February 11th, 2006
After a week long safari in the Kenyan outback which cost the life of my video-capable PowerShot S70, Laura and I flew back to Nairobi from the Maasai Mara and then headed off to Naivasha to find a monthly steam excursion train run by the museum in Nairobi. We stopped at the museum to ask if the train was on schedule and if there was anything else happening. Sure enough, the staff there confirmed the train had left on time at 7 in the morning and that there was a freight train on its heels. We caught both, as well as one of the hundreds of huge dust devils that show up every day in the Rift Valley, and the semaphore control shed at Naivasha station.
Nairobi, Kenya
(map) Nairobi is the capital city of the East African republic of Kenya. It was built as a railway town and has a large railway museum and a number of active meter guage freight lines leaving the city.
Naivasha, Kenya
(map) Naivasha is a town about 100 km West of Nairobi on the Kenya Railway line.
February 12th, 2006
On the return from 2 weeks in Kenya for my brother's wedding, we had a 10-hour layover in London, England so we went into London's Paddington station to see what we could see. It was a stereotypical dark and stormy day in London but we nevertheless saw 3 class 66s, a CWR train, and some interesting looking freight equipment as well as a lot of passenger trains before returning to London-Heathrow airport.
London, England
(map) The English capital is a highly busy railway-using city with an extensive passenger network.
February 13th, 2006
Mission accomplished! With the help of CPs #424 and #243 with CP 8714 on point, Laura and I managed to railfan on 3 continents within 3 days.
Killean, Ontario
(map) This is CP's name for the passing track at Cambridge on the CP Galt sub.
Puslinch, Ontario
(map) This community straddles highway 401 from West of Guelph Junction to Killean on the CP Galt sub.
February 25th, 2006
After a two-week long train hiatus we finally went out on a bad day but caught several interesting trains, starting with CN #396 parked at Paris Junction. CN #271 had a CSX C44-9W on it but was obstructed perfectly by CN #382.
Paris, Ontario
(map) Paris is just West of Brantford on the CN Dundas sub and was once the site of the junction between the Dundas sub and the completely defunct Drumbo sub that connected Paris and Stratford. There's also a large trestle in Paris.
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NS #327 passes through Paris Junction with NS-UP for power. (Warning: super-huge video!)
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CN #410 passes through Paris Junction with a GCFX unit hiding between 2 CNs.
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CN #382 passes through Paris Junction perfectly obstructing CN #271 on the far track.
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CN #392 passes through Paris Junction.
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CN #383 heads through Paris after scurrying around 399 at Paris and 392 at Hardy.
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CN #399 passes through Paris with two UP units and an 8-axle rail whale tank car.
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VIA #72 passes through Paris with 917 leading.
Ayr, Ontario
(map) Ayr is between Wolverton and Cambridge on the CP Galt sub and houses a small backtrack yard and the Ayr Pit Spur.
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CP #159 approaches Ayr with a pair of AC4400s leading.
Killean, Ontario
(map) This is CP's name for the passing track at Cambridge on the CP Galt sub.
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CP #241 paddles across Sideroad 10S mile 51.90 Galt sub.
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CP #243 concludes the westbound parade with 2 more ubiquitous AC4400s for power.
February 26th, 2006
Steve called a little before sunrise suggesting we go after some trains. This sounded like a good idea and it proved to be a very fruitful morning, netting us NS #328, Amtrak #97, CN #421, VIA #70 with 6424/Budweiser, CN #399, #396 with GCFX/WC-BNSF-BNSF-CN, CP #167, CN #392, VIA #73, and CN #394 with BNSF-CN-CN-FURX. No videos today, though.
Hamilton, Ontario
(map) Hamilton Ontario is an industrial region on the tip of lake Ontario.
Aldershot, Ontario
(map) This is the region between the (abandonned) Burlington West train station and Bayview Junction.
Bayview Junction, Ontario
(map) This is where the CN Oakville, CN Grimsby, and CN Dundas subdivisions meet at a great big wye, beside which is the CP Hamilton sub. This location encompasses CN Bayview Junction, Hamilton West, and Hamilton Junction.
February 28th, 2006
Mike called to say CN #393 had an NS leader with UP and NS units following, through Brampton at about 12:30. Westbound foreign leaders are fairly rare on the CN through here though eastbounds have BNSF leaders just about every day so this qualified as, well, HOT. I headed down to Paris Junction at 14:30 where I expected the train to arrive at 14:35 based on passed experience and got there just after a train had passed. An hour later with no sign of westbounds I was convinced I had missed it, but there it was at 15:55! Sure was pretty, shame the sun didn't come out to see it.
Paris, Ontario
(map) Paris is just West of Brantford on the CN Dundas sub and was once the site of the junction between the Dundas sub and the completely defunct Drumbo sub that connected Paris and Stratford. There's also a large trestle in Paris.
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CN #148 passes through Paris with an FURX unit between two CNs.
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CN #393 passes through Paris with NS 9811 leading followed by two more foreign units and no domestic power. (Warning: super-huge video!)
