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| A MOMENT IN TIME IN ISLAND CENTRAL COUNTRY It is a crisp and clear January morning on the Island Central. In the interval since the most recent winter storm the powerful locomotives and plows of the line have once again successfully reclaimed the little railroad from a world of seemingly endless white. Even Dever Road Yard had been spread and the points of every switch swept bare. Now under a bright mid-morning sky, and invigorating -5C temperature it is "business as usual" on the Island Central. So it is that this rail fan finds himself at track side surveying the action from a warm car. It's 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 18th, one moment in the life of a working railroad. At the Saint John engine terminal two GP-40 road diesels are quietly idling on a ready track lashed together with the road's only U-25B. Serviced earlier by the night crew this consist will head out with an empty grain train in a few hours. The sound deadening effects of the ever-present carpet of snow will only slightly muffle the ascent of Yoho Hill. At the fueling pad servicing, continues on the two C-424's and a GP-40, which brought thru freight 102 east into Dever Road Yard just before dawn this morning. Number 3205, a CN Century road engine is a frequent visitor to Saint John having been assigned with a sister unit to run-thru service several years ago. The aging CN Centuries fit in well with the mainly first and second generation Island Central fleet. Some snow removal, a wash down, sanding, fueling, watering and topping off of the oil and these units will be ready to take thru freight. 101 west this evening. If some of the units are discovered to need more attention while in town they will visit the warm confines of the roundhouse and one or more of the U-2313's now quietly reposing there will take their place on tonight's 101. Meanwhile the West Saint John yard engine for the day, #59 (S-4), and the MU-ed Dever Road Yard switchers #55 (S-2) and #42 (SW-7) are busily shuffling cars for West Saint John near the eastern end of the yard at Lancaster completing the morning transfer of inbound cars for Saint John Mill Street and West Saint John. With the yard engines absent momentarily at Dever Road, the road engines due to take local freight 103 west at 11 a.m. have combined the two sections of the train and are now stretched along the ladder track to.the yard office pumping up the train air. Today's power is #657 (GP-38), 576 (GP-35) and 123 (RS-11). The RS-11 is pinch-hitting today for a GP-35, which has developed engine trouble. As soon as the Atlantic Limited clears thru on the main hopefully by 10:45 a.m. #103 will receive a clear board and be on its way toward McAdam leaving the sorting yard to the local switching crew once again. A quick look at West Saint John at 10 a.m. finds the assigned yard switcher #53 (S-2) hard at work near the National Harbours Board grain elevator assembling the empty grain train called for later in the day. As soon as this task is under control, the switcher will make its routine rounds of the oil refinery terminal, Auto Port, Industrial Park and other customers in West Saint John collecting outbound cars, which it will be trading for those inbound left in Lancaster but today that's not going to be very soon. At 10:00 in Grand Bay the Gagetown Turn engines #71 and #74 (RSC-3's), resplendent in ICR first generation maroon with maple striping, are found working the south yard making local deliveries of cars left by the night freight and assembling cars for the Gagetown Branch. When the New Brunswick Express clears on the mainline at about 10:25 am, the Gagetown Turn crew will then switch the North yard and the large new Cargil facility before heading for Gagetown. As 10:00 AM train time approaches, at Welsford, a few potential customers wait expectantly on the station platform. Momentarily the F units on the eastbound Atlantic Limited will signal for the crossing, suddenly emerge from the woods, cross the Douglas Brook bridge, descend upon the station with brakes working hard, and stop with the first coach door precisely in front of the station waiting room. Within a minute or two Train #68 will be on its way again muffled by the snow and the cold stillness of winter will return. While the Gagetown Turn is working Grand Bay, Engine #61, the only RS-1 on the Island Central, is busy at Fredericton Junction. This job usually does the local switching for the road assignments, which set out and pick up in town but on days that the Fredericton Junction job doesn't work, the road crews have to do everything. These crews will be very happy on this cold day and have time for another coffee. Midmorning at McAdam like in many other locations on the N. B. Division is busy. Two first-generation RSC-3's, #77 and #72, are being serviced at the engine yard having arrived from an overnight run from Edmundston in the wee hours of the morning. Unless the weather determines otherwise, they'll have a lazy day in McAdam only to be followed by another very busy graveyard shift. RS-1 1 #156 and GP-7 #563 are also at the engine facility waiting servicing. These units arrived in McAdam with the St. Stephen Branch freight just before dawn this morning. They'll do any local switching needed later in the day and head back to St. Stephen this evening to complete the daily cycle. Nearby in the engine terminal RS-11 #157 waits quietly. This unit is on standby, ready to substitute for any other on a moments notice. Since twenty or more aging locomotives pass through McAdam on a typical day, chances as pretty good that #157 will be going somewhere before the day is out. (Note: The McAdam divisional point roundhouse is still very much alive. Unlike many other railroads, the ICR has not yet adopted the policy of putting more power on each train than is needed with the idea that if some units break down enroute the rest can haul them through to the end of the run.) Meanwhile in the yard at McAdam the Maine Central road power that brought Portland to McAdam freight #106 into town a few hours earlier is finishing making the necessary pick-ups and set-outs. With some luck its consist will be sorted and ready to continue eastward on way freight #104 by 11 a.m. And so this is a moment in time on a still thriving and busy miniature railroad, 10 a.m., Thursday, January 18 a great time to be almost anywhere in Island Central country and/or railfan heaven! J.D.D. 19/01/2001 |
| A MOMENT IN TIME IN ISLAND CENTRAL COUNTRY |
| A MOMENT IN TIME IN ISLAND CENTRAL COUNTRY |
| A quiet moment at the ICR Saint John Union Station |
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