Random New Brunswick Sightings

As I mentioned, I was in New Brunswick this past week. On Sunday June 19 I flew out of Winnipeg at 8 AM. On my way to the airport, I stopped at CN's Rivers subdivision and found an eastbound train coming. It turned out to be CN 8956 on the head end with Dash-8 CN 2421 trailing.


Anyway, on to New Brunswick. In CN's Island Yard I found CN 4132 and 4141 shunting. I have seen very few of the CN 4xxx GP9s. The 70xx GP9s were much more common in New Brunswick.




After viewing that and the Herzog ballast train with CN 2512 and CN 5694, I met my family for supper. Afterward, I headed over to the NB Southern yard on Dever Road in the evening. I went to the west end first, and found NBSR 2318, slug NBSR 008 and NBSR 9802 shunting there.



I watched them for a bit then went to the east end of the yard. Imagine my surprise to see the Herzog train's engines there. As I watched, CN 5694 and 2512 rolled up to the shop, presumably to get serviced before their trip back up CN's Sussex subdivision to Moncton and beyond to drop ballast.

That's NBSR 9803 and NBSR 2610 beside them, and I think NBSR 3701 on the other side of the shop building. Caboose NBSR 422990 is just off the right side of the photo.

Just to the left of that photo is the rest of the yard.

There's a lot going on in this photo. On the left you can see the hulk of NBSR 3700, leased caboose CN 79624, and you can just see the number board of NBSR 9802.

On the right you can see NB Southern's passenger train. In the background is a set of wood chip cars with an open top Sunbury chip truck beside them.

That was the extent of my railfanning that week. I spent the rest of the week in St. George, far away from any trains!

Saint John Trains 2008/09/23

On a rare trip into Saint John Tuesday afternoon, I lucked out and saw several trains.

I noticed the end of CN 405 near Harbour Station, moving, so I figured 405 was pulling up to Tim's to get coffee and orders. As I passed Island Yard, I saw GP9 CN 7038 on the track leading to the refinery, probably waiting for 405 to get out of the way.

Sure enough, CN 2432, CN 5510 and BCOL 4603 were parked short of the road by Tim Hortons at 15:19.

The light was awful as usual for that location. I took a few shots then ducked into Tim's for a moment. When I came out, I heard the thrum of engines and knew they were on their way, so I stood by the drive-thru line and shot a short video.


On my way back down Rothesay Avenue, I saw the NBSR local waiting to cross Rothesay Avenue from the refinery area. CN 7060 and NBSR 3701 provided the power. The light was not bad here.

Once CN 7038 cleared the track, the local rolled on through.

Of course, I realize now that someone was messing with the camera settings and all my photos were taken at 640 x 480 pixels instead of 2816 x 2112 like my camera SHOULD. Darn it. Oh well, I'm pretty sure I have a few dozen OTHER photos of 7060 and 3701.

Photos from Kevin's Saint John Adventures

Here's the best of the photos that Kevin sent me.

NBSR local rounding the corner near the former shipyard.


CN 7010 as part of the local


CN 5676 leading CN 405 as it gets potash empties at the Courtenay Bay terminal.


The next day it was CN 8847's turn to do the same.


I liked this shot of 8847 going by Staples just before Island Yard.


Finally, CN 405 blasting through Hampton on its way to Moncton.

Thanks, Kevin!

NBSR 3700 and 3701

Here are a few recent photos (from an anonymous source) of NB Southern GP9 units 3700 and 3701. You may recall that 3700's engine was removed in September 2006 and put into NBSR 9803. 3701's nose was chopped in the summer of 2006.

Kevin G's Photos from Saint John

Kevin G shared some photos he took in Saint John on November 12.

Here is NBSR 3701 and CN 7060 in the midst of the NBSR local train going out to the Irving Refinery / Irving Paper area.


Another shot of NBSR 3701 working her heart out.


CN 7060 doing the same:


This video of Kevin's shows the same scenes:


This is a shot of the new crossing on Bayside Drive by the old shipyard, to serve the new wallboard plant. The crossing is not yet in service but should be commissioned any day now.


Here is CN 5610 at the head of CN 405, at the south end of the Courtenay Bay causeway getting empty potash cars.

You can see the same scene in this video:


Thanks for sharing, Kevin!

Saint John Tuesday

I had a quick trip to Saint John Tuesday morning and here is what I saw on the way.

As I approached Chesley Drive in Saint John, I saw three NBSR units running light toward Island Yard. On the scanner they said they were going to pick up 40 cars to bring back to Dever Road. At 09:40 NBSR 2317, 9803 and 2610 entered Island Yard. I wasn't able to get ahead of them, so no pictures.

As I passed Island Yard I saw CN 5757, 2454 and I think 5678 by the shop building, ready to go out as CN 405 later.

A portion of a local train was on the track by Staples paralleling Russell Street, with ten cars and caboose NBSR 79635 ready to lead the way. No engine in sight!


