New Video on Youtube

I have a new video posted on Youtube it's all pictures I put together on my recent trip to Montreal with a Railfan group. We visited the CAD facility I have picture of that as well in the video. I'll blog about the trip in the not so distant future. So hold on till maybe tonight or tomorrow morning I'll post my blog on that trip ASAP!

Montreal trip

Tomorrow night I'll be on my way to Montreal with a group for a weekend of railfanning, it promises to be a really good weekend. Ron Jackson was able to get me a double bedroom on the return trip which is a good thing. So on Sunday morning or early afternoon we will be touring the CAD facility which I'm looking forward too, not to mention the change of scenery such as catching some CN action, NBEC is a great railroad to chase however change is good now and then. I still need to get a few things done here before I head off tomorrow but then again I do have a full twenty four hours to go. I have a few pictures I took from my deck, I assume it's CFMG 18?? returning from the Cascapedia sub. From what I could see the consist was mostly lumber and woodchips. A few gondola cars. It was hooked up to CFMG 403 last night it wasn't there this morning when I checked. (I could see the NBEC yard from my back yard.) So my next post will be about the trip to Montreal and I'll post all my videos and pictures. Have fun and keep filming those trains.

VIA Rail The Canadian

Lately I've been looking for videos on Youtube on the Canadian, and I must say from the Amature to the proffesional videographer all the videos are absolutly spatacular. Two in particular have give me all the inspiration I need (Not that I needed much in the first place) to make plans for a summer vacation from Halifax to Vancouver.

I highly recomend these two videos by sinkplunger, those are really awesome videos.

Since embedding is disabled here are the links.
Video 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkQFNC6WhEI
Video 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4dUNG1kz34

There are three parts of this series however these are the only two I've seen. The videos take you from Toronto to Vancouver.

VIA 15

Last night I was passing through Atholville when what is before my eyes, VIA 15 was rounding the turn from the Campbellton yard and heading to Montreal. So turning at the nearest drive way, I took out my camera and headed towards the Boom road where I'd catch it, because we were driving as fast as the train by the time we got passed the mill at about 80Km/phr. Once at the Boom road, we caught the 15 with less than a minute to spare. It was a great shot, the light of the lead loco shone perfectly off the snow falling. I managed to get a few pictures, kinda bad quality but I had taken them off the video so I didn't expect great shots. Well with qualitity anyhow. I like those moments where I catch a train unexpectedly.

NBEC 403

It's been awhile since I caught a train, and since 403 hadn't arrived yet into Campbellton I figured why not catch it. At 1900 I arrived at Blair Malcom road (My usual spot in Dalhousie Jct) I waited till about 1945 when I had decided to call it quits, I had other things to do in Campbellton before 2000 so I had to go back. However by 0820 403 still hadn't arrived so not really wanting to go home just yet I had decided to go back towards Dalhousie Jct and try my luck again. Sure enough, when I arrived in Richardsville 403 called RTC to inform them they had some problems with the lead unit 6907. 403 said they were slowing down and loseing power, they were doing about 15 mph when they were in McClouds. I figure this was a great chance to catch it. Just between McClouds and Dalhousie Jct sat 403. 403 called RTC and asked when the 15 was due, fortunatly the 15 was going to be an hour late arriving into Campbellton, it left Miramichi at 2000 which to my knowledge should have been in at 1900. However that was good news for the 403 of sorts.

At McClouds I took some really good pictures and I took two videos, one was just the train sitting idlely on a crossing and the other was listning in on the conversation between 403 and RTC. The crew aboard 403 requested permission to leave the train to go and get 1819 to tow in the 403. at 2100 403's crew got permission to leave and get another locomotive to tow the now dead 6907. At 2050(?) mechanics from the ERC shops drove by to rescue 6907 however were not able to get anything done. I'm not too sure what exactly was the cause of the lead unit to lose power however I think it might have been something to do with the fans. I'm not sure and I stand to be corrected on that.

I went back to the ERC shops in Campbellton to see if I can try and trail 1819 back to the wounded 6907 but it was getting late and I was getting tired. By then it was 2130 so I was ready to call it a night and head home. Once I got home on the other hand, I turned on the scanner and after some time had passed 403 called RTC to let them know they were on the move and at the crossing in Richardsville at 2245.

I'll post my videos on Youtube as usual and here are some of the shots I took of the 403 in McClouds. So enjoy and that was it for me today April 2nd 2008 have fun chaseing those trains!