Last day of California Railfanning

On my way north from Monterey to San Francisco, I did a little train-watching (of course). The big surprise of the day happened right away, as I saw a UP wayfreight heading the same way I was. I got ahead of him and taped him going under an overpass, with UP 361 leading 10 cars.

Flush with excitement, I continued on my way to highway 101 and headed north, hoping to intercept Amtrak's Coast Starlight before it went to Salinas. Their web site said it was 1 hour 23 minutes late so I figured I had a shot. I exited at a place called Bloomfield Road and parked near the tracks. As I was setting up my tripod, a southbound UP freight approached! I hurriedly set up the tripod, turned the video camera on, and took some snaps. UP 5342, 5355 and 5447 led a motley group of 26 freight cars by.


I waited and waited for the Coast Starlight, but it didn't show. Amtrak's web site kept saying the same thing, 1 hour 23 minutes late, so I decided to check their arrival in Los Angeles. 23 minutes late. I guess that meant it had run ahead of the UP freight. Oh well.

I headed north to NASA's Ames Research Center and spent an hour in their visitor center. I saw this commuter train there.


I then went to Cal-Train's Mountain View station. I was to meet a friend there at 17:12 so I had about an hour to watch trains until she arrived. Here are a few photos.



The two of us met a couple more friends and we had Mexican food followed by gelato, a very pleasant way to spend an evening. I left there and went to the San Francisco airport, taking the AirTrain to the correct building and flying overnight. Now I'm in the Toronto airport waiting for my plane to board. Once I arrive in Fredericton, I'll have a few hours before heading north to railfan the Gaspe for the weekend. Busy times.

The Coast Starlight

I decided I wanted to see the northbound Amtrak Coast Starlight Monday evening as it approached Salinas. It was due into Salinas at 18:36, and the Amtrak web site said it was 20 minutes late, so I left Monterey at 18:00, figuring I had lots of time. I ended up here just to the southwest of Salinas at 18:30. I set up the tripod and waited...



I checked the Amtrak web site with my phone a few more times. The delay had lengthened to just over an hour, then 1 hour 46 minutes! The sun was setting quickly and I figured I was going to run out of light before the stupid train showed up. I hopped in the van and headed south down the 101 to try to catch it sooner.

Without a scanner, I didn't want to overshoot, so I stopped here, just south of Gonzalez. The sun finally dipped below a hill, and less than 5 minutes later the Coast Starlight showed up with AMTK 115 and another engine leading 12 cars.


You can see there was some light, but not enough:


I was a little annoyed that the sun went down. If it was just a few minutes earlier the light would have been beautiful. Oh well. At least I saw the train. :)

Day 1 in California

I'm in California for a few days, so naturally I've made an attempt to see a few trains. My first day was yesterday (Sunday August 5), and I spent a few hours at or near Bayshore Station near South San Francisco watching Cal-Train.

2007/08/05 13:12, Location: San Francisco
-- (Train #432) : JPBX 903 (5 cars)

2007/08/05 13:24, Location: San Francisco
-- (Train #431) : JPBX 924 (5 cars)


2007/08/05 13:31, Location: San Francisco
-- Running light: JPBX 504, JPBX 500
I was surprised by these two.



2007/08/05 14:08, Location: San Francisco
-- (Train #434) : JPBX 924 (5 cars)


2007/08/05 14:35, Location: San Francisco
-- (Train #433) : JPBX 909 (5 cars)


2007/08/05 15:10, Location: San Francisco
-- Running light past South San Francisco station: JPBX 500, JPBX 504

2007/08/05 15:18, Location: San Francisco
-- Off at South San Francisco: UP 1386, UP 1530, UP 589, UP 2579, UP 1351
-- (Train #436) : JPBX 919 (5 cars)

NB Southern Eastbound Today

I decided to try to catch the NBSR eastbound freight in Maine today. I heard it was leaving Brownville Junction at 10:00 and heading straight to McAdam, so I figured if I crossed the border at 13:30 or so I would be fine to catch it near Vanceboro. I did some painting downstairs and then headed out.

