the corner of Colborne Street and Clarence Street watching the show as 580 slowly made its way along Clarence Street. The traffic control signal at Colborne Street is manually operated by a crew member to stop vehicular traffic on both Clarence Street and Colborne Street. The mid-block signal on Clarence Street was always green unless a train was crossing. A traffic signal that only turns red twice a week was often missed by northbound motorists, leading to some entertaining circumstances when the vehicles got up to Colborne Street, facing a red signal and southbound train with nowhere to go. I miss those days. The spur is now owned by the last customer on the line, Ingenia Polymers, and contracted out to Allied Track Services who operates the spur using a trackmobile.

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	09/24/2014
Location:	Brantford
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 22 Favourites

$RLK 3873 pulls Wellsboro and Corning Railroad (WCOR) SD40-2s 307, 302, 301 and 309 out of Stuart Street yard to be lifted by CN. They would be interchanged to NS in Buffalo, who would take them down the southern tier to Corning, NY and interchange to the WCOR. The four SD40-2s arrived in Hamilton as QNSL and were crudely patched "WCOR"at Railcare before continuing on their trip to the states. The area of Pennsylvania that WCOR serves was experiencing a boom in oil fracking, and the railroad needed bigger power to haul the seemingly endless hoppers of fracking sand to be used in the fracking process. WCOR went nuts relaying double track and building sidings to store the hopper cars waiting to be unloaded. The railroad became so attractive it was snatched up by shortline holding company Genesee and Wyoming. Soon after the G&W purchase oil prices dropped, fracking became less profitable and most if not all operations ceased. That resulted in a huge drop in business for the WCOR, so much so that three of the four SD40-2s were reassigned to the Buffalo and Pittsburgh. WCOR 307 and 309 still operate on the B&P. I'm not sure about the status of 301 and 302; I know at least one of them was returned to the lessor. Regardless, the SD40-2s looked pretty snazzy while it lasted. The WCOR even had this photo on their website for a while and it got me a free ride on the Tioga Central, the tourist train that operates on the WCOR between Wellsboro Junction and Hammond Lake. Proof that sometimes you can get unexpected benefits from your photos!$

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Southern Ontario R…
Date:	03/05/2010
Location:	Hamilton
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 12 Favourites

A week or two before the Ontario Southland Railway took over operation of the CP St. Thomas Sub., I paid a visit to Woodstock to photograph the local CP action for the last time. It's 8:38 a.m. and the sun is trying to peak through the clouds as the Woodstock based train was just getting started with CP 8211 and CP 8201. As they were slowly heading over to the "yard" to start switching out their train, CP 8215 and CP 8252 flew past on the Galt Sub. Perfect timing for a completely unplanned photo. Sometimes you just have to be there!

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	12/04/2009
Location:	Woodstock
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 21 Favourites

RLHH 1755 and 1359 pass the Air Liquide plant approaching Birmingham Street, in beautiful north end Hamilton, on a snowy January day. Southern Ontario Railway was so close to home yet I rarely went on the hunt for them. RaiLink is gone, and so is Southern Ontario Railway in Hamilton. Don't take the local railway scene for granted!

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Southern Ontario R…
Date:	01/18/2009
Location:	Hamilton
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 21 Favourites

ONT 2001, 1603 and 2002 rest outside the shop on a beautiful, crisp winter day. Gotta love the Ontario Northland.

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Ontario Northland
Date:	02/22/2003
Location:	Cochrane
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 17 Favourites

A nice sunny day on Christmas break had many railpictures.ca contributors out to photograph the CN and CP locals in beautiful north-end Hamilton today. The CN 07:00 job had the triple-set with GMD1us 1444 and 1408, and GTW GP38-2 5849, so that's what I was after this morning. The "700" is seen about to hit the CP diamond, just west of Gage Avenue North. The CP local was working Adams Yard already, and radio communication between the two railroads provided us with their game plan for the day. Too bad CN had foreman working on the N&NW spur. The 07:00 job was only able to work Parkland Terminal before getting held up from working the CP interchange and switching Stelco. What seemed like a simple work plan turned in to a long day for the crew.

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	12/29/2020
Location:	Hamilton
Province:	Ontario

6 Comments | 21 Favourites

CN 148 has cut off of their train to make a lift at Aldershot. Leading the reverse move is CN 7600, a new heritage-painted GP40-3 rebuild. Yes, the green is incorrect but it still looks pretty good. Maybe it'll look better with some road grime on it. There's also a matching slug numbered 600, but it must be hitching a ride on another train. When news broke of these GP40-3s I figured I'd never see one, assuming they would be assigned to major yards far out of view from the public. So thank you to Joe and others that provided heads up. There's also a GP40-3 in Illinois Central black. I'm interested to see what other paint schemes these GP40-3s come out wearing.

