Canadian Railroads > Another from the Dawson Creek Archives

From 2010: here's train 578 near Progress, heading back to Chetwynd from Dawson Creek in fading daylight. This job and the turn to Fort Nelson were one of the last reliable preserves of BC Rail power. What are they using for power up there these days?

Loleta Fernbridge

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Nice!

As of a few weeks back word was it was some BCR units...

Posted from iPhone

So strange to see 6 axle power on the Dawson Sub.

m420 Wrote:
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> So strange to see 6 axle power on the Dawson Sub.

When I worked out of Chetwynd, never dreamed of 6 axle units running anywhere north of there. My first trip on the Dawson Creek sub was in 1973, the rail then was 60 pound ancient steel. The big "upgrade" later was to 85 pound used rail, boy talk about riding the high iron. The sub was prone to regular derailments even at 20 mile per hour. Running time then was 3 hours each way, and the Dawson Creek sub had a "east - west" direction of travel in the time table whereas the rest of BC Rail was north - south. Eventually direction of travel was changed to north - south. The Fort St John and Ft.Nelson subs were 85 pound rail and eventually upgraded to 100 pound used rail. Ah, those were the days!! Doug

And they are still running the BCR 4600's.

4601 was leading train 570 into Squamish in early September.

As E-G said; hope someone can step up and save one of these BCR units when the time comes.

611

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From the looks of the paint, it appears like the door has been recently replaced.

Larry Dodgion
Wilsonville, OR

Train611 Wrote:
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> And they are still running the BCR 4600's.
>
> 4601 was leading train 570 into Squamish in early
> September.
>
> As E-G said; hope someone can step up and save one
> of these BCR units when the time comes.
>
> 611



The first time I saw 4601 was in May of 1990. It was trailing two M630's on the Squamish Sub while it was being ferried south from Prince George for an christening ceremony to be held at Squamish a few days later. The 4601 was idling in the consist and was not to be used to power the train. However, M630 707 broke a crankshaft on the trip and so the decision was made to bring the GE on line and so the 4601 worked it's way south to the ceremony.
Cool to see her still working on home rails after all these years.