Charles H asked me if the dynamic brakes on 2610 and 2612 are operational. I found out they are present but disabled. They came that way from the Crandic.
9801, 9802 and 9803 have dynamic brakes* but they are not used. 2317, 2318 and 2319 do not have dynamic brakes.
* one of the three is missing the grid on one side.
Apparently it was cleared at around 20:00-21:00 Eastern time.
Ron Pelletier reports that CN 120 was called for 16:10, 148 for 16:30 and 308 for 17:25. There should be quite a parade into Edmundston tonight, and on the Napadogan sub tomorrow.
There has been a derailment on CN's Pelletier Subdivision. As a result of this derailment, CN trains that normally travel between the Maritimes and Montreal and points west are not able to pass.
From Ron Pelletier: "The derailment occured near Riviere Bleu around 16:00 [Sunday] near Route 289 and a Camping site (Domaine Drapeau). Some 25 cars are off the track and apparently damage to a building(camp) and a few automobiles, no injuries."
Some trains have begun detouring on NBEC/CFMG's rails (the former Intercolonial route). CN 308 (Toronto-Dartmouth freight) left Joffre, Quebec at 05:00 local time and will be detouring. UPDATED - no detours planned at this time.
Two trains are stopped in Moncton, as reported by Wendell Lemon at 10:30 this morning. One train has CN 5515, BCOL 762, CN 2632. The other is led by CN 5689. There is more power in the yard. They are likely CN 121, 149 and 305.
It looked like a nice day for railfanning, so I packed the three kids in the van and headed for McAdam. I heard the eastbound was arriving at about 14:00, and when I crossed town limits at 14:10 I heard chatter on the scanner. NBSR 2319 East was in town and doing a little shunting. They had 2612 and 2317 as well.
They had already dropped their 4 cars, and were in the midst of picking up NBSR 2318. Once they got that, they picked up 13? empty gypsum cars before backing onto the 10 boxcars they brought from Maine. This short train left McAdam at 14:35. I shot them at the highway crossing with my Canon still camera, through the bug-encrusted windshield. Not my best video.
We beat it to Harvey Lake to get them there. There was a large family at the picnic table out on the spit, and I'm sure they gave me a few odd looks as I rushed out there with kids and camera equipment. They confirmed that no train had been by yet. Whew. I set up the tripod and within a few minutes NBSR 2319 East rolled by. I shot stills blind while panning the video camera. I needed to do some serious horizon levelling!
Notice I clipped the photos from RailPictures' (rejected) list.
I also got to meet a friend I've corresponded with for quite some time but never met before. Good to see you!
I'm beginning to think I should have a separate blog just to highlight the many great YouTube videos from other people! What do you think?
New YouTuber uploader duneadam has a short clip of NBSR 9801, 9802 and 9803 at the Irving Pulp Mill at Reversing Falls on the same day I was in Saint John.
Here's JamminJoel with a video of CN 7079 and 7010 pushing a local train up the east Saint John line to Irving Paper / the refinery and so forth.
Another local, this time with green NBSR 2612 and yellow NBSR 2317 taking a train from Island Yard over to Dever Road on April 28, 2007 at about 15:30.
One more from JamminJoel, this one at Nauwigewauk, NB, also from April 28. Where the heck is Nauwigewauk??? Near Hampton, I see. Follow the link before here for a Google Map view of where the video appears to have been shot.
Since it was such a nice day Sunday (July 22), I decided to take my two youngest kids down to Saint John to see some trains and do a few other things.
We rolled into Saint John around 12:45 and went by the Dever Road yard first. The CP inspection train was down in front of the shops, as were four GP38s.
Over to Island Yard, we found CN 7010 doing some shunting. I discovered CN 305's power bringing the empty potash cars back from the Courtenay Bay terminal at 13:15, and watched CN 5660, 5550 and 5527 pull the empties down beside Rothesay Avenue, then push them back into the yard.
I heard someone on the NBSR channel tell 305 they were "in the clear", so I went looking for an NB Southern train but didn't find one. I stopped at the Dever Road yard to take some photos from the overpass, then headed back. I heard 305 getting a highball from the carman just before 14:00, and I assumed they already had a clearance from the RTC and were heading to Moncton. I beat it down highway 1, intending to get them somewhere just outside Saint John. Then I heard "famous CN 305" call the RTC to get their clearance, so I knew they must have pulled up to Coldbrook for a Tim's stop. I set up almost at the end of Rothesay Avenue to wait.