Name:	Rob Smtih
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	12/20/2020
Location:	Aldershot
Province:	Ontario

20 Comments | 28 Favourites

A heritage photo of a CN heritage unit. Here's a photo I took and looked at once and never again until today; CN 3069 is one of two CN heritage units that I photographed before they became a heritage unit. CN 8952 was the other, however it was trailing. A ho-hum shot made more interesting now that CN 3069 is painted to commemorate the Wisconsin Central.

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	03/20/2017
Location:	Brantford
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 5 Favourites

All the excitement over 435 last weekend with the three CN North America painted units got me thinking of other times when I've seen solid consists of "CNNA" units. I recall an early 90's consist with a GP40-2L(W) and two SD40us at Bayview, and a pair of C44-9W on 148 at Brantford. I'm sure there were others. This consist in Fort Erie with three different models in CNNA paint is probably the best example I've got. The reverse move in the yard with no cars provided a nice opportunity to photograph the consist in favourable light.

Name:	Robert Smith
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	08/12/2007
Location:	Fort Erie
Province:	Ontario

6 Comments | 13 Favourites

UP 1982 on CP 244. CN 2441 leading CN 435. CP 7022 leading CP 247. Railfans in Southern Ontario had three great targets to go after this sunny Saturday. The old man and I opted for option 3 and I'm glad we did. The low autumn light nicely illuminated the red under-frame on CP 7022 as the train slowly pulled up to the north siding switch Welland to pick up the conductor. We were surprisingly the only railfans at this location, so most must have went after other targets today. There was one unconfirmed sighting of the Mooney-mobile shortly after our arrival but it failed to stop at our location. It may have just been some geezer out for a drive with his lady friend. Thanks to Bill Purdy and Jazzy Joe for the heads-up on 246 yesterday. Lets see your shots from today! And no Steve, I'm not pinching you.

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	11/28/2020
Location:	Welland
Province:	Ontario

9 Comments | 23 Favourites

Just like old times. Looking just like the CP St. Thomas Sub. before Ontario Southland, the OSR Woodstock Job passes by backyards in Beachville, ON in the last light of the day. It's pretty depressing how early the sun sets this time of year, the photo was taken at 4:10 p.m.! Today's train had two CP-painted geeps and four tank cars that they had just picked up from CP T69 in Woodstock. CP T69 went in to emergency around Zorra and it sounded like they had to make repairs to a car, so the OSR crew had an extra long break in the Woodstock station waiting for their cars.

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Ontario Southland
Date:	11/11/2020
Location:	Beachville
Province:	Ontario

4 Comments | 14 Favourites

Get 'em while you can. With their ranks thinning, it was nice to catch a decent looking BC Rail C40-8CMu in perfect light leading CN 435 today. 435 leans around the curve at milepost 19 as the conductor was reviewing his paperwork, getting ready for their work at Brantford Yard. Their timing was perfect; I left work at noon, photographed the train out by Garden Avenue and got back right at 1 p.m. Not that it mattered because no one was around since most staff in the department regularly "work" from home.

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	10/23/2020
Location:	Brantford
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 20 Favourites

CP 254 has a NEW EMD trio, so that's worth posting a photo! CP 5012 and CP 6236 are gone, replaced with CP 5018 and CP 6255 in the same position with CP 6248. This photo almost didn't happen for several reasons. I thought I had a virtual meeting today at 3 pm but had to double check the calendar when I didn't get the 15 minute reminder. Realising the meeting is next Thursday, I frantically figured out where 254 was and out the door I went. I arrived at Kay Drage Park only to find the vehicle gate locked. Hoofing it in I then came across a lovely encampment right in front of the pedestrian gate by the tracks. Luckily someone had made another access in the fence. I stood in the doom and gloom of a Fall afternoon getting the camera set up for the dismal lighting. As the train came in to view it was still dark, but as it approached the sun popped out ever so briefly. I frantically adjusted the camera settings and this is the end result. Not the preferred ISO but at least I didn't completely blow the exposure. Other than this consist on CP 254, the occasional heritage unit, the GTW based at Stuart Street, what else is there? I thought this was a worthy photo to add to the elite railpictures.ca database. I hope the grand poobah agrees.

