This was originally posted in early May, 2007 on my old blog site.
May 3: I understand there will be a dimensional move on NBSR on Sunday. There are seven large tanks on pulp cars that will be moved to Harvey, where I assume they will be taken by truck to Nackawic. I expect it will be a slow trip. I can’t remember the last time a dimensional load like this was moved on NBSR. It was probably the transformer for Coleson Cove in… 2003, I think.
May 6
As it turns out, today was a test move with two tanks to see if they fit through rock cuts and under the Grand Bay overpass. I understand the full move of 7 tanks will occur in a week or two. The tanks came by ship and were stored at the Port of Saint John.
Bob Boudreau called me at 10:50 to tell me he saw a train with two tanks moving behind Moosehead Breweries. I loaded the kids in the van and headed south. I called Bob as we entered Welsford and he hadn’t seen them on the road yet. I took the Westfield Beach exit from the highway and proceeded through Grand Bay, then down the South Bay road toward Saint John. Bob called me again at 12:11 to say they had just left the yard and were proceeding quite slowly.
I found Bob and Dave Dineen waiting for the train near the yard. I parked and set up the tripod for my video camera. There were a few NBSR employees around as well.
At 12:24 I saw NBSR 2319 with two MM&A bulkhead flatcars come around the bend.
To say they weren’t breaking any speed records would be an understatement. I’m quite sure I could have railfanned this train with a bicycle! That was Bob Boudreau up on the hill.
This was my first look at 2319 in her new paint.
Here’s a closeup of one of the loads, on MM&A 25042.
I shot them again a short distance farther down the line, at 12:28:
They stopped several times before or in rock cuts to ensure the load would clear. I understand the tanks are 19 feet high and 21 feet wide, so they do take up a lot of space.
12:37:
This was a typical sight – the train slowly creeping forward while the crew checks clearances on the inside of curves. They definitely knocked a few branches off!
12:39. The train paused here for a minute and I had a quick conversation with the engineer. Bob Boudreau is visible at far left.
- Me: This must be the slowest train you’ve ever had.
- Engineer: Yeah, good thing I’m paid by the hour!
12:44:
I shot this from the side of the road to illustrate the spacecraft-like shape of these tanks.
12:55:
Trying for a little more of an artistic shot here… I don’t think I really succeeded. 🙂
12:56. I thought this was a nice shot of 2319’s shiny new paint.
Grand Bay
13:15. Finally the train reached the Grand Bay overpass. There was a lot of concern about the overhead clearance for this bridge. From our perspective just off Station Road, it looked pretty tight!
13:17. Will it fit???
This was the “real” view from Station Road, without the zoom lens.
At this point my daughter announced she needed to use the washroom. I bundled the kids into the van and headed to Tim Hortons for a quick visit, then returned to the scene. There were quite a few people watching the train at this point, mostly local residents.
13:35. IT FITS!
After they got one tank through, it was all over. We headed out and I assume the train returned to Saint John before the evening westbound went out.
I was highly amused by the number of people who did double-takes at the train, or better yet stopped and asked what we were looking at. I generally don’t get that when I’m railfanning. 🙂
I’m glad I “chased” this train – it’s a really unusual sight around here. I’d like to close by commenting on the professionalism of the NB Southern crew. They took this job very seriously, as they always do.
The Real Move
I understand the “real” move to Harvey will take place within a week or so, no doubt with all seven tanks on the same train. Given that it took them more than 75 minutes to go 10 miles, it will be a long long trip for the train crew.
It turned out to be two days later, May 8, when the “real” move happened. Bob Boudreau captured the scene and I blogged about it here. I couldn’t go because I was in Chicago!
Here’s a really low resolution video I took.