Guthrie, Kentucky

When I was in Tennessee earlier this week, I had a chance to step into Kentucky on Sunday evening. Since I was in Clarksville, it was a mere 5 or 6 miles of driving to cross the border into Kentucky. I chose Guthrie because it was close and it had a few rail lines showing on the map, including an interchange. One of them was clearly the R.J. Corman Memphis Branch that goes through Clarksville, but I was not sure what the other line was that they interchanged with. I thought it might be another R.J. Corman line.

It was after dark when I left Tennessee and stumbled into Kentucky, but that's OK. I drove down into the town of Guthrie and headed for the first rail line I saw. I noticed that the line was signaled and that there was a green light facing west.

I looked at the crossing and I saw a CSX sign there. "CSX Transportation. To report stalled vehicle blocking crossing or other emergency CALL 1-800-232-0144. Refer to crossing 345 229 L located at 00H 215.95 milepost."

Ah, CSX! That explained the signals. I would not have expected a short line to have signals on their line. This was a good sign. I hadn't seen any CSX action since May 2007 when I was in Chicago.

Soon a headlight came into view from the west. It was a long way off but it eventually came closer and closer. I had my 50mm prime lens on the Canon T1i, because of its superior light sensitivity. I tried recording the train using my Canon T1i but I was too close to the crossing for the 50mm lens and I recorded only the middle of each car. I'll spare you the agony of watching that video. ;)

After that roared by, I went prowling around the town. R.J. Corman has a four-door engine house in the wye. I tried to take pictures but they didn't turn out very well. I expect there were engines inside but there were none outside... except for CSX 2630 (a GP38-2) idling in the CSX yard. I was mindful of the NO TRESPASSING signs and it was not in a photogenic location.

I drove a bit east of Guthrie and stumbled back into Tennessee. Guthrie is really close to the border! While shooting photos of the moon, I heard horns blowing so I waited for the next CSX train. It was not a long wait.


This coal train had three engines: CSX 306 (AC4400CW), CSX 5457 (ES44DC) and CSX 20 (AC4400CW).

I went back into the town and poked around a bit more. I saw a green light facing east so I parked at the east end of the CSX yard, hoping the yard lights and my car's headlights would provide better illumination. While I was waiting, a fellow stopped and asked if my car had broken down. "Nope, just waiting for a train, thanks!" It turned out to be another coal train.


The two engines, CSX 778 and CSX 783, are both ES44ACs.

I found a Louisville and Nashville caboose on display, and I was just about to take its picture when I heard the distant sound of horns again. Back to the crossing to shoot... another coal train.


This one had CSX 537 (AC4400CW) and CSX 4500 (SD70MAC). The train slowed down and eventually stopped, for a meet. I was stupid and didn't get in the right position to catch the other train of the meet, although I did see it roar by.

I went back to grab a shot of the L and N caboose and then headed back to Tennessee. Not bad for two hours in Kentucky.

Export Units Arrived in Moncton

The export units on CN 306 arrived in Moncton at 20:00 Monday, with CN 4708 and 2663 for power. Thanks to Phil in Moncton for the report.

News on Export Train

Ron Pelletier reported that the export units on CN 306 left Joffre, Quebec at 19:43 Sunday night. That would have put them into Edmundston around 04:00 this morning, and therefore they should be pulling into Moncton right about now. Ron said the power was CN 5741, 2456, and 2663.

Export Locos Coming Through

A train of locomotives destined for export from Halifax is passing through New Brunswick. It was last sighted by Ron Pelletier in Joffre, Quebec at 0830 Eastern this morning with CN 6018 leading a flatcar, 10 locomotives, and another flatcar. "There were some blue GBRf, some green Freightliners and white Euro Cargo Rail".

A history of the train so far:
0125 Taschereau (Montreal)
0638 Lemieux siding, Drummondville sub
0830 Arrived Joffre yard

I believe it should be in Edmundston by 1600-1700 and Moncton around midnight, and Halifax Saturday morning after sunrise. Hopefully we will see some good shots from Halifax!

Oddly enough the train is numbered CN 306, normally reserved for an eastbound freight train. The usual CN train number for export locomotives is 436.

