Caption: Amid an early summer heat wave, the Southern Ontario air sat heavy and muggy. In retrospect it was the beginning of a long dry season that would see many weeks with the same weather pattern. However, when you’re young these things tend to bother you less. Such was the case here as Andy Gertz and I headed towards London following the Galt Subdivision, in his compact orange Toyota. Once near the village of Ayr, his scanner crackled to life with the RTC calling 5527 east. The approaching eastbound was given a clearance to take the siding at nearby Wolverton for a meet with westbound intermodal 503. Being very close already, we diverted our route towards the east switch Wolverton to await both trains. At the time, Trussler Road was a much less busy thoroughfare and Wolverton was only a long siding in the middle of two farm fields, as the current Wolverton Yard was more than a decade away from being constructed. Soon 5527’s headlight came into view at the top of the siding’s crest, and the train slowly made its way towards us. In true mid-90’s fashion we had no idea what the power was, however with CP’s ever growing lease fleet odds were good it was going to be colourful. As 5527 neared we heard the unmistakable bark of not one but two M-636’s trailing, CP 4742 and 4743, behind the lead SD40 and HLCX 5008.
In the final summer of their existence on CP, anytime you would see a big MLW could be your last, as by June 1995 only about 8 remained in service. And with CP’s new order of GE AC4400CW’s due to arrive in late summer the clock was ticking. So, on that muggy afternoon, Andy and I took many frames on Kodachrome of the two M-636’s as they waited the arrival of 503. Despite their impending retirements, both units still looked sharp in their matching action red paint, unlike many of the already fallen and retired M-636’s in the same class. With 503’s horn approaching from the east, we walked back to the crossing hoping 4742 and 4743 would put on a good show departing the siding following the meet….