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NOTE: GRAY HEADERS INDICATE NO NEWS THIS MONTH

 

CAPE BRETON & CENTRAL NOVA SCOTIA RWY

 

CENTRAL MAINE AND QUEBEC RAILWAY

The U.S. Federal Railway Administration test train traveled from Brownville Junction, Maine to Jackman, Maine over Central Maine and Quebec Railway and return on May 16th.  The photos below by Harry Gordon are of the FRA train operating on the Moosehead Sub behind two of CM&Q's ex-BNSF, ex-ATSF GP35u's.  Harry Gordon photo.

 The train rounds the climbing "S" curve near Jackman, in what Harry Gordon calls a "Self-framing photo".  Harry Gordon photo.

CM&Q's connection at Northern Maine Junction, Pan Am Railways, is, as previously reported, in very poor (10 mph) condition north of Waterville, Maine.  Trains from Waterville to Northern Maine Junction and return are often using three crews to do the 100-mile round trip.  Rumors of a pending sale abound on the web, but as is so often the case, nothing concrete has been reported.  However, the locomotive deadline at Pan Am's Waterville, Maine shop is extensive and growing, and I have heard reports that 60% of their roster is out of service.  Many foreign-road locomotives operate on Pan Am west of Portland, but Waterville north is PAR-owned or leased four-axle country, so the shortage has been covered by additional leasers, including a former Conrail GP-15.  This is unusual on PAR, which is normally all -40 units, including leasers.  As CM&Q, EMR and NBSR are heavily dependent on Pan Am to move and receive carloads from and to the  south, this is not good news. 

EASTERN MAINE RWY / MAINE NORTHERN RWY

The United States Federal Railway Administration inspection train returned to EMR on May 5th, here seen crossing the big marsh at Eaton, Maine eastbound.  Paul Donovan photo.

 Operating from Brownville Junction to Vanceboro, Maine and back to BJCT the same day, the inspection train is seen at Vanceboro during a short layover to allow the locomotives to run around the train.  Lead unit MP-15 GMTX 204 is ex-Alaska Railroad 1552.  Trailing unit NBSR 6200 is ex-C&NW 6822, ex-HLCX 6200.  Paul Donovan photo.

 Shortly afterwards, the train is seen running westbound along the shore of Lambert Lake, Maine.  Paul Donovan photo.

The open platform and big windows curving into the roof of FRA 220 look out of the place these days, but certainly a welcome sight as it rolls west through Lambert Lake, Maine.  Paul Donovan photo.

 Eastern Maine railway crosses a lot of marshland on its route between the border and Brownville Junction.  Westbound NBSR 8144 West crosses Bog Brook Marsh in Bancroft, Maine, on April 26th.  Paul Donovan photo.

 

MAINE NORTHERN RAILWAY

Maine Northern Railway's little-known operation to St. Leonard, NB operates five days a week (M-F) across the international railway bridge from Van Buren, Maine.  I've covered it before, but had a chance to speak to the conductor April 27th as they made a reverse move on the CN main line to reach the wye back to the bridge.  The local from Van Buren handles as many as 40 cars across the international border in a single day.  NBSR 911 and GMTX 211 (ex-Genesee and Wyoming) are in charge today at CNR Road, St. Leonard, NB.  Paul Donovan photo.

Maine Northern's other branch line operations include Oakfield to Houlton, which operates Saturdays only, and Scopan (formerly Squaw Pan), Maine to Presque Isle, which operates Sundays only.  Call times vary, but the Houlton run is usually in daylight. Harry Gordon chased the Oakfield - Houlton turn on March 13t, and caught this shot of the train passing an iconic former potato warehouse at New Limerick. 

Harry Gordon caught the same train crossing the bridge over the Meduxnekeag River at Houlton with a single car from Cavendish Farms (another Irving subsidiary), located on the north end of Houlton near end-of-track.  This was the former Bangor and Aroostook main line to Van Buren, Maine. 

 

NEW BRUNSWICK SOUTHERN RAILWAY

"PORT CITY RAILS SAINT JOHN 2016", a joint convention of the Maritime Federation of Model Railroaders and the Northeastern Region of the National Model Railroad Association, and hosted by the Saint John Society of Model Railroaders, was held at Saint John, NB on Saturday, May 21st.  As part of the convention, New Brunswick Southern Railway loaned its passenger equipment and a locomotive/slug combination for a special "Round the Harbor" excursion.   All proceeds were donated to charity.  Operating from the platform adjacent to the still-extant but repurposed Saint John Via Rail station, the special is seen crossing the Reversing Falls Bridge outbound to the Bayshore Branch, which splits from the NBSR main line in West Saint John.  Paul Donovan photo. 

