Canadian Railroads > Christmas Eve in Bedford, NS

Christmas Eve this year was the typical Halifax one, weather wise.  No snow, but at least it wasn't raining, and with no Christmas shopping left to be done, I was out observing what CN was running in advance of the holiday.

With the gypsum mine on a break, 511's crew was tasked with various odd jobs around town, including running their power around to Rockingham for an L507 which would depart later that morning.  Shortly before 11:00, L507 got away from Rockingham with four GEs, 2978, 2993, 2226 and 2204, and about 2000 feet of train including some rail carriers.  The train really struggled up the grade to me here at Bedford Quarry.  Only the leader was on-line, and CN doesn't count dead or off-line locomotives as tonnage (?!), even though they still have to be hauled up the hill.  Maybe some accountant figured that if they weren't making any revenue from them (the dead locos), then they shouldn't count as tonnage.

20 minutes later, 511's crew cam up the hill with GP38-2W 4787 and a single load of propane for Bedford Quarry, beyond the cement silos behind the train.  But with the switch facing the wrong way, they would go to Kinsac, run around the single tank, and then come back to mile 12.7 before completing the switching.

GTD

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With 511 moving at restricted speed because of the hazardous load, I took a break at this point, but returned to the big bridge over the Sackville River in downtown Bedford to catch 511's return, almost 2 hours later.  By this time they had spotted the load at Wilson's Fuels and picked up three empties to go back to Rockingham.

I had heard nothing all day about 120.  When John Reay messaged that he had heard L507 at 15:15 at the mile 53 detector, it seemed that if the two trains had met at Belmont, Q120 should be getting handy.  I went back to the "new" Quarry at mile 13 to see if my luck would hold out.  At 15:51 I heard the conductor call the approach to Kinsac (mile 23), and then at 16:05 the train, with 3159, 3281 and GP38-2W 4800 for power, came into view in a patch of sunlight on the curve next to Rocky Lake.

GTD



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/22 08:10 by cn6218.

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The framing on the first shot is lovely, and I like the flock in your fourth. I've never seen anything in a train photo quite like that reflection of birds in the windows!
Fred

Very nice set with great light.  Tjhanks. Bob

I like the last one!!