Bob Rides the Ocean Again

Long time reader Bob Liming from South Carolina rode the Ocean between Montreal and Halifax and back again in mid-October 2014. He sent along a couple of photos taken in Moncton, NB. The train had 3 engines to provide better traction with the leaves on the track.
The consist was:

Engines: 6412, 6402 and 6425

Baggage:  7011

Coaches:  7223,  70230, 7227 and 7231

Service Car:  7312

Dinner:  7400

Service Car:  7314

Sleepers:  79526, 7525, 7520, 7519, 7510, 7513, 7504 and  7516

Transition Car:  7601

Park Car: 8716

Thanks, Bob!

Recent VIA Trains

Here are two VIA trains that I haven't blogged about.

First up is VIA 1 on February 13th. I shot this one from the overpass by mile 10 of the Rivers sub. I wanted to get some height but I'm not happy about the pole line in the foreground.


I'm also not happy about the tilt in this video. I had checked it briefly but obviously not well enough. Do listen to the end of the video to hear the crew call the signal and the hotbox detector.


I already mentioned the VIA 1 from February 23. The next was on March 1!


After a friendly wave from the left-side engineer, they headed off into the... cloudy gloom.

CN 106 Meets The Canadian

I was out at noon on Monday to shoot the Canadian and I happened to catch a meet. As I arrived, I noticed an eastbound container train rolling along on the north track. I had a notion that I might be able to catch the meet, so I headed east toward Carman Junction. Sure enough, I saw headlights to the east that I figured was the Canadian. I parked near Carman Junction and hopped out to shoot. VIA got to me first.


You can see the "left" engineer was on the radio. It was a short Canadian with two engines and only one coach. Complete consist. Kokanee Park brought up the markers.


As they went around the bend west of Carman Junction on the south track, CN 106 passed them on the north track.


CN 2202 and CN 2669 were the power on this long container train.


It was nice to get the meet!

Recent Sightings

It's almost the end of 2011... almost time to switch to a new calendar! Here are a few trains I saw in late December.

I made a point of seeing Tuesday's VIA 693 (Hudson Bay) because I thought the blue-and-yellow VIA 5649 might be on the end. It wasn't, but it was a good first test of my new lens.


To be honest, it was a grab shot as I wasn't expecting to see it. I was fortunate that it was about half an hour late leaving Winnipeg.

This morning, December 30, I went prowling around CN territory to see what was going on. There were a couple of humpyard sets of GP38s and slugs working, but no trains in evidence. Up at Transcona, CN 106 was in the yard and about to get refueled.


CN 2693 and CN 5702 were on the head end, and there was an SD70M-2 part way through the train as a DPU engine but I didn't catch the number.

Back in Symington, a four-unit set was running light through the yard: CN 8960, CN 2416, IC 2716, and CN 2295. I took photos but they were quite backlit. I saw another two unit set with a black IC engine but I wasn't able to get a shot before they zoomed out of sight.

I hope to post once more for tomorrow before wrapping up 2011.

Finally, the Canadian

I went up to Wilkes Avenue today at noon to shoot the Canadian, for the first time in over a month (since May 27!). I saw a friend of mine waiting for the same train, so I parked by him at mile 10 and we chatted while waiting for VIA.

First up was CN 801, however, with CN 8011 as the sole engine. 8011 on 801... quite a coincidence.

After that went by, we waited... and waited... and waited for the Canadian. Finally we heard that it had a mechanical problem and was stopped. In the meantime, we saw the CEMR train in the distance starting down the Carman subdivision.

The Canadian did show up, quite late.

VIA 6412 and 6427 were pulling 19 cars under the lovely sky.

Immediately afterward, CN 108 came the other way with CN 2673 and 8825 and a mile or two of containers. The problem with the mile 10 location is that you are too close to the tracks for eastbounds to shoot the whole train... too much stuff in the way. So, a closeup of the engine was in order.


We went our separate ways after that. I went south, just in time to catch CEMR crossing the Perimeter Highway at Oak Bluff. CEMR 4000 and CCGX 4010 were bringing a portion of their train to switch Oak Bluff.

Nice sun, eh?

It was nice to get out and take some shots on this beautiful day. Today's sightings

VIA in Campbellton

On Saturday May 30, after the abbreviated Chaleur chase (part 1, part 2, part 3) we returned to Campbellton. In the evening, a fierce rainstorm swept through just before VIA 15 arrived. We headed out to see the Ocean at the station, with lightning flashing in the distant east sky. I put my Canon on the tripod and tried some night shots in the rain just after 9 PM. It was hard to get a shot without a raindrop on the lens!

VIA 15 "Ocean" in Campbellton, NB

They were being refuelled by an Irving tank truck. The Irving guy was kind enough to kill the headlights on his truck while we were taking the shots.

The consist was VIA 6412, 6421, 7011, 7228, 7230, 7227, 7309, 7400, 7313, 7508, 7522, 7521, 7525, 7503.

Our plan for Sunday (May 31) was to shoot VIA 14, then head down to Edmundston and shoot a couple of CN freights before heading home on the Trans-Canada Highway. We were by the pulp mill in Atholville bright and early at 06:38... 25 minutes before the train was due to arrive. We waited around, watching the sun duck behind clouds now and then, and hoping it would be out when the Ocean finally arrived.

