I can tell you the models of the Ontario Northland's locomotives and I know where to lookup where their passenger cars originated but the minute I see much else I am hopelessly lost. I have never spent days chasing trains up and down dusty roads or climbed high cliffs to take spectacular shots of trains in mountains.
I have taken lots of pictures of the Ontario Northland tracks that go out to the airport in Moosonee. These are a relatively recent feature of the line -- the extension of the tracks past the former military base and across Butler Creek was a bit controversial. Local truckers feared they would lose business when freight that was formerly offloaded to trucks at the station and driven to the airport ended up staying on rails the whole way there.
Today, there is a small bridge across Butler Creek and a couple of tracks at the airport that are mostly used for cargo heading up north or into the warehouses near the airport.Two pictures I do not have are those of a train crossing the Butler Creek bridge and of switching at the airport itself.
I have lots of pictures of trains crossing the Store Creek rail bridge; I have a pretty good idea when the train is going to go across and sometimes I have the patience to wait a few minutes for it.
Freight activity does not have to adhere to the same kinds of schedules as passenger traffic. It is not easy to predict when a train is going to be at the airport. Twice, I have been at the former base when I saw trains running along the line to the airport.
Tonight was one of those nights. Naturally no camera with me. It was raining and it was dark but I bet I could have gotten some kind of shot as the locomotives and their cars headed past on the other side of the former military buildings as I watched from the parking lot of the convenience store at the base, Le Tempo.
Oh well, another time perhaps I will get lucky.
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