 The excursion passed the Irving Paper Mill, stopped in the small yard that serves the mill, then backed down the Bayshore Branch to the outer edge of the harbor.  The branch was once the double-track CPR passenger line to their Saint John Station and Nova Scotia ferry terminal, but now serves a number of industries in the Bay Shore area of West Saint John.  The last leg of the excursion follows the Bay of Fundy shore quite closely.  In CPR'S Atlantic Limited days, the last few miles of the train's eastward journey, and first few miles of its westward journey, ran along these shores.  In the photo below, the excursion is returning from Bayshore.  Paul Donovan photo.

After once again pulling by the the Bayshore Branch switch at West Saint John, the train then backed on the main line to Harbor Station to unload.  Paul Donovan photo

 A short distance west of Saint John lies NBSR's West Saint John yard and engine terminal.  This photo from the Dever Road overpass gives you an overview of their West Saint John facilities.  Paul Donovan photo.

 

If you look closely, the special's three ex-CN, ex-VIA Rail coaches have already been returned to the yard.  Coupled to them are an unidentifiable smoothside combine and heavyweight passenger car, as well as NBSR's caboose/business car.  Can anyone provide any background on these two passenger cars?

 The largest building is NBSR's lumber reload facility.   The engine house is in the background.  There is no public access to the facility and there is a guard station that protects NBSR's property and some additional Irving facilities in the large complex.  CPR's West Saint John station, which replaced the Bayshore facility as the Saint John station in CPR days, and doubled as a yard tower, has been demolished.  It stood to the left side of the photo alongside the yard.

NBSR is very active in Saint John.  Not only do they switch the Irving paper mill and refinery, but also the large the potash loading facility on the harbor, a large scrap metal export facility, their own West Saint John Yard and Bayshore Yard, and the former CN yard north of town, just to name a few activities.  Two freshly-painted GP38-2's, paired with ex-CN slugs, were present at the other NBSR yard, the former CN yard on the northeast side of Saint John, on the afternoon of May 21st.  Despite the downturn in the shipment of crude oil, many crude oil tankers, both loaded and empty, were in the yard, en route to or from the huge Irving Refinery.  NBSR 906 with slug 0o3, having just returned from handling the "Round the Harbor" excursion, were at the car shop, and NBSR 913, paired with slug 002, was switching the eastern end of the yard.  913 and 906 are both ex-HLCX, ex-UP, and have been running around in full UP colors for some time.  The slugs have also been repainted, and the combinations looked good in fresh paint.  Paul Donovan photo.

 

SYDNEY COAL RAILWAY NEWS

February 19th, the Cape Breton Post published a very interesting article about the Sydney Coal Railway, and the exploratory work being done by NS Power with an eye to possibly reopening the Donkin coal mine in Cape Breton.  Currently, coal for NS Power's generating station in Cape Breton is brought by ship from the U.S. or South America, then hauled on a short section of the former Devco Railway, now the Sydney Coal Railway, to the NS Power Lingan Generating Station.  NS Power owns the Sydney Coal Railway.  As the article points out, if there is still viable coal in the mine, it might be cheaper to mine the coal locally and haul it by train to the plant.  However, a 15 km rail line would have to be built from the Donkin mine to connect to the Sydney Coal Railway.

 As Sydney Coal Railway is an isolated operation following the abandonment of the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway north of Port Hawkesbury, this captive operation would probably not have much impact on efforts to keep the abandoned northern portion of CB&CNS in place. 

EASTERN VIGNETTES

 

STATION STOPS

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ALGOMA CENTRAL RAILWAY - (RAILMARK)

 

BARRIE COLLINGWOOD RAILWAY (BCRY)

 

CANADA SOUTHER RAILWAY (CASO)

 

CANDO RAIL SERVICES

 

ESSEX TERMINAL RAILWAY (ETR)

Essex Terminal Railway SW1500 ETR 107 (which was the former GMDD 113), returned from major repairs at Peaker Services in Brighton, Michigan. The locomotive was returned by CSXT in Michigan, and then by CP from Rougemere Yard over to Windsor. ON.  The CP locomotives were concurrently shoving a loaded CSXT grain train back to CPR Windsor yard for pick up by the CSXT, their only tunnel moves these days, despite still holding the former C&O running rights.  Kenneth Borg shot her in Michigan following her repairs at Peaker Services in late-April.

