Tools of the Trade Snow brooms stand at the ready while in the background 4132 brings a cut of cars down the ramp from the Panolam plant. Looks like CN has splurged and bought a new one! :D
4132 is framed by the Domtar Road crossing signals as 595 prepares to work the Panolam plant at Martins. Two days of rain followed by a warm sunny one have combined to get rid of most of the accum... (more)
450 crosses the Old Muskoka Road and an adjacent snowmobile trail with handrail damage sustained the previous day in a collision with a downed tree.
CN 451 passes by the Lake Vernon shore at Mile 144 of the CN Newmarket Sub in the Blue Hour before dawn. Since there was no 451 ordered yesterday, today's train is a fair bit longer than n... (more)
On a day that was supposed to be sunny, there's only a hint of fading afternoon light showing in the southern sky as CN 595 slows to lift some cars from the Panolam plant at Martins before continu... (more)
With the tracks mostly cleared by the passage of CN 451 a couple of hours earlier 450's journey has been quite a bit easier since their meet at Novar. The damage to 2642's handrails, the result of... (more)
Got a big thumbs-up from 451's engineer today as he blasted the Domtar Road crossing at the south end of Martins siding. With 6 - 8" of fresh snow since the last train passed by yesterday, today's... (more)
Winter is a blast! With 6 - 8" of fresh snow since the last train passed by yesterday, today's 451 has his work cut out for him but was maintaining track speed as it blasted up to Martins. ... (more)
CN 451 sets out loads at Huntsville along with GP9 4132, the power for the local roadswitcher returning from regular maintenance at Mac Yard in Vaughan (Toronto area). Dying on hours the crew will... (more)
After sustaining handrail damage on the lead unit in a collision with a downed tree about 30 miles south of here CN 451 sets out loads at Huntsville along with GP9 4132, the power for the local ro... (more)
A long day... CN 451 with 2642 and BCOL 4513 (plus the local geep dead-in-tow returning to Huntsville) passes a sign with some rather obvious advise as the snow starts up once more. The sig... (more)
A pair of Dash-9s bring CN 451 down through the S-curve at Mile 144 of the Newmarket Sub on the shore of frozen Lake Vernon just south of Huntsville on a brisk -30 (-35C) morning.
595 blasts by Siding Lake on its return from Longford Mills with 6 tankers from Stepan Chemicals.
CN 595 heading south to Martins to switch the Panolam plant.
CN 595 leans into the curve approaching the Aspdin Road crossing at the north end of Martins Siding on a sunny and surprisingly mild (~25F) winter day.
Taking advantage of one of the very few sunny days to be had in these parts for the past few months, I headed out to catch a late-running 451 as it passed the Mile 144 CN Newmarket Sub marker on t... (more)
CN 451 flies north up the Newmarket Sub as the sky slowly brightens after another long cold night.
On Saturday Evening this locomotive and it's coaches will be all lit up to deliver kids to see Santa at Fairy Lake Station at the other end of the line. Today we came in to clear the line in prepa... (more)
In the fall of 2011 only one of the ex Rio Grande Ski Train F40s CN acquired to run their Agawa Canyon Tour Train had been repainted, the remaining two still in the bumble-bee yellow and black sch... (more)
451 crosses Domtar Road about to hit the south switch at Martins, behind a pair of SD60Fs.
Just another snowy day in Muskoka as 451 rounds Siding Lake approaching the south switch at Martins behind a pair of SD60Fs.
CN 595 trudges through continuing snow squalls returning from Longford Mills, with work at Martins before heading back to Huntsville Yard.
Aspdin Road on the left looks rather barren at this point in time as CN 451 speeds by on a cold December day. With snow squalls raging around the area, pretty well everyone who had to get into tow... (more)
CN 595 flies south across the Old Muskoka Road in Allensville on its twice-weekly journey from Huntsville to Longford Mills, roughly a 120 mile round trip.
A really tight squeeze! CN A45131-08 (running as L45131-08) inches its dimensional load through the bridge over the Muskoka River at the north end of Huntsville, with a MofW crew kee... (more)
CN A45131-08 (running as L45131-08) screams past Mile 145 of the CN Newmarket Sub with traffic for Ontario Northland in North Bay, including a dimensional load a few cars back, that being a transf... (more)
Ontario Northland's 2013 Christmas Train delights the crowd at North Bay Station on a chilly December evening.
