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!

CP train still in Saint John

As you can see, the CP train was in front of the NB Southern shops at their Dever Road yard in Saint John.


NBSR 2318, 2319, 2612 and another unit are beside them.

To the left you can see the passenger excursion train, and behind that the corpse of NBSR 3700.

YouTube CFMG videos

Here are three videos from new YouTuber pyg2001.

First, a nice one of CFMG 402 in Trois-Pistoles on January 27. It's dark but I like the sunrise in the background.


Next, a Loram railgrinder on the CFMG from January 21. It wasn't grinding at the time, alas, but still a nice video. I like the sound of the tail-end horn in the first clip - kind of like an elephant fart.


Finally, a shot of a long CN 305 passing the Trois-Pistoles station in the night of May 12, 2007 during the short detour. Unfortunately it was quite dark.

Gotcha!

Armed with the knowledge that the CP track evaluation train was coming, I decided to head to Fredericton Junction right after supper to try to catch it before it got too dark. My two youngest kids and I hit the road at 17:50 and raced to the Junction. As we went by Tracy, the scanner lit up with a conversation between the RTC and NBSR 2319 East, the freight train, at 18:24. The gist of what they said was:
- NBSR 2319 East was between mile 36 (Hoyt) and 24 (Welsford).
- The CP train was still in McAdam, being refueled.

Knowing that, I knew I had lots of time before the CP TEC train showed up. We parked by the Fredericton Junction station and I let the kids run around for a while, before loading them back in the van to go up the line toward Cork. Since it had just rained, I figured the dirt road was not worth traveling on, so we parked in sight of the crossing at the end of pavement at mile 52.48. I put a DVD on and broke out the snacks.

At 19:34 the scanner chirped an EOT signal ("train nearby!!") so I jumped out of the van and ran toward the crossing. The lights came on and I saw headlights in the distance. I taped them there then set off in hot pursuit. I passed a sluggish pickup truck and got to the crossing at mile 49 about 30 seconds before the train got there at 19:40. Then it was off to Tracy.


The train was CP GP9 8218, tool car (boxcar) CP 424994, accommodation car CP 65 and track evaluation car CP 64. The last two cars were stainless steel cars.

The crossing lights were on at Tracy as I approached, and unfortunately I got behind a very slow pickup. I watched in despair as it started pulling away from us, but fortunately the other lane was clear when we got to the 80 km/h zone and I pulled over the dotted line to make my escape. I got to "downtown" Fredericton Junction in good time, parked near the caboose and walked across the tracks to get a shot of the train with the CP caboose in the background at 19:48.



Given the failing light and the kids needing to get to bed at a reasonable hour, I gave up the chase there and headed home.

Hopefully someone can get some still shots of the train in Saint John before its return next week. If I hear when it is coming back, you'll be the first to know.


More TEC train posts

FLASH: CP Track Evaluation Train Imminent

I just got word that the CP track evaluation (TEC) train is en route to New Brunswick. It should be in McAdam within 2 hours (say around 5-5:30 PM) and carry on to Saint John to lay over for the weekend. They will work the track on the way back next week... probably up to McAdam then down the St. Stephen sub like last year.

The eastbound freight is due into McAdam around 16:30 today, so the TEC train will run after the freight.

How to Film From Too Close to the Tracks

This is TOO CLOSE. Take some steps back. Your camera has a zoom lens - use it for your own safety.

Read the comments on the video:

• "Grâce à des imbéciles comme toi, les VRAIS amateurs de train se font détester par les équipes de trains!" (Thanks to imbeciles like you, TRUE train amateurs are hated by train crews!)


• "Tu n'es qu'un imbecile pour filmer les trains de si pres et en plus la qualite est degeux!" (You are an imbecile to film the trains so close and the quality is poor!)


• "Should film the trains right at the corner. Can stand farther back for a better view"

Stay safe!

New potash mine for N.B.

Potash Corp. unveils new New Brunswick mine

CBC reports that the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. plans to build a new mine near its existing Sussex operation to be operational by 2011.

More traffic for CN!

Petition to Save the Fredericton Railway Station

Many of you know the sad state of the former Canadian Pacific Railway station in Fredericton. Heritage Canada listed it amongst the 10 most endangered heritage buildings in Canada. Web site InFredericton describes it as the dilapidated remains of a once vibrant building. This unique structure deserves to be preserved.

The Fredericton Friends of the Railway have been trying to get it refurbished, but they have run into a number of roadblocks. Now, Tim Scammel has produced an online petition as a call to action for the three levels of government to get involved and save this valuable property before it is gone forever. Witness the recent destruction of the Kentville roundhouse, which was the last roundhouse in Nova Scotia. Get on board!

