Into the fire

CN 8861 and 5685 pull a string of loaded steel coal cars into the thaw shed to be heated before they enter the rotary dumped. These cars are just about a thing of the past as the current standard is the larger-longer aluminum style. The draw back to the aluminum car is they don't fit Ridley Terminals older rotary dumper so they have to uncouple each car before the get rolled in the dumper. Take a close look at 8861, notice the red lights over the windshields, CN is starting to use distributed power on some of their longer trains and are replacing fred's with a locomotive at the end of the train.

Merry Christmas from the Warm Coast

Well it's had to believe it was Christmas Day yesterday when Prince Rupert was Canada's hot spot at 12.4 Celsius and no snow in site. Hope everyone had a good holiday.....I sure did! Got a new Sony a380 DSLR camera and a train on the waterfront to photograph, who could ask for anything after a day like that. Had to post a few photos of yesterdays waterfront visit so here they are, locos are road numbers 2289 and 5646.

Garrett gets the train bug?

Well it looks like my oldest son Garrett is starting to get the railfaning bug like his dad. On the way home from Kitimat we caught up to a westbound coal train heading for the coast, so I gave Garrett my Olympus 8080c camera and pulled along side CN 2224 and told him to start shooting. The following photos are the images he captured. Not bad considering he's never had a camera in his hands before and they where taken from a moving car.

One for Robert

Well as you know in my earlier post today, I made an overnight trip to Kitimat. On the way home I stopped at a location just to the east of Tyee. This appears to be the same place Robert McDonald took a photo 50 years earlier. This ones for you!

Tanks a million

Well this morning I found myself in Kitmat with an hour to spare so I made a fast trip out to Alcan Kitimat works and just happened to catch CN getting ready to put a string of tank cars out of the Methanex, methanol plant. The lead engine was road number 2225 followed by 2561 and 5765.

Containers on the way to the coast

Sunday morning about 9:30 I was lucky enough to catch 5748 and 5783 pull into Smithers, B.C. at the head unit of a unit train of containers bound for Maher Terminals of Canada in Prince Rupert. I spoke with the crew as they set the locomotives brake to find out that it was scheduled to depart approximately 12:30 that afternoon but I would already be on the road back to Rupert so I managed to take these photos at the west end of the yard.

West bound for Prince Rupert

CN 8844 waits at the west end of the Smithers yard on the mainline for a crew to arrive and take the mixed freight on the Prince Rupert.

East bound out of Smithers

Late Saturday night 2204 prepares to head out of Smithers with a mix loaded in tow. After going through the checks the throttles are opened up and the train begins to roll.

Don't race the Train.........it always ends bad!

I just had to post these photos of what happens when trying to beat the train to a grade crossing goes wrong. To the best of my knowledge it was a recent accident in the Brandon area when a load b-train was caught halfway over the crossing before being cut in two. I have no idea who captured the images but if you do please let me know........

Mile 31 on the Skeena Subdivision

While it's been awhile since I had a chance to get out and capture any trains with my camera, but I made 4 trips between Prince Rupert and Terrace this past weekend and took the camera along with me. I couldn't believe I only meet 1 train during 12 hours of driving the Skeena. Well after all that driving I managed to take the 2 following photos of CN 5782 (EMD SD75I) at mile post 31 heading East with a load of empty grain cars.

Kettle Valley Steam Locomotive 3716

Well I just got home from a 2 week family holiday in the Okanagan area and managed to sneak away to Summerland to ride the Kettle Valley Railroad steam train. Wow! What a trip. I haven't rode a steam train since I was a child and couldn't recall much of that trip, but I'll remember this trip for years to come. I can still smell the oil and steam that was in the air when I close my eyes. If you have never had the chance to experience live steam you are missing out. I took the photos during the morning run on July 18th.

CN Executive Cars

Last weekend CN executive cars "Sandford Fleming (1060), Tawaw (1059) and Illinois Central 800210 were dragged in to Prince Rupert and dropped in the rail yard for CN executives for the week. I managed to talk to one of the crew, who told me they had come out of Chicago 4 days earlier and made the trip straight through with only short delays on sidings or for Locomotive crew changes. The cars sat on the waterfront for a few days before departing for their next destination. I was sorry they didn't use the E-9 locomotives that are usually asigned to the coaches.

Working the car float

CN 5698 working the car float May 31, 2009 on the south shore in Prince Rupert.

Pushing them back fast

May 31, 2009 CN 5698 was moving cars in the Rupert yard building the switch list for rail barge waiting at Pilsbury Point.

CN 5698, Sunday May 31 turning on the wye

Yesterday I managed to get a few photos of 5698 being backed into the wye at Prince Rupert before it was used to off load the FOSS MARINE rail barge at Pillsbury Point.

I just can't bear it any longer

Thought I'd post these pictures I got at Endako when I was on my way to Vanderhoof last week. The black bear climbed out of the brush and on to the tracks at the crew house then decided to lay between the rails and start eating who know what?