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	10/08/2020
Location:	Hamilton
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 9 Favourites

6:30 a.m. on the morning of Bayview meet 2007, A CP northbound utilises TH&B trackage rights on CN between Hamilton and Canpa. CP gave up these trackage rights and now all trains utilise the Hamilton Sub. up to Campbellville / Guelph Jct. and the Galt Sub. to Toronto.

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	06/23/2007
Location:	Hamilton
Province:	Ontario

5 Comments | 17 Favourites

We've all seen our fair share of quick-fix replacement number boards; some are done quite well while others leave a lot to be desired. The classic cardboard and duct tape type come to mind. CN 4726 has a pretty ugly replacement number board on the conductor's side. It hasn't inspired me to go out of my way to photograph it until yesterday when I heard 580 blowing for Stanley Street when leaving work. Upon reviewing those photos I noticed something interesting about that replacement number board. The "6" looks like the font CP uses on their number boards. Zooming in on the photo you can see the weird looking "4" was clearly made from a "1", and there's a faded "8" where the "7" is painted. 1800's were CP RS18u's. So how did a CP RS18u number board end up on a CN GP38-2? Then I recalled seeing a former New Brunswick East Coast Railway RS18u heading to Woodcrest (IL) for disposition after CN had reacquired the NBEC. Looking closer at the number board, it looks like "1838" behind the crude "4726". Sure enough NBEC 1838 was one of the RS18u's that went to Woodcrest and was scrapped! So a little piece of a CP RS18u lives on. Now that ugly looking number board is pretty interesting! And if you're wondering why Woodcrest didn't just make a proper number board (assuming 4726 got the number board there), that's a good question!

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	09/15/2020
Location:	Brantford
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 21 Favourites

CP 254 and 255 continue to run back and forth between London and NS Bison Yard in Buffalo, NY with CP 6248, CP 6236 and CP 5012. I'm still trying to get a decent shot of CP 5012 leading, which would have happened right here if the power hadn't been turned a week or so ago. It usually doesn't. CP 255 is seen in nice late-afternoon light approaching Concession Road 6 in Flamborough Centre.

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	09/13/2020
Location:	Flamborough Centre
Province:	Ontario

10 Comments | 15 Favourites

Trains were running like street cars on the Hamilton Sub. this afternoon. 246 went south, 247 north, and then 254 south. 254 waited on the Galt Sub. for about a hour for 247 to come north, which was fine since it only made the sun angle better here at Milborough Line. The consist of CP 6248, CP 6236, and CP 5012 has been back and forth on CP 254/255 a few times now, and this is by far the best shot I've gotten of it. It's a beautiful thing when the weather co-operates with a good train. Hopefully Bill and I managed to get our shots here without any gnarly bug bites and/or reaction to weeds... I think I'm good (this time!)

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	09/03/2020
Location:	Carlisle
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 19 Favourites

Just when you get sick of seeing pairs of CP GEs, CP puts together a considerably better consist to keep things interesting. 254/255 had a pair of SD30C-ECOs bracketing a SD60 earlier in the week, however CP 5031 was replaced by CP 6248 for today's 254. CP 6248, 6238 and 5012 are shown curving under Main Street West and about to pass under Dundurn Street, having just met CP 247 at Desjardins. 254's consist returns from Buffalo on CP 255 the following day.

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	08/29/2020
Location:	Hamilton
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 19 Favourites

Considering how long I stood on the bank of the Welland River watching the carp, I figured I would post this photo for the world to see. Good old CP; hurry up and wait. They worked Aberdeen, worked Kinnear, met 247 somewhere in Hamilton and may have been delayed by them, and had 25 mph slow orders from about MP 34 to Welland. The train finally showed up about 2 hours later then I anticipated. I've got to stop being so optimistic about estimating times. CP 7010 and CP 8102 just fit between the trees on the Welland River bridge. Notice how much longer the SD70ACu is compared to the GE. CP 255 was done their work and waiting in Welland Yard for 246 to clear the north siding switch.

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	07/31/2020
Location:	Welland
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 13 Favourites

For the second weekend in a row I made a tactical error on Saturday and was able to redeem myself on Sunday. I did not catch CP 143 with CMQ 9020 amd 9022 on Saturday, however we lucked out again with CMQ 9023 assigned as the leader on CP 246 on Sunday. By the grace of god everything came together. It sure looked good at Guelph Jct. swinging off the Galt Sub. and on to the Hamilton Sub. at a surprisingly good clip. A nice Father's Day treat. Thanks again to those that provided the heads-up.

Name:	Rob Smith
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	06/21/2020
Location:	Campbellville
Province:	Ontario

4 Comments | 24 Favourites

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