CN 305 rolled by at 14:07 with 5660, 5550 and 5527 pulling a 94-car train (44 potash, 7 boxcars, 24 tanks, 2 boxcars, 6 tanks, 8 empty CN woodchip cars, 3 boxcars). My toddler son gave them a rollby inspection but my daughter was distracted by a bee. Nice friendly wave from the conductor!
After that, we did a few family things before getting ready to leave Saint John. At 15:30 we noted CN 7000 and 7060 pulling a longish local into Island Yard from the refinery/Irving Paper area with 14 tanks and 13 boxcars. By this time 7010 was idle by the shops
At 15:50 NBSR 9803, 9802 and 9801 were together, shunting the west end of the Dever Road yard. The road power was still at the shops, so we decided to head back to Fredericton.
Not a bad day at all.
Dave Dineen shot 9803,2,1 on the same day crossing the Reversing Falls Bridge. Here's his video.
09:45: I just got word from Peter Gough that the CP train is at Harbour Station in Saint John and should be departing shortly for McAdam. That will put it in McAdam by noon at the latest. It will then go down the St. Stephen sub after the crew change.
The latest word I have is that the train will start work at 8 AM but will work in Saint John first. I assume they will go to mile 0.0 by Harbour Station and work west from there. I have no idea if they will do the port spur or not. I believe they will then proceed to McAdam but keep in mind that they have to avoid the eastbound freight.
Given last year's TEC train I would GUESS they would be on the mainline by noon and into McAdam by 2 PM.
Hopefully I will have updates for you tomorrow. I will not be chasing this train but if I get any updated information I will post it here.
First, a nice one of CFMG 402 in Trois-Pistoles on January 27. It's dark but I like the sunrise in the background.
Next, a Loram railgrinder on the CFMG from January 21. It wasn't grinding at the time, alas, but still a nice video. I like the sound of the tail-end horn in the first clip - kind of like an elephant fart.
Finally, a shot of a long CN 305 passing the Trois-Pistoles station in the night of May 12, 2007 during the short detour. Unfortunately it was quite dark.
Armed with the knowledge that the CP track evaluation train was coming, I decided to head to Fredericton Junction right after supper to try to catch it before it got too dark. My two youngest kids and I hit the road at 17:50 and raced to the Junction. As we went by Tracy, the scanner lit up with a conversation between the RTC and NBSR 2319 East, the freight train, at 18:24. The gist of what they said was: - NBSR 2319 East was between mile 36 (Hoyt) and 24 (Welsford). - The CP train was still in McAdam, being refueled.
Knowing that, I knew I had lots of time before the CP TEC train showed up. We parked by the Fredericton Junction station and I let the kids run around for a while, before loading them back in the van to go up the line toward Cork. Since it had just rained, I figured the dirt road was not worth traveling on, so we parked in sight of the crossing at the end of pavement at mile 52.48. I put a DVD on and broke out the snacks.
At 19:34 the scanner chirped an EOT signal ("train nearby!!") so I jumped out of the van and ran toward the crossing. The lights came on and I saw headlights in the distance. I taped them there then set off in hot pursuit. I passed a sluggish pickup truck and got to the crossing at mile 49 about 30 seconds before the train got there at 19:40. Then it was off to Tracy.
The train was CP GP9 8218, tool car (boxcar) CP 424994, accomodation car CP 65 and track evaluation car CP 64. The last two cars were stainless steel cars.
The crossing lights were on at Tracy as I approached, and unfortunately I got behind a very slow pickup. I watched in despair as it started pulling away from us, but fortunately the other lane was clear when we got to the 80 km/h zone and I pulled over the dotted line to make my escape. I got to "downtown" Fredericton Junction in good time, parked near the caboose and walked across the tracks to get a shot of the train with the CP caboose in the background at 19:48.
Given the failing light and the kids needing to get to bed at a reasonable hour, I gave up the chase there and headed home.
Hopefully someone can get some still shots of the train in Saint John before its return next week. If I hear when it is coming back, you'll be the first to know.
I just got word that the CP track evaluation (TEC) train is en route to New Brunswick. It should be in McAdam within 2 hours (say around 5-5:30 PM) and carry on to Saint John to lay over for the weekend. They will work the track on the way back next week... probably up to McAdam then down the St. Stephen sub like last year.
The eastbound freight is due into McAdam around 16:30 today, so the TEC train will run after the freight.
"Tu n'es qu'un imbecile pour filmer les trains de si pres et en plus la qualite est degeux!" (You are an imbecile to film the trains so close and the quality is poor!)
