Dwayne Porter very kindly sent along some photos of CN rerailing CN 2641 at the entrance to the Courtenay Bay potash terminal. I blogged about this yesterday. Dwayne took the photos with a camera phone so the quality is not the best.
Here's CN 2641 with its rear truck off the track. You can see the Courtenay Bay power plant's three stacks in the background as well as a few Irving transfer tanks (not the refinery).
The "big hook" CN 70634 is positioned behind the engine.
The crane is now doing its lift to reposition the end of CN 2641.
I'm a little late with this one, but better late than never. As reported in RailsNB CN train 306 suffered a small derailment in Saint John early in the morning of September 5 at the entrance to the Courtenay Bay potash terminal. Apparently one of the engines picked the point of the switch and at least the two lead engines (Dash-9 units 2641 and 2624) went "on the ground". There is some confusion as to whether the third engine (SD75 5683) derailed or not. 5683 eventually left Saint John with 64 cars at 14:00 for Moncton, arriving at 16:50.
Several pieces of track equipment were sent from Gordon Yard in Moncton in the morning of September 5 to help fix the track. Thanks to Ron Grant for the photos.
At 16:30 CN hi rail crane 70634 was working on the remaining two engines to rerail them and by 20:00 only one engine was still derailed. It was put back on the tracks on Wednesday the 6th. Track work continued on the 6th and was completed on the 7th. The "big hook" went back to Moncton Wednesday afternoon.
CN 306 brings loaded potash cars from Penobsquis to the potash terminal early in the morning. The power from CN 305 often runs light to the potash terminal to pick up the empties in the afternoon before assembling its train for departure to Moncton. More about 305 and 306
NB Southern 3701 has been in the shop for a while, getting some work done. I was told it would emerge looking quite different, and it sure does!
Thanks to Dwayne Porter for giving permission for these photos to be posted, and to Steve O'Brien for passing them along. 3701 isn't finished yet. For one thing, you can see it still needs some number boards, safety stripes and so forth.
In case you're wondering what it used to look like, here it was on June 4, 2005 with the high nose.
NBSR 9803 threw a couple of pistons through the side of the block on August 21, so it will be getting 3700's engine and 3700 will be scrapped.
There's one more bit of NB Southern news... but it will have to wait a bit.
Regular readers of this blog will note I usually shoot video instead of stills. If I can I will set the video camera on a tripod and shoot stills as the train goes by, but I shoot video when I have to make the choice. I generally prefer video because I like the action, and most people in the area shoot stills so I want to do something different. The skeptic would say that I don't shoot stills much because I'm not very good at it.
Be that as it may, I recently spent a few days shooting only stills. It allowed me to reflect on the different choices one makes when shooting stills versus video. I thought I would share some with you. I've omitted the classic things you should consider when taking pictures, like lighting and composition, because they are important no matter how you're taking the picture.
Things More Important For Stills I think location is more important for still photography than for video. You get one chance to get the shot, one chance to make an impact in a single frame. The drama, excitement, or whatever you are trying to capture can only be conveyed with that single shot.
A friend of mine who shoots only passenger trains looks for locations where he can shoot the entire train in one frame. With video I can let the train roll through the frame so you'll get the entire train if you wait long enough. Creative use of zooms or pans can also add excitement to a video, though I recommend they be used sparingly. Too much of the zoom-and-pan can lead to seasick viewers!
Timing is critical for stills. You can compose the frame perfectly, but if your timing is off when the train arrives the shot is sub-standard at best. This is my major frustration with shooting with my el cheapo digital camera - I can't predict exactly when it will record the photo. Often I end up with the train a little forward or back of where I really wanted it to be.
Things More Important For Video Background noise is something that still photographers never seem to think about. When train chasing, we often jump out of our cars and shoot from a road, sidewalk, or other very public place. The videographer has to be aware of what kind of background noise is around, be it cars, people, wind, or barking dogs.
Wind is definitely a problem at times. Some good video I've shot has been ruined by the constant pfssssshhhh of a strong wind blowing by the microphone. I try to minimize it by putting my thumb over the microphone, and you can make some attempt to minimize it when editing the video, but all of these also lose the sound of the train itself.