GMDD SW1500 113 (Now ETR #107), was one of the General Motors Diesel Division shop switchers at the plant in London, Ontario during the prosperous years of the late 1970's.  Sam Beck shot her at the plant during the summer of 1977 wearing her GMDD paint scheme.

GODERICH - EXETER RAILWAY (GEXR)

GEXR GP40-2LW 3030 and her mates wait on the outbound shop track at MacMillan Yard on April 14th.

 

GEXR SD45T-2 3054 waits for its crew at CN Macmillan Yard in Toronto on Apr 14th.

GODERICH - EXETER RAILWAY VIGNETTE

   

ONTARIO NORTHLAND RAILWAY (ONT)

 

At Cochrane Ontario April 29th, Mike Robin caught ONT GP9's 1603 and  1601 working and giving a good tug to a lift of southbound tonnage from South Yard 1 at Cochrane. April 29th 29th. 

Jay lines Ontario Northland GP38-2 (ONT 1800) for track 4 at the south end of Cochrane Yard, as he and Phil pull Ditcher #1 into town. September 11, 2014 

As a pair yard jeeps wait for the clear, ONT SD40-2 1735 is rolling out of the South yard and to the shop after arriving from Englehart, with the afternoon's Train 213.

 

ONTARIO NORTHLAND RAILWAY VIGNETTES

 

Fresh from the plant, brand new Ontario Northland GP38-2 (ONT 1804) sits on the GMD test track spur in London Ontario in 1982.

 

ONTARIO SOUTHLAND RAILWAY (OSR)

The last day of the month saw Ontario Southland OSR 1620 and OSRX 6508 lifting CEFX 6009 in Woodstock Ontario and bring to their shop in Salford ON. OSR leases space to ZTR to install their BOA Traction Control in units. Here we see them heading to Salford with the unit. May 31 2016

Ontario Southland Railway OSRX FP9Au 6508, OSR GP9u 1620, OSR GP7 383 and OSR GP7 378 pose in Ingersoll Ontario. Work on the line between the shop and CAMI required power to be brought into Ingersoll before track work was started. May 2 2016

A bit of creative freedom provides this different look at Ontario Southland OSRX FP9Au 6508 and OSR GP9u 1620 as the slide along in CP Coakley siding Woodstock Ontario May 3rd, 2016. (Walter Pfefferle photo). 

Ontario Southland Railway OSR 1620 and 6508 rumbling along their way from Woodstock to Ingersoll Ontario on May 2nd.

Walter also caught OSRX FP9Au 6508 and OSR GP9u 1620 on May 4th, slipping past some stored hoppers, as they cruised through Beachville, Ontario.

 

Town Applying for Funding for Rail Line

By John Tapley, Ingersoll Times

Friday, May 13, 2016 3:16:16 EDT PM

Ingersoll is applying for federal funding to construct a short rail line from the Port Burwell Sub to the town's industrial land off Clarke Road to improve the marketability of the property. Full story HERE

ORANGEVILLE - BRAMPTON RAILWAY (OBRY)

On May 23rd  Cando Contracting GP9RM 4014, and leased CP GP20C-ECO 2261 headed north for Orangeville, which will become CCGX 4014’s new home.  CP 2261 will be returned to Canadian Pacific and the previous OBRY power (Uuserviceable GP9RM CCGX 4009), is getting evaluated on repair. Marcus Stevens shot the pair on May 23rd as the Cando GP9RM was being delivered to the OBRY at Streetsville, ON. 

The Orangeville-Brampton (OBRY) GP9RM 4009 is down with major mechanical problems and being repaired. For now OBRY is utilizing Canadian Pacific GP20C-ECO 2261 on lease from CP. (Chad Smith shot her working.)

 

OTTAWA VALLEY RAILWAY (RLK)

 

SOUTHERN ONTARIO RAILWAY (SOR)

Southern Ontario Railway 4001 switching in the Hamilton Yard May 20 2016. Ne Harbour West Station construction is to the left.

 

 

ONTARIO VIGNETTES

 

CANADA SOUTHERN (CASO) VIGNETTES

 

NEW YORK CENTRAL VIGNETTES

 

PENN CENTRAL VIGNETTES

 

In May 1975, Penn Central GP38 8007, an SW1500, a former NYC Bay window caboose are at Fort Erie, Ontario, as the crew a little chin wag before there next movement.