On my way out around noon, I saw SW1200RS NBSR 3703 and GP9 3701 shunting the west end of the Dever Road yard.


I took a little video with my Canon S3 and here it is.

Saint John sightings 2006/07/08

My family went down to Saint John to do some shopping and spend some time on the beach, and of course I kept an eye out for trains at the same time.

At about 12:40 I saw a small NBSR transfer freight heading away from Island Yard by Harbour Station, led by a leased CN GP9 and a green NBSR unit - it looked like a GP38. Right afterward I heard some chatter between the RTC and someone, and it sounded like someone was getting their orders. It was hard to understand over the background noise in the van.

As I drove toward Rothesay Avenue I clearly heard, "OK RTC, we'll be away in about 5 minutes." That told me it was probably CN 305 to Moncton, and they were likely down getting their Tim's coffee if their departure was imminent. Sure enough, that's where they were.



CN 5645, 5696 and 5764 were the power as usual. They seemed to have a pretty short train today, with the usual mix of boxcars and tankers and a few container loads. The conductor boarded with the coffee and goodies and they started rolling at 12:45.

Later we headed for the beach by the Irving Nature Park. I heard a train blowing at 17:00 and I assume that was the eastbound freight arriving in the Dever Road yard. As we passed by the Island Yard around 17:45 I saw CN GP9 7010 and NBSR 3701 doing some shunting.

I did take a spin by the Dever Road yard around 20:15 and there were a number of green engines by the engine house. I was hoping to see 2318, and perhaps it was there, but it was too far to distinguish engine numbers.

Green switcher day

I went down to Saint John on the 23rd and had a bit of luck.

As I crossed the Harbour Bridge I noticed a string of container cars near Harbour Station. I took the next exit, and found twenty-some flats, most loaded, with no engine in sight.


I figured something must be coming along to get them soon, so I backtracked to near Reversing Falls. Just as I saw the Reversing Falls bridge, I heard some chatter on the scanner. The NBSR yard planner was telling someone to line the west end switch for the "Tropical boys" to come through.

Since many of the containers were Tropical containers, I figured they were on their way to get the cars. I heard a train horn, so I beat it back to the Bentley Street crossing (Google Maps) to wait.

Switchers at Mill Street

In about six minutes or so, three NB Southern engines came along - SW1200 3703 and 3702 bracketing GP9 3701. They trundled past the Mill Street sign and went down to couple up to the platforms.

Getting ready to take the hill

At 09:43 they started the pull up the hill to the Dever Road yard. I guess they must have had some trouble pulling them up the hill, as they slowed to a slow walking pace. I didn't stick around to see them get all the way up. I wonder if the morning transfer freight had to double the hill, and that's why the containers were left there. There were 23 platforms.

NB Southern high hood GP9

At noon I saw CN 7010 shunting the Island Yard, with CN 5746 and 5707 sitting idle in the yard.

At 16:30 it looked like another refinery local was being put together or taken apart. CN 7015 and 7000 together with NBSR 79635 were shunting tank cars in Island Yard. CN 5746 and 5707 were still sitting around in the yard.

On my way out of Saint John, I heard NBSR 2319 call the RTC and ask where the eastbound freight was. The RTC said it left McAdam at 16:35. If I had another 45 minutes or so I might have caught it at Welsford but time was not on my side, so I didn't see it at all.

Petitbone MOW equipment NBSR 151014 was sitting at Westfield Beach, off the rails, when I went by.

Saint John Sightings 2005/12/09

It wasn't a bad day. To start off with, I saw an NB Southern high-rail truck near Westfield Beach, so that said "no trains for you" on the McAdam sub.

At 09:40 I saw CN 2629 and 5709 snoozing in the Island Yard, with CN 7015 shunting the yard throat.

At 12:20 I just managed to catch the NB Southern local heading out, caboose first, to switch Irving Paper, the Irving Refinery and so forth.



A quick shot through the windshield. After the train cleared the crossing, I got turned around and caught it at the overpass over the rails by Irving Paper. It wasn't going fast.



The consist was NBSR 79635, about 8 boxcars, NBSR 3701, CN 7000, 3 boxcars and 3 tank cars trailing.

CN 305 was alive by this time, with the two big units above moving through the yard throat to start assembling their train. CN 7015 went to bed at this time. Around 13:00, they had most of their train together and the far end was all the way out the other end of the yard. NBSR 3702 and 3703 were at that end, waiting for 305 to let them out of the siding. CN 305 had 10 gypsum cars, 13 doublestacks and 6 singlestacks near the end of the train. There was a blackened CN generator container on FEC 71642 as part of the consist.

Once 305 pulled its tail out of the way, 3702 and 3703 went on their way to Dever Road. I caught them several times on the way, first going under the road near Harbour Station:



The next location is obvious:



and finally over the Reversing Falls bridge:



With that I went home. I heard CN 305 calling the RTC around 14:00, I assume to get their clearance to go to Moncton.