Focus can sometimes be a challenge for video when the camera is left on autofocus. My camera (Sony DCR-TRV25) will sometimes "hunt" when taping a train, especially in lower light conditions. There's not much worse than watching a clip where the focus goes in and out. For some reason VIA's Renaissance cars really confuse the autofocus sensor and it can't maintain the focus. If I remember and I have time, I will focus on a spot on the track and then set the camera to manual focus. This works as long as you are not panning or zooming. In those cases you have to take your chances.
In the end, it all comes down to personal preference. I like shooting video, but stills are great too.
I've been told that someone is reposting my photos on a couple of Yahoo! groups without my permission. I do not grant permission to do this. If you want to refer to one or more of my photos from this blog, please post the URL of my blog post and do not copy the photo itself. Thanks!
While at McAdam yesterday, I witnessed a near miss between an ATV and a train car. Here it is, on video.
The ATV driver had driven across one crossing around the end of a freight car, only to find the second crossing blocked by an engine. So he sat there, unaware that a three-engine set was about to couple up to the freight car he just passed (and was uncomfortably close to).
I was too far away to warn him, and I couldn't yell at him because he wouldn't have heard anyway with his helmet on, and the ATV and engine both idling away. I'm glad noone was injured and I hope he learned a bit of a lesson.
My kids and I went to McAdam today to see what we could see. My wife thought me brave (or crazy) to take all three kids, especially the 4-month-old. Hey, I have to start him on the train brainwashing experience early.
We arrived in McAdam just after 12 noon. NB Southern 9801 was on the wye with CRGX 4928 tacked on the end.
9801 was emitting a ticking noise, which I assumed was related to the SmartStart unit it is equipped with.
After taking a few snaps, we headed over to the take-out joint to get some fried goodness. The two older kids played in the playground and Jamie and I sat on the bench and listened to the scanner for any activity. Midway through lunch the scanner came alive and it appeared that someone was starting 9801 up. We finished up and headed to the yard just after 13:00.
NBSR 9801 was shunting some empty centerbeam flats around. I spoke with the brakeman, Scott, and he said the eastbound freight should be in just before 2 PM. Scott and the engineer, Trent, were both from Saint John and would be taking the freight to Saint John once the American crew delivered it to McAdam. The Americans usually deadhead back to Maine in a van and return in the morning, while the Saint John crew overnights at the bunkhouse across the pond from the station.
I set up the tripod west of the station between the station and the old telecommunications building. I thought I would shoot with the flower garden and the sprinkler in the foreground for variety. NBSR 2318 East rolled past me at 13:55. The consist was 2318 in the new paint (yay), yellow 2319 and faded green 9802 with 80 cars.
The train had 10 loads and 70 empties, 4062 tons and was 5450 feet long.
While it rolled by on the north side of the station, 9801 was still doing a bit of shunting on the south side. I soon learned that 9801 would be going back to Saint John today with the freight.
The three units cut off a number of cars and left them on the main line, then switched over to the south side of the station (after 9801 moved back up the wye) and began drilling the yard. They first hooked on to a couple of covered hoppers and the St. Stephen caboose 434919, then did some setouts.
Finally, they switched back to the main and 9801 rolled out again. They cut off all the cars and 9801 was moved in behind the other three units at 14:45.
They did their crew change right there, a little bit east of the station. I took the opportunity to take some detailed shots of 2318's new paint job before they headed out.
Notice how 2318 has number boards on the rear and the 980x units just have the numbers painted on. I think the boards are easier to read.
They started rolling at 14:55 and were clear of the highway crossing at 15:00 with 59 cars in tow. While they were rolling, I loaded the van with kids. That's time-consuming!
Note they arrived with 80 cars and left with 59, after picking up 2 St. Stephen cars. That's a setout of 23 cars, assuming they didn't pick up others I didn't see.
I'm told NB Southern is storing a bunch of TTZX centerbeam flats at McAdam and I did see a lot of them around. The rest of the setouts must be for the St. Stephen sub.
