Red Barn Dusk
As the sun sets, I snapped a few more angles of 9017 in the siding at Tilbury with the US&S dwarf for the siding in the foreground. As of September 2025, the 1945 ABS system out here is currently undergoing some sped up upgrades to CTC between this siding and the next siding, Ringold, to the east. This stretch of ABS still uses the codeline for its power source. Recently, a new high voltage transmission line was built in the area which can be seen off in the distance beyond the transmission line directly parallel to the tracks. This new transmission line directly parallels the mainline east of Tilbury until the Prairie Siding area before veering back away from the tracks. In a bizarre case of "whoopsies", the new transmission line's voltage is apparently strong enough to induce a higher current into the codeline than what the ABS is designed to run off of. This has been causing obvious problems with the signals, and is making working on them more dangerous than it needs to be. So, as a permanent fix the ABS between WSS Tilbury and ESS Ringold is being replaced for modern CTC which means new Safetrans Vaders, and no more codeline. This is the first significant stretch of the Windsor Sub to be cut over to new LED signals aside from Longwood Siding and a couple intermediates between Longwood and Melrose Diamond (begin/end CTC sign Walkerville is also vaders). This project will replace signals at both ends of Tilbury, both ends of Ringold, Ringold Diamond* (as of Sept 5th no work has happened at the diamond) which will also remove the only searchlights on the Chatham Subdivision as a result, and all intermediates in between (4). The project also includes several crossings being upgraded with new gates and lights as well. Progress is progress I suppose, but it's unfortunate an apparent oversight has had to speed up this process. November is what I heard the expected completion date will be, and there's already signals up to replace intermediates and new bases and conduits installed at the sidings. I'm glad I got my shots of the signals at least in this stretch of the Windsor Sub, and hopefully the rest of the line holds out for a couple more years before CP does the inevitable.
Train: CPKC 4WHA with CP 9017 (SD40-2F) and CP 6011 (SD40-2).
Tilbury, ON
CPKC Windsor Subdivision
Red Barn Dusk
As the sun sets, I snapped a few more angles of 9017 in the siding at Tilbury with the US&S dwarf for the siding in the foreground. As of September 2025, the 1945 ABS system out here is currently undergoing some sped up upgrades to CTC between this siding and the next siding, Ringold, to the east. This stretch of ABS still uses the codeline for its power source. Recently, a new high voltage transmission line was built in the area which can be seen off in the distance beyond the transmission line directly parallel to the tracks. This new transmission line directly parallels the mainline east of Tilbury until the Prairie Siding area before veering back away from the tracks. In a bizarre case of "whoopsies", the new transmission line's voltage is apparently strong enough to induce a higher current into the codeline than what the ABS is designed to run off of. This has been causing obvious problems with the signals, and is making working on them more dangerous than it needs to be. So, as a permanent fix the ABS between WSS Tilbury and ESS Ringold is being replaced for modern CTC which means new Safetrans Vaders, and no more codeline. This is the first significant stretch of the Windsor Sub to be cut over to new LED signals aside from Longwood Siding and a couple intermediates between Longwood and Melrose Diamond (begin/end CTC sign Walkerville is also vaders). This project will replace signals at both ends of Tilbury, both ends of Ringold, Ringold Diamond* (as of Sept 5th no work has happened at the diamond) which will also remove the only searchlights on the Chatham Subdivision as a result, and all intermediates in between (4). The project also includes several crossings being upgraded with new gates and lights as well. Progress is progress I suppose, but it's unfortunate an apparent oversight has had to speed up this process. November is what I heard the expected completion date will be, and there's already signals up to replace intermediates and new bases and conduits installed at the sidings. I'm glad I got my shots of the signals at least in this stretch of the Windsor Sub, and hopefully the rest of the line holds out for a couple more years before CP does the inevitable.
Train: CPKC 4WHA with CP 9017 (SD40-2F) and CP 6011 (SD40-2).
Tilbury, ON
CPKC Windsor Subdivision