Western Railroad Discussion > Spring Trip to the Rockies

Took a trip this May from Seattle through the Canadian Rockies to Jasper and Banff National Parks and back home by way of Montana and eastern Washington.  Due to a zillion different factors, it took me until now to make this post.  Here is some of what we saw.  Photo #1 - Westbound freight along the Thompson River near Spences Bridge, BC.  Photo #2 - Eastbound doublestack nearing Jasper, AB.  Photo #3 - A long doublestack has left Field, BC and is grinding uphill through the spiral tunnels.
Photo #4 - DPU power brings up the rear of a westbound grain having just crested the summit of Marias Pass.  Photo #5 - Another westbound grain with DPU approaching the summit.  Photo #6 -  An eastbound empty grainer crossing the Two Medicine River at East Glacier, MT.
Photo #7 & 8 -A westbound POVA freight bringing a cut of cars into Albeni Falls, ID.  Photo #9 - After running around its train at Newport, the train is continuing its journey towards Usk, WA with a new lead engine.
Photo #10 - A southbound Washington and Idaho freight is about to cross Goss Rd south of Marshall, WA.  Photo #11 - The train has just departed Spangle, WA.  Photo #12 - Slows train speeds, parallel roads, wide open views...what's not to like?

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Great bunch. I do however see a placarded car next to the power in the last two. I have seen this ALOT in Canada, however in the states   .   .   .
JB

Very nice!!  Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for the coverage of the POVA, which I knew nothing about prior to this post.
John

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> Great bunch. I do however see a placarded car next
> to the power in the last two. I have seen this
> ALOT in Canada, however in the states   .  
> .   .
> JB

Different countries, different agencies, different rules...

The first image is at Martel BC. This is a former siding taken out of service after direction running took place in the Fraser and Thompson canyons.  The west end of Martel remains in place as a set off track for cars caught by a nearby hot box detector. It was the first siding east of Spences Bridge on the CN Ashcroft Subdivision.

​The CN came through here in 1914, the CP in 1885.  The highway started as a wagon road in the 1850's, bits of the original road are visible near Spences Bridge.  Spence was an entrepreneur who built a toll bridge over the Thompson River at the village named after him.

AWESOME!!!!