NBEC Power Update

NBEC 1867 in Miramichi, NB on September 14, 2004.

Canadian Railway Observations is reporting that ex-CFMG SD40 units 6902, 6903, and 6906-6910, as well as RS-18s ex-OCRR 1838, ex-NBEC 1857 and 1867 are all going to Alabama to be parted out and scrapped.

The last time I saw 1867 was on November 7, 2006 in Miramichi, in the middle of our War Bride train chase.

By the way, if you haven't read Canadian Railway Observations yet, you should really check it out.

NBEC-CN Videos

The NBEC/CFMG SD40 units are still running on the mainline freights on the former Quebec Railway Corporation territories. Here are two videos from NBEC69 and one from David Chiasson. First, NBEC69's videos.

On Sunday December 7, CFMG 6903, NBEC 6905 and CN 5260 ran through Rimouski.


The same units again, in a different location.


Finally, because I love them so much, here's David's video showing NBEC RS-18s 1866 and 1814 powering the ore train through Nepisiguit Junction back on May 6, 2007. Listen to the squeal of metal on metal as they go through the curve!

Northern New Brunswick Railfanning

First... being in the right place at the right time.

I was heading north from Fredericton to Bathurst this afternoon. As I approached McGivney I heard a chirp on the scanner - someone calling the RTC. I didn't hear anything else but I decided to take five minutes and go to the depot to see what the signals said. As I approached the crossing, I looked right, then left.. TRAIN! I had just enough time to put the car in park, turn the video camera on and get out before the eastbound freight passed the depot.

14:00 CN ??? - CN 4730/6025 with empty centerbeam flats and loaded log cars - about 15 cars in total.

Good timing!

It was the usual crowd in Miramichi later that afternoon, with NBEC 402 (CFMG 6910) and NBEC 403 (6903/6902/6900) both milling about. 403's power was wyed to have 6903 lead on the way back to Campbellton.

Here are trains 402 and 403, both by the crew shack in Miramichi.


Train 402 got its TOP at 16:03 and left at 16:13 with 10 cars.

NBEC train 403 got its TOP right after 403, and left Miramichi at 16:24. I held the video camera in my right hand and shot blind with the digital camera in my left hand. I'm quite pleased with my aim!

Notice the sundog above the train.

I left Miramichi and headed to Bathurst. I heard train 597 shunting in Bathurst. Train 403 called ahead and asked when it could enter the yard. They were told to hold at mile 88 (yard limit) for a few minutes. Here they are approaching highway 11 at 17:31.

This was another left-hand shot as I taped the train. I had to level the horizon on this one.

They rolled right past train 597 and stopped by the station for a few minutes.

Train 403 rolled out at 18:04.

I went to check into my hotel, and came back at 19:30ish to wait for VIA 15. I checked with the station staff and they told me it wouldn't be in until 21:00-21:15 (1 hour late). When I returned at 20:45 the story was the same. I heard them get a TOP for the Bathurst-Campellton stretch at about 20:05. Shortly thereafter NBEC 403 reported it lined the Irvco switch for the main line. VIA 15 arrived at about 21:20 with 6414 (Loto Quebec) and 6453 leading a Renaissance train. I shot them arriving and leaving, then called it a night.

Northern New Brunswick railfanning

Today I went to Bathurst for the first time in a long time, and of course I saw a few trains on the way. I had my Fuji 3.2 megapixel digital camera with me, and I was looking forward to taking just stills.

It was foggy near McGivney and I couldn't see anything at all as I passed.

I noticed quite a few cars at the UPM-Kymmene plant in Miramichi. The outside yard was pretty full and there were quite a few inside the fence too. This is the first time I've seen it since NBEC took over the plant switching so no doubt they are doing things a little differently.

VIA 14 was reported 32 minutes late leaving Bathurst. I went to Beaver Brook and saw them go through at 10:15 with VIA 6415 and 6420 leading the Renaissance train with Evangeline Park at the rear.



I drove back to the yard and beat them there with 30 seconds to spare, even with the driver going 40 km/h in front of me. They had a quick station stop and headed out. NBEC 1854 and 1816 were shunting around at the other end of the yard, and CFMG 6907 was resting with NBEC 1819. I noted that the two dead C-424s, 4219 and 4243, were still in the yard (I saw them March 29).



As I approached Bathurst I heard NBEC 1818 West get permission to occupy main track between mileages 106.6 and 108. That's the section of track between Nepisiguit Junction and the Bathurst yard limits. They must have been coming off the Nepisiguit Subdivision.

I heard NBEC train 587 talking as I approached Belledune near noon, and as I was parking I saw NBEC 1867 and another red RS18 running light out of the plant. There was talk on the scanner about a couple of cars left in the siding off the main line, so I thought they were getting those.

When I left Belledune at 16:30, I heard train 587 again! It turns out they were working the Irvco siding off the main line, picking up those leftover cars. They rolled by at 16:35 with 1835 leading 1867 and 4 gondolas, 2 boxcars, 1 tank car, an airslide hopper, and a string of about 17 NBEC ore cars.

I almost like the going-away shot better!


I raced to the highway and easily beat them to Beresford through intermittent rain. I had some indecision about whether to shoot straight down the track or off a bit to the "sun" side. As you can see I decided an offset shot was better. They rolled past at 16:58.



The train was parked on the siding in front of the VIA station in Bathurst when I arrived at 17:10. Shortly thereafter they started doing some switching. Gotta love that Alco smoke!!


I watched them until about 17:35 when I spoke with the engineer. He said the next crew would be taking the train to Brunswick Mines around 18:00 to 18:30 and train 403 would be arriving around the same time. I figured I had time to grab a quick supper, so I stopped at Subway on my way out to Nepisiguit Junction to catch 403. As I passed over the tracks at the Junction I saw boxcars rolling by underneath. DRAT!

I turned around and beat it down to Riverside Drive. I managed to get ahead of them without breaking speed limits and shot them at the golf course at Squire Green Drive at 18:00. They were 6903, 4214, 4210 and 6902 with about 54 cars.



When I saw the IC boxcar I thought of Roman Litarchuk. :)


NBEC 403 led by CFMG 6903 parked on the main line, and NBEC 586 led by NBEC 1835 was on the passing track.


Much more about NBEC 586 (train to Brunswick Mines) later... this is enough for one blog post!

NBEC sightings, 2004/01/28

That's right, January 28 2004. I thought I'd write about a few old sightings for a change.

I passed through Miramichi at about noon on the 28th and saw NBEC 403 pulling up to the crew shack. The power was CFMG 6902, NBEC 4214, NBEC 4210, and CFMG 6909. The rumbling as the engines passed me was quite impressive, as you can hear in this video.


NBEC 1821 and 1814 were idling in the yard as train 578. CFMG 6903 was idling away.



When I passed through again around 15:00 train 403 was gone, and CFMG 6903 was making up its train to take to Moncton.