Trackside Log for Monday, September 10, 2012

We three travellers awoke this morning in Edmundston, New Brunswick and set off for the day. Before leaving town I drove down to the Canadian National tracks in town. Parked there was a pair of GP38s so I took a quick photograph.

• 0945 ADT Edmundston, NB - CN power - CN 4719-CN 4810
  

Next we were off and quickly changing time zones as we made our way back to Québec. My first destination was three hours away in Vallée-Jonction. I wanted to see what the Québec Central looked like these days.

• 1301 EDT Vallée-Jonction, PQ - former Québec Central station
  
• 1303 EDT Vallée-Jonction, PQ - museum display - CNR 46
  
• 1311 EDT Vallée-Jonction, PQ - former Québec Central engine shed
  

Sadly the old engine shed and turn table were sitting empty and idle. Everything has been removed. It was really rather disappointing. With nothing else to photograph we made our way west to Sherbrooke where I found a Montreal, Maine & Atlantic locomotive and the Orford Express tour train's M420TR.

• 1657 EDT Sherbrooke, PQ - MMA power - MMA 2004
  
• 1659 EDT Sherbrooke, PQ - Orford Express power - OEX 26
  

Our next stop was in Richmond to see if anything interesting was at the St. Lawrence & Atlantic. Unfortunately when we drove along the yard we could see only freight cars. It was getting a bit late so we decided to call it a day and made our way to Brossard for the night.

Trackside Log for Sunday, September 9, 2012

This morning we departed Moncton, New Brunswick somewhat late. We weren't terribly energetic thanks in part to the dull overcast skies and the forecast of rain all day. However, as we set off the weather remained dry. Our first stop of the day was the New Brunswick Railway Museum in Hillsborough.

• 1106 ADT Hillsborough, NB - New Brunswick Railway Museum equipment
  

After photographing much of the equipment at the museum, Sam, Missy and I set off for Saint John. We followed the Canadian National tracks much of the way but nothing was rolling on them.

Ten years ago Marcus and I made this same trek with the intent of photographing the New Brunswick Southern Railway. To put it bluntly, we got hosed. We didn't see anything to photograph. So this time I really wanted to find something to point a camera at. As we were headed toward their yard, we heard on the scanner that a pair of locomotives were headed to Harbour Station. I wasn't familiar with the area so I didn't know where this was. However, luck was with us. As we drove around a curve there they were.

• 1417 ADT Saint John, NB - NBSR eastbound - HLCX 6315-HLCX 6318
  

I thought it was interesting to note that the lead unit, HLCX 6315, is the former CP 5522 running on former Canadian Pacific tracks.

After the light power rolled away we continued to the New Brunswick Southern's yard. When we arrived we found a leased GP38-2 switching the east end.

• 1435 ADT Saint John, NB - NBSR switcher - GMTX 2666
  

After photographing the switch crew sorting auto racks into the transfer facility it began to rain lightly. I took this as my cue to leave. I was quite happy to have photographed something on the New Brunswick Southern but it was time to drive to Edmundston for the evening.

Trackside Log for Thursday, September 6, 2012

This morning Sam, Missy and I set out from Summerside, Prince Edward Island and toured much of Prince County. We were taking in the scenery, I was photographing the lighthouses in the county and we made two knitting related stops at La Co-op d'Artisanat d'Abram-Village, in Abram's Village and MacAusland's Wollen Mills in Bloomfield. I found the mill quite interesting. It's been operating for 80 years and was a lumber mill before that.

While there is little remaining of the island railways, we did happen across the old Canadian National station in Alberton.

• 1503 ADT Alberton, PE - former Canadian National station
  

Ten years ago Marcus and I toured much of Prince Edward Island and photographed some of the other railway remnants.

After a very interesting day on the island we decided to head back across the Confederation Bridge to Truro, Nova Scotia. Just after the bridge we made a small detour to Cape Tormentine. This is former site of the Canadian National car ferry dock. Little remains now, but the old station, engine shed and water tower remain.

• 1704 ADT Cape Tormentine, NB - former Canadian National station
  
• 1704 ADT Cape Tormentine, NB - former Canadian National engine shed and water tower
  

Finally we drove to Truro. We passed by the rail yards there but nothing interesting was present so we ended the day with supper and lodging.

