Comments on: This is entertaining; continuing to play off each others photos. Following up on James Knott’s photo of CP ballast cars in CP’s Fisher Yard, here’s a Southern Ontario Railway ballast train consisting entirely of CP ballast cars. The train had come up from Hamilton, where I just happened upon them when they were pulling in to the yard in Brantford to run around their train. Now pointed in the right direction, the SOR ballast train departs the yard headed for the Hagersville Sub. Early on, SOR got their ballast from CN. This was the only time I saw CP ballast cars on SOR. Later they would get ballast in a private company’s hoppers, I don’t recall the reporting mark, but they were plain maroon cars. Near the end of SOR operating on the Hagersville Sub. a contractor trucked in several ancient ex. Amtrak ballast cars that were loaded in Hagersville. I never got a photo of those cars or the ballast train; I wish I had!

By: rsmith

rsmith — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 04:04:13 +0000

I caught it loaded a few times… another photo to search for!

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 02:22:54 +0000

It often had CN power but I shot it without CN power many times (in Hamilton heading to Brantford and Nanticoke)

sometimes it had both

Catching that train loaded was difficult… early morning

Now.. after CN has taken back the Hamilton area the only trains that really matter are the non CN powered ones hehehe. I used to love seeing CN power in Hamilton in the RLHH days but now those pictures just seem… less extrordinary.

By: rsmith

rsmith — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 02:04:18 +0000

Didn’t the steel train have CN power most often? It did almost every time I saw it. I don’t recall seeing the RaiLink geeps too often in Brantford. I found 1755 and another unit stalled on the Hagersville Sub. one lunch hour; I think that was the only other time I saw one of them in Brantford. Thanks for the reporting marks Joe.

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 00:58:41 +0000

This is a nice shot.

I don’t understand James – how is 1808 in Brantford rare? The Steel Train was still running so anything in Hamilton could end up in Brantford/Garnet and vice versa, including any of the CN units assigned to the Steel Train which SOR used for motive power.

When the steel train ended, RLHH continued to run occasional power transfers, until of course the Ingenia trains started in 2015 and those would become the transfers… and when the Ingenia contract ended, the usual irregular power transfers resumed until RLHH’s running rights were cancelled.

By: Joseph Bishop

Joseph Bishop — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 00:20:07 +0000

The plain maroon ones were SETX reporting marks.

The ones trucked in were NERX cars.

Neat shot Rob, I was only 14 at the time so I’d not have been aware of this move but would have enjoyed photographing this!

By: James Gardiner

James Gardiner — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 00:09:48 +0000

1808 eh. That’s gotta be a rare trip out of Hamilton for it!

By: jknott86

jknott86 — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 18:02:27 +0000

Well isn’t that an interesting sight!