 

TORONTO HAMILTON & BUFFALO VIGNETTES

 

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CENTRAL MAINE AND QUEBEC (CMQ)

On a very warm May 11th, 2016, Francois Jolin photographed Central Maine & Quebec train #1 led by SD40-2F CMQ 9014 as it heading west on the Adirondack Sub approaching the yard in Farnham, QC.

Central Maine & Quebec train #1, skirts the shores of the Magog River on former Canadian Pacific trackage on a gorgeous spring afternoon on April 27th.

Central Maine & Quebec train #1 is rumbling over the trestle bridge high above Eastman, QC on a pleasant spring afternoon on April 27th. Francois Jolin caught PRLX SD40T-2 2856 leading PRLX sibling 2858 and a CM&Q (ex-CP) Red Barn.

 Francois Jolin snapped CM&Q train #810 with  very long consist heading to the interchange at Iberville, QC.  One car was picked up at a grain elevator in Mont St-Gregoire.

https://steelribbon.smugmug.com/Central-Maine-Quebec-Ry-810/i-pjZVZgT/A

 

 On May 19th, Frank caught CMQ #710 is leaving the yard in Farnham, QC  for Newport, Vermont.

 

https://steelribbon.smugmug.com/CMQ-710-Farnham-Quebec/i-dQMmwVq/A

ORFORD EXPRESS)

 

Orford Express

Riding on a replacement Flexicoil front trucks, Sylvain St-Amour caught FL9 484 returning to Quebec from repairs done in Ontario in late-April.  As no Blomberg replacement truck was available at that shop, this locomotive now has a Flexicoil front truck, the only FL9 in EMD history to have one!  The cab interior has been upgraded with new seats, and the overall paint has been redone.

The Orford Express tourist train was photographed in Storage in Sherbrooke, QC by Andre St-Amant on August 28th.

 

NEW ENGLAND CENTRAL (NECR)

Lee Carlson clicked NECR painted (CSOR) GP38 3857 with southbound 610, crossing the Susquetonscut Brook, in Franklin, CT.  There are two of these operating on the (CSOR) Connecticut Southern RR which is owned by G&W.  She is former GM&O GP38 708, built at EMD Lagrange back in April 1968

The Genesee and Wyoming Corp. owned New England Central Railroad are now down to just one active blue & gold GP38 on the roster. NECR 3845.  (Ex-GM&O 705).  (Jonelle DeFellice photo).

QUEBEC - GATINEAU (QGRY)

Luc Lanthier was in Quebec City on May 19th, and visited the Quebec-Gatineau Railway faculty. The following units were photographed at the QGRY yard: QGRY 3325, 3334, 6920, 6904 and ex-CP RS18u 1821 and 1868 and the former Charlevoix Tourist Train passager train consist currently stored there. 

On May 9th, Luc Lanthier photographed this westbound QGRY train in Plaisance, QC.  QGRY 2501 and 2005 with 28 cars, in which 24 of them are PROCOR cylindrical hopper cars going to Buckingham.  The town of Plaisance is located between Thurso, and Papineauville, Quebec. 

 The QGRY train was shot westbound on the bridge and is approaching QGRY 2007  waiting at the Masson/Buckingham junction for this westbound train to arrive. 

 

QUEBEC NORTH SHORE & LABADOR (QNS&L)

QNS&L SD40-2 314 was shot by Barry Silverthorn westbound at Geddes Street in Belleville, Ontario on May 20, enroute to NRE in Illinois for Dash-3 rebuild, electrical upgrade, and repaint.

 

ROBERVAL & SAGUENAY

Roberval & Saguenay 20 is shown sitting inside the loco shed at Exporail in St-Constant, QC  in preparation for a night photo shot in the summer of 2015.  This is an MLW-built RS-2, and was the very first roadswitcher built in Canada. (Photo by Michael Berry).

TSHIUETIN RAILWAY (TSH)

 

INDUSTRIALS

On May 7th 2016 Peter Ernstjohn shot Port of Montreal switcher (POM 1004) pulling a train of well cars loaded with foreign shipping containers.  The genset was built by RailPower and is an RP20BD model, one of four in the POM fleet. 

 

QUEBEC VIGNETTES

 

ARNAUD RAILWAY VIGNETTE

 

QUEBEC CARTIER MINING (QCM)

Three locomotives in the old green and yellow paint Cartier paint scheme.  Snoot nosed Quebec Cartier Mining RSD15 (QCM #91 and #93) are back to back at Port Cartier, QC on June 25th, 1981.  Low-nosed GP9 QCM 51 was shot shunting cars at the yard ay Port Cartier, QC in September 1981.

