Maine Northern 9801 in McAdam... and CN 4102

Brian Barchard sent along a few shots of Maine Northern Railway #9801 in McAdam. He spotted it there on the afternoon of August 20 (Saturday). They came into McAdam with a bunch of empty log cars. After dropping them in the west yard, they wyed the engine, and presumably left.



I guess it came back to McAdam a few days later, because Gary Lee shot it there on August 23. It looks like it was coming off the wye.


Brian also mentioned he saw CN 4102 heading west through Harvey toward McAdam on the evening of August 21. As it turns out, Gary was out and saw it shunting the yard in McAdam that night.


CN 4102 has been working in Saint John. Kevin Gaudet caught it and CN 4132 as part of CN 406 on June 11 heading to Saint John.


Matt aka Saintjohnrailfan shot the same train in Hampton, closer to Saint John.


Good railfan coverage all over!

Recent Videos

Here are a few recent YouTube videos I saw and wanted to share with you.

Kevin Gaudet posted this video of CN 120 at Memramcook. The train had CN 8949 (shiny new SD70M-2), IC 1036, and CN 2666.


I can't get used to CN 120 having all this non-container junk in the train. CN 120/121 used to be pure container trains, but with the loss of most of the freight trains in the Maritimes, 120 and 121 get to carry the junk. Some of this would have gone on CN 148 and 149 but they do not run any more.

RailFanJon shot an empty coal train growling by on the CP Shuswap subdivision in British Columbia. Lots of good noise from the engines as they throttle up.


VanBilly1 caught two CEMR engines going into the BNSF yard here in Winnipeg. This was a great catch. On Monday, March 14, BNSF had put their engine on the ground (or, as we say it, derailed) around 14:00 and the CEMR engines were coming to help out while BNSF tried to get their engines back on the rails.

CN 305 On The Main Line

Kevin Gaudet recently posted a video of CN 305 rolling through Berry Mills in the early morning. I liked how he had the hotbox detector recording at the beginning of the video.

It was good positioning of the camera, too, to compensate for the low sun. It's hard to get good early morning shots where the track goes east-west.

That video inspired me to dig back in YouTube history for other shots of CN 305 on the CN mainline in New Brunswick. Here's saintjohnrailfan's video of CN 305 at McGivney, with a DPU no less, on August 24 2008.

The train horn echoes well in McGivney.

Here's jamminjoel's video of CN 305 at the route 625 crossing on September 6, 2008.


Finally, here's one of my own shots of CN 305, at St. Basil NB outside Edmundston on August 12, 2007.

Video of Dragon Boat Train

Kevin Gaudet posted a video featuring the NB Southern excursion train that ran to Renforth for the Dragon Boat festival this past Saturday. Lots of good horn action. Enjoy!

VIA Videos

Here is my little video of the Hudson Bay from yesterday.


Kevin Gaudet shot a couple of VIA videos recently. Here is VIA 14 (the eastbound Ocean) at Memramcook on July 31 with 6442 and 6414 (Loto Quebec).


Kevin also shot VIA 15 at Gort (just outside Gordon Yard, in Moncton) on the same day. This train had VIA 6400 & 6425 for power.

New Kevin Gaudet Videos

Kevin was out shooting on July 6 and posted a few nice videos.

First, VIA 14 through Memramcook with two smoking units and a Park car on the end.


Next, a shot of CN 407 at the same location. I'm not sure which video comes first.


Here's another from Kevin from July 3, showing local CN 539 returning to Gordon Yard in Moncton.

Kevin's Blog

You should mosey over to see Kevin Gaudet's blog. He has been posting some great photos and videos recently.

VIA 14 Backing Up

Kevin Gaudet has a very nice video of VIA 14 backing up through Sackville on Saturday after the CN derailment. I really liked how he included the scanner conversation in the video. Watch

He also has it backing out of Amherst.

Snowy Days

Kevin Gaudet posted a few videos of trains in the snow.

I think the best is VIA 15 at Memramcook yesterday evening.

Earlier yesterday in Moncton, CN 405 arrives, and later its power rolls out of Gort toward the fuel stand.

A Rare Find

I was in Saint John today and met a fellow railfan, and also made a rare find.

First, I found NBSR 9803 and CN 7060 resting by the Tim Hortons off Thorne Avenue around 09:15.


Shortly after I took the photo, they started up and headed out toward the refinery.


