Confessions of a Train Geek

New Youtuber

2008-08-27T12:05:00.005-03:00

I noticed a new Youtuber online, chandlersub. He joined a couple of days and posted several nice videos. Nice to see he uses a tripod. :)

He shot a nice ballast train led by NBEC 1818 at Pabos, Quebec on August 6.

I shot the Chaleur there last year.

Here's VIA 615 (the Ocean) rolling through Matapedia, Quebec on August 4.

Also, VIA 17 (the Chaleur) departing the same night. It looks like it had two units and about 11 cars... quite a train for the peninsula.

Thanks for posting those videos!

Matt at Marsh Junction

2008-08-27T07:26:00.003-03:00

Matt the saintjohnrailfan shot several trains at Marsh Junction in Moncton.

Here's VIA 615 and CN 534 at Marsh Junction, within a few minutes of each other. 534 had CN 4725 and three cars.

Next, returning CN 534, VIA 614, and CN 407 all pass through Marsh Junction.

Finally, CN 408 in the sunset at Marsh Junction to end the day.

Matt posted more about this trip here. Great videos!

August 17 at Chaplin, Saskatchewan

2008-08-23T13:36:00.005-03:00

I heard trains running all night long while I was trying to sleep. I'm not complaining... I laid awake between 6 and 7 AM listening to a steady parade of trains going by, before I dragged my butt out of bed and got dressed. I went trackside shortly after 7 AM expecting to see more trains, yet nothing came. I resolved to stick it out, and at 08:13 I was rewarded with an eastbound coal unit train with CEFX 1032 and CP 9515 pulling and CP 9774 pushing 123 cars.

Later, I heard a train slowing to a stop. It turned out to be westbound CP 5987? and 5717 holding the main for a meet at 10:43. Shortly thereafter, they were overtaken by a westbound container train with CP 9564 leading and CP 8538 mid-train. The train had 19 autoracks and 39 platforms. As you can see, I was on the "bad side" of the light.

Afterward, I heard one of the crews saying there was someone on the elevator track taking pictures. :)

While we were out riding horses, an eastbound came into town and met the local working the salt mine. The local had a pair of GP38s as far as I could see.

At 15:46 I shot an eastbound container train with Olympic unit CP 8872 on the head end with CP 9565?, and CP 8846 pushing.

For my final train at Chaplin, I saw a westbound grain train at 16:38 with CP 8836 and CP 8518 pulling precisely 100 cars. This was one of my favourites from Chaplin.

August 16 in Chaplin

2008-08-23T01:57:00.001-03:00

After I visited Regina, I went to the tiny town of Chaplin, Saskatchewan for a visit. Did you know Chaplin has a Wikipedia entry? I had no idea.

From a railway perspective, CP's main line runs right through Chaplin, which used to be a division point in the steam age. The grain elevator still stands in Chaplin, and is still in use, but I'm not sure it still handles grain. There is also a sodium sulphate mine in Chaplin that sees rail traffic.

I was sitting on the back deck with the scanner on, and I heard the hotbox detector west of Chaplin. I walked over to the line to wait for trains, and alas nothing showed up. I had given up and had started walking back when I heard a train blowing for the crossings. I ran back and at 17:58 I saw an eastbound train with Olympic unit CP 8859, CP 8752?, 95 platforms (almost all doublestacks), and pusher CP 8714 on the end.

Sorry for the poor quality - these are video captures.

Later, I walked over to the rail line around 8:30 PM to see what was what, and soon afterward an eastbound passed through at 20:46 with CP 8520, a second unit, CP 3125, 19 platforms, 6 steel cars, and 78 others. The detector at Secretan said it had 428 axles.

New blog - Fredericton Train Station

2008-08-22T21:23:00.002-03:00

I have started YAB (Yet Another Blog) - this one for the Fredericton Friends of the Railway. I have been posting about every week, just noting the condition of the station and the articles being published in the media about it. Soon Enterprise Fredericton will have a study completed and we'll proceed from there. Have hope, friends!

Guilford Rail

2008-08-22T18:00:00.001-03:00

Gary Lee shot a couple of videos of the Pan Am Railways (ex-Guilford) unit in St. Stephen. Pan Am has an isolated piece of track from Calais that serves the Woodland, Maine mill. They interchange with NB Southern in Milltown at the border. Occasionally you can see the Guilford unit in McAdam as it gets shipped out for servicing by Pan Am. I saw MEC 320 in McAdam on November 25, 2006.

