JAMIE'S RANDOM AMERICAN RAILWAY PHOTOS.

[F-UnitMad]

4 hours ago, pH said:

 

You mean F5s? 

 

Not really, they were rather rare beasties, rebuilds of F3s to F7 spec as I understand it? The F5 had the same traction motors, cables, and blowers as the F7s. The F5s were built from August 1948 to February 1949 - a rather short production run. The term F5 was used by EMD's marketing team and is not an official locomotive designation, probably why it's not listed on the Wikipedia page for F-Units..??

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_F-unit

Although I take the point that Wikipedia may, or may not, be the font  of all accurate knowledge.

[pH]

12 hours ago, Johann Marsbar said:

When I was last in Vancouver back in 2002, there was a Brewpub - Steamworks - located in part of the former CP station, which we used most evenings. It still appears to be in business today.

Not actually in the station, but in the first building to the east of the station, on the corner of Cordova and Water Streets. At one time, it was quite a favourite place for drinks when people were leaving the organization I worked for, but then we moved. The views from the north side of that building, over the station platforms, the CP yard and the inlet are great.

[pH]

12 hours ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

It's not too shabby these days, either.  The Younger Gerbil-Fritters studied at University of British Columbia in 2018 and had lunch in the excellent restaurant in the station.

 

Is “the younger Gerbil-Fritters” an earlier version of your good self, or a descendent?

[jamie92208]

Good morning from a rather damp and grey Charente.   The Tardis is still in the Fraser Canyon on the evening of the 14th June 1978.  Briefly for those that don't know the background, it's the main way out of the Rockies. The first route was the CP, built in this area by the Government with mainly Chinese labour as part of a deal to keep British Columbia in Canada. Then came the CN, which had to go on the opposite side of the river. Finally, in the 1950/60's the Trans Canada Highway arrived and generally had to go higher up the canyon wall avoiding the railways.  Here the Highway drosses the river.

Here our pair of F? units are heading steadily east, the CN line can be seen on the opposite side and the Trans Canada is above the CN.

At Hells Gate, the river goes through a very narrow set of rapids.  The CN is in a rockfall shelter. The construction team built an iron ulled barge and hauled it through the rapids on a winch to connect the two otherwise navigable parts of the river to get supplies in.

Just above there we saw a CN train heading west..  This area is now used jointly with directional running.

As it started to get dark we turned into the much bleaker Thompson River canyon. Thetwo lines have swapped sides by now, you'll have to wait for the tardis to get to 1979 for a picture of how that happens.

Then it was back to the coach for a few hours sleep.  A group of us had decided to get up at dawn to see the scenery from the dome.   At about 04.30 as we went up there the conductor tried to stop us saying we'd all be smoking pot up there.  Let's say that we got access.   We'd gone through Kamloops then over Eagle Pass during the night before crossing the Columbia River and were now heading up the western side of Rogers Pass towards the Connaught tunnel.  The scenery was spectacular.

It's now the 15th June and the journey will continue.

 

Jamie

Edited April 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a slightly damp Charente.  The view from the Tardis on 15th June 1978 ws slightly damp as well as we climbed up into the Selkirk range as we ascended Rogers Pass..  The story of the building of the CP is fascinating as they set off across the prairies with 500 miles of easy track to lay but without a) a connection round Lake Superior to the east or b) any idea of their route through the Rockies.  Fortunately Kicking Horse Pass and Rogers Pass were discovered before tracks reached them.  Anyway back to the Tardis.

As we plodded upwards we passed a freight heading west.

At this point I was in the forward dome and this was the view to the rear.

Then it was through the Connaught tunnel and time for breakfast. Coach passengers were sort of encouraged to use the snack bar under the forward dome but I usually went to the dining car. This was the view as I had breakfast. I also met lots of different people over meals and got invited back to the rear dome.

We crossed the Columbia river again and started the ascent to Field up what IIRC, is Yoho Canyon. This was Field where a unit train of sulphur was heading west.

Complete with it's mid train helpers.

