Saturday, July 15, 2006

An extended chase of VIA 15

How to chase the Ocean even when you're not there... read to the end...

I was in Moncton today and decided to catch the westbound Ocean (VIA 15) on my way out of town. I set up at the Mountain Road overpass to photograph him coming into the station. I didn't have my video camera with me so I was just shooting stills, which is rare for me these days. He rolled into view at 17:01:


I hopped the guardrail and dashed across Mountain Road to get the going-away shot of Evangeline Park at the end of the Renaissance consist:


There were a lot of people boarding the train at the Moncton station:


I didn't get the complete consist, but what I know is: 6415, 6426, 7003, 7223, 7232, 7226, 7227, ... Evangeline Park (8704)

Note the splash of brighter yellow on the engineer's side. That has been there for a while.

I decided to shoot him at West End just out of the station. I waited there until he rolled slowly by at 17:32.


Then I thought I'd be clever and try to beat him to Berry Mills. I raced there to find no train, so I convinced myself I got there first. I waited and after a few minutes I heard a hum... from the WEST. Then CN 308 rolled through with CN 5625 on the point. I barely had enough time to take the photo.


After that I knew I had missed VIA 15 and I figured that was it. Little did I know that there was a DERAILMENT in St. Noel, Quebec and the Ocean was detouring on the Napadogan subdivision like it did last year about this time. I had no idea.. although now that I know, some of the discussions between the VIA crew and the RTC make a lot more sense.

Anyway, my good friend Peter Gough made it up to McGivney this morning and this evening to catch both Oceans and he was kind enough to pass along a few photos.

Green over red... it's train time! (RG309, the rail grinder train, is in the siding)


At 19:45 VIA 15 blasted through McGivney:


Thanks for those photos, Peter.

Several of our AtlanticRails railfans are out near New Denmark shooting Oceans near and on the massive Salmon River viaduct. Hopefully they get some good shots.

The derailment is supposed to be cleaned up by 18:00 Sunday so VIA 14 will detour but VIA 15 will not. I'm going up to McGivney Sunday morning to get #14 there. If I'm successful I will of course post the photos!

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