Occasional Canadian photos, mostly from Vancouver area

[pH]

Trackwork in progress this morning just west of the Port Coquitlam yards towards Vancouver:

 

 

Some individual track machines:

 

 

 

 

 

 

One even had a tender 🤭:

 

 

Meanwhile  AC4400CWM #8052 ran light-engine through the yards:

 

 

And SD60M #6261 (ex-SOO) and SD30C-ECO #5005 arrived on a transfer freight from the New Westminster direction: 

 

[VIA185]

On 21/09/2023 at 20:05, Jim49 said:

The green baggage car is still there and appears to be in very good shape with no signs of rust, just in need of a good clean-up.

For company it has a CP box van and the bare chassis of something I can't identify.

The CP box van is not 58696 which is still marooned on a short track panel back towards Johnson St bridge

There was no sign of the diesel switcher but it could have been in either of the shed buildings which both seem to be in good external condition.

 

Jim

I think that's the CP boxcar that was originally mounted high up on a plinth alongside one of the new buildings. I assume it got taken down as it represented an unnecessary risk in the event of the 1-in-100 years earthquake which Victoria is expecting. (CJL)

[pH]

CPKC AC4400CW #9766 at Port Coquitlam 2023/10/12:

 

 

The loco was making a horrible screeching noise. Going by where the noise was coming from, it appeared to be a sticking brake on the rear truck.

 

[steve1]

Vancouver Island, October 2005.

 

steve

 

 

[VIA185]

On 24/10/2023 at 14:42, steve1 said:

Vancouver Island, October 2005.

 

steve

 

 

If only it had been a train SERVICE, instead of one train a day in the wrong direction. A wonderful ride - I did it several times over a 30-year period, but always with very few other passengers. (CJL)

[VIA185]

I first saw it and travelled (Shawnigan Lake-Victoria) in 1976. Caught this view at Duncan during the same holiday, when it was still Esquimalt & Nanaimo trains No. 1 and 2 operated by Canadian Pacific. This was the southbound working which called at Duncan in the late afternoon. Duncan station is now a museum. (CJL) 

[pH]

CPKC ES44AC #9369 as pusher on eastbound potash empties in Coquitlam this morning:

 

 

[VIA185]

Tried sending these to Canadian Railway Observations, as the Editor is clearly a fan of BC Rail's Dash-8-30CMs, but my e-mails to CRO just bounce back. So, since I went to the bother of scanning the original prints, here they are. I was lucky enough to get a conducted tour of 4604 at North Vancouver, brand new in 1990, hence the two cab interior shots. 4601 was entering Lillooet, southbound same year. Sad to think that the BCR is no more - though I preferred the two-tone green PGE/BCR paint scheme. I last saw one of these locos far from home, in Halifax, NS,back in 2012. Still in  (tatty) red, white and blue. (CJL)

 

[pH]

A dull morning today at CPKCs Port Coquitlam yards. I saw a crew changeover between a CPKC 'heavy' switcher (it's a flat yard, and some of the trains are very long) and a visiting BNSF road engine.

 

Here are the two CPKC engines being used to switch:

 

 

SD60 #6245 (ex-SOO)

 

 

GP38-2 #4435 (non-dynamic, ex-SOO)

 

And the BNSF engine:

 

 

ES44C4 #8364

[jamie92208]

Just out of Interest the latest copy of Trains has made it's way to France.  There is a long article about the lines down the Thompson Fraser Valley and the DRZ. It includes several good photos of the New Westminster area. 

 

Jamie

[pH]

11 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Just out of Interest the latest copy of Trains has made it's way to France.  There is a long article about the lines down the Thompson Fraser Valley and the DRZ. It includes several good photos of the New Westminster area. 

 

Jamie

I may just have to buy it, then!

[jamie92208]

5 hours ago, pH said:

I may just have to buy it, then!

It's the May issue.   I've only skimmmed through so far but am looking forward to reading properly. 

 

Jamie

 

 

[pH]

12 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

It's the May issue.   I've only skimmmed through so far but am looking forward to reading properly. 

 

Jamie

I bought a copy this morning. Interesting text and pictures. Beware of the map though:

 

- in the inset, BNSF appear to have taken over the Skytrain system and, presumably, would now be running trains on it.

 

- the major yard to the east of Vancouver on the CPKC is in Port Coquitlam, not Coquitlam. They are separate municipalities.

 

 

- the location on the CPKC just west of Hope is “Odlum”, not “Odium”! It was the junction for the Kettle Valley Railway.

Edited April 12 by pH

[jamie92208]

12 hours ago, pH said:

I bought a copy this morning. Interesting text and pictures. Beware of the map though:

 

- in the inset, BNSF appear to have taken over the Skytrain system and, presumably, would now be running trains on it.

 

- the major yard to the east of Vancouver on the CPKC is in Port Coquitlam, not Coquitlam. They are separate municipalities.

 

 

- the location on the CPKC just west of Hope is “Odlum”, not “Odium”! It was the junction for the Kettle Valley Railway.

I enjoyed it but thought that as a large part of the article concentrated on the Vancouver area operations,a better map of a complex area would have helped.  When I read an article with specially created maps I do like to be able to find every named location on the map eg the Douglas tunnel about which I have no idea. However I enjoyed the article. I've still got the other two long ones to read. 

 

Jamie

Edited April 13 by jamie92208

[pH]

3 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

… the Douglas tunnel about which I have no idea …

Jamie, I can’t see any reference to a tunnel of that name. What am I missing?

 

The two articles about the attempt by activist investors to take control of Norfolk Southern and the possible effects on the whole US railroad system if they succeed are very interesting.

[britishcolumbian]

17 hours ago, pH said:

- in the inset, BNSF appear to have taken over the Skytrain system and, presumably, would now be running trains on it.

Now THAT would be entertaining to see...

[jamie92208]

6 hours ago, pH said:

Jamie, I can’t see any reference to a tunnel of that name. What am I missing?

 

The two articles about the attempt by activist investors to take control of Norfolk Southern and the possible effects on the whole US railroad system if they succeed are very interesting.

Sorry, my forgettery ©Chrisf, has struck again. It's the Thornton tunnel, referenced in column 2 on page 27. 

 

Jamie

[pH]

Thornton tunnel runs under part of Burnaby, BC:

 

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

 

It was opened in 1969 to give trains off the (now) BNSF/CN line into Vancouver more direct access to the north shore of Burrard Inlet.

 

If you search for “Alaska Street, Burnaby” in Google Maps, you will see the line branching off northwest from the main line, going underground below Dawson Street. Search for “Bates Park, Burnaby” and you will see the line emerging from the tunnel onto a bridge over the CPKC tracks, then onto the Second Narrows rail bridge across Burrard Inlet.

There’s a mid-tunnel ventilation shaft in the middle of a residential area of single-family homes:

 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/156209-the-night-mail/?do=findComment&comment=4684722

 

[jamie92208]

It sounds as if they have I stalled new fans and filters at the suburban bunngalow...  Are the neighbours complaining about the diesel exhausr in the area. 

 

Thanks, it makes sense now. 

 

Jamie