Occasional Canadian photos, mostly from Vancouver area

[pH]

3 hours ago, dibber25 said:

Two Southern Railway of BC switchers returning through New Westminster after taking a long train of auto-racks over to the island. The way it looks, this picture could be equally at home in the 'Street Running' section. In fact, its little more than a grade crossing on a curve.

 

3 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

Same block of flats in the background from 2017?

 

I never went far enough down the overpass!

 

Yes. On Quayside Drive in New Westminster. The Southern Railway of BC line goes between the two groups of highrises and crosses to Annacis Island.

Edited February 24, 2022 by pH

[55020]

19 hours ago, dibber25 said:

Took this some years ago - about 2008 I guess - but only recently found it filed away on the computer. Two Southern Railway of BC switchers returning through New Westminster after taking a long train of auto-racks over to the island. The way it looks, this picture could be equally at home in the 'Street Running' section. In fact, its little more than a grade crossing on a curve.

 

When I first relocated to BC in July 2007, we rented an apartment in those very tower blocks.  I thought the views out of the windows was fantastic.  However my wife wasn't too keen on the constant clashing of buffers all day and all night, both in this yard and the one just to the west (behind you).

 

 

Steve

[dibber25]

Here they are, earlier in the morning crossing over to Annacis Island where the SRofBC has barge loading facilities and - presumably - an interchange with other railroads. (CJL)

[pH]

19 minutes ago, dibber25 said:

Here they are, earlier in the morning crossing over to Annacis Island where the SRofBC has barge loading facilities and - presumably - an interchange with other railroads. (CJL)

Other way round. SRY has exclusive access to Annacis Island and the docks where imported cars are landed. It hauls loaded racks off Annacis and interchanges with the Class 1s in that yard in New West. 

[peach james]

Also the barge for the island (and the isolated pulp mills) docks there.

 

[dibber25]

On 24/02/2022 at 21:55, peach james said:

Also the barge for the island (and the isolated pulp mills) docks there.

 

Is the isolated pulp mill the one at Crofton? If so, the only moving trains on the island apart from the propane cars just to the north of Nanaimo? (CJL)

[peach james]

There's more than one- though less than there used to be...

Crofton, Harmac  on the big island, Port Mellon in Howe Sound, Powell River are still barge served.  Port Alice & Gold River are both former sites.  

(Crofton :  https://www.google.com/maps/place/Port+Mellon,+BC/@48.8740868,-123.6431969,217m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x548646f4bd5c45d9:0x2ced208c5d646c7b!8m2!3d49.5217479!4d-123.4880589!5m1!1e4 with a barge )

 

[dibber25]

Thanks, really interesting to know. Somewhere, I have a re-livery job that I did to create the Crofton switcher. In that Google shot of Port Mellon, there appears to be 17 white tank cars. As it's a paper mill, would they be these - as seen some years ago at the paper mill in Port Alberni? I was thrilled to see English China Clays name so far  from Cornwall. (CJL)

[roundhouse]

On our trip to the island in 1992 we also saw ECC freight cars

 

and also at Nanaimo yard

Edited March 4, 2022 by roundhouse

[dibber25]

Chased the 'Port turn' one afternoon from the park with the waterfall (Englishman River?). I was shooting video but my wife got this still shot across Cameron Lake. From memory, there were 17 cars with half a dozen ECC cars on the rear. The tank cars carried china clay slurry and the hoppers would have carried powder. Locos were Rail America GP38-2s and a GP20 still in Railink dark blue. (CJL)

 

Edited March 3, 2022 by dibber25
spellchecker doesn't recognise Railink

[dibber25]

Victoria in 2018. More condos are being built in this area, leaving only the main track and the turntable. The shed on the left and the roundhouse have appeared in Hallmark movies the interiors used as 'factory' premises.. (CJL)

[pH]

On 09/03/2018 at 18:34, pH said:

No active trains today. However, here's a picture of a picture on a local information board. There were several lumber mills in the area (the last one is about to be closed, and condos built on the site) and this is a picture of the log dump at one of them:

 

I posted the photo above several years ago, asking if anyone could identify the engine. The discussion brought up several possibilities. There were further questions about where the picture was taken, as that would influence the choice of engine. The caption displayed with the picture said it was taken at McNair’s mill in Port Moody. However, the picture is also published in a book, with a caption saying it was taken elsewhere.
 

“daveyb” suggested trying to find a suitable present-day location in Port Moody:

On 20/07/2020 at 22:10, daveyb said:

Unless we can find a further corroboration as to which location is correct... A whole other hunt. If you can still stand on the Port Moody location you may be able to match the skyline beyond against your earliest photo.

 

Here’s the best present-day view of where I think the picture was taken, showing what I believe are the remaining timbers of the log dump. If it is correct, the second picture is from close to the viewpoint of the picture I originally posted.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by pH

[PhilJ W]

The locomotive looks like a Baldwin saddle tank.

[daveyb]

pH, you're in a lucky place (unless you're buying petrol this week) That does look similar. I never did find the pic I was looking for but the big Baldwin saddle tank looks like Bloedel's 10 spot from other pics which I think I remember worked at Port Moody. 

