From Killean to Kinnear
I hadn’t planned to find myself on the Galt Subdivision today, but when a timely text came in from a friend that CPKC train no. 137 was on the way with a quartet of BNSF locomotives, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to grab a shot — and so began another adventure trackside.
Pushing a mile-a-minute, train no. 137 flies through the countryside at Killean, Ont., behind no less than five locomotives (totaling a whopping 22,000 combined horsepower) and a lengthy train of autoracks. Unfortunately — and unbeknownst to the photographer at the time — 137 would derail further up the line at Ayr, putting over half a dozen cars on the ground. While details on the incident are scarce, I hope everyone involved is alright! The derailment at Ayr would cause a ripple effect, which played out later in the day at Hamilton’s Kinnear Yard. More on that soon…
After filling up the Subie (the nickname for my beloved Subaru Forester) and grabbing a quick bite to eat at Tim Hortons, I made it down to Kinnear Yard just as CPKC train no. 237 was arriving in the yard. Things got a little hectic as 3 of the 5 road trains that traverse the Hamilton Subdivision within a 24-hour period converged on Kinnear within 10 minutes of one another! Buffalo to London train no. 239 trailed only a couple of miles behind 237. Although both trains were fairly short, trying to fit both of them into Kinnear to complete their yard work simultaneously proved to be a logjam for both crew and RTC. It was ultimately decided that 237 would make their necessary set-off/lift and 239 would bypass their work to help assist the ailing 137 at Ayr.
With work at Kinnear complete, 237 doubled their train and reversed back into the siding at NSS (North Siding Switch) Kinnear so they could be overtaken by 239.
A pair of ACUs — now how about that!
A few minutes later, train no. 239 eased by on the main with shiny EMD SD70ACU 7001 leading the way. Once 239 cleared the NSS it was highball for 237! But not before meeting another train at Park…
The 1905 GO from Toronto arrives at Hamilton’s Hunter Street Station before 237 could continue north.
Back on the move, 237 rolls through downtown Hamilton in resplendent evening light. The following frames illustrate the beauty of an evening northbound out of Hamilton, as the sun angles are most ideal for photography.
As seen from the elevated perspective of my Mavic Air 2S drone, 237 snakes through the many twists and turns out of Hamilton as they begin their ascent up the grueling mountain grade towards Waterdown. From here, I would continue on for one last shot at Carlisle thus bringing another adventure trackside to a close.