Today in Saint John

My boys and I went to Saint John today to see if we could see the new NB Southern units. As it happens, they had already been put inside the shops at Island Yard by the time I got there at 11:50. I even went up Crown Street to get this shot to make sure they weren't hiding somewhere.


CN 5505 and 5617 were at rest by the shop, and old friend GP9 7010 was idling there too. It had probably just shoved the units into the shop.

I headed over to the NBSR Dever Road yard to make sure the new units weren't there. They weren't, but CN GP9 7079 was shunting the east end of the yard while SW1200 units NBSR 3702 and 3703 idled by the shops.

On my way by Island Yard again, I saw CN 7010 was shunting.


We went for lunch, and when we returned we heard CN 305 preparing to go. They got permission from the yardmaster to depart at 14:00, so we went to Rothesay to wait for them. On the way, I saw a few windsurfers out on the ice.


Much to my surprise, I heard the NB Southern switch at Westfield Beach speak up at 14:10 to say the switch was in the normal position. There is normally no eastbound on Sunday so I couldn't figure out what train called the switch. More later.

I wasn't sure where to set up so I wasn't shooting into the sun. I decided to set up to use the station as a backdrop. It worked out OK, I think.


I got a wave from the conductor on the way by. Nice to see you guys back to work.


CN 305 had 56 cars, mostly tanks and some boxcars. They had two gondolas in the middle and six single-stack well cars on the end when they passed at 14:35.

On our way out, we noted two yellow and two green GP38s at the NB Southern shops, proving there had indeed been an eastbound this afternoon. NBSR 3702 and 3703 were shunting happily away.

I missed what I came for, but it was OK nevertheless.