I arrived in McAdam shortly before 13:00 and found NBSR 9801 idling by the station. I should say it was idling then the SmartStart kicked in and shut the engine down. I took a few shots of it, and the engineer's radio blared out something about NBSR 2318 East. Uh oh, the eastbound was imminent.


I jumped in the van and headed for the border, but they were already across. I taped them at the yard entrance and then went back to the station.

The incoming train had NBSR 2318, 9802 and 2612 with 4 MMA boxcars, 5 autoracks, and three woodchip cars. Very short!

They dropped 4 MMA boxcars, picked up two cars, and tacked NBSR 9801 on the front of the consist. That's the first time I've seen them put the south job engine on the front. Presto, NBSR 2318 East became NBSR 9801 East.


They left McAdam at 13:45 with a short train consisting of NBSR 9801, 2318, 9802, 2612, a cylindrical hopper, a tank car, 5 autoracks, and three woodchip cars.

I went to Harvey and waited for them near the crossing. After about ten minutes I heard them blow for the crossing near Little's campground, then a few short toots.. then nothing. I kept expecting them to roll around the corner but they didn't. After about fifteen minutes of that I went up the road to peek around the corner a bit. The scanner chirped with the FRED's chatter but no sign of the train.

While I waited I noticed some ducks in the lake near my feet, so I took a few photos.


Finally they rolled around the corner at 14:40, only to stop by the ball field to encourage the teams playing there with a few toots. Nice community spirit! They rolled through the crossing at 14:44 and the chase was on.



I made haste to Cork to try to get them there, and I beat them there by about 20 seconds. I managed to tape them through the open passenger window before they rolled by at 14:55.

I gave chase, and they slowly pulled ahead as I was only able to make 50-60 km/h on the bumpy dirt road. I almost pulled even with them when they got to the crossing at mile 52 at 15:05.

It was easy to beat them to the next crossing at mile 49 at 15:12.


They slowed down approaching the crossing at Tracy, so I was able to shoot them at 15:15 and again down the road at 15:17.


When they crossed the bridge at Fredericton Junction at 15:21 I took a quick shot out the passenger window but it was horribly backlit.

My next shot was just after the highway crossing at Hoyt, across a farmer's field. I had been hoping to get this shot for some time. They rolled through at 15:28, the sun came out, but it was a little hazy.


I caught up to them after they passed Hoyt and the hotbox detector there, and decided to try the Clarendon shot next, despite the haze. They came through at 15:47.

You can really see how the paint on the 980x units is faded, compared to the freshly painted units.

I tried to get them at Welsford Lake at 15:51 but I didn't get my gear out in time. They rolled through the hotbox detector and it sounded five alarms, all on the second-to-last car. They stopped in the siding and the conductor went back to cut the brakes out while I set up at the south end of the siding.


They were on their way by 16:03 and I waved goodbye as I turned for home.


3 hours of train chasing, 260 km on the road, 15 minutes of videotape, 70 still photos, $30 of gas... priceless.

New Brunswick and Canada Railway

I recently won the "Manager's Report For the Year 1871" for the New Brunswick and Canada Railway on eBay. The NB&C was the successor to the St. Andrews & Canada Railway after it went bankrupt. Someday I will type the text of the report in for your reference but today I will just share the map.



In 1871 not all of the railways pictured on the map were actually in operation. I think the solid lines indicate railways in operation and the hatched lines are areas under construction.

The European & North American was complete, but just barely, with the last spike of the Western Extension between Saint John and Maine being driven on October 19, 1871 with U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant present. McAdam was already becoming important, as the junction between the NB&C and the E&NA.

The Intercolonial was under construction but not in operation at this time, except for a few sections acquired from other railways such as the E&NA and the Nova Scotia Railway.

