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?

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.