Friday, December 26, 2008

A CP Christmas Card

Brian Barchard sent along this very nice winter photo of CP 1848 and 1832 in South Devon, Fredericton. Thanks, Brian!

6 comments:

d1t4k said...

If I am correct, the track (in the foreground) leading to the right of the picture leads to the long fredericton railway bridge?

Canadian Train Geek said...

I think you're right - the train is on the Barker's Point spur.

Brian B. said...

The RS-18's are returning from dropping off a few gondolas at a scrap dealer, located about a mile down the Barkers Point Spur, by this time, all that remained of the 33 mile Minto Sub.

The engines will cross over CN Trackage and to the Gibson Sub, then back up toward the switch ( and the train bridge ) to pick up the rest of its train, 3 Reefers and a CP box, sitting by CN's South Devon Station......the present site of a Trail Office operated by the City of Fredericton and which is a smaller replica of the former rail station.

The train also picked up 3 cars of Ballast at Keswick, on the northward journey upon the Gibson Sub.

d1t4k said...

that is very interesting. If you take the (now) walking trail along the old Barkers point spur, there is an ex-rail line that leads all the way along a small creek to some massive red brick buildings right along the Bridge st on the north side. What was that used for and was it infact served by rail?

Brian B. said...

d1t4k....The trail you perhaps are referring to , must be The Marysville Spur, which branched from the Minto Sub ( 0.5 miles from South Devon )and extended 2.8 miles to the village of Marysville. There was a cotton / textile mill located there, which was still in operation until 1980. That same year, I recall seeing some boxcars, with Southern Railway reporting marks, in the siding next to the plant, bringing in cotton bales, no doubt.

Also, CP had a small yard beside the Mill, where at one time, coal was deliverd to the mill and I have seen aerial pictures, that showed pulpwood being loaded in the 70's.

The cotton mill was converted to Government offices in the late 80's. I walked the spur in 1982....the rail was taken up sometime in 1983 and at one point near interval land by the Nashwaak River, the spring freshet had lifted the rail and destroyed part of the railbed.

d1t4k said...

Brian B that is again, very interesting. Thank you for the information. I have walked and explored all of the rail routes abandoned around fredericton and I always wondered about that particular marysville spur.