by XC Tower
Here go my final recollections from my memory and notes written on the trip. I apologize for the time that taken by myself to do so.
4:26pm- While sitting a bench in front of the station at Windsor, I witness VIA train #73 arrive, led by an EMD unit. There's no locomotive on the tail end as on the train that brought me here. Walking down to the head end after the passengers have detrained to snap a couple of photos, I talk to the engineer as he prepares to throttle back out of the depot, asking him where they "turn the train". He tells me that there is a wye about two miles out before the signal comes to him that the train is ready to go. With its dynamic power hum, the EMD pushes the consist into motion and is away.
Sitting back on my bench, the engineer who I spoke to on after the run into Windsor comes up to talk. After asking him which units he prefers to operate, he says the EMD's, as they are a "more sturdier locomotive". "There's a lot of lateral sway on the GE's, but I do like the cruise control they have for long straight stretches of track.", he adds. I get another answer as to the top speeds on the route of "about 95mph around Tecumseh and 80mph in other spots", which surprises me.
When his girlfriend and Mom come up to talk to him, he parts with the words, "Hopefully, we'll get you to Toronto on time." A nice thought, as I don't know when the last GO train departure west to Burlington, ON, is scheduled.
A group starts to form on the platform, waiting for the train, as I write notes in my journal. A dark-haired girl in her 20's walks by, chatting away with the words and conversation of someone her age on the cell-phone. (Amazing how most of us seem to talk louder on one of them, plus everyone within earshot can hear your entire conversation...)
As the sun shines from amidst white puffy clouds, in the distance I see our train backing down the track towards us, swinging off what must've been the old main to the river and now gone ferry yard. In moments, the consist squeals to a stop with the car attendants going to their doors to receive passengers. The crowd begins to line up, as I'm pointed to the coach behind the locomotive, where an older gentleman of Asian descent is the car attendant. After saying, "Going to Toronto", I enter and head left as instructed to find my seat, ready to begin the return to the "Big smoke( never understood that term I heard when referring to Toronto)".
5:26PM- On the move! On silver rails aboard a passenger train once more, another journey begins.....
4:26pm- While sitting a bench in front of the station at Windsor, I witness VIA train #73 arrive, led by an EMD unit. There's no locomotive on the tail end as on the train that brought me here. Walking down to the head end after the passengers have detrained to snap a couple of photos, I talk to the engineer as he prepares to throttle back out of the depot, asking him where they "turn the train". He tells me that there is a wye about two miles out before the signal comes to him that the train is ready to go. With its dynamic power hum, the EMD pushes the consist into motion and is away.
Sitting back on my bench, the engineer who I spoke to on after the run into Windsor comes up to talk. After asking him which units he prefers to operate, he says the EMD's, as they are a "more sturdier locomotive". "There's a lot of lateral sway on the GE's, but I do like the cruise control they have for long straight stretches of track.", he adds. I get another answer as to the top speeds on the route of "about 95mph around Tecumseh and 80mph in other spots", which surprises me.
When his girlfriend and Mom come up to talk to him, he parts with the words, "Hopefully, we'll get you to Toronto on time." A nice thought, as I don't know when the last GO train departure west to Burlington, ON, is scheduled.
A group starts to form on the platform, waiting for the train, as I write notes in my journal. A dark-haired girl in her 20's walks by, chatting away with the words and conversation of someone her age on the cell-phone. (Amazing how most of us seem to talk louder on one of them, plus everyone within earshot can hear your entire conversation...)
As the sun shines from amidst white puffy clouds, in the distance I see our train backing down the track towards us, swinging off what must've been the old main to the river and now gone ferry yard. In moments, the consist squeals to a stop with the car attendants going to their doors to receive passengers. The crowd begins to line up, as I'm pointed to the coach behind the locomotive, where an older gentleman of Asian descent is the car attendant. After saying, "Going to Toronto", I enter and head left as instructed to find my seat, ready to begin the return to the "Big smoke( never understood that term I heard when referring to Toronto)".
5:26PM- On the move! On silver rails aboard a passenger train once more, another journey begins.....