CN 405 was resting in the Island Yard with 5799, 2650 and 2613. I think the consist was the same as Tuesday's but I must have had 5799's number wrong then.

At lunch at 13:00, I noticed that the power for 405 was over at the potash terminal. I went over to see if there was a shot there, and I saw someone parked there with a tripod all set up. Obviously a railfan! It turned out to be Kevin Gaudet. I was glad to meet him, and we spoke for a few minutes before I had to head back to work. I did stop on the other side of the causeway to get a few shots of 405 from afar.




Later, I noticed 405 was pulling a string of potash cars to Island Yard just after 15:00. I saw the Courtenay Bay potash switcher was visible, so I decided to head across the causeway to see if I could finally get a picture of this rare locomotive. As it happened, it was on the move to the dumper by the time I got there, so I snapped one shot out the car window and then pulled up to take a short video. I am quite pleased with how the photo turned out. The video, not so much, but I like the horn.




That was it for today. I am very happy to finally get a decent photo of the Courtenay Bay Potash switcher.

Various Moncton Videos

Kevin Gaudet posted several videos to YouTube lately from the Moncton area.

CN 308 arriving at Gort
CN 539 arriving at Gort with some sorry-looking paint on the GP38s.
VIA 615 through Gort - nice fall colours.

NB Southern Switching Irving Wallboard

Kevin Gaudet has a few videos on YouTube of NBSR switching the Irving Wallboard plant on Bayside Drive. It was actually leased CN GP9s 7010 and 7060 doing the work.

Pulling loads
Shunting and leaving

And something a bit different, the Sunday evening westbound leaving NBSR's Dever Road yard with 2612, 2318, 2319, 9801 and 2317 for power.
Leaving in the dark

Kevin's Blog

Kevin Gaudet started a railway blog... check it out!

NB Southern Cab Ride

Dave Dineen, saintjohnrailfan and Kevin Gaudet were fortunate to get a cab ride in an NB Southern engine before the June 19 westbound went out. They both posted their videos, so here they are. First Dave's:


Matt aka Saintjohnrailfan posted a video of the westbound leaving in the dark.


Finally, Kevin's (as links).
first, second, train leaving Saint John.

Kevin and CN 405

Kevin Gaudet passed along some photos of CN 405 (and an NB Southern local) in Saint John from June 19 and 20. Here are a few of my favourites.


Unusual to see a GP38 in Saint John


CN 405's power near Courtenay Bay


The NB Southern local running light to Island Yard


A nicely composed shot... maybe in Rothesay?

Kevin has a number of new videos on YouTube. Since he has disabled embedding, I'm not putting them here but you can follow this link to see all his videos.

CN 7038 in McAdam

Gary Lee shot CN 7038 in McAdam on May 20. You can see it pulling two loaded wallboard cars out of the plant.


Kevin Gaudet saw it on the NB Southern westbound freight on May 18.

Kevin's Videos

Here are links to a few of Kevin's videos from May 3.

VIA 14 at Amherst.
CN 407 at Amherst with 2581, 2617, 5698 & 5706.
VIA 15 at Amherst - very nice.
CN 305 leaving Moncton with CN 8813, IC 1009 and CN 2506.
VIA 15 leaving Moncton.

Saturday Photos From Kevin Gaudet

Kevin was out railfanning between Moncton and Amherst, and caught quite a few trains.

Here is 6410 leading VIA 14 into Moncton.


Next, VIA 14 into Amherst.


A westbound CN freight in Amherst.


CN 8813 working Gordon Yard in Moncton.


Finally, VIA 6426 leading VIA 15 out of Moncton.

Photos by Kevin Gaudet

Kevin sent me a few photos from his railfanning in the Saint John area at the end of March. Here are a few of the best.

CN 7038 and NBSR 3701 heading toward Island Yard from the east side.


CN 5765 leads CN 405 (or is it 406?) CN 406 near Harbour Station in Saint John.

And the best for last...

At the head of CN 405, CN 5665 rockets past Kevin.

That last one is Railpictures-worthy, I would say.

VIA Videos by Kevin

Here's a few links to VIA videos by Kevin Gaudet. All were made on March 30 featuring VIA 15 with 6400 and 6436 and a Renaissance consist.

Arriving at Sackville
Blowing through Memramcook
Leaving Moncton, at what used to be called West End, it looks like.