Since blog partner Eric Gagnon has been posting a panoply of “pop up” posts, perhaps I could do one of my own. Popping up in Kitchener, Ontario!
I was recently in the Maritime provinces, and on the way back to Winnipeg, I stopped in Ontario to see my son in Kitchener. We visited a model train show in Kitchener on Sunday, and on our way back, we managed to catch VIA 84 leaving the city en route to Toronto.
We set up on a footbridge over the CN tracks, between CN’s small yard and the GO train parking area (here).
VIA rolled through the yard, then the engineer “stepped on it” and they were rolling under us within seconds.
I’m glad this train had LRC cars on it, because they are not long for this world. The new Venture trainsets are proliferating and displacing LRC cars. They have already bumped the Renaissance cars out of the Corridor and the LRC cars are next. Shoot them while you can!
VIA 3301 was on the tail end; I have no idea what the other two cars were. The GO Train parking lot is visible at top left.
I noticed while editing these photos that the passage of VIA 84 stirred up some fallen leaves! It would have been an even neater effect from near ground level, but I like it just fine from here.
So, is that the end of this “pop up”? Not quite!
I mentioned that we visited a train show. I was happy to see that the Waterloo Region Model Railway Club had a table there, and I had a good chat with one member. There were quite a few vendors there selling stuff. I bought a couple of prints and slides and added yet more employee timetables to my collection. It’s a sickness.
Now am I done? Not quite!
I went for a walk during my visit and happened across the LRT tracks in Kitchener. I (im)patiently waited for the tram to come along – since it was the weekend, it was running every 15 minutes – and tinkered with my phone. I was so distracted that I almost missed the LRT and didn’t quite get the shot I wanted.
I wasn’t willing to wait another 15 minutes, so this will have to do.
OK, now I’m done. Thanks for reading, as always.
Hi Steve I was at Kitchener for that show also…probably walked right by you without knowing. Thanks for the walkway bridge shots…a spot I have not been to before when in town…will have to check it out…George Dutka
Hi George, sorry we missed each other – there were a lot of people at the show!
Hi Steve,
My pop-ups got put off to publish posts putting out the straight poop on proposed unproductive postponements to Siemens Venture trains in that same prolific Corridor. Pop back and I’ll try to push out more of the plethora still in the pot!
Looks like a nice visit, by the way!
Eric
Thanks for alerting me to a new spot to shoot the Lancaster Road yard. I didn’t know about that footbridge. When I lived in Kitchener, GO had yet to reach KW and Via was the only intercity option in town. The iON light rail trams work well in the city. I have a couple shots of them as well. Quite the operational difference between them and the O-Train Confederation Line here in Ottawa!
Thank my son for the footbridge idea!
We rode an iON a year or three ago to bring our bikes to the end of a trail. They seem to work quite well.