CN and NB Southern in Saint John, 2006/02/09

It was a bright, sunny day in Saint John today. I arrived by Island Yard at 08:55 to find CN GP9s 7000 and 7010 resting in the yard, GP9 CN 7015 shunting and no big CN power to be seen. That's unusual - by 9 AM one expects to see two or three SD75s or Dash-9s around from CN 306.

I drove down the length of the yard without seeing any power, but I did see a blue transformer load behind a string of tank cars. I went to cross the tracks at a private crossing past the west yard throat, and when I looked left and right before crossing, I saw a big CN engine approaching from the west! There was the late CN 306 at 08:57. I barely had time to put the car in park and jump out to take video.



The train was led by CN 2641 and 2605, with three centerbeam flats loaded with lumber, 47 (!) container platforms, 1 boxcar, 4 tank cars, 4 boxcars, 7 tank cars, 1 covered hopper, 15 tank cars and perhaps another 12 cars, for a total of about 91 cars.

The engines stopped short of the island portion of the yard, and the CN power was cut off. Then the oddball combination of NBSR 3702, 3701, 3703 and 2317 rolled forward to take over. 3702 was smoking quite a bit! Sorry - no pictures - they were mostly obscured by cars.

I went out at about 11 to get a new hard drive at Beats & Bytes, and when I stepped outside at 11:15 I heard a train blowing for a nearby crossing. I ran over to find the west Saint John local coming toward me: 5 boxcars, 8 tank cars, CN 7000 and 7010, and 2 more boxcars (15 cars). The brakeman riding on the lead boxcar looked pretty cold but he gave me a wave anyway.



Later, I was passing Ocean Steel and about to cross the Reversing Falls when I saw cars stopping at the crossing. The transfer freight from Island Yard was going to the Dever Road yard! I pulled over by the Simms factory and took a couple of snaps as the train slowly crawled over the bridge. I'd guess there's a 10MPH speed limit on the bridge.



With the help of a lucky light, I got down to the Greenhead Road overpass before the train did, at 13:20. I had to sprint and unfortunately on the video you can see a bit of my breath clouding the video. :(

The transfer freight was headed by NBSR 9803 and 2317 and had 1 tank car, 1 boxcar, 5 empty NBSR lumber cars, 9 boxcars and 3 more tank cars (20 cars).



I took a couple of shots of the yard and then got in the car to head for my next destination.



Within a minute I heard the NB Southern RTC call for NBSR 2319 East. Apparently someone was doing work on a switch frog and the RTC told 2319 to "take your time" to make sure the work was done before they arrived at Dever Road. 2319 told them they were at Westfield Beach at 13:30.

On my way out of Saint John later, I heard NBSR 9803 shunting in the yard over the scanner at about 1530. That was all I saw for the day, but it certainly was enough!

CN and NBEC, Oh My!

I had some good luck on the 8th.

0735: I caught VIA 14 (on time) departing from Campbellton on the first stretch of mainline outside town. The consist was VIA 6417/6403 (CBC) with 17 cars including the Park car. I videoed them going by and the "going away" shot with the Park car going into the sunrise was quite nice.

I hit the highway and they crossed under the highway at Dalhousie Junction just before I did. I didn't bother trying to catch them at Eel River because they were too far ahead. I heard the hotbox detector at mile 159.9 go off. It's quite detailed - it had speed (62 mph), temperature (14 degrees), axle count, car count (19 including the engines), and total length (1414 feet?). It has a "male" voice.

1255: Train 591 got a clearance to enter the Dalhousie subdivision as work extra 1857.

1310: I was on highway 134, just crossing the tracks on the Irvco spur, when I glanced toward the water and saw headlights! I stopped and jumped out to catch NBEC 1813 and 1851 leading train 587 toward the main line. It had 4 CN covered gondolas, 3 boxcars, and 26 NBEC ore cars.

1316: NBEC 587 got an OCS clearance to head to Bathurst.

1555: NBEC 403 left Miramichi with three SD40s - NBEC 6905, CFMG 6906 and NBEC 6900. It had maybe 50 cars with a ram of Ultramar tank cars on the rear.

1730: While crossing the CN main at McGivney, I saw headlights in the siding. It turned out to be a CN work train (CN 52xx with several gondolas and a crane) facing east. I saw the west-facing signals had a green light so I waited. The crew for the work train came out of the depot to do an inspection of the oncoming train.

1740: CN 306 led by 2727 and 5661 blew through McGivney pulling 78 cars.

Pictures to follow...