Saturday, June 10, 2023

Fundy Rail Fest 2023 -- Operations on the Carleton Railway

Fundy Rail Fest 2023 in May brought people from NB, NS, ME, NH, MA, NY, QC, ON, and AB to participate as crew members for the two operating sessions on the Carleton Railway.  I thoroughly enjoyed having so many guests making the railway come alive for those two evenings, as well as even more people who showed up on Sunday for a tour of the layout.  Thanks everyone for making it a great model railroad convention weekend here in Saint John. 

The South Newbridge Yardmaster hard at work:



Delivering freight in Silverdale:

The westbound passenger train arrives in South Newbridge

Working in the Rosedale yard:

Some switching in Nortondale:

A group photo of the crew members on Friday evening:


Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Carleton Railway Video Tour


In March 2023, the Carleton Railway was featured as part of NERx -- the video tour is a quick (20 minute) look at the Carleton Railway from end to end:


Operating Sessions -- Winter 2023

It has been wonderful to host regular operating sessions once again--at last!  I am grateful for the many people who have been part of the crew each time.  The railway layout has seen a lot of change in the past few months as I have identified needed improvements.




Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Potatoes and the Carleton Railway

The potato industry is very important in Carleton County, and the string of six line-side potato houses in Rosedale are an important source of freight for the Carleton Railway.
  


 

Monday, November 21, 2022

These photos show some of the scenery progress this fall in the "Big Lake" area between Millville and Hawkins Corner. Lots of details need to be added, but the track was ready for the operating session in late September.

Big Lake, in spite of its name, is actually a very small lake.  It is a quiet relaxing spot until a train crosses the bridge!  

The Carleton-York Peddler is powered by two RS3s as it passes the covered bridge near Big Lake. 

The Fast Freight West crosses the brook on its way from Millville to Avondale. 





 

Saturday, January 1, 2022

More Stations of the Carleton Railway

Here are some photos of more stations on the Carleton Railway:


The old station in Deerville was once a busy stop, but only the local train stops here now.  The freight yard tracks have all been removed and what remains of the station track is used to store MOW equipment.  

The station in Waterville is surrounded by the industries that make this rural community an important source of revenue for the railway.

The old station in Wakefield is not very busy--other nearby stations now handle most of the work.  Only the daily passenger local still stops here.


The station in Pembroke is almost deserted.  Only pressure from local politicians keeps it open.  


The tiny Mulheron Street station is a flag stop for folks on the mixed train from Northampton who want a convenient stop for shopping in downtown South Newbridge.  The much busier South Newbridge station is located in an industrial area to the east of the main town.  

This view of the old station in South Newbridge shows how busy it can be when one of the limited passenger trains is due!

A very busy freight agent works at the depot in Northampton (built by Bob Boudreau).  The local industries here in Northampton and in nearby Grafton provide a lot of freight traffic for the Carleton Railway.  Northampton is located at the end of a branch line that joins with the Avondale Subdivision at South Newbridge.  

Here is another shot of the little station in Bull Lake.  Although trains don't even slow down here during most of the year, it is well maintained for those summer vacationers who travel by train to cool off during the hottest days of summer.   

The large Union Station has just been relocated to its new spot alongside the large yard in Millville.  It serves passengers for both the Carleton Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway (Gibson subdivision).  More details and scenery will be added soon.