Logging railways through the woods were inexpensive and impermanent by nature. Narrow gauge, light rail, widely spaced ties and more often than not, cobbled equipment was the norm in the latter 18... (more)
After a whistle salute to those waiting below, the Canadian version of the CP Holiday Train pauses briefly over the Seguin River in Parry Sound before making it's stop at Parry Sound Statio... (more)
The Portage Flyer about to pull in to Rotary Village Station at the western end of the line, returning from Fairy Lake on a warm day in July.
CP Track Evaluation train creeps across Penetanguishene Road at the north end of Craighurst Siding, which it will enter and inspect before continuing on to test Essa and Baxter sidings. Note the v... (more)
In 2011 ON North Bay Shops were contracted to refurb/repaint some Rocky Mountaineer dome cars, two of which are seen here tacked on the back of the southbound Northlander passing through Martins o... (more)
CN 553 returning to Oakville Yard from Clarkson with 19 tankers from the PetroCan refinery.
CN 451 approaches the south mileboard to Huntsville on a crisp fall morning. Only one unit on 451 today.
After switching the Panolam plant at Martins CN 595 continues south on its twice weekly return trip to Longford Mills.
The crew of 595 works Huntsville Yard on a gorgeous fall afternoon.
595 makes its final move of the day, coupling up to a tanker which they will haul down to Longford Mills tomorrow morning.
Trackside Treasure: Portage Flyer passengers focus their attention on the train as they stretch their legs on the station platform in the background while we focus ours on this odd little h... (more)
With autumn getting into gear 595 passes some typical Muskoka fall colors at Mile 144 of the Newmarket Sub, having just finished up switching the Panolam plant at Martins on its way home from Long... (more)
Derelict on display This poor old girl sits rusting away with moss growing in all the dark places in Algonquin Park's Logging Museum. Look closely and you can see a green spot on the smokeb... (more)
Detail shot of the nose plate on the Algonquin Park Logging Museum's old MLW 0-4-0 saddle-tank locomotive on display. Locomotive was manufactured "at Montreal for a contractor in Nova Scotia and a... (more)
In the early stages of the afternoon rush a westbound GO train speeds into Oakville with a refurbished cab car leading.
Judy has just got a shot off of CN 553 as it returns to Oakville yard from Clarkson.
I'd met Ray at a weekly local car show and asked him to stop by sometime to take some shots of his sweet 1950 Meteor with the Portage Flyer. He kindly obliged by showing up the very next day, so I... (more)
Number 2's trusty Detroit Lubricator basks in the warm glow of the train shed's lights - filled and ready for another day's service protecting the locomotive's vital parts from wear.
CN 451 passes Mile 144 of the CN Newmarket Sub with work just ahead at Huntsville before continuing on to North Bay.
CN 595 southbound from Huntsville headed for the Panolam plant at Martins.
A CN stack train soars over Parry Sound Harbour on the 1,695' CP Trestle. Between Reynolds just south of Parry Sound, and Wanup just south of Sudbury, CN and CP operate directional running with no... (more)
The Portage Flyer nears the top of the 3% grade on a return trip from Fairy Lake.
The day following a severe storm a large maple tree was discovered laying across the tracks. A work team set out to clear the line before the first run of the day, but was unable to remove more of... (more)
"Engineer for a Day" Tom at the throttle of HLBR Number 2.
Brakeman Dustin fills Number 2's saddle tank between runs on a gorgeous mid-summer afternoon.
Nope, it's not who you think it is but Robin, our Engineer for a Day participant today, did bear an uncanny resemblance to Duck Dynasty's Uncle Si!
Heavy thunderstorms kept the crowds away from today's last Portage Flyer run and soaked the ground, rails and our brakeman. However nothing dampened the spirits of the "Engineer for a Day" David,... (more)
CN 4132 with one gondola makes up today's 595 southbound consist, seen here along Aspdin Road approaching Martins.
The Portage Flyer returns home on the last run of the day, with an "Engineer for a Day" program participant at the throttle of old Number 2.
A late-running 451 is seen about to cross Domtar Road at Martins. Less than 10 miles up the line this train would have an unscheduled meet with the broadside of a pickup truck. The truck en... (more)
CN 5613 and 2501 lead the first few cars of today's 451 past Huntsville Station for 595 to distribute around town. They’ve left the bulk of their train about a mile back on the far side of the H... (more)
CN 451 is reflected off the surface of a beaver pond approaching the south switch at Martins.
Just the basics! Engineer's-seat view of the control stand in HLBR's 1948 GE 25 tonner #3, or at least it would be had I not removed the engineer's seat to take this shot! Although possibly... (more)
On the first day of operations for the 2013 season I've posed the engine clear of the water tank for photos before backing the train up so the coaches are even with the station platform..