"Should film the trains right at the corner. Can stand farther back for a better view"
Mathieu Geneau has posted a video of yesterday's CFMG train 402 in Rimouski, Quebec, featuring four SD40s and two RS18 units.
Dave Dineen caught an evening eastbound NB Southern freight with 2319, 9802 and 2317 and 88 cars. Two locations are shown, around mile 18 and near the yard entrance.
The same power is on NBSR 2319 East as shot by Gary Lee leaving McAdam.
Finally, here's NBSR 9801 doing some shunting in McAdam, as shot by Gary Lee.
The Fredericton Friends of the Railway have been trying to get it refurbished, but they have run into a number of roadblocks. Now, Tim Scammel has produced an online petition as a call to action for the three levels of government to get involved and save this valuable property before it is gone forever. Witness the recent destruction of the Kentville roundhouse, which was the last roundhouse in Nova Scotia. Get on board!
This one from January 13 2007 shows the NB Southern eastbound train at the highway 630 crossing, just on the New Brunswick side of the Maine border. NBSR 9802, yellow 2317, green 2319 and 9801 supplied the power for a decent-sized train.
The train continued on with NBSR 2318 added. Joel shot it at Harvey Station by the highway crossing.
He also has a few CB&CNS videos up... check them all out. Here's one from November 3, 2006.
Mathieu Geneau has posted a video of CFMG 402 in Rimouski on July 7, 2007. It had quite a bit of power, with 4 SD40s (NBEC 6900, NBEC 6904, NBEC 6901, CFMG 6903) and one RS-18 (NBEC 1814). The train had quite a few odd container-like objects on flatcars - almost like garbage bins. Any idea what they are?
CN 148 near Milford on October 26, 2002. David Othen and I were just wrapping up a great railfanning morning. This train had two CN blue test cars right behind the engines.
CN 149 at McGivney on February 19, 2004. This was the same day a big winter storm hit Nova Scotia, but not New Brunswick.
CN 701 at Windsor Junction, NS on April 22, 2004. Bill Linley and I had just seen 120 come through the Junction, then 701 left.
Ask and ye shall receive! Ron Grant sent me a handful of photos of the new wallboard spur under construction in Saint John, at the site of the old drydock.
It looks like the switch is just off Bayside Drive. I hope to get down to Saint John sometime to have a look for myself!
Two MM&A units, 8569 and 8578, came into Saint John this morning at 2 AM. I'm told there is a major derailment in Maine and the units are going the long way around to get back to home territory. They were taken to Island Yard today and went to Moncton on CN 305 - Wendell Lemon reported them in Moncton at 5 PM tonight.
Here's a photo of 8569 by Rod Bushway, from RailPictures.
There is a new siding being built in Saint John to serve the new Irving Wallboard plant on Bayside Drive (at the former shipbuilding site). It is an extension of the current Irving Paper spur behind the NB Power Courtenay Bay plant across Bayside Drive to a new covered warehouse on the former shipbuilding site. This will be serviced by NB Southern, of course.
First off, happy Canada Day! Or as old farts like me say, Dominion Day.
Danny McCracken called yesterday and left a message that the NB Southern excursion train would be leaving Saint John today (Canada Day) at 7 AM to proceed to McAdam for the 11 AM excursion run to Harvey.
He also mentioned that the eastbound train departed McAdam at 15:10 with NBSR 9801, 9802, 2612 and 2318. Thanks, Danny!
I would have liked to chase the excursion train on its way to McAdam this morning, but I had to take my mom to Moncton to fly out at 06:15. When I left the airport at 05:30 I flipped on the scanner and I heard someone talking French to the Napadogan RTC. My French is not great but I heard them reading the number of loads and empties so I figured it was a departing westbound. At that time of the morning it had to be CN 305.
I decided to go to Berry Mills and see if I could get them before they went by. I parked there and waited, and soon I heard them call the Lutes station sign, then at 05:58 I saw them on the long straightaway. Soon CN 2574, 5313 and 2589 went by with a whopping 123 cars. No DPU, by the way. I knew it was going to be a blur shot when my camera wanted to do a shutter speed of 1/60 second at ISO 200. Just not enough light...
After that, I went to Gordon Yard to see what was happening... zilch. These were the units in the yard: CN 6007, CN 4729, CN 4727, CN 4012, CN 4719.
I'm a train geek (or #Railfans as they say on G+) and a "learning" photographer. But most of all I'm a father and husband. I used to be an army brat and traveled frequently when I was a child.
I try to be a decent person. Most times I succeed, sometimes I'm a jerk. I try to do better next time.