Thursday, May 01, 2008

CN Detour, Day 1, Evening

My evening started off with a great find. As I left Belledune I heard the EOT device chirp on the scanner at 17:52, so I beat it for the west end of the Belledune siding. As I approached the crossing the lights came on, and I just had time to jump out and take one snapshot before CN 121 was blasting by.
CN 2560 in Belledune, NB

Then I took video with the Canon S3.


Michel Boudreau shot it just before me, in Bathurst threading its way through the yard. 121 had CN 2560 and 2645 for power. It was reported into Campbellton just after 20:00.


As I approached Bathurst, I heard NBEC 402 (with 6904 for power) getting an OCS clearance (22 loads, 5 empties, 2797 tons, 1927 feet). I thought that very odd because I saw 6904 in Miramichi in the morning! I'm guessing that NBEC turned 402 in Bathurst rather than have it proceed all the way to Miramichi, and had 6904 bring the northbound traffic up and take the southbound traffic down. That would also explain the empty Ultramar tank train in Bathurst yard tonight, which would normally never dwell in Bathurst.

ANYway, I drove over 402 on highway 11 at 18:21, then took the next exit and beat it for Nepisiguit Junction. I was there a minute before 402 showed up. They were talking about going into the siding at Bartibog.

I went back to the yard and saw NBEC 586 making up its train. At 19:14 they left for the Nepisiguit Subdivision. They had 9 loads, 50 empties, 3320 tons, and were 2830 feet long.


I taped it with my weenie tripod right on the bridge members. It was a little precarious.


At 19:32 NBEC 586 reported it was on the Nepisiguit Sub, and at 19:40 NBEC 402 reported that it left Bartibog.

VIA 15, the Ocean, arrived in Bathurst in fairly heavy rain at 20:09 with VIA 6410 leading.
VIA 6410 Bathurst

I had a tip later on that CN 123 was coming, so I went down to the station and saw them come through at 22:32. CN 123 had CN 5704, IC 2462, CN 4775, and another GP38 for power.

On to day 2

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