Two trains with the name Lakeshore come together in Brockville, Ontario. In the foreground is VIA Rail train 53 from Montreal, while VIA train 43 from Ottawa is on the CP branch from Smiths Falls in the background. The two trains will be combined, and proceed to Toronto under both train numbers with one set of power and crew.
The combination and separation of several of these combined trains every day made Brockville a special place, with activity eclipsing simple station stops. The process for the train combination played out in different ways on my visits to Brockville over a span of about seven years. In this case, the power from Train 53, in the foreground, will pull onto the CP, going to the siding behind the station. The CN SW1200RS will follow the train into the siding, and will couple to it. Train 43 will pull onto the CN tracks to make its Brockville station stop. The switcher will then pull Train 53's cars away from its power, and tack the cars on the rear of Train 43. The power from Ottawa will pull the train to Toronto, while the power from Montreal will be turned to pull Train 54 to Montreal when the eastbound combinedLakeshore arrives in about an hour.