At Field a retired Conductor joined us and spent the next hour commentating on the journey. Very informative and well delivered.  Before long we were ascending the route to Kicking Horse pass through the spiral tunnels.  Here we have just exited the lower spiral and are crossing the line. 

Then we ran along the hill towards the upper spiral with great views across the valley.

More to come tomorrow.

 

Jamie

 

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[benjy14]

Wow, this is a trip down memory lane for me!  I took a gap year between A-levels and university, and went on a four week trip-of-a-lifetime to Canada. By this time (1996), VIA Rail schduled their passenger trains to pass through the Rockies mostly at night (IiRC the eastbound Canadian left Vancouver at 8pm), so I travelled on the Rocky Mountaineer from Calgary to Vancouver, stopping overnight in Kamloops. Seeing you photographs has brought back many happy memories of that trip, especially the incredible run through the Thompson and Fraser Canyons... I have some of my own photos, so I'll have to see if I can find them.

 

Please keep your photos coming!

 

Ben

[pH]

13 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

 

We crossed the Columbia river again and started the ascent to Field up what IIRC, is Yoho Canyon.

 

Jamie, that's the Kicking Horse Canyon. The Yoho River joins the Kicking Horse above Field. The railway follows the Kicking Horse River uphill all the way to Wapta Lake.

 

The Spiral Tunnels were on the path of a jökulhlaup https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jökulhlaup - a 'glacial outburst flood' from a small glacial lake on Cathedral Mountain, which has covered the tracks with debris on several occasions. Here's the scene at the location of Yoho less than 3 months after you passed by:

 

http://okthepk.ca/dataCprSiding/cprNews/cpNews20/1978101101.htm

 

Canadian Pacific now pump water from from the lake to avoid the possibility of another slide.

 

The original plan for the route of the railway down from the Continental Divide at the top of Kicking Horse Pass was for a steady 1 in 45 grade for about 15 miles down the Kicking Horse Valley. This would have passed across the face of Mount Stephen, on which there were several snowslide and debris slide tracks and would also have required a significant tunnel. Boring the tunnel would have delayed completion of the line, and the route would still have been vulnerable to disruption, and so it was rejected. As a temporary measure, it was decided to drop the line rapidly down the 'Big Hill' to Field on a grade of 1 in 22 – this was later replaced by the Spiral Tunnels in 1909.

 

However, the line in the lower Kicking Horse Valley was laid out and built assuming the line higher up the valley would be built as originally intended. Even after the Big Hill was substituted, it wasn't until 1902 that the possibility of a route across the slopes of Mount Stephen was officially abandoned. That meant that the upper end of the line in the lower valley was higher than the line at Field, and the line from Field actually climbed to meet it. So, in an area where the line is now on grades of 1 in 45, 1 in 66 and 1 in 50 descending, westbound trains could take pushers to get up to the join between the two alignments (Muskeg Summit). Once the Mount Stephen alignment had been ruled out, a diversion was built to avoid this climb.

Edited June 19, 2021 by pH

[jamie92208]

Thanks very much to pH for the info above.  It's a fascinating area in many ways.  There will be more views of this area in 1979.    The Tardis is still in the Spiral Tunnel area in June 1978. This  is I think a view of Mt Stephen above the train.

We wound our way up and I think this is the upper spiral tunnel.

Before long we crossed the continental divide at the summit of Kicking Horse Pass.

Then we got to Banff where I got off for two nights.  I had no accommodation booked but a New Zealand Girl called Liz that I'd been chatting to suggested the YWCA, no that's not a misprint.  It worked and a cheap and cheerful room was booked for the stay. And before there is any sniggering on the back row, it was separate rooms.  I met Liz again at breakfast next morning and she said that she wanted to go to lake Louise but needed to hitch hike to save money and did I want to go with her for her safety.  Obviously I accepted and an hour later we were dropped in Lake Louise village.  This freight just happened to come along going west. The usual array of SD40-2's on the front.

Liz and I then walked up the old tram track to the hotel and this was the stunning view up the lake.