I drove down to Harvey, easily beating them there without exceeding speed limits. I thought about shooting by the depot but I settled on a spot partway down the siding. I thought it would provide a more side-angle shot and also keep the horn noise from bothering the kids.
NBSR 2318 East blasted through at 15:30 exactly. Trent gave me a little toot on the horn as they rolled by.
Four autoracks, a solitary doublestack car, and two loaded NB Southern log cars were on the tail end. That's my son Nick watching the train go by.
I'm glad I got to see 2318's new paint job. For more pictures of 2318's new look, please visit my web site.
I should have mentioned this earlier.. NB Southern Railway ceased to run truck trailers on flat cars (TOFC) about 3 weeks ago. I'm told the last of the flatcars made their run (empty) back to Saint John yesterday and will be sold off. The service was apparently unprofitable, especially due to the byzantine Customs regulations on the U.S. side. It's a shame. When they were first introduced in late 2003 a separate TOFC-only train was run. That was terminated in 2005 and the TOFC were tacked onto the end of the regular trains. It was not uncommon to see 15-20 trailers per train at the peak. R.I.P. TOFC
On a related note, I believe I posted earlier that NB Southern 2317 and 2319 (the two yellow units) will be repainted to green. I'm told the Sunbury logos have been removed from at least one of them. Here's where they were. There was a rumour that the units had been "returned" to NB Southern from Sunbury. In truth they were always owned by Eastern Maine Railroad, a subsidiary of NB Southern.
Bruce Hollett posted a photo on NERAILS of VIA 15 at Windsor Junction at 13:10. This was the same train we saw yesterday. We were crossing the Tantramar Marshes between Sackville and Amherst while Bruce was taking this photo.
A motley group of railfans set out to chase VIA 14 and VIA 15 this sunny Friday. David Morris, Peter Gough, my son Nick and I left Fredericton to get VIA 14 at Rogersville and pursue it deep into Nova Scotia.
We thought we had plenty of time to get to Rogersville... we were wrong. A little pressure on the gas pedal brought us to the station, where we found the sign out indicating a stop was requested. We went just up the line from the station, and there was the train approaching.
VIA 14
We just had time to bail out of the car and turn the cameras on. (10:37)
The train was VIA 6428 and CBC unit 6403 leading 19 Renaissance cars and Evangeline Park.
We set up on the south side of the station to wait for 14's departure at 10:43.
VIA 6403 in second position on VIA's "Ocean"
From there we chased it down the highway but never caught up to it. A few fleeting glimpses of the Park car in the distance were all we got. After refueling at McD's we proceeded to Memramcook to David's favourite barn location. 14 trundled into view at 12:36.
VIA Rail's "Ocean" near Memramcook, NB
I did some very bad panning with my video camera here. One example of why trying to take a couple of stills while videotaping is not a great idea.
We caught up to it as it entered Sackville, so we went to the other end of the station to catch it crossing the bridge to the Tantramar marshes at 13:05.
I like how the sun caught the Park car here.
VIA's "Ocean" passing the radio towers on the Tantramar Marshes
The RTC told 14 he would meet the CN local at Amherst. We figured we might catch 14 leaving Amherst, and so we did at 13:25 as it crossed under the Trans-Canada Highway.
The group consensus on the next shot was to get it at Folly Lake. David wanted to shoot it at the lake itself, and Peter and I wanted to get it on the East Mines trestle. We dropped David and my son at the siding and went the 11 km or so farther to the trestle. We set up and waited. We weren't sure what kind of warning we would get, and sure enough we had absolutely no warning before 14 rushed across the trestle. I quickly hit "record" on the video camera and caught the engines halfway across.
VIA Rail on the trestle at Londonderry, NS
That was the end of 14 for us.
VIA 15
We went back to Folly Lake to rejoin David and Nick to wait for 15 to come back. We had heard on the scanner that they were meeting at Belmont as usual, so we knew it would be a little wait. We had some lunch. The cars in the siding have been there a while!
VIA 15 appeared at 15:04. VIA 6410 and 6406 led 19 Ren cars and the Revelstoke Park.