Near the end of an otherwise dreary day the sun has finally decided to come out for a while before setting, illuminating this BC Rail unit in original paint. The "u" designation in the locomotive ... (more)
It's never easy to photograph narrow-gauge equipment at mid-day without getting obliterating shadows on the underframe parts of the locomotive, so when Steven the brakeman and I arrived at work th... (more)
595 rolls through the curves at Mile 144 of the CN Newmarket Sub on its return trip to Huntsville after switching the Panolam plant at Martins.There has been a dramatic increase in loads coming ou... (more)
Spring has returned to Muskoka (although you would never have known that yesterday) and along with it so has CN 4132, after a rather lengthy absence. Here it is approaching the Bethune Road crossi... (more)
A pair of old gunboats idle away the afternoon awaiting their next assignment.
A westbound GO commuter train speeds past the west end of Oakville Yard during the afternoon rush, led by cab car 252. Since there are few things less visually interesting than a cab-car leading a... (more)
A couple of geeps bask in the sun at Oakville Yard.
Snow and freezing rain had coated the trees with a thick layer of white overnight, so I thought I'd head out and capture 595 in one last wintery shot for six months or so. By the time the train ap... (more)
CN 451 has passed through the 10MPH restriction alongside the flooded Big East River just north of Huntsville, and is beginning to climb up into the Almaguin Highlands on its way to North Bay.
Pink! Faded and blistered, CN 2518 on the point of CN 451 negotiates the S-curve at the Mile 144 marker of the Newmarket Sub, just south of Huntsville.
CN 4132 has been replaced temporarily by 4115 as power for CN 595, the Huntsville roadswitcher. 4115's paint, while rusted out in places, at least lacks the embedded grime of 4132.
CN 451's power rejoins its train after making a drop at Huntsville, with Shadow the Railfanning Dane watching the move closely.
CN 451 rolls into Huntsville to drop a few cars before continuing on to North Bay.
Teamwork! First of all you can relax; although the old Geep is doubling as a tractor today it only looks like it's on the ground! CN 595's crew teams up with Foreman Macintosh's crew... (more)
CN 595 makes its way down familiar rails to Martins amid some heavy squall activity. 4136 spent about 10 years as the power for the Huntsville roadswitcher, but only returns briefly these days to ... (more)
Six months ago today the Northlander passenger train service was terminated. Definitely not one of the prouder moments in the history of Ontario. Four days prior to the last revenue runs I ... (more)
CN 451 hits a small snowbank deposited by the road plow earlier in the morning as it crosses North Lancelot Road, approaching the mileboard to Martins.
Back under way after making a drop at Huntsville Yard 451 pulls out from under the Highway 11 overpass and heads for North Bay. The trailing engine is GP9 4132, the power for the Hunstville Roadsw... (more)
CN 595 leans into the bend approaching Old Muskoka Road, kicking up powder from a small dumping of snow the previous day.
CN 595 returning from Longford Mills at the Mile 144 marker of the CN Newmarket Sub on the shore of Lake Vernon just south of Huntsville.
Yesterday it couldn't decide whether to drizzle rain or snow. It finally settled on snow in the early evening which continued off and on until the time of this photo, the resulting wet stuff stick... (more)
Yesterday it couldn't decide whether to drizzle rain or snow. It finally settled on snow in the early evening, which has continued off and on until now, the resulting wet stuff sticking to the tre... (more)
CN 4132 works the south end of Huntsville Yard, preparing to make one of 595's twice-weekly return trips to Longford Mills.
CN 4132 peeks through an opening in the snow-covered trees while working the south end of Huntsville Yard.
The snow clearing crew heads south from Huntsville on the Newmarket Sub, clearing grade crossings down the line. The snow fighter has plow blades at one end and a Railroad: Canadian National RailwayLocomotive: Snow fighterLocation: Huntsville, Ontario, CanadaLocomotive #: CN 62587Train ID: UnknownPhoto Date: February 11, 2013
CN 2565 trailing GTW SD40-2 5930 leads a tardy , normally nocturnal 450 down the Newmarket Sub just before 8 AM. Catching a daylight 450 is not super rare, but rare enough that it comes as a welco... (more)
451 rounds the bend approaching North Lancelot Road as light snow continues to fall.
With CN 595 with the GP9 4132 working in the background the snow fighter does its stuff in the foreground as the Foreman in charge of the snow clearing operations seemingly floats above the main ... (more)
Looks almost like a posed shot, but in reality it's just two jobs juggling position on the same chunk of real estate. The snow fighter has pulled off the back track at Martins to allow 4132 in so ... (more)