The track between Woodstock and Fredericton was not laid until 1873, and it did not follow the arrow-straight line shown in this map.

I hope you like the map!

Video of CN 308 today

Here's the video of CN 308 that I made today at Deersdale, N.B.

An Afternoon on the Napadogan

I decided to take the afternoon and make a trip to Napadogan (pronounced Napa-DOG-an, not Napa-dough-gan like I keep saying it). Why? I've never been, and I wanted to see the old roundhouse. I knew there was a thunderstorm watch but, hey, it was beautiful at noon. What could happen?

I left Fredericton just before 14:00 and headed north on highway 8, leaving at Taymouth to take the back way since there's construction on highway 107. After I passed through Stanley and approached Cross Creek, I got this bright idea to go to Maple Grove Station to see if there is anything there. According to my Back Roads of New Brunswick book, it is on the CN line. As I got further into the sticks, the sky became very dark and the wind started blowing hard. The rain started falling as I left pavement and started driving through gravel roads in the woods. After a few minutes of that I decided to turn around before a) I got lost, and b) the road washed out. Back to Cross Creek.

As I was driving west on highway 107 in the pouring rain and occasional lightning, I was thinking I must be the stupidest railfan ever for going out during a thunderstorm watch.

I arrived at Napadogan at 15:00. The place was.. underwhelming. There are about six or seven houses there, half of which are abandoned. The roundhouse is still standing but has a bunch of tin shacks appended to it.



I figured I might as well proceed on to Deersdale, since it is not far away. After stopping to check on a stranded motorist, I made good time. The weather cleared as I approached Deersdale, and this sign showed me where to go.

After a short trip through the woods and over a narrow bridge, I was face to face with Irving's Deersdale facility at 15:30. There were trucks everywhere, the CN main line with a siding, and two tracks going into the plant with woodchip cars on them.


The siding ends past the woodchip cars, and there is a signal there. Note the green over red signal, and the bridge past it.


Since the signal was green, I knew an eastbound was coming.. sometime. I set my video camera on my tripod on the north side of the tracks, lined everything up, and waited. After a while the sun came out, so I put sunscreen (and bug spray) on. Cars and trucks shuttled in and out, and eventually Irving security came over. He was quite friendly, and mentioned that in the storm they had some trees come down just outside their plant. After he left, I read my new Canadian Railway Modeler and noted they have a link to my web site in there. Thanks!

After over an hour, I heard the distant thrum of diesel engines and got ready for the train. At 16:41, CN 308* came around the bend. CN 5519, CN 5368, CN 5375, and old friend CN 6021 with a whopping 148 cars of various types. Many of those cars were visibly empty.




* I assume it was 308 based on the composition of the train.



I packed up and headed back to Napadogan again. Since the weather was nice, I decided to walk the line east to the end of the siding and look at the signals there. It is quite a walk! The signals were red over red facing west and dark facing east, so nothing was coming. I left at 17:46 and was back in Fredericton in 56 minutes.

McAdam Videos

Gary Lee has posted a few more videos from McAdam.

Here's a cab ride in NBSR 2318 as it runs down the north side of the station.


This is NBSR 2319, NBSR 2612, and NBSR 2317 with gypsum cars, tank cars, and boxcars.


Finally, this one has 2319 and 2317 with a similar consist, except it also has woodchip cars.

Acadian Railway update

I was given an update on the Acadian Railway project.

The current plan is to use two 4400 horsepower units for power. From this I gather they expect to haul very heavy loads, which lines up with the plan to use 136 lb rail and 268K cars.

They have received quotes for rail and ties, and expect to have firm costs for the route within a few weeks.

Peter Swire mentioned that he is "very pleased with the support from the elected officials, their staffs, local economic development and business groups" as well as quite a few shippers.

Kevin at NB Southern

My friend Kevin had a chance to take a few shots inside the NB Southern shops. Here's two of NBSR 2610.