[pH]

1 hour ago, daveyb said:

pH, you're in a lucky place (unless you're buying petrol this week).

It’s OK - we’re used to setting North American records!

[pH]

12 hours ago, daveyb said:

I never did find the pic I was looking for but the big Baldwin saddle tank looks like Bloedel's 10 spot from other pics which I think I remember worked at Port Moody. 

Can you remember where you read/heard about a Bloedel engine working in Port Moody? Bloedel is not one of the names I’ve seen mentioned in connection with logging here. I know of logging and/or sawmill companies with Thurston, Favelle, CPR, McNair, Hage, Pioneer, Emerson, Jackson, Singh, McLean and Dollar in the names, but no Bloedel, and no obvious reference to any being taken over by Bloedel. 
 

The original picture, when it is captioned as being taken in Port Moody, describes the mill as being McNair’s.

 

[dibber25]

Apologies for the poor quality, due to a cheap home slide scanner but this is one my first colour pictures taken in Canada, in 1976. The Lincoln Grain hopper was 'parked' in the street in downtown Victoria, BC, in what I now guess to have been Store Street, where several businesses had their own spurs off a track that ran down the centre of the street. Back home I managed to find a decal sheet and I did up an Athearn car to match. (CJL)

[dibber25]

From the time I took my first trip to Squamish with 2860 I was captivated by the British Columbia Railway and couldn't wait to ride the Cariboo Dayliner. I took it twice but only as far as Lillooet, so I could get out and back in a day. The first time was when it was still the great 'dogwood' livery and the original Lillooet station. Here's the southbound at Lillooet where the cars from the morning northbound would be combined with the cars that had gone through to Prince George the previous day, for the run back to North Vancouver. Several BC Rail Budd cars survive, though at least one was destroyed by fire after hitting a rockslide and another was burned for a movie sequence. (CJL)

[roundhouse]

Its quite scary to think that 20 years ago this October we rode on the penultimate BCrail passenger service from Vancouver North to Prince George. When we tried to book the train it was already sold out but a week or so before the day we had an email saying that there were now seats available. After a frantic look up of flights we booked our very first eticket on BA and travelled out on a long weekend to Vancouver with just carry on bags. I am so glad that we did it.

 

Since then we have generally done the same with carry on bags, even for a two week trip that ended up as a 5 week trip - just requires a bit of careful planning to be able to wash and dry clothes.

Edited March 15, 2022 by roundhouse

[dibber25]

Roundhouse - Lillooet yard looks so neat and organised in your pictures. It all looked so 'random' when I was there - even my most recent visit which, I guess, have been 1991. Here's a view from, I think, 1981, with 561 and Budd Wiser, the school train for indigenous kids from Seton Portage (replaced by the silver-coloured speeder seen in your picture). (CJL)

[pH]

On 20/08/2021 at 11:59, mdvle said:

Sadly I don't see the SD30C-ECO or its sibling the GP20C-ECO ever being done in model form.  At only 50 and 130 units, and only 1 owner with not much variation in paint schemes, I doubt they would sell enough …

You were saying?

 

https://www.bowser-trains.com/history/sd30ceco.html

 

Edited January 14 by pH
To change link to point to production models.

[pH]

Canadian Pacific ES44AC #8900 working as switcher in Port Coquitlam yards April 14:

 

 

[pH]

Canadian Pacific yards in Port Coquitlam. Canadian National ET44ACs #3003 and #3144 have arrived on a westbound intermodal and Canadian Pacific GP38-2s #4415(ex-Soo, no dynamic brakes) and #3085 (dynamics) are switching in the yard:

 

 

(Those poles always annoy me! You can seldom  get clear shots of individual units.)

 

CN and CP operate their separate lines in the Fraser Canyon as a double track. The separation back to ‘home’ tracks westbound is usually at Mission/Matsqui, but sometimes further west. However, this may just be a CP train with CN power - things are much more ‘fluid’ around here than they used to be.

 

The only unit I could get a clear view of was #3144:

[pH]

Nelson Electric Tramway Society car#23 giving free trips for Canada Day this morning:

The structure known as BOB (Big Orange Bridge) in background.

 

 

CPR line just visible on left.

Edited July 1, 2022 by pH

[pH]

 

I stopped by the Canadian Pacific Railway (that wasn't immediately obvious!) yards in Port Coquitlam this morning. A lot of action happening, which isn't always the case. This was one of the first things I saw:

 

 

CNR#5795 (SD75I) and #5618 (SD70I) were switching a train of tanks cars, one of three which were in motion at the same time:

 

 

 

UP #8418 is an SD70ACe. From its position and where the train was standing in the yard, I think it was the pusher on a train of potash empties about to leave on a return trip to a potash mine in Saskatchewan:

 

 

The other tank trains were being switched by CP SD30C-ECO #5014, along with #5013:

 

 

and by GP38-2 #4523 and a GP20C-ECO (#2243 I think):

 

 

One of the tank cars in #5013 and #5014's train had a slogan on it that I've not noticed on any other one before:

 

 

Edited July 30, 2022 by pH