Monday, June 20, 2011

Salvage Yard Expansion Means More Railway Business

To the consternation of nearby residents, Vaughn's Salvage has recently completed a major expansion that has nearly doubled its capacity to receive and prepare various scrap items for shipment on the Carleton Railway. Well-known local politician Hyram Myshrall has hailed the expansion as a sign of the growing local economy, while also taking credit for the realignment of the highway that was necessary in order for the expansion to proceed: As can be seen in the above photo, the expanded lot is already filling up with junk cars and scrap auto parts. The H66-24 Trainmaster in the background is on the point of the Carleton-York peddler as it makes its way through Wakefield.


The above view shows the close proximity of nearby homes to the expanded scrapyard.




Thursday, May 19, 2011

RR Action in Monticello

The Carleton Railway's photographer recently recorded some of the busy railway activity in Monticello, ME:Locomotive #2492 pulls a wayfreight through town. In the background, it looks like a busy day at the West End Diner.



The caboose clears the crossing, allowing traffic to resume on Main Street.



The local switcher picks up a box car from one of the local industries.



The switcher moves the loaded box car across the grade crossing and into the yard.



A soon as the car clears the crossing, the crew will run into the diner for a quick snack.



Farmers are clearing out the last of the potato crop from the warehouses.



Just across the border in Aroostook Junction, NB, a string of BLR box cars have just arrived in the yard.


Tuesday, May 17, 2011

More Grafton Progress

I have been working on the structures that will provide some of the rail traffic in the community of Grafton. Although these industries never actually were located in Grafton, they do represent Carleton County industries in the 1960s: Karnes Bakery (located in Woodstock in the real world) was an important rail customer for the CNR. Their new bakery building was built in the 1960s. It is now owned by Canada Bread. On my layout, as in the real world, it will receive lots of flour deliveries in covered hoppers.



Hatfield Industries (actually located in Hartland) will be a major rail customer in the HO-scale version of Grafton. I remember going on a tour of the plant when I was a "Wolf Cub"--right around 1965. They made potato chips, but there was also a starch plant. They gave each of us a brown paper bag of warm potato chips--the grease seeped right through the bag!



The Baird Company Ltd. was located along the CNR near my boyhood home in Woodstock, and dealt in patent medicines. The building is now the Knight's of Columbus Hall.




I am still building the other major rail industry in Grafton--the Mason and Risch Piano Factory. It was actually located in Woodstock and opened in the 1960s--I remember attending the grand opening as a child. It had a very large dry kiln and received wood by rail. The CNR timetable warned that the curvature on the siding was very sharp and required reduced speed.




Saturday, April 16, 2011

Grafton Progress

Simple flat-top benchwork has been installed where the small but busy community of Grafton, Carleton County, will be located. Several railway customers will be located in the 8' x 2' space. Hopefully I will soon be able to provide a photo from the same perspective that shows a bustling, fully scenicked village. Grafton will be located directly below the Avondale locomotive servicing area and coach yard.

Monday, March 7, 2011

An Unusual Visitor

It has been several years since the residents of Carleton County have heard the sound of a steam whistle approaching in the distance, but that soothing sound returned as a special "Cabot Cove excursion train" made a visit today under the control of engineer Bruce Bosence. The Carleton Railway hosted the VIP guests on board who had lunch at the Nortondale Resort, toured the South Newbridge station and signed the guest book at the South Newbridge Town Hall, and enjoyed an excursion through the Carleton County scenery. The railway photographer managed to record the event (click photos to enlarge): Folks at the General Store at the east end of South Newbridge watch in amazement as the old 4-4-0 approaches the Route 585 crossing. The slow clanging of the bell and the long whistle of the steam engine are in marked contrast to the sounds of the Carleton Railway's modern fleet of diesel locomotives.


A stop at the South Newbridge station allows local onlookers to have a close look at the locomotive while the VIPs head downtown to do some quick shopping.

The 4-4-0 rounds the curve just west of the station in Wakefield.


In this photo of the old steamer passing a potato farm in Rosedale, it could be 1935 instead of 1965.



The steam loco approaches the Rosedale Road crossing as it passes one of the many potato warehouses along the Carleton Railway.

Friday, February 18, 2011

A Busy Friday in Monticello

In addition to its customers in Carleton and northern York Counties, the Carleton Railway also serves the agricultural industry in Aroostook County, Maine and interchanges with the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad in Monticello, where the Carleton Railway maintains a small yard. The company photographer recently captured a busy day in Monticello.

The main street in Monticello is especially busy near Anderson's Garage and the popular West End Diner. The three tracks in the foreground are the Carleton Railway's double-track main line and a siding; the track just past the garage is the BAR mainline:
Anderson's garage is a favourite of the locals--notice that they advertise a 7-minute oil change!
Although potato products are the main commodities shipped by the Carleton Railway, other agricultural products are also important. Here two Carleton Railway stock cars are ready for loading at the stock pen:
This bird's-eye-view shot of Monticello shows the Carleton and BAR main lines, the Carleton Railway yard, the passenger station, and one of the local potato warehouses. Passengers on the platform are waiting to board the Nor'easter -- the Carleton Railway's daily passenger train between Fredericton and Boston:
The narrow street through town is a busy spot to navigate with lots of trucks and railway crossings:

Monticello is represented by four modules that are assembled at shows with modules belonging to other members of the Saint John Society of Model Railroaders.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Grafton Work Begins

Now that the Carleton Railway's big crane has arrived on site and the skillful track gang has begun surveying the work to be done, construction of the Grafton spur should proceed quite rapidly.