Trackside Log for Wednesday, September 5, 2012

This morning I took Missy out for a short walk in Campbellton, New Brunswick. Since the rail yard was nearby I decided to take her there. I was last in Campbellton in 2002. At that time the railway was the New Brunswick East Coast. Now it is back in the hands of Canadian National. When we walked by we could see a Canadian National GP9 and GP38-2W switching. We finished our walk, returned to the Howard Johnson, had breakfast with Sam, and then set off for the day. We passed by the yard again and found the local finishing its work.

• 1011 ADT Campbellton, NB - CN 564 east - CN 4114-CN 4773
  

Since the train was running in the same direction we were, I headed out ahead of it. I found a bridge to photograph it on at Promenade des Religieuses Hospitalières de Saint-Joseph at the east end of Campbellton.

• 1041 ADT Campbellton, NB - CN 564 east - CN 4114-CN 4773
  

Our next photo location was at Blair Malcolm Road in Dalhousie Junction.

• 1100 ADT Dalhousie Junction, NB - CN 564 east - CN 4114-CN 4773
  

We stopped at Bathurst where I had intended to stop by the Smurfit Stone plant to see if the former TH&B SW1200 was around. It wasn't and neither was the plant. It has nearly all been demolished.

We also passed by Miramichi but nothing was there aside from a long string of parked centre beam flat cars. By this time it had started to rain so we continued toward Moncton and ultimately Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Our only two stops were at London-Wul, a yarn shop near Moncton, and in Borden, Prince Edward Island, the end of the Confederation Bridge and former Canadian National ferry dock.

Trackside Log for Sunday, July 14, 2002

• Windsor, Nova Scotia - Windsor & Hantsport westbound - WHRC 8036/WHRC 8038
• Windsor, Nova Scotia - Windsor & Hantsport power - WHRC 8026
• Windsor, Nova Scotia - Windsor & Hantsport power - WHRC 8042
• Windsor, Nova Scotia - Windsor & Hantsport power - WHRC 8046
• Windsor, Nova Scotia - Windsor & Hantsport power - WHRC 8027
• Windsor, Nova Scotia - Windsor & Hantsport power - WHRC 8041
• Falmouth, Nova Scotia - Windsor & Hantsport westbound - WHRC 8036/WHRC 8038
• Hantsport, Nova Scotia - Windsor & Hantsport westbound - WHRC 8036/WHRC 8038
• Avonport, Nova Scotia - Windsor & Hantsport westbound - WHRC 8036/WHRC 8038
• Grand Pré, Nova Scotia - Windsor & Hantsport westbound - WHRC 8036/WHRC 8038
• Wolfville, Nova Scotia - Windsor & Hantsport westbound - WHRC 8036/WHRC 8038
• Sackville, New Brunswick - VIA 15 west "The Ocean" - VIA 6413-VIA 6406
• Hillsborough, New Brunswick - Salem & Hillsborough power - SH 1754
• Hillsborough, New Brunswick - Salem & Hillsborough power - SH 8245
• Hillsborough, New Brunswick - Salem & Hillsborough power - SH 1754
• Hillsborough, New Brunswick - static display - CNR 1009

Trackside Log for Wednesday, July 10, 2002

• Campbellton, New Brunswick - New Brunswick East Coast power - CP 1809
• Campbellton, New Brunswick - NBEC 591 south - NBEC 1857-NBEC 1819
• Bathurst, New Brunswick - NBEC 597 south - NBEC 1851
• Bathurst, New Brunswick - Smurfit Stone switcher - STJX 01 (ex-THB 55)
• Miramichi, New Brunswick - NBEC 403 north - NBEC 6901-NBEC 4235-NBEC 6904
• Miramichi, New Brunswick - New Brunswick East Coast power - CFMG 6910
• Nelson, New Brunswick - New Brunswick East Coast westbound - NBEC 4210-NBEC 1834
• Berry Mills, New Brunswick - VIA 15 west "The Ocean" - VIA 6411-VIA 6453
• Moncton, New Brunswick - CN ???bound - CN 2504-CN 5521