The whatsit files!

Just thought I' d post a picture of this unusual ZPMC 20' container spotted by the Mayer terminals Fairview mechanical shop. The container was used to load test and commission the 3 gantry cranes lifting capacity. The marks on the side indicate the units weight (long tonnes / 2200lbs) when water is add to the container.

Cold and Clear on the Northcoast

Mid afternoon yesterday with the mercury @ -5 celcius, I made my way to the waterfront to see if I could catch something in the rail yard. As luck would have it the afternoon switch crew, Art Ferguson (engineer) and JT Sparkes (switchman), were about to run a set on locomotives into the wye.

CN SD70M-2, Road number 8011

CN 8011 was in town early December 8th as head end power on the mixed freight along with BC Rail 762. This locomotive is one of 50 that were ordered for container service out of Rupert. The SD40-2 looks pretty small coupled to this big third gen monster.

BC Rail 762 on the waterfront

Early December 8th BC Rail SD40-2 was parked in front of the old passenger station waiting for the in coming tide before unloading the Foss marine rail barge service.

Maher Terminals 1st Anniversary

Well a year has past since Maher Terminals of Canada opened the Fairview container port. Since the first ship off loaded, business has continued to grow. Currently the facility handles two scheduled sailings a week with rail service operating daily in and out of the port. To celebrate the 1st anniversary Maher held a BBQ for the workers and staff.

Train in the Rain

CN 5721 / EMD SD75I, serial no. 956616-92, built 11/1996 in the Rupert rail yard early this morning in the rain.

CN 2246 GE ES44DC

Canadian Nation 2246 ES44DC along with 5736 SD75I pulling a sting of loaded well cars into the Maher container terminal in the Port of Prince Rupert. The next shot is of 2246 at Pillsbury point on its way into town.

My assistant Rain the pug

I thought I'd include a photo of my pug who is usually along with me when I go out taking photos. Unlike my wife, he doesn't say much when I pull the car over to take a picture! And no, he doesn't talk like Frank from Men in Black!

Off loading twinstack rail cars

Sunday, October 12th. ILWU local 505 members work the day shift, off loading inbound rail cars at Maher Terminals Fairview facility in the Port of Prince Rupert. The Kalmar reach stacker is lifting a 40' container out of a well car and placing it on to a truck to be moved into cells for back loading on to a ship.

Fairview Container Port - Phase 1

Cranes & Trains

CN 2246 is in the foreground at Pillsbury Point with Mahers ZPMC cranes in the background at Fairview Terminals

Fairview Terminals container train

Early Sunday, October 12th ILWU local 505 members at the controls of CN locos pull a loaded container train into Maher Terminals, Fairview Port to be unloaded.

Fall from Glory

CN 5334 seen here in Prince Rupert September 28, 2008. This weather beat iron horse was once a rolling billboard for Expo 86 in Vancouver, BC. It was sitting on the waterfront in the rain this morning awaiting the arrival of the rail barge out of Alaska. I thought I'd try a snap a few shot of it in the rain......after giving it a looking over I noticed through the faded worn paint what appeared to be green and yellow paint, so I started to think about the colours and rememberd CN had painted a locomotive to promote the 1986 worlds fair. After doing a little digging online I discovered that this was indeed the former Expo unit. 1 paint job and 22 years have past and this is how it looks today!

Mayer Terminals ZPMC Cranes

Mayer Terminals ZPMC cranes with their booms raised. These are 2 of the 3 cranes used at the fairview terminal container port here in Prince Rupert.

Departing East for Terrace

The video clip show CN 2304/7210/1444 departing Rupert this morning on its way to drop their railcars before dead heading on to Terrace. 7210 will be dropped in Terrace while 1444 is going to Prince George for servicing.

Something old, something new........

Road number 2304 / GE ES44DC and road number 1444 / GMD 1 coupled together at the south end of the Prince Rupert railyard.

GMD 1 / GP-9 VIDEO CLIPS

Well I managed to catch up with GP-9 number 7210 and GMD-1 number 1444 along the waterfront this morning and record these 2 short video clips of them idling away.

GP-9 back on the Waterfront

CN 7210 Built 04/1959 was in Rupert today offloading the rail barge from Whitter. it looks like the crew will have to wait for the raising tide before reloading the barge for the trip North. It has been awhile since I've seen CN use this type of power here. The barge crew usually has mainline road power like SD50's or Dash-9's assigned to them. I'll try to find out if they ran the GP down on its own or in a consist with some bigger power.

Ridley Terminals / Wood Pellets

GMD-1 Road number 1444 at Ridley Terminals Inc south of Prince Rupert, B.C. April 5th 2008. Waiting for the next batch of cover hoppers to arrive from the interior of the province with their load of wood pellets. Ridley Terminals off loads the hoppers into a gigantic storage bid before loading the pellets into bulk carriers destined for locations around the globe.

WHEN TRAINS COLLIDE!

The following video clip and photos show the result of 2 BNSF trains hitting after one gets to close to the switch points.

THE TRAIN YOU WERE RIDING ON GOING INTO THE SIDING TO THE RIGHT HAD THE SIGNAL. THE TRAIN COMING TOWARD YOU WENT TOO CLOSE AND FOULED THE TRACK THAT'S WHY YOU SAW THEM JUMP OFF TO THE LEFT TO FIND A DIFFERENT JOB.

THE FIRST WAS THE ONE YOU WERE ON THE SECOND WAS THE ONE COMING TOWARD YOU NOT FAIR YOU HAVE MORE DAMAGE WHEN IT WAS HIS FAULT.

In hot pursuit.......

After being Passed by CN 2525 at the Skeena siding, I took off West after the unit towards the Kyex River bridge where this first photo was taken. The next three were photographed between the Kyex River and Tyee siding. The train had a single unit in the lead with another single unit at the end of the train. This is not the norm for coal trains in the area. They are usually pulled by 2 or 3 locomotives at the head end and a FRED unit on the tail end of the train. Has CN started running coal trains the same fashion as the CPR? We'll have to wait and see....

Skeena siding

CN 2525 Class EF 644b GE C44-9W leading a coal drag West to the Ridley Island coal loading facility just East of Prince Rupert at the Skeena siding.

All aboard!

With the conductor in his seat, CN 5504 wait for 07:00 hour to arrive before departing for Prince George to the East of Smithers.

East bound for Prince George

CN 5504 Class GF 638b EMD SD60F in the lead with CN 2402 Class EF 640a GE C40-8M trailing, wait to depart with a mixed freight for Prince George at 07:00 from Smithers.

Smithers & Back

Smithers station in the early morning hours January 27, 2008.

This past weekend I made a quick overnight trip to Smithers and managed a short visit to the rail yard in the early morning hours, snow was lightly falling and the mercury was at -12 Celsius.

Foss Marine Tugs

Foss Marine tow boat Corbin Foss & Justine Foss are the primary vessels used for towing the Aquatrain rail barge between Prince Rupert, B.C. and Whitter, AK.

The Corbin Foss is taking on diesel fuel at the Petro Canada fuel dock in Cow Bay. The Justine Foss was photographed in Prince Rupert harbour just off the shoreline adjacent to the old Canadian National passenger station.

Back too the Grind

Loram rail grinder RG316 in the Rupert yard May 28, 2006 preparing for the journey east to Terrace on the Skeena subdivision.