Hello,
With CMQ only making at most two trips from Farnham to Newport each week [and now much of the line in Quebec relegated to 10 MPH (16 KPH for our friends north of the border)], I rarely encounter the CMQ in Newport. However, recent work along the Black River found me in Newport last Monday afternoon just after the CMQ eastbound 710 arrived around 1545 with the following:
LTEX GP35U 2573
LTEX GP35U 2558
CEFX GP40U 420
3 GNWR boxcars
1 covered hopper
1 PINX covered hopper
1 COER hi-cube boxcar
1 FBOX hi-cube boxcar
1 TOFX hi-cube boxcar
1 IANR hi-cube boxcar
2 CMQ boxcars
1 LRS boxcar
6 loads of Irving lumber
1 load of Twin Rivers lumber
1 load of Rene Bernard lumber
2 loads of Louisiana Pacific strandboard
1 SSEX hi-sided gondola
That's 23 cars total, including 19 loads and 4 empties. For those keeping track, the 19 loads likely include 15 loads originating on the MNR/NBSR and 3 loads originating on CMQ (and one load of grain destined for Newport).
After dropping their inbound train, the crew reversed direction and coupled to their outbound train, which departed Newport at 1615 with the following:
CEFX GP40U 420
LTEX GP35U 2558
LTEX GP35U 2573
1 DUPX covered hopper
1 AEX covered hopper
1 CHSX covered hopper
1 INTX covered hopper
1 SOO covered hopper
4 CMQ boxcars
1 ATW boxcar
3 AOK hi-cube boxcars
2 CRLE hi-cube boxcars
1 COER hi-cube boxcar
2 centerbeam flats
That's 18 cars total, including at least 14 empties (and maybe more depending on how many of the covered hoppers were loaded).
It was nice to see the CMQ in Newport for once, and also good to see that they were bringing in and taking out good-sized trains, even if only twice per week. As of this morning, they had another 17 cars waiting to go north (and the WACR will likely bring more cars north today).
Have a great day,
Fritz