At 07:10 we heard it blowing for a nearby crossing and got ready for the shot. It rolled by in brilliant sunlight a few minutes later.


The consist was the same as Friday night's VIA 15: VIA 6415, 6414, 7003, 7223, 7217, 7315, 7401, 7314, 7500, 7520, 7507, 7502, 7513, 7524.

Once it passed, we hit the road for Edmundston to see our CN freights... and for me, some more new territory.

READ ON!

Chaleur over the Trestle

Here is a photo of the first Chaleur train over the newly-rebuilt trestle near mile 40, by David Morris. The trestle was washed out in early August. The Chaleur crossed on Monday, September 22.


The train had engines 6412 and 6420 leading baggage car 8618, coach 8140, Skyline 8503, sleepers CADILLAC and DENONVILLE, diner ACADIAN, and sleepers ROUVILLE, BIENVILLE, and LAUZON.

Here's one more shot of the same train, also by David Morris.

Riding the Ocean from Miramichi to Amherst and back

Nick and I went to Miramichi today to ride the Ocean from there to Amherst and back. We met Luc Doiron at the station and chatted for a bit.

1029 VIA 14 arrived, with 6411 (Lifesaver) and 6434 (Spiderman) leading a Renaissance consist.


The consist was 6411, 6434, 7011, 7223, 7217 ... more to come .. and Yoho Park on the end.

1037 The consist rolled forward for the second platform stop.
1040 We departed Miramichi in car 7217.

When we arrived in Rogersville, I spotted David Othen filming our arrival. I took a few snaps of him from the car but out of respect for his privacy, I won't post them. :)

1120 We departed Rogersville. We hit two slow sections between Rogersville and Coal Branch. It was fairly rough track but the Renaissance cars went smoothly over it. I noticed how close some of the trees and bushes were getting to the track. It reminded me of the Salem and Hillsborough Railroad before we had them cut back.

1205 We arrived at Pacific Junction and got onto the CN Napadogan subdivision.

1215 We passed a number of CN ex-gypsum cars stored on the siding near Gordon Yard.

After arrival at Moncton, Nick and I detrained and went up to the engine. The very friendly engineer invited us up and we had a little chat about brakes with him. After a bit, we stepped out and ran into list member Tim Dryden. I admit I was a little brief with him, as I was worried about getting back on the train before it left. I apologize, Tim!



1255 We left Moncton station.

1307 We took the siding before Painsec Junction and spent 10 minutes crawling along before what I have to assume was CN 307 rocketed past on the main around mile 117. It had 3 big engines and a GP38.

After Memramcook at 1335 and Dorchester at 1342, we arrived in Sackville at 1353.



1421 VIA 14 left for Halifax.



1554 VIA 15 arrived at Amherst. I tried to take video of its arrival but some woman seemed to make a point of walking right between me and the lead engine. Very annoying. I'm sure she wasn't doing it on purpose but gosh darn it.





We boarded the train, dropped our coats in 8117, then took up residence in the dome. I hardly left the dome. :) I had a good chat with an older couple from B.C. who were doing a cross-Canada trip. They had flown into Newfoundland, toured Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and were off to Quebec City next.



The consist: 6412, 6442, 8622, 8137, 8117, 8506, Chateau Rouville, Chateau Iberville, Acadian, Chateau Joliet, Chateau Viger, Chateau Papineau, Chateau Iberville, Chateau Rigaud, Chateau Levis, Revelstoke Park.



1700 We arrived at the Moncton station.

1727 Outside Gordon yard we met NBEC #402, stopped in the siding with CFMG 6907 and SFEX 4204 leading 17 cars.



At Pacific Junction I caught a glimpse of an eastbound CN train waiting on the main for us to get onto NBEC trackage. Any idea what train this was? I just got a very quick grab shot so it's not great quality at all:



1830 We rolled past the Rogersville station without stopping.

There was a beautiful sunset:


I caught a shot of the UPM engine as we passed through:



1912 VIA 15 left us and Miramichi behind. The engineer gave us very friendly waves.

VIA 15 at Night

At 10:40, UPM 711 was working inside the UPM-Kymmene complex in Miramichi. Traffic looks a lot more like normal there, now that the strike is over.

CFMG 6907 was in the NBEC yard in Miramichi. No sign of the RS-18s but there was a ram of tank cars at the Ultramar facility. A flatcar, CN 668014, was on the team track in Miramichi by the VIA station. It was quite surprising because I haven't seen anything on that track in a few years, and before that the only thing that was there was an MOW crane. The flatcar was empty, by the way.

Since I'm staying in Bathurst tonight, I thought I'd try some night video of VIA 15 as it passed through. I set up at the one-lane bridge over the tracks just south of Highway 11. The friendly station crew had told me they were running about 30 minutes late.

I heard the hum of the train, then the scanner said "Approaching subdivision at Bathurst", whatever that means. About 10 seconds later, VIA 15, with 6412 leading a Budd consist, rolled into sight. This was 20:40.


The engineer was having fun with the horn. 6412 led out quite a series of short toots as they approached the next crossing.

I zipped onto the highway and beat it to Beresford to catch them at the overpass there. I arrived about five minutes ahead of them. I decided to stand on the slope below the road surface to keep the car noise down and quit being blinded by headlights. It was a good location. The Ocean showed up at 21:00.
By the way, there were no engines in Bathurst.