As I rounded the Perimeter Highway, I heard CN 312 call in to find out where they were bringing the train. The signal was strong on the scanner so I knew they were nearby. I exited the Perimeter at Wilkes Avenue and parked just west of the highway. CN 312 was just approaching Winnipeg at 05:42 on the north track, with CN 2511 and 5630 pulling 81 cars, half of which were autoracks.
You probably can't see it in the small version, but there is a green signal light on the east-facing signal.
My GPS told me to continue west on Wilkes Avenue, so I did. As I travelled along, I thought I heard a train behind me blowing for crossings, and I pulled up to a private crossing and looked east toward Winnipeg. Headlights! I quickly set up and shot a westbound freight at 05:55 with CN 2603 and 5732.
You see the problem of shooting westbounds so early in the morning!
I chased it along the Trans-Canada Highway out toward Portage. I tried a few out-the-window shots as I slowly overtook it at 100 km/h, and they turned out OK. I saw an elevator in the distance at Oakville, MB and I resolved to shoot it there. I love grain elevators and I love trains, so I must love the combination, right?
At 06:35 the light was still not good.
As I stood admiring the train, I looked west and saw... more headlights! Quickly I turned and shot an eastbound tank train with CN 5683 and 2572 and 101? tank cars. I didn't get any stills of that, as I was too busy setting up the video camera.
As I approached Portage, I heard a westbound CP freight talking on the scanner. The westbound CN freight just barely beat me to Portage, so I decided to go around to the west side and shoot the CP freight. I went to the Can-Oat Road and waited by the elevator there for the freight. My friend CN 2603 West shot past at 07:02, and shortly afterward at 07:10 CP 8638, CP 9567 and CEFX 1046 pulled a train past the Can-Oat elevator.
Three trains down, four more to come!
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