Busy Day

Thursday, July 12 was a busy busy railfanning day. It started at noon when I went out to shoot the Canadian. I went down to my new favourite spot by Carman Junction around mile 8.3 and set up. Soon I realized that there was a CN freight coming east. I was hoping it would not skunk me like a certain previous time, but fortunately it was on the north track. CN 2592 led CN 2609 and a medium-sized intermodal train. I believe it was CN 102.


As the train rolled on past me, I saw a set of headlights in the far distance to the east. Here comes VIA!


The end of the CN train passed and shortly after that, VIA 6413 came around the curve.


Now... here's a funny little picture from the same time. Guess what happened? (answer at bottom of post)


I took a video of the two trains.


After work, I traveled out toward the CN Rivers subdivision again. I saw a container train rolling over route 90, and it turned out to be CN 199. I gave chase, although I figured I would not catch up to it.They met an eastbound train and I caught a glimpse of the head end at Shaftesbury Boulevard as I waited for the light to change.

I continued on westward and 199 got away, but I heard them get a rollby inspection from a train. Curious, I kept going west of Diamond and found CN 112 stopped on the north track. They were waiting for a green light. Here they had just received their light, turned their headlights on, and were preparing to head out.


I took some shots as the head end passed, then jumped in my car and gave chase. It was quite easy to pace them at the start, as they were still pulling hard to get moving. I fired some shots out my side window and ended up with a half-decent pacing shot.


I then pulled up to Hall Road to take video. I thought I had plenty of time but in fact I was a bit rushed and missed a bit of horn noise at the start.


All very exciting, but there was one more train to see! CN 106 was still to come into Winnipeg. Here they are near Diamond.


Here's the video from the same location.


That was quite enough for me, so I headed for home. But wait! There's more... when crossing the CN Letellier subdivision, I saw CN 532 rolling south, so I took a quick exit and shot them as they approached the Perimeter Highway. CN 5532 on 532... love it.


I have no idea why the door was open, except perhaps to provide some cooling for the crew.


Answer to why the VIA photo was so dark: My camera was set to meter on a single point (the center of the lens) and I had pointed it at the headlight. The camera metered for the headlight and so the shot was very underexposed. I like the effect!

The Race is On

There was a little race Monday (Oct 27) at noontime. I knew the Hudson Bay (VIA 693) was due soon, but I also knew CN 199 was ready to roll at Fort Rouge at the same time. I was curious how it would pan out. Normally westbound VIA trains are on the north track.

The RTC put CN 199 on the north track. As it rolled toward me, I could see the headlights of the Hudson Bay behind them. I couldn't imagine that the RTC would make VIA tag along behind the freight, and she did not. The Hudson Bay was on the south track, rapidly overtaking the container train on the north.

CN 199 passed me first, with CN 5731 and 2721 leading a long container train.


Within two minutes, the Hudson Bay was rolling by on the south track.


The train had the regular power, VIA 6413 and VIA 6456, on point, with baggage car 8600, three coaches (8106, 8110, 8100), diner York (8418), and two Chateau sleepers (8221 Radisson and 8223 Rigaud). I heard the previous Hudson Bay had a dome car... I keep hoping to see one on this train.

You can see the head end of CN 199 in the photo above. No doubt VIA was past CN before Diamond.

I think that's the first time I saw two trains passing in the same direction... it was very interesting.

VIA Ocean and Chaleur Combined

As many of you know, VIA often runs the Ocean and Chaleur trains together to Matapedia, Quebec, where the Chaleur is detached and runs up the Gaspe peninsula. Sometimes they run separately all the way from Montreal.

This weekend, there was a storm and there were problems with two of the engines. The combined train had Operation Lifesaver 6411, 6413, and Spiderman 6434. At Matapedia only 6434 was still working, but they managed to restart 6411 and it departed at 10:30 (5.5 hours late) on Saturday February 2.

Photo by Jim Babcock

Chaleur passengers were bussed from Matapedia. However, the train itself continued on to Halifax as part of the Ocean. It was an odd train, with three engines, 5 stainless steel cars, and the Ocean's 10 Renaissance cars on the end.

The train finally arrived at Halifax station at about 23:00, or 6.5 hours late. It departed on time the next day.

David Chiasson caught the weird Ocean coming into Bathurst.


He caught it again at Gloucester Junction on the other side of Bathurst, lead engine smoking like crazy.


Good catch, David!