Mile from home

Last Friday I was heading home from Vanderhoof when I happened to catch up with what had to be one of the shortest coal trains ever! Wisconsin Central GP-38 (RD# 2001) was the lead locomotive on a seven car train. The train was made up of 2 locomotives, six coal cars and a flat car loaded with wheel sets. Since CN has absorbed various class 2 and shortlines over the past few years more unusual head end power has been appearing on the Skeena subdivision here on the North Coast. The following photos where taken along the Skeena river between Shanes and Salvis sidings.

East bound empties

About 10 minute behind Via Rails Skeena was an empty grain train making the trip east to the prairies to be reloaded sent back to a West Coast port. CN 2223 was the lone unit pulling the string East towards Antigonish Creek.

Via Rails Skeena heads East along the river

Sunday April 26th I captured Via Rail 6424 heading out of Prince Rupert towards Terrace. Al Tucker from Smithers was the engineer at the controls of 6424 as it speeds along the Skeena river past Tyee towards the Kyex river and then on to Telegraph Point. This time of year Via operates a short train made up of a loco and two bud cars.

Things go off track at the Grain Elevator

Well it's been sometime since my last post and a lot has been going on so I'll start with a series of photos taken at Prince Rupert Grain on Ridley Island. I don't know who took the pictures but they were forwarded to me by a friend who works at the elevator.


The accident happened when a switch was aligned the wrong way and a string of grain cars was pushed through the locomotive shop and out the other end. to the best of my knowledge no one was injured.

4615 speeds along the Skeena in the Dark

Former BC rail 4615 is the lead of a West bound container drag as it speeds toward the Port city of Prince Rupert on the end of the CN Northern line. The clip shot by my Twelve year old son, Garrett, while returning from Terrace.

The Big Bad Wolf

Saturday on my way up country I managed to capture a few quality images of a Timber wolf by the Salvis siding along the Skeena river.

Bound for Smithers......

This past weekend I made a trip to Smither and managed to get a few photos along the way. The first is of empty grain train headed East between Antigonish creek and the Kyex river.

Derailment on the mainline

CN rail had a small derailment today between the downtown rail yard and J.S.McMillian fisheries plant. Half a dozen twin stack car went on the ground when the rail apparently laid over. A various assortment of equipment was brought in to help with the clean up. Cranes, excavators, loaders, container trucks and trailers were just some of the machinery at the site.

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.