A Sunny Day Railfanning

VIA #72 arrives at Mt. Brydges at the main crossing, Railroad St. and Adelaide Rd. Mt. Brydges has got on board with the heritage looking signs. This turned out to be my first stop on my way to Don Janes.

And now for post three for today. Last week I was out a couple of times railfanning. One was a drive along CN Strathroy Sub to Sarnia to visit Don. There really is not a lot running lately so it is a surprise to see anything other than VIA. VIA has only one train each way a day between Toronto and Windsor, #72 and #75 and one each way to Sarnia via the Guelph sub. I planned my trip to Sarina with a stop at Mt. Bridges to get a shot of VIA 72.

If you remember last weeks post by Don and his striping on his lift-out, duck-under. He is actually following the prototype. This bridge on the Chatham Sub. at the approach signal to Komoka I think has been hit more than once.

My day began with my wife wondering if I should  be making the trip to Sarnia...remember we are locked down. We are only allowed to go out for groceries, the drug store and doctors appointments in Ontario. Railfanning is not mentioned on the list along with country drives. She also mentioned stay away from River Rd as on Facebook she said they have been giving tickets out to guys fishing there and it is near the tracks.

I broke all the rules, I left to visit Don and began by a side trip down River Rd. As I approached the CN crossing (CP is a quarter miles away also) I see a young 20ish gentleman with a scanner and video camera on a tripod at the crossing. Looking at the signals they are greens on both tracks. I pulled over the crossing and began to head for the shoulder. As I did that a cop car was coming over the crossing the other way and sure enough stopped at the rail fan....guess what, I just kept going. This is one of two stops this day that I came across a a cop...the other I had a Tim Hortons to head over to...don't remember Tim's on the stay at home list but that works also...George Dutka

One of the three stop made on the way home was to measure the ramp at Wyoming. There was a lot of track work seen being done that day which indicated I don't think I would see any trains. As I was about to leave a hi-rail approach the station. One can see way back in the distance a backhoe is coming back from the work area.

My last stop on my way home from Don's I note while going over the overpass I could see a headlight off in the distance. So a quick trip down Tobacco road was made. It is road to nowhere and I doubt any cops back there. The CP have a siding here where it appears used ties are being dumped. The location is called Caradoc.

VIA #72 passes the main crossing in Mt. Brydges on April 25, 2020. On the left is the old weather-beaten Vern's variety store sign. The store dates back to the 1880's. It was built as a shoe repair store later being a print shop and then a barber shop. It finally became a variety store named after a one long time owner of the building Vern Giffen. I had tried to get a similar view with the train, store sign, heritage Railroad St. sign and lotto sign on my way to Don's but a big truck pulled up front of the variety store just as the gates started down. I went for plan B the lead photo of this post. Boy it seem's like I know a lot about history in this town...guess not, there is a big old historical sign on the side of the building.