Nostalgia & History > A Canadian Adventure Part 11

August 14, 1979

#1 Up bright and early we headed back to Jasper to check out what had changed during the night, not much. We did however shoot the CN 9170 still attached to the train that had come in from Prince Rupert.

#2 It wasn’t long after the finally pulled the 9170, that Via #4 came into the station with the 6510 leading.

#3 Then after servicing the train, it was off again. Here it is running along the hills just east of Jasper.

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#4 Time to head west again. We didn’t encounter our first train until we reached Tete Jaune. This is where the lines from Kamloops and Prince George join and head east. We heard there was going to be a meet there and found a place a couple of miles west of the junction. The first train through was the 5300 east with a couple more SD40’s helping it along.

#5-6 We didn’t have to wait long for the other train to show up with the 5248 on the point and caboose (van) CN 79768 bringing up the rear.

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#7 The next opportunity to shoot a train is McBride BC, which is about half way between Jasper and Prince George. It is also a crew change on the railroad, or at least was at the time. Here is the 5232 waiting for a new crew.

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#8 Leaving McBride about the first thing you see after leaving town is a sign “Next Gas Available 212 KM” or about 132 miles. Believe it. Anyway we made it to Prince George where the CN5597 was coming into town just as we got there.

#9 Waiting to leave was the CN 9166 on a local headed west.

#10 A quick trip to the roundhouse found the 4152 basking in the sun waiting for it’s next assignment.

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#11-12 Then after finding our motel it was off to find the BCR. At the engine facilities we had a field day except for the fact that it decided to get cloudy. In the fueling area we find the 712 and 646.

#13 726

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#14 646

#15 642

#16 610

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#17 Inside the shops was the 811, a ex-EL C425. Note the handwriting on the nose of the unit.

#18-19 Switcher power included the 582 