Canadian Railroads > Amidst The Clutter And The Rain

Out here on the west coast we've had an exceptionally early and warm end of winter/spring.  Everything is at least 3-4 weeks ahead of schedule.  We've had some really nice, warm days but we now seem to have settled into what I call our "spring monsoons".  It gets wet and rainy and can persist till the end of June.  That said, I guess I'm a true "west coaster" because I actually love the rain and I've never let it stop me from chasing trains.  With that in mind this morning my wife and I drove up to Abbotsford for brunch and then headed over to Mission in the afternoon to get some cheap gas and see what kind of train action we could find.

On another theme I've noticed that a lot of people on here seem to dislike "clutter" in their photos; sometimes going so far as to "erase" objects from their images.  I've been a photographer for many, many years and, of course, in the good ol' film days we didn't have that option but since digital came along and I started taking advantage of the new technology I've thought about it quite a bit.  For a number of reasons I have chosen not to alter digital images but to leave them as shot.  My main reasons for this is that it's a lot of work and I just like my shots to be real and represent what I actually saw when I took them.

We all like pictures that have picturesque and uncluttered backgrounds--or foregrounds, for that matter--but that's not always the environment in which trains operate.  Trains are tools of industry and often work where there is clutter....buildings, powerlines, trees, grass...it's all a part of their world.  I don't go out of my way to take pictures where there is a lot of clutter; but I don't avoid them, either.  The shots posted here are all taken from a vantage point that overlooks the CP yard in Mission and it's pretty hard to get a clean shot of anything.  Given the rain and the clutter these are not the best of shots but they are "real"...

Image 1 is a westbound led by CP 9731 that has just come off the CN Yale sub, crossed the Fraser River and is about to join the CP Cascade sub.  The line at this point runs straight back across the bridge and, in fact, the majority of the train is still on the bridge.  The switch just ahead of the engine is Matsqui Junction where trains coming off the bridge swing around to head east on the Cascade sub.  Even with a telephoto lens the train is almost lost in the clutter.

Image 2 is 9731 emerging from behind the old storage shed in the yard.

Image 3 was taken about 40 minutes later and is an eastbound that happens to be led by CP 9730, sister to 9731.  I was across the street from the West Coast Express station getting some gas when I heard the train coming and didn't have time to get where I could take a "clean" shot.  Hope the blossoms on the trees don't bother you easterners too much...

Keith Robertson
Langley, BC

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LKeithR Wrote:
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> The switch just ahead of
> the engine is Matsqui Junction where trains coming
> off the bridge swing around to head east on the
> Cascade sub.

Actually that is the switch at Sto:lo at the south end of the wye in Mission. Matsqui Junction is the diamond where the Mission Sub crosses the Yale Sub on the other side of the bridge.

LKeithR Wrote:
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>
> On another theme I've noticed that a lot of people
> on here seem to dislike "clutter" in their photos;
> sometimes going so far as to "erase" objects from
> their images.  I've been a photographer for many,
> many years and, of course, in the good ol' film
> days we didn't have that option but since digital
> came along and I started taking advantage of the
> new technology I've thought about it quite a
> bit.  For a number of reasons I have chosen not
> to alter digital images but to leave them as
> shot.  My main reasons for this is that it's a
> lot of work and I just like my shots to be real
> and represent what I actually saw when I took
> them.
>

Thank you Keith!
I too prefer to see what the camera saw ... not what someone arbitrarily thinks should or should not be in the photo.
Visual "clutter" is a fact of life today ... live with it!

Will MacKenzie
Dundas, ON

dizzy85 Wrote:
 
> Actually that is the switch at Sto:lo at the south
> end of the wye in Mission. Matsqui Junction is the
> diamond where the Mission Sub crosses the Yale Sub
> on the other side of the bridge.

Guess I wasn't fully awake when I made the post.  The signals, there--05 and 06 are clearly marked Sto:Lo.  But...just west of where the tracks cross London Ave. there is a sign that reads "Matsqui Junction".  It was visible in the photo and, without thinking about the "other " Matsqui Junction, I tagged the photo with that name.  To confuse things even more, if you look in the last image there is a sign across from the WCE station which reads "Sto:Lo".  It's right at the signal at the end of the east leg of the wye (mile 87 Cascade sub), otherwise known as "Mission Junction".  I'm more confused than ever...

Keith Robertson
Langley, BC

Congratulations on the photos and your expressions on "clutter"!

I agree with you 100%.

Image taken yesterday: Crew change off at Kamloops.

Stack train eastbound...potash train westbound.

Keep 'em coming!

611

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Nice pictures thanks for sharing .Greg

LKeithR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Out here on the west coast we've had an
> exceptionally early and warm end of
> winter/spring.  Everything is at least 3-4 weeks
> ahead of schedule.  We've had some really nice,
> warm days but we now seem to have settled into
> what I call our "spring monsoons".  It gets wet
> and rainy and can persist till the end of June. 
> That said, I guess I'm a true "west coaster"
>   Hope the
> blossoms on the trees don't bother you easterners
> too much...

Actually the blossoms onthe trees are wonderful, it indicates to us winter-laden
easterners that yes, blossoms on trees will appear, maybe later this year, we hope!

Your busy photography is very much appreciated!

Bryce Lee
Burlington, Ontario

LKeithR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Guess I wasn't fully awake when I made the post. 
> The signals, there--05 and 06 are clearly marked
> Sto:Lo.  But...just west of where the tracks
> cross London Ave. there is a sign that reads
> "Matsqui Junction".  It was visible in the photo
> and, without thinking about the "other " Matsqui
> Junction, I tagged the photo with that name.  To
> confuse things even more, if you look in the last
> image there is a sign across from the WCE station
> which reads "Sto:Lo".  It's right at the signal
> at the end of the east leg of the wye (mile 87
> Cascade sub), otherwise known as "Mission
> Junction".  I'm more confused than ever...

Those would be the Station Mile Signs as CP calls them. They are usually placed one mile in advance of a station (in this case, Matsqui Junction) but in special cases are placed less than one mile away (the Sto:lo sign is placed at Signal 002 Mission Junction because that is where the Mission Sub begins).

Station Name Signs are placed at the station location as listed in the timetable, and unlike the Station Mile Signs, are placed parallel to (or facing) the track.

i.e. Station Name Sign Sto:lo is located at mile 0.5 on the Mission Sub - for northbound movements the Station Mile Sign is located at mile 1.5.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/15 23:18 by dizzy85.

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