I remember thinking that if I ever got married it would be a good place to spend a honeymoon.

 

Anyway the next morning it was time to catch the train east to Toronto.   Whilst waiting for the Canadian this eastbound pulled in. More SD40-2's in the 5XXX series.

More tomorrow.

 

Jamie

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[pH]

9 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Before long we crossed the continental divide at the summit of Kicking Horse Pass.

 

At the back centre of this picture, I’m sure you’ve caught Divide Creek. This is a creek which splits (reputedly with some assistance from Canadian Pacific construction workers), one branch going west, eventually to the Pacific Ocean, the other going east off the Divide to Hudson’s Bay.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divide_Creek
 

 

 

 

[jamie92208]

9 minutes ago, pH said:

At the back centre of this picture, I’m sure you’ve caught Divide Creek. This is a creek which splits (reputedly with some assistance from Canadian Pacific construction workers), one branch going west, eventually to the Pacific Ocean, the other going east off the Divide to Hudson’s Bay.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divide_Creek
 

 

 

 

Thanks for that. Divide Creek will feature in due course.

 

Jamie

[pH]

4 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Thanks for that. Divide Creek will feature in due course.

 

Jamie

I had forgotten you had gone back to that area. (Despite the foreshadowing in today’s post!)

Edited June 20, 2021 by pH

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Jamie did you visit Spokane Washington on this trip? I ask as I will be visiting there in late July and can get some photos of how it has changed since the 70s, and I believe there also a abandoned Great Northern Pullman sitting out in a field on the way to the farm I will be staying at, and the town near said farm has a massive trestle formerly part of the Milwaukee, which you may have crossed.

 

That was a lot to cram into one sentence.

 

 

Douglas

[jamie92208]

1 hour ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Jamie did you visit Spokane Washington on this trip? I ask as I will be visiting there in late July and can get some photos of how it has changed since the 70s, and I believe there also a abandoned Great Northern Pullman sitting out in a field on the way to the farm I will be staying at, and the town near said farm has a massive trestle formerly part of the Milwaukee, which you may have crossed.

 

That was a lot to cram into one sentence.

 

 

Douglas

Hi Douglas, Spokane will feature in the 1979 trip.  Your trip sounds good, feel free to add some photos when I get there.

 

Jamie

[mdvle]

13 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Whilst waiting for the Canadian this eastbound pulled in. More SD40-2's

 

"More SD40-2's" is a very apt description of CP Rail in that era - they went big into the SD40-2 buying 486 of them (compared to CN buying a mere 123) and the SD40-2 really defined CP back then.

 

For those following along and thinking this would make a great holiday, it would - but VIA no longer takes this route.  In 1990 VIA moved the Canadian onto CN, essentially following the old Super Continental route.

[pH]

39 minutes ago, mdvle said:

 

"More SD40-2's" is a very apt description of CP Rail in that era - they went big into the SD40-2 buying 486 of them (compared to CN buying a mere 123) and the SD40-2 really defined CP back then.

I remember when they were still being delivered. As of April 18 this year, there were only seven SD40-2s still operating on the CP system (Canadian Railway Observations). There are a few others still on the roster, but stored. The last time I saw one was over three years ago. 
 

(I could post this on the “Things that make you feel old!” topic.)

[jamie92208]

On 21/06/2021 at 01:26, pH said:

I remember when they were still being delivered. As of April 18 this year, there were only seven SD40-2s still operating on the CP system (Canadian Railway Observations). There are a few others still on the roster, but stored. The last time I saw one was over three years ago. 
 

(I could post this on the “Things that make you feel old!” topic.)

Thanks for that, I half remembered that they had about 500 SD40-2's.  

 

Anyway the Tardis is still in Banff on 17th June 1978.   I'm waiting at the station for my train to Toronto.  As mentioned above, this route no longer runs as the combined Canadian takes the CN route.  My father was very jealous that I rode this route as they had gone over a few years before and ended up getting caught in a strike and had to take a bus through the Rockies. The westbound freight that took the siding for our train was an empty grain train made up of government owned hopper cars. I believe that the efficiency with which the harvest can be transported by the railways can become quite a political hot potato. Cabeese were still in use.

