Canadian Railroads > eight years ago on this day

Continuing on with my images from years ago, these were taken on this day 8 years ago. Southbound at mile 330 on the BC Rail Prince George sub, rolling onto "Deep Creek" bridge. It was a misty late morning, I was riding the second unit with a careful eye on my trainee Engineer. We had some slang terms for trainee Engineers, "piglet" or "shake & bake". Thanks for looking, Doug

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three more from up on the bridge. We called it Deep Creek but actually the creek is Hawks Creek. The bridge is appromiately 1200 feet long and about 322 feet high.

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You should submit that middle one to EPOD (NASA's Earth Sciences Picture of the Day website) showing morning fog.

Ray

Nice photos of a great location. I've enjoyed sitting there waiting for 570 or 571.

- L.F.

You should make a book !

Bill Miller
Galt, ON

loleta Wrote:
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> Nice photos of a great location. I've enjoyed
> sitting there waiting for 570 or 571.
>
> - L.F.


Ah yes, 570 / 571. If I recall the train in the images was 470. When CN took over a lot of the BC Rail symbols disappeared and got numerated to the CN way of doing things, their so called "precision and scheduled railroading". Eventually the CN local managers found that the 470 series trains and delays showed up far too much on the company radar, therefore they reduced them to 570 series (road switchers) and the headaches went away and their "end of year productivity bonus" went up. The train crews suffered unmercifully. It certainly was not the way we did it on BC Rail. Most of the CN supervisors were very disrespectful and ignorant of "how and why" BCR employees worked so well, that all went away under CN management. Oh if there was a audio forum on here, I could give an ear full. Have pity on the CP employees. Doug

The road trains between Prince George and Chetwynd are (or were) still numbered in the 400s: 473/474, or something like that. It's been a few years since I was up there. Anyway, I wondered why they were numbered differently. Since CN began sending so much BCR traffic east at PG, the PG - Chetwynd trains were certainly longer than their counterparts south of PG.

- L.F.

hoggerdoug Wrote:
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> loleta Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Nice photos of a great location. I've enjoyed
> > sitting there waiting for 570 or 571.
> >
> > - L.F.
>
>
> Ah yes, 570 / 571. If I recall the train in the
> images was 470. When CN took over a lot of the BC
> Rail symbols disappeared and got numerated to the
> CN way of doing things, their so called "precision
> and scheduled railroading". Eventually the CN
> local managers found that the 470 series trains
> and delays showed up far too much on the company
> radar, therefore they reduced them to 570 series
> (road switchers) and the headaches went away and
> their "end of year productivity bonus" went up.
> The train crews suffered unmercifully. It
> certainly was not the way we did it on BC Rail.
> Most of the CN supervisors were very disrespectful
> and ignorant of "how and why" BCR employees worked
> so well, that all went away under CN management.
> Oh if there was a audio forum on here, I could
> give an ear full. Have pity on the CP employees.
> Doug

Ahh yes, good old Deep Creek (Hawks CK).

It is easy to spot the bridge in the distance from the highway (visible in the background), but semi hard to find if you wanted to get close to it.

Here is a shot from July of 88 with SD40-2 756 leading train 23 over the span. Behind the lead SD40-2 are C425 #805, ex Kennecott Copper SD40-2 RCL-738 and M630W 725. The former KCC unit is fresh out of the shop with a new coat of pain and installation of Locotrol receiver gear, giving the unit an "RCL" Radio Control Locomotive designation.


Brian E



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/14 21:09 by m420.

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m420 Wrote:
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> Ahh yes, good old Deep Creek (Hawks CK).
>
> It is easy to spot the bridge in the distance from
> the highway (visible in the background), but semi
> hard to find if you wanted to get close to it.
>
> Here is a shot from July of 88 with X756 North
> crossing the span. Behind the lead SD40-2 are C425
> #805, ex Kennecott Copper SD40-2 RCL-738 and M630W
> 725. The former KCC unit is fresh out of the shop
> with a new coat of pain and installation of
> Locotrol receiver gear, giving the unit an "RCL"
> Radio Control Locomotive designation.
>
>
> Brian E

That would train No 23, symbol "VP" Vancouver-Peace. Nice picture. and yes Deep Creek bridge was quite visible from Hwy 97, difficult to drive to on either end, either private property or 4X4 trail. Sometimes it helped to have a white SUV and dressed with PPE gear!!! Doug

Wow, what a bridge, great shots.
JB

hoggerdoug Wrote:
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>
> That would train No 23, symbol "VP"
Doug



Der...Of COURSE that is #23.
I was at work when I posted that and apparently had the brain turned off....
(Corrected in original post)

Brian E

I know an engineer that will close his eyes or look upward while crossing any bridge higher than 20'. Not sure what he would do with this one. Great photos!!!

DLM Wrote:
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> I know an engineer that will close his eyes or
> look upward while crossing any bridge higher than
> 20'. Not sure what he would do with this one.
> Great photos!!!

I've often wondered what the "pucker factor" is for crews that ride over open bridges like that one--I'm sure some of them must leave "donuts" in the seat cushions.

Years ago--many years ago, actually--myself and a couple buddies hiked up to the bridge. It's only about a half mile from "Williams Lake Rd." on the west side of the tracks. As we reached the south end of the bridge a train went by so we figured it was probably safe to venture out onto the structure for a look see. We made it about one third of the way across before we chickened out. The lack of guardrails of any kind made it kinda scary.

Back in those days the view of the bridge from Hwy 97 was much better--as the trees grew up it got harder to see. Haven't been up that way for a few years now so maybe with the Pine Beatle kill some of the trees are gone and the view has improved. You can get a view of part of the bridge on Google Street View--GPS co-ordinates for anyone interested in taking a peek... 52.309693 -122.240609

Keith Robertson
Langley, BC

The only pucker factor I had was in fog at night or during a high wind event. Then again knowing the bridge was built in 1920 that added to the thrill of the crossing. Doug

Nice pics!!