No, Kevin does not have a large black square for a head. He had given me permission to post the photo but since Kevin is a minor, I do not feel right posting his face on the Internet. Hence the square.

Thanks for the photos, Kevin!

New video online

Here's a video of Saturday's NBSR freight train at Harvey Lake. Blog entry

Dynamic brakes

Charles H asked me if the dynamic brakes on 2610 and 2612 are operational. I found out they are present but disabled. They came that way from the Crandic.

9801, 9802 and 9803 have dynamic brakes* but they are not used. 2317, 2318 and 2319 do not have dynamic brakes.

* one of the three is missing the grid on one side.

CN Derailment Cleared

Apparently it was cleared at around 20:00-21:00 Eastern time.

Ron Pelletier reports that CN 120 was called for 16:10, 148 for 16:30 and 308 for 17:25. There should be quite a parade into Edmundston tonight, and on the Napadogan sub tomorrow.

CN Derailment

There has been a derailment on CN's Pelletier Subdivision. As a result of this derailment, CN trains that normally travel between the Maritimes and Montreal and points west are not able to pass.

From Ron Pelletier: "The derailment occured near Riviere Bleu around 16:00 [Sunday] near Route 289 and a Camping site (Domaine Drapeau). Some 25 cars are off the track and apparently damage to a building(camp) and a few automobiles, no injuries."

Some trains have begun detouring on NBEC/CFMG's rails (the former Intercolonial route). CN 308 (Toronto-Dartmouth freight) left Joffre, Quebec at 05:00 local time and will be detouring. UPDATED - no detours planned at this time.

Two trains are stopped in Moncton, as reported by Wendell Lemon at 10:30 this morning. One train has CN 5515, BCOL 762, CN 2632. The other is led by CN 5689. There is more power in the yard. They are likely CN 121, 149 and 305.

New video online

Here's a video of CN 305 from last Sunday, July 22, leaving Saint John.

NB Southern Eastbound Today

It looked like a nice day for railfanning, so I packed the three kids in the van and headed for McAdam. I heard the eastbound was arriving at about 14:00, and when I crossed town limits at 14:10 I heard chatter on the scanner. NBSR 2319 East was in town and doing a little shunting. They had 2612 and 2317 as well.


They had already dropped their 4 cars, and were in the midst of picking up NBSR 2318. Once they got that, they picked up 13? empty gypsum cars before backing onto the 10 boxcars they brought from Maine. This short train left McAdam at 14:35. I shot them at the highway crossing with my Canon still camera, through the bug-encrusted windshield. Not my best video.


We beat it to Harvey Lake to get them there. There was a large family at the picnic table out on the spit, and I'm sure they gave me a few odd looks as I rushed out there with kids and camera equipment. They confirmed that no train had been by yet. Whew. I set up the tripod and within a few minutes NBSR 2319 East rolled by. I shot stills blind while panning the video camera. I needed to do some serious horizon levelling!


Notice I clipped the photos from RailPictures' (rejected) list.

I also got to meet a friend I've corresponded with for quite some time but never met before. Good to see you!

More YouTube goodness

I'm beginning to think I should have a separate blog just to highlight the many great YouTube videos from other people! What do you think?

New YouTuber uploader duneadam has a short clip of NBSR 9801, 9802 and 9803 at the Irving Pulp Mill at Reversing Falls on the same day I was in Saint John.


Here's JamminJoel with a video of CN 7079 and 7010 pushing a local train up the east Saint John line to Irving Paper / the refinery and so forth.


Another local, this time with green NBSR 2612 and yellow NBSR 2317 taking a train from Island Yard over to Dever Road on April 28, 2007 at about 15:30.


One more from JamminJoel, this one at Nauwigewauk, NB, also from April 28. Where the heck is Nauwigewauk??? Near Hampton, I see. Follow the link before here for a Google Map view of where the video appears to have been shot.