We beat it back to the Trans-Canada and headed toward Moncton. As we approached the Springhill exit we heard the Salt Springs hotbox chatter away, so we knew we were just behind the train. We decided we would get it at Aulac next. I parked across the tracks and we climbed the berm to wait. 15 arced gracefully through the curve at 16:15.
Once again we got on the highway. As we approached Moncton we thought we might be ahead of 15, so we pulled off the TCH where the tracks go under the highway and waited. She showed up at 16:58.
I included the latter one to show how the Park car towers over the Renaissance cars.
Our last chance was on the other side of the Moncton station. We voted and decided to go to Gort. As we crossed over the tracks on Delong Drive we saw CFMG 6902 leading NBEC train 402 into the yard. It had 4 boxcars in tow.
CFMG 6902 in Moncton, NB
A group of three CN engines rolled out toward the main line, then reversed and disappeared out of view. I believe one of them was CN 5737 but I can't be sure.
VIA 15 appeared at 17:40 and rolled underneath us and away. I got my best still shot of the day here.
VIA 15 at CN Gort in Moncton
And so ended a great railfanning day. Thanks to David, Peter and Nick for being such great company.
I see IRSI is advertising in Railway Age now. The August 2006 issue has a classified ad from IRSI offering "Twenty-seven (27) Stainless Steel Budd RDC cars for sale." ... "Cars are available for sale as is, rebuilt in-kind, or as a custom engineered remanufacture to meet end-user specifications." No price is given, of course.
I had the good fortune to see both VIA 14 and 15 today in Moncton. My family went there to visit the Moncton Zoo for the first time. I timed our departure so we would arrive in Moncton around 11:45, and planned to have lunch at the Tim Horton's by the West End so I could watch 14 go by. As it happened 14 was late and only passed us at 12:23. 6413 and 6420 led 19 Renaissance cars and Assiniboine Park.
We fought through the country music fans assembling for the big concert tonight, and made it to the zoo. It was a great visit and the weather was great. Too bad the miniature train wasn't running. :(
I called VIA and found out that VIA 15 wasn't expected in until 17:20. We ate supper at Steve's Diner in Riverview, and as we walked to the van I figured the Ocean would be departing the station. I switched the scanner on, and sure enough someone was reporting that the main line switch was lined and locked for the normal position. They were en route!
I drove across the causeway, and ran up the slope to the tracks while switching tapes in the video camera. I arrived with not a moment to spare at 17:52 as VIA 15 went by. 6428 and CBC unit 6403 led 18 Renaissance cars and Evangeline Park.
2003/08/16 12:50 VIA 14 arrived in Moncton with VIA 6424 and 6420 leading 16 Budd cars. Banff Park was trailing. 17:04 VIA 15 arrived in Moncton with VIA 6427 and 6432 leading 14 Budd cars.
I must have been volunteering at the New Brunswick Railway Museum to catch both of those. I would try to catch VIA 14, then go to Hillsborough for the 2 PM run, then get back to Moncton to catch VIA 15 before going home.
Lou McIntyre was kind enough to pass along a photo of NB Southern 2318 in its new paint scheme. He caught it on July 1 at McAdam.
Thanks for the photo, Lou!
Contrast this with a shot of NBSR 9802 and you can see the similarities in the paint scheme.
Keep in mind that even though they are both classified as GP38 engines, they come from very different origins. The 980x series come from Southern Pacific GP35s while the 231x series come from Devco GP38s. There are many differences between the two series, and these photos show that the ditch lights and bell locations are two of them.
Bob Boudreau had sharp eyes and caught an NB Southern passenger train near Harbour Station on Saturday July 21. It was a special trip for a Carleton Community Centre reunion. The train was led by GP38 9803 and featured the three cars of the NB Southern business train. It left Harbour Station around 14:15 with the Geep pushing. Thanks Bob for the use of the photos.
Here it is climbing the hill near Mill Street.
The next two shots are of the train crossing the Reversing Falls bridge. Note the cruise ship in the background. I believe it is the Carnival Victory but I could be wrong.
) to take all three kids, especially the 4-month-old. Hey, I have to start him on the train 
