Canadian Railroads > CN Cadomin AB crews

Where is the home terminal for the CN crews that work the Cadomin area branches?

Mike Root
Madras, OR

I must admit I'm not current as to CN crew assignments. Traditionally, there was a small pool of "coal branch" crews based at Edson AB, which was otherwise a turn around point for Jasper and Edmonton crews. Running through Edson (Jasper-Edmonton) has been an on again off again proposition, in one of those cycles of change, coal branch crews were moved out of Edson, but may have been re-established.

A 1960's arbitration on both CN and CP established the rules for closing home bases, which involved buying homes and cash compensation. For almost 30 years, both railways chose not to close crew bases, but starting in the 1990's, it became more common. The amount of compensation paid to re-locate has been adjusted to reflect inflation.

Frequently, the incumbents are simply given extra compensation to retire, and new hires don't have "homestead rights".

I was in there about four years ago and at one point I got a chance to chat with a crew for a few minutes.  The were heading "home" to Edson but I don't know if it was a regular thing for all crews...

Keith Robertson
Langley, BC

Yes, Edson is the home terminal for crews that work the "Coal Branch".

Empty trains arrive at Holloway with Jasper crews (just south of the Edson Sub. main btw Bickerdike East and West) and Edson crews are ordered from Holloway to go up the Branch, loading out in cuts either at the Cardinal River Mine (Teck) at Luscar or Coal Valley (owned by Westemoreland).

There is also a daily limestone train: 725-724 that loads at Cadomin (Lehigh Cement), and also a fairly irregular sulphur train:  707-706 (maybe once every 2-3 weeks) loads out of a facility on the Bryan Spur near Robb.

Here we are at Leyland (home of our "away from home rest facility" - aka bunkhouse) last summer after picking up our 52 loads and readying to depart north (railroad east) as 724 to Edson where we'd trade off with an Edmonton crew who will take the train into Bissell and spot it for unloading.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/15 17:32 by xcnsnake.

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