Here are Gary's videos.

August 16 in Regina

2008-08-21T10:43:00.004-03:00

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.

Irving Wallboard Empties

2008-08-21T01:07:00.001-03:00

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

CN Westbound in Winnipeg

2008-08-20T18:40:00.004-03:00

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!

More Saskatchewan Sightings

2008-08-19T23:13:00.003-03:00

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

Quick Shot From Chaplin Saskatchewan

2008-08-19T02:43:00.001-03:00

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

CFMG Videos

2008-08-19T02:06:00.003-03:00

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!

CN and CP in Regina

2008-08-18T16:04:00.002-03:00

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.

Prairie Sightings

2008-08-17T03:13:00.003-03:00

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!

Two More American Trains

2008-08-11T09:28:00.002-03:00

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.

CN 405 in Rothesay

2008-08-10T17:44:00.003-03:00

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.

Kevin's Blog

2008-08-09T15:11:00.002-03:00

Kevin Gaudet started a railway blog... check it out!

Norfolk Southern Coal Train

2008-08-08T16:34:00.000-03:00

I shot a Norfolk Southern (NS) coal train in Harmar, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh on November 30, 2005. It had SD60 6710 and NS 8664 leading about 70-80 loaded coal cars.

I originally blogged about it here.

Super Long CN 405

2008-08-07T07:00:00.000-03:00

Matt aka saintjohnrailfan shot a 183-car CN 405 in Rothesay today. It had CN 5717, 5361 and 2642 for power.

Matt was using a Canon S3 IS borrowed from Dave Dineen's. It does a nice job. I know I love mine!

Video: CN 121 through Bathurst

2008-08-06T10:54:00.000-03:00

Here's a video from David Chiasson of CN 121 slowly rolling through the Bathurst yard. This is the same train that David saw at Beresford. I believe a friend of David's taped the train in Bathurst.

NBSR 2318 Redux

2008-08-05T19:40:00.000-03:00

I see Gary Lee taped the same train I saw on Monday. He correctly identified the second engine as 2610 where I said it was 2612. Ooops.

Chaleur News Article

2008-08-05T10:23:00.000-03:00

There is an article online about the flooding in the Gaspe peninsula that forced the Chaleur to return.

The article basically states that the flooding caused significant damage in or near the villages of Maria and Carleton. The railway line and highway 132 were both cut.

CN Detour Over

2008-08-05T07:26:00.002-03:00

I understand there was one more CN 121 on the NBEC Sunday night / early Monday morning, but the rest of the CN trains have returned to the normal Pelletier / Napadogan routes.

New Railway Blog

2008-08-04T21:38:00.000-03:00

Matt aka Saintjohnrailfan has started his own blog! Check it out.

He joins the other NB railway bloggers, including myself, Dave Dineen and Chris M. Good to see more people sharing their experiences.

NB Southern 2318 East

2008-08-04T19:25:00.005-03:00

Sick with cabin fever, I decided to brave the rain and go see a train today. Word was that the eastbound was due to arrive in McAdam at 2 PM, so I left my house at that time to intercept it near Fredericton Junction. My two youngest kids and I arrived at the Junction and did a bit of scouting before settling in at a private crossing just east of the highway crossing at Vespra. Or Rooth. Not sure.

Anyway, it was a long, long wait. I set up my tripod but left my video camera off, because the rain was intermittent and often fairly heavy. We played DVDs and waited... and waited...

Finally my scanner squawked on the EOT channel at 15:59. A few seconds later, I heard the train blow for the highway crossing around the corner. I set the video camera on the tripod and started taping. I grabbed one quick still shot before concentrating on taping.

The consist was 2318, 2610 and 2317 with 41 cars, a mix of empty centerbeam flats, boxcars, tank cars, auto racks, wood chip cars and two doublestack cars on the end.

They rolled on by, and we gave chase. They beat us to the next road crossing, and through Tracy we were neck and neck. I passed them on the 80 km/h stretch and zipped into Fredericton Junction and parked on the far side of the station. I hopped out and taped them handheld as they rolled on by.

The conductor gave a nice wave as they went by. I always feel bad that I can't wave back, but I had two hands on the video camera and I didn't want to shake the picture. Next time.

EDIT: Corrected second engine number.