During that time, a 700-ton crane was brought into the isolated location by rail and assembled on-site. About 800 cars of ballast were dumped in order to make a stable area from which to work. Working in -30 degree Fahrenheit temperatures, a team of some 50 workers worked continually to bring up the trailing locomotive and 9 ore cars that also derailed but remained on the river bank before tackling the submerged locomotive. Once divers had attached cabling and secured any loose portions of the carbody, the job of bringing the locomotive up through a hole cut into the river ice was carried-out.
On Nov. 6, 2014, a QNS&L freight train derailed at mile 14.6 of the Wacouna Subdivision near Tellier. The northbound train collided with a rock slide obstructing the main track. The two head-end locomotives and nine empty cars went down the embankment, and the lead locomotive came to rest completely submerged in the Moisie River. Engineer Enrick Gagnon, 45, was killed in the incident.
Officials estimate that three weeks of work remain to disassemble the crane and clean-up the work site.
I hope none of the locomotive's fluids leaked into the river. If they did then the railroad would face all kinds of environmental fines. Also, nice pictures.
Trains, thanks for the great photos.
Environment is a major issue. The Moisie River is one of the greatest Atlantic salmon rivers in North America. The portion of the river that the locomotive landed in is a deep resting pool basin with just enough current to make it interesting with a fly rod from the rocks (that got moved to make the down ramp for that 700-ton crane). I have lived in this area from childhood and have seen first hand how many salmon can be resting in that pool during the spawning run up the river.
I worked for that railway in train and engine service for 27 years and know every inch of the grade. Enrick's luck ran out. He will be missed. I lived up the street from his parents' for 10 years and worked with his father and with Enrick when he first hired on. As for the locomotive, they are evaluating it and will most likely send it back to Progress Rail for a complete rebuild if it is salvageable. I have seen some banged-up QNS&L locomotives in my time and they don't like to scrap anything if it can be fixed.
The locos frame is not damaged and its just minor damage the prime mover is ok.
I guess you Gents do not know QNS and L resources! If it can it will be fixed!!
What an impressive effort, even more so in the frigid temperatures! I wonder what will happen to the locomotive, can it be rebuilt or will it be scrapped?
I guess it's removal was more or less an environmental factor?
All that effort to pull a damaged loco from the river. I would bet that after that tumble down the hill, after plowing into a rock pile across the tracks, that the frame will be bent, broken, or otherwise rendered useless. The prime mover and other interior parts sat in water for almost 4 months, so scrapping and becoming a refrigerator seems to be in its future.