Sign the petition

NB Southern transfer train video

Dave Dineen has posted a video of NBSR 9803 and 2318 taking a short transfer train from Island Yard to the Dever Road yard on YouTube.

The video features two segments, one at the mouth of Island Yard and one at Mill Street.

New YouTube blogger

New YouTuber JamminJoel has put a few videos up.

This one from January 13 2007 shows the NB Southern eastbound train at the highway 630 crossing, just on the New Brunswick side of the Maine border. NBSR 9802, yellow 2317, green 2319 and 9801 supplied the power for a decent-sized train.


The train continued on with NBSR 2318 added. Joel shot it at Harvey Station by the highway crossing.


He also has a few CB&CNS videos up... check them all out. Here's one from November 3, 2006.

New/old videos on YouTube

In my continuing quest to put all my train videos on YouTube, I put another six CN videos online. Here are a few.

CN 148 near Milford on October 26, 2002. David Othen and I were just wrapping up a great railfanning morning. This train had two CN blue test cars right behind the engines.


CN 149 at McGivney on February 19, 2004. This was the same day a big winter storm hit Nova Scotia, but not New Brunswick.


CN 701 at Windsor Junction, NS on April 22, 2004. Bill Linley and I had just seen 120 come through the Junction, then 701 left.


CN 148 arriving at Halifax, NS in 2004.

Trains on the 5th of July

Kevin G chased VIA 14 and 15 on a rainy July 5. Here are a few of his videos, from YouTube.

VIA 14 (with 6428 and 6403) at Shediac Road:


Then VIA 14 again at Sackville:


And finally VIA 14 leaving Amherst:


VIA 15 (with 6427 and 6405) at Sackville Amherst:


Here it is at Gort (passing Gordon Yard in Moncton).


EDIT: I put Sackville instead of Amherst for the fourth video - thanks for the correction!

Saint John Wallboard Spur Photos

Ask and ye shall receive! Ron Grant sent me a handful of photos of the new wallboard spur under construction in Saint John, at the site of the old drydock.

It looks like the switch is just off Bayside Drive. I hope to get down to Saint John sometime to have a look for myself!

Photo of MM&A units in Moncton

Phil Ross kindly gave me permission to post his photo of the two MM&A units (8569 and 8578) in Gordon Yard in Moncton this evening. Thanks, Phil!

MM&A in New Brunswick

Two MM&A units, 8569 and 8578, came into Saint John this morning at 2 AM. I'm told there is a major derailment in Maine and the units are going the long way around to get back to home territory. They were taken to Island Yard today and went to Moncton on CN 305 - Wendell Lemon reported them in Moncton at 5 PM tonight.

Here's a photo of 8569 by Rod Bushway, from RailPictures.

Kentville roundhouse being demolished

The roundhouse is coming down today as I write this. RIP DAR.

RAG

New Siding in Saint John

There is a new siding being built in Saint John to serve the new Irving Wallboard plant on Bayside Drive (at the former shipbuilding site). It is an extension of the current Irving Paper spur behind the NB Power Courtenay Bay plant across Bayside Drive to a new covered warehouse on the former shipbuilding site. This will be serviced by NB Southern, of course.

Hopefully someone will have pictures soon! :)

Various Sightings

First off, happy Canada Day! Or as old farts like me say, Dominion Day.

Danny McCracken called yesterday and left a message that the NB Southern excursion train would be leaving Saint John today (Canada Day) at 7 AM to proceed to McAdam for the 11 AM excursion run to Harvey.

He also mentioned that the eastbound train departed McAdam at 15:10 with NBSR 9801, 9802, 2612 and 2318. Thanks, Danny!

I would have liked to chase the excursion train on its way to McAdam this morning, but I had to take my mom to Moncton to fly out at 06:15. When I left the airport at 05:30 I flipped on the scanner and I heard someone talking French to the Napadogan RTC. My French is not great but I heard them reading the number of loads and empties so I figured it was a departing westbound. At that time of the morning it had to be CN 305.

I decided to go to Berry Mills and see if I could get them before they went by. I parked there and waited, and soon I heard them call the Lutes station sign, then at 05:58 I saw them on the long straightaway. Soon CN 2574, 5313 and 2589 went by with a whopping 123 cars. No DPU, by the way.

I knew it was going to be a blur shot when my camera wanted to do a shutter speed of 1/60 second at ISO 200. Just not enough light...

After that, I went to Gordon Yard to see what was happening... zilch. These were the units in the yard: CN 6007, CN 4729, CN 4727, CN 4012, CN 4719.

Have fun today!