My First days of Railfanning

What influenced you to sit beside tracks and watch for trains? To video them? To take pictures?
My answer would be, its all from my love for model railroads.

That's exactly how it went. It was my model railroad that made me realize that trains were what I liked and what I would do as my future career. Now, I do it everytime without care, as if I was born to do it. Well, its only been over a year since I began railfanning.

I live about 5km(estimate) from the CP secondary mainline, the Taber Sub, that runs through Lethbridge. By bike, its about 20-30 minutes one way. The distance doesn't stop me. I also have the option of taking the city's smooth Transit buses too. My first official catch was done on video, on a cold Saturday morning February 23, 2013. My location was just west of the University Drive overpass, which crosses the railway on the west end of the city. I probably waited about 20 minutes before I saw lights to the west, an Eastbound freight, most likely CP A44 - The Taber Wayfreight, which is a Lethbridge-Dunmore(near Medicine Hat) train. I took out my iPod and got ready to shoot my first railfan video. The engines finally came and passed, two ES44ACs 8878 and 8835. The wind was blowing brisk air at me, nearly freezing my hands when i stopped recording the video. I didnt care, I caught my first train officially on video.

It wasn't until March 15, that I Got another chance to railfan. This time, by request, the Lethbridge Yard, located at Kipp, AB, near Coalhurst, AB. The yard didn't originate here, but was relocated in 1983, after its original spot where the Park Place Mall sits today was to be sold for the redevelopment of what was to become the city's largest mall. The only remnants of the yard left is the station, now a Health unit, and a preserved steam locomotive, CP 3651, an MLW 2-8-0 consolidation sits where the mainline would've been beside the platform.
Anyways, the yard was my next spot. What I saw there, I'll never forget. CP GP38-2 3040 in  fresh new paint with CP SD40-2 5875 in the small Multimark scheme were switching. The sight of the Multimark excited me greatly, after hearing about CP's ECO rebuild program, I worried the multimark would soon die. I got roster shots of both units, with their vents frosted white due to the brisk, breezy air.

CP GP38-2 3040. I submitted this pic to the CP Diesel Roster site

CP SD40-2 5875.

Well, these were the first days of railfanning for me, and the end of this post. I hope you enjoyed it!
Until next time, Braedan signing off.