SUCCESSFUL OPERATING SESSION

After a long wait, 13 locals descended into the basement on February 10 to operate the Carleton Railway. The crew did an excellent job of moving scores of freight cars and six passenger trains across the layout. Being the first operating session in nearly two years, it is not surprising that a few glitches were discovered (dirty track, low couplers, etc.) but all in all the layout worked well. Of special note is the fact that the Northampton Local East was the first train ever to pick up freight cars on the newly constructed Grafton spur.

Although the expert crew did an amazing job of delivering freight cars to their proper destinations, management did express some concern that loaded meat reefers from "Buckingham Quality Meats" in Waterville somehow did not make it to their destinations. At the end of the day, six loaded meat reefers were sitting on a yard track in Avondale. Another loaded meat reefer was left all by itself on a yard track in South Newbridge. The railway will ensure that the cars are kept well refrigerated until they leave on the next freight, but customers at grocery stores in Montreal and in Saint John may have to go without their supply of bacon for a day.

The other strange discovery was that although a tank car loaded with potato starch was picked up from the Hatfield Industries plant in Grafton early in the day, to management's surprise the same loaded tank car had been delivered back to the yard in Grafton at the end of the day.

It was great to see the railway in operation after many months of inactivity. Next session: Thursday, March 1.

Rosedale Road spur in service

With the first operating session approaching, two new lineside industries near the Rosedale Road are now being served by the Carleton Railway. Mill Pond Farms and a bulk fuel dealer will add to the work of the way freights as they make their way between Waterville and Rosedale. In the photo below, a wayfreight led by two RS3s is approaching the Rosedale Road crossing.

9000 Horses

A photographer captured this shot of a test run of three new Alco C630 units in Rosedale, Carleton County, in the fall of 1965. After no Canadian roads purchased the 2750-hp C628, MLW enticed the Carleton Railway to be a trailblazer by purchasing the first two Canadian C-630s (nos. 3005 and 3006). Other Canadian railways (CPR, CNR, PGE) soon followed. Although these three 3000-hp units are unlikely to be in service together, railfans on the Carleton Railway should have opportunity to see these three units often--the CPR has dedicated C630M #4506 to service on the Fast Freight--the daily priority freight train between Fredericton and Montreal--and the Carleton Railway expects that their two new units will see regular service (click on photo to enlarge). Scheduled operating sessions begin on February 10!

Op Session Prep

Carleton Railway Management announces the publication of a new Employee Time Table (click to enlarge):Preparing to resume operating sessions on February 10 involves many things, including the development and production of a new Employee Time Table. The addition of a daily commuter train between Avondale and Fredericton, the purchase of three new 3000-horsepower Alco C-630 units, and the new spur to Grafton have resulted in several adjustments to the daily train schedule. Management has also worked hard to alleviate the bottleneck that occurs when too many trains are in South Newbridge at the same time. The result: Employee Time Table #6.

Grafton progress

The newly constructed "Karnes Kitchen Ltd." bakery is ready for the upcoming operating session on February 10. The track in Grafton is ballasted and scenery is in place. The building in the background on the left is the Mason and Risch piano factory (click on the photo to enlarge).

2012 OPERATING SESSION SCHEDULE

The Carleton Railway is preparing for the resumption of regularly scheduled operating sessions. A new timetable should result in more efficient movement of trains, and the addition of the Grafton spur adds four major industries. A total of 14 trains (6 passenger, 8 freight) are scheduled to move across the Avondale and Northampton Subdivisions during each 3-hour session.

2012 operating sessions are scheduled on the following evenings (7 p.m.):

Friday, February 10
Thursday, March 1
Friday, May 4
Friday, May 25
Friday, June 15

Both new and experienced crew members are welcome! Email me (mcmulls@nb.sympatico.ca) for details and directions.

November Train Show

The annual train show of the Saint John Society of Model Railroaders was a great success this year. The Carleton Railway added two more modules (for a total of six) to better depict the busy commercial town of Monticello, Maine -- just across the border from Bloomfield, NB. The photos below show some of the progress:

The agricultural industry is key to the success of Monticello's downtown area. Whether at the MPG garage on Main Street or at the general store just across US Route 1, it is the farming economy that determines whether or not it is a good year. Big potato deals are negotiated and finalized in these sturdy old office buildings on Monticello's Main Street. Both the Carleton Railway and the Bangor and Aroostook will ship thousands of carloads of potatoes through Monticello this year (1965).

Thanks to everyone who attended today's show!