OPPOSITE: Having completed its run to Tillsonburg the pair of S-13s had time to lap back and service the large feed mill at Putnam on the St. Thomas subdivision. OPPOSITE BELOW: Back to back S-13 switchers are headed down the former Port Burwell Sub to Tillsonburg with cars for OSR customers, and interchange for the Trillium Railway’s St. Thomas and Eastern sub- sidiary. ABOVE: One of OSR two hi-nosed geeps is crossing Harrietsville Road on a return trip to St. Thomas. The unmodified geep is almost as appealing as one of the Alcos. BELOW: In the very last moments of light, westbound VIA No 75 hurries through Creditville with a stainless consist of eight cars.
DAY 4: Tuesday, August 23 We got up at what had become our
normal “on duty” time of 0630, and af- ter a quick breakfast, Steve and I head- ed down to Tillsonburg to see if the Tril-
lium Railway was running. We knew the crew would report at 0730, and when no one had shown by 0815 we concluded that they would not be run- ning. We then headed back to our spot near Beachville to see if we could get that VIA unit with the Coors Light wrap for Steve, again without luck as No. 71 had a “mud missile.” Our plan for later in the day included a chase to Tillsonburg again with the pair of S- 13s but in the meantime we alternated between the CP and CN main lines which were in close proximity, and got a train on each line as well as another F40 powered VIA passenger train. Then it was time to set up for the Tillsonburg run, and my cell phone rang. We were informed that the run would have the two S-13s and the OSR’s S-6 would be added to the con- sist! This was its first outing in some time, and its first time M.U.’d with oth- er power! Bountiful sunshine, and three Alco/MLW end-cab switchers heading a freight train! Nirvana achieved. We got him as the light power went through Ingersoll to pick up the train and then we nailed him six times be- tween Ingersoll and Tillsonburg, and then several more times as he serviced customers and delivered interchange traffic to the Trillium Railway. The chase back to Salford was just as pro- ductive, although on one of the sets we did have a line of scuzzy clouds. The Alco day wasn’t over because
soon we had caught up with the Cami job, which once again had the attrac-
tive RS-18/RS-23 combo. We got him at Beachville, and the headed east of Woodstock to Creditville, where we once again set up for the evening VIA. We got a beautiful bit of light just be- fore sunset, and a gorgeous underlit shot of the VIA, but still no “silver bul- let” for Steve. CN cooperated and put a couple of freights by us as well Shooting done for the day, we headed
back to the motel, had a nice dinner, and plotted the next day’s attack plan.
DAY 5: Wednesday, August 24 Determined to give the Trillium an-
other chance, we arose at the same time and performed the same rituals, then headed for Tillsonburg. For the first time in a couple of days, the weather looked, well, grim. Heavy overcast was the rule. We got to the of- fice and saw someone starting the for- mer Ottawa Central (nee CP) RS-18, and the day began to brighten, literally and figuratively. We chatted with the crew, and found
out their plan, and then formulated ours. They departed the yard for St. Thomas at about 0930 with 9 cars. They told us they'd be doing 15 m.p.h. account of no EOT. This was AOK with us, as neither of us had ever done the line, and there had been no advance scouting. I turned our craft over to nav- igator Steve, and followed his direction. We got them several times quite satis- factorily, despite “fighting the light’. We followed him into St. Thomas,
and at the edge of town we found a Cando SW-1200 switching an auto
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