  

 

STATION STOPS

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(By Mark Forsielle)

 

ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND (ADMX)

AMDX MP15DC 1356 is now working the ADM Mill in Lloydminster, Alberta.  Archer Daniels Midland MP15DC 1356 (ex-UPY 1356, nee- MP) was shot just out of the paint shop at Metro East Industries on Jan 29th 2016. https://www.flickr.com/photos/respondekrailroad/24081506803

As she looked as UPY MP15DC 1356 a few years before her repaint at MEI (Doyle Young).

 

BIG SKY RAIL

 

BNSF - MANITOBA LTD (BNML)

 

BNSF NORTHERN MANITOA VIGNETTE

Built by GMD London in 1957 as Midland Railway of Manitoba 2, she traded in her orange for green and black when BN took over the line, and survived into the BNSF era as 1685. Upon retirement, she was donated by BNSF to the Prairie Dog Central in 2010 (John Eull photo, March 1983):

 Jeff Keddy's photo shows former BNSF GP9 1685 working on Halloween Day on the Prairie Dog Central.  

 

BNSF - BRITISH COLUMBIA

Andy Cassidy clicked this local BNSF set moving e/b through New Westminster Yard on the CP mainline (Westminster Sub mile 9.2),  destined to the BNSF yard over in Sapperton.  Three Dash 9-44CW's haul a short train of various cars and a number of over-height boxes likely from Kruger Paper.  The photos were taken from the Quayside Drive overpass in New Westminster, BC summer of 2015.

 

CANADIAN RAILSERVE (CRLX)

 

CANDO RAIL SERVICES

 

CENTRAL MANITOBA RAILWAY (CEMR)

Taylor Woolston and a friend went railfanning on the CN Rivers Subdivision which is CN's main line through Manitoba, running west from Winnipeg, MB all the way to Melville, Saskatchewan.  On May 7th, they caught CEMR GP9RM 4002 heading east with five former IC Ballast Hoppers. A nice surprise was their very sharp looking Condo Rail Services caboose (CCGX 200001), on the tail end!  CEMR 4002 is former CN GP9RM 4026.

 

CENTREPORT CANADA INC

 

HUDSON BAY RAILWAY (HBRY)

 

GREATER WINNIPEG WATER DISTRICT (GWWD)

Taylor Woolston clicked GWWD RS23 200 out of the yard along Dawson Road in Winnipeg on April 27th.

Here GWWD 200 (an MLW-built RS23) is coupled up to some side dump cars just outside of their yard. They tipped and emptied and  afterwards they ran light back to their yard and then the locomotive was shut down for the day.  

 

INDUSTRIALS

NREX 700 was shot by Mike Garza at NRE in Dixmoor, IL on April 17th, lettered for Richardson. NREX 700 is a 1GS7B Gen Set built as NRE demo 700 in 2009.  She is en route to Richardson in North Vancouver.

 

J&L CONSULTING (JLCX)

 

JLCX 136 is working at WILDCAT MINERALS in ND

JLCX 383 is at MIDWEST LOCOMOTIVE SERVICES in Kansas City, MO

JLCX 713 is at MIDWEST LOCO

JLCX 888 is at MIDWEST LOCO

JLCX 908 (J&L Consulting purchased (Southern Railway of BC) SRY 908 in February 2016, and the unit will be moved shortly).

JLCX 1202 remains on lease to VITERRA.  

JLCX 1344 has moved from UNITED GRAIN in Vancouver, WA to a brand new customer.

JLCX 200o is at MIDamerica car and locomotive

JLCX 2001 is at MIDamerica car and locomotive

JLCX 2049 is at MIDWEST LOCOMOTIVE

JLCX  2509 is at MIDWEST LOCOMOTIVE

JLCX 2886 is working at the LONG CREEK RAILWAY

JLCX 3510 is at MIDWEST LOCO

JLCX 4004 was released from RONSCO in Coteau-de-Lac, QC and has moved to Diesel Electric Service in Sudbury for work.  She was on CN 373 on April 29.

 

SATURDAY LOCO SERVICES / SOUTHERN PRARIE RWY

Southern Prairie Railway has begun its prep work for the summer  operation season. A former CP baggage car will also be added to the daily trains this year and work is slowly progressing on the restoration of thier  new ex-CP caboose.  Southern Prairie also have a former BC RAIL Caboose.

SRY/E&N RAILFREIGHT NEWS

 

WESTERN VIGNETTES

 

SOUTHERN RAILWAY of BC (SRY) VIGNETTE

 

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Copyright  CRO June  2016