Confessions of a Train Geek

I spent some time railfanning in Regina in the afternoon. First, I went to the CN yard off 1st Avenue North. My son and I stood on the berm on the south side of the yard and watched the "choo choos". There was only one unit running around, CN 4790.


4790 was kicking cars in the yard. For those who don't know the term, "kicking" refers to the practice of sorting cars by rolling them through the yard without an engine attached. The engine and cars accelerate to a brisk walking speed, then the conductor on the ground uncouples the car while the engine stops. The "kicked" car or cars continue rolling on momentum down the track until they run out of speed or couple to the cars already in the yard. It's a faster way of sorting cars but I expect it can be a little hard on the cars.


My favourite little engines, the Canadian-only GMD1, were represented by 1438 and 1415.


There were two cabooses in the yard, red 79847 and odd black 79543.


CN 4791 and 4795 were also in the yard.

After we watched for a while, we went over to Dewdney Avenue to the CP yard. I shot a collection of units through the fence, though none of the pictures are really worth printing here. I saw CP 1611, CEFX 104, CP 3133, CP 1603, CP 6007, CP 1568, CP 3103, and CP 3049 as well as caboose CP 434412, as well as one rabbit.

While we were watching, we noticed a train rolling by on the main. I ran over and recorded it with my Canon through the fence. I apologize for the backlit video. I believe the units were CP 8849, CP 8830, CP 5972, CP 6023, CP 9014, and CP 9022.


After that, it was time to go to Chaplin, SK for a day.

Labels: cn, cp, gmd1, regina, video

westsidemonster shot a quick video of NB Southern Railway delivering empty centerbeam flats to the Irving Wallboard plant on Bayside Drive. Nice catch!

Labels: nbsr, video, wallboard, westsidemonster

I was getting my car cleaned on Waverley today in Winnipeg, so I took a stroll over to the tracks. I looked right and there was a train rolling toward me - good timing on their part!

CN 8839 and 2512 pulled a long container train past in the bright sunlight.

Too bad I only had my cheapie Fuji camera with me, but it was better than nothing!

Labels: cn, winnipeg

2008/08/17 all sightings at Chaplin
08:13 e/b coal unit train (123 cars)
CEFX 1032, CP 9515 with CP 9774 pushing

10:43 w/b general freight on main
CP 5987?, 5717
overtaken by
w/b autorack (19) / container (28/39) train
CP 9564 with CP 8538 mid-train

11:33 e/b autoracks
met local in Chaplin
CP unit pushing
local had two GP38s

15:46 e/b container train
CP 8872 (Olympic), CP 9565?? with CP 8846 pushing

16:30 w/b grain train
CP 8836, 8518 with 100 cars


2008/08/18
Belle Plaine
14:29 w/b container and general freight train took siding
CP 5914, CP 6039, CP 5959, CEFX 1044
met
15:06 e/b container train #106
CP 8555 with CP 8507 pushing

15:17 train 106 through Pense

At Pense
15:22 e/b mixed train #212? (5 platforms, 13 cars)
CP 9548, CP 5928

15:31 w/b general freight
CP 6007, CP 3103, CP 1611, CP 8505

Labels: chaplin, cp, saskatchewan

Here's a quick photo from August 17 of a westbound CP freight passing through Chaplin, Saskatchewan. Good times.

Labels: chaplin, cp, saskatchewan

Young CFMGD has posted some videos of CFMG trains in Quebec.

First, a ballast train with NBEC 6905.


Next, NBEC 6901, NBEC 6904, NBEC 6905, and CFMG 6903 at mile 127.6 on the Mont-Joli sub.


Here's a train with NBEC 6901, 6904, and 6905 arriving at Riviere-Du-Loup.


Keep up the good work!

Labels: cfmg, cfmgd, nbec, quebec, video

Here's a couple of short videos I took in Regina, Saskatchewan on the 16th of August. The first one was taken at the CN yard in Regina. CN 4790 was "kicking" cars, rolling them into the yard. This video shows a bit of a loud bang as they come together.


This video was taken off Dewdney Avenue in Regina at the CP yard. CP 8849 and several other engines roll along the main line.

Labels: cn, cp, regina, saskatchewan, video

I'm on vacation in the Prairies, which is why I haven't been posting. I'll have photos and video later, but here is what I've seen so far.

August 15 08:58
Newton, MB
CN 5639, 2538
8 covered hoppers, 60 empty centerbeam flats

August 16
Regina, SK (CN yard)
13:30
In yard: cabooses CN 79847 and unusual black CN 79543; CN 4791 and 4795 coupled together; GMD1 1438 and 1415 separate
CN 4790 was kicking cars

Regina, SK (CP Yard)
14:10
In yard: CP 1611, CEFX 104, CP 3133, CP 1603, CP 6007, CP 1568, x115, CP 3103, CP 3049
Caboose CP 434412
On main: CP 8849, CP 8830, CP 5972, CP 6023, CP 9014, CP 9022

Chaplin, SK
17:58
CP 8859 (Olympic), CP 8752?, 95 platforms (almost all doublestacks), CP 8714 pushing
e/b

Chaplin, SK
20:46
CP 8520, ???, CP 3125, 428 axles
19 platforms, 6 steel cars, 78 others
e/b

Scanner reception here in Saskatchewan is excellent. I can hear hotbox detectors 20 miles away. There is one on each side of me so I get great advance warning of trains. I hope to bag quite a few CP trains tomorrow!

Labels: cn, cp, manitoba, regina, saskatchewan

Here are two more videos from my November 2005 trip to Pittsburgh.

The first is another Norfolk Southern train in Harmar, Pennsylvania outside Pittsburgh (blog post). This one features three NS engines pulling a general freight train.


The second was taken near downtown Pittsburgh on December 1. I decided to railfan the CSX line rather than Norfolk Southern... probably a mistake if I was looking for number of trains, as the adjacent NS line had probably twice the number of trains. Oh well, it was interesting to see something different than NS and I did get the downtown Pittsburgh skyline in the shot.

Labels: csx, norfolk southern, ns, pittsburgh, video

Matt the saintjohnrailfan shot CN 405 this morning passing the old Rothesay railway station. It was a short train, only 31 cars with two units (5736 and 2642).


He shot at just about the same location I did back in February 2007. Of course, it was CN 305 then, not 405.

Labels: 305, 405, cn, rothesay, saintjohnrailfan, video