Return to Dartmouth

This is the third of a three-part series. The first part is Chasing CN 509.

After switching Autoport, it was time for CN 509 to head back to Dartmouth. By this time, the train had grown to a decent length, with 9 or 10 auto rack cars behind the tank car they were carrying around.

Unfortunately, once we realized the train was leaving Autoport, Chris and I were on the other side of the train from our vehicles.

That gave us some time to watch the train roll by, which was not a bad thing.

Auto rack cars are long (89 feet, I think), so they looked a bit like model train cars as they wound their way through the curves by the Hines Road crossing. Big, very big model train cars.

Once we got to our cars, the chase was on. I pulled off route 322 / Main Road opposite the former school. Here they are passing the former post office, the same crossing I photographed from in Chasing CN 509.

I managed to catch a Halifax Transit bus in the photograph too. 🙂

Chris and I followed the train in our separate cars, and we both ended up at the Woodside ferry terminal. Chris showed me a public road that led to the tracks and we set up there to wait for the train. The sun was well below the horizon by this point.

Soon we heard the rumble of the train.

They looked pretty good passing this building lettered for the Halifax Shipyard. I don’t know what the function of this particular building is; it’s on the other side of the harbour from the main shipyard.

Turning around, I saw the window that I photographed this train from earlier that evening.

It seemed fitting to have Chris pose by the end of the train, and the end of our chase.

What a great chase, with great company.

Chris made a great video describing our chase in words and pictures. Check it out here, or below.

Thank you, Chris and Caleb. I’m glad that we are friends.