A Slow Waltz at Brockville, Ontario

My high school and college railfan buddy Roger Puta was at Brockville, ON one day in March 1980.  Every day trains from Montreal and Ottawa arrive, are combined and head off to Toronto.  Later a train from Toronto arrives and is divided into two trains, one goes off to Montreal and the other to Ottawa.  Sounds simple.  Yes.  But fun to watch?  Yes! 

And here's Roger's slide show.

This is the train from Ottawa.  The water tank for the steam generator (to heat the cars) in the first unit is being filled.  In the far distance you can see the cars of the train that arrived from Montreal.

These are the cars from the Montreal train.

The Montreal cars (right) and Ottawa cars are coupled together to make up the train for Toronto.

And Roger photographed the train about to depart ...

... and departing.

And what about the diesel that came in on the Montreal train?  VIA 6791 has been hiding behind the depot!

And everything is quiet for awhile.  Roger positions himself on a bridge east of the depot. Then ...

... a westbound comes through without stopping as the red nosed train of interest from Toronto arrives at the Brockville Depot.

VIA 6791 moves into position while the red nose prepares to leave with the Ottawa portion of the train.

Red nose moves out leaving the Montreal cars behind.

And the crew on the ground prepares the way for  VIA 6791 to move to her train.

And she leaves town just as a local freight shows up.

And Roger can go get warm.