Anyway our train arrived behind a very clean 1413 F unit.  Liz had come to say goodbye and  is on the far left.

There is a very impressive mountain above the station at Banff.

 

We were soon on our way and passing other trains as we ran down the Bow River valley towards Calgary.

And the dome gave a great view of the Rockies as we left them behind.

A fairly lengthy stop at Calgary for servicing then we were out onto the prairies.

With wooden grain elevators every few miles.

More tomorrow.

 

Jamie

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[Johann Marsbar]

I found it did get a bit boring playing "Spot the grain elevator" ........

 

 

...though I did manage to get a photo of 5 in a row!

 

Webb, SK, from my notes, though I was 11 years later than you - 1989 - but the train was still using the CP route acoss the Country.

 

 

[mdvle]

6 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

The westbound freight that took the siding for our train was an empty grain train made up of government owned hopper cars. I believe that the efficiency with which the harvest can be transported by the railways can become quite a political hot potato. Cabeese were still in use.

 

 

Another sign of how times change, the government grain hoppers now being scrapped as new hoppers owned by the railroads take over - and are the typical boring grey like most other hoppers these days.

[The Lurker]

Great to see a picture of Lake Louise - we visited in 2017 towards the end of a clear sunny day and it was beautiful, especially the viewpoint you have there which looks like it is from the grounds of the Fairmont. 

 

When I did the trip as a child in the 70s I remember getting off and stretching our legs at Banff. After breakfast that morning my Mum and I went to the rear dome  while my Dad and sister paid. We were lucky enough to see a mother bear and her cub emerge from the woods and follow the train down the track.

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a rather damp Charente,  Never fear, Lake Louise will feature again.   Anyway the Tardis is still moving on and is now crossing the Prairie lands of Canada.  It's now the 18th of June 1978. A night in the coach seats and we are somewhere east of Winnipeg. I had got talking to the conductor and he was interested in my travels.  I told him about my cab ride over Sherman and he said "Would you like a cab ride on this train?" Of course I said yes and at the next stop was told to head for the loco.  A very happy bunny was up in the cab in no time.  Of course it was an F unit. I was made very welcome by the driver and fireman. The stretch was double track and we passed quite a few freights.  This one I believe was headed by a high horsepower MLW.

 

Of course we couldn't go far without seeing an SD40-2.

Then a mother bear and her cub crossed the tracks in front of us.  Ray, the engineer told me that near here some grain cars had derailed and the grain had fermented in the swamp.  the bears then drank the weak beer and then decided to fight the trains.  He said it was a tad disconcerting to see the bears paws in front of your cab window, sadly not very good for the bear.

A remote timber loading siding.

Then a mechanised tie replacement gang.  This first machine was cutting the old ones into 4 pieces.

Then another machine inserted the new tie.  Well worth seeing.

More tomorrow.

 

Jamie

 

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[pH]

A “candy-striped” SD40-2 even!

Edited June 22, 2021 by pH

[Johann Marsbar]

I've got a worksplate off one of the CP SD40-2's (off #5734) which I picked up at a railroadiana shop in the US several years ago for a remarkably good price (something like $12....).

It's the only worksplate that I've ever bothered buying!

[jamie92208]

Just googled 4702, it was sn MLW M636.  i have a bague memory thst it had been uprated experimentally or so the crew told me.

 

Jamie

Edited June 22, 2021 by jamie92208
Correction.

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

At the risk of being a real pedant, it's an M636.  The last of the Alco Century series built under licence by the Montreal Locomotive Works.  3600hp! 

 

Got to love those chunky ultimate Alcos... 

[jamie92208]

22 minutes ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

At the risk of being a real pedant, it's an M636.  The last of the Alco Century series built under licence by the Montreal Locomotive Works.  3600hp! 

 

Got to love those chunky ultimate Alcos... 

No problem, it's my short term memory that's at fault.

 

Jamie