A very late trip report

Since it was such a nice day Sunday (July 22), I decided to take my two youngest kids down to Saint John to see some trains and do a few other things.

We rolled into Saint John around 12:45 and went by the Dever Road yard first. The CP inspection train was down in front of the shops, as were four GP38s.

Over to Island Yard, we found CN 7010 doing some shunting. I discovered CN 305's power bringing the empty potash cars back from the Courtenay Bay terminal at 13:15, and watched CN 5660, 5550 and 5527 pull the empties down beside Rothesay Avenue, then push them back into the yard.

I heard someone on the NBSR channel tell 305 they were "in the clear", so I went looking for an NB Southern train but didn't find one. I stopped at the Dever Road yard to take some photos from the overpass, then headed back. I heard 305 getting a highball from the carman just before 14:00, and I assumed they already had a clearance from the RTC and were heading to Moncton. I beat it down highway 1, intending to get them somewhere just outside Saint John. Then I heard "famous CN 305" call the RTC to get their clearance, so I knew they must have pulled up to Coldbrook for a Tim's stop. I set up almost at the end of Rothesay Avenue to wait.

CN 305 rolled by at 14:07 with 5660, 5550 and 5527 pulling a 94-car train (44 potash, 7 boxcars, 24 tanks, 2 boxcars, 6 tanks, 8 empty CN woodchip cars, 3 boxcars). My toddler son gave them a rollby inspection but my daughter was distracted by a bee. Nice friendly wave from the conductor!



After that, we did a few family things before getting ready to leave Saint John. At 15:30 we noted CN 7000 and 7060 pulling a longish local into Island Yard from the refinery/Irving Paper area with 14 tanks and 13 boxcars. By this time 7010 was idle by the shops

At 15:50 NBSR 9803, 9802 and 9801 were together, shunting the west end of the Dever Road yard. The road power was still at the shops, so we decided to head back to Fredericton.

Not a bad day at all.

Dave Dineen shot 9803,2,1 on the same day crossing the Reversing Falls Bridge. Here's his video.

CP TEC train videos

Dan Dineen has a nice video of the train turning on the wye in Saint John.


Gary Lee has a few of the CP train in McAdam.


Here it is backing up onto the start of the St. Stephen subdivision.

Some photos of the CP TEC train from today

Brian Barchard caught a photo of today's westbound train at mile 70 (Prince William) at 12:06.


Dave Dineen chased the train and has several shots in his Flickr album. I like this one by Fredericton Junction the best.


Thanks, guys!

CP TEC train past Tracy

Peter Gough reports the CP track evaluation train just passed Tracy at 11:30. That should put it into McAdam around 12:30-12:40.

CP TEC train at Westfield Beach

The train is now approaching Westfield Beach (mile 14) at 10:35. Report courtesy Peter Gough.

CP Track Evaluation Train Leaving Saint John

09:45: I just got word from Peter Gough that the CP train is at Harbour Station in Saint John and should be departing shortly for McAdam. That will put it in McAdam by noon at the latest. It will then go down the St. Stephen sub after the crew change.

CP TEC train update

One source says it should be in McAdam between 10 and 11 AM, then off to St. Stephen on the south line.

CP Track Evaluation Train Tuesday

The latest word I have is that the train will start work at 8 AM but will work in Saint John first. I assume they will go to mile 0.0 by Harbour Station and work west from there. I have no idea if they will do the port spur or not. I believe they will then proceed to McAdam but keep in mind that they have to avoid the eastbound freight.

Given last year's TEC train I would GUESS they would be on the mainline by noon and into McAdam by 2 PM.

Hopefully I will have updates for you tomorrow. I will not be chasing this train but if I get any updated information I will post it here.

Another shot of the CP TEC train from Friday

Brian Barchard nabbed a shot of the train at mile 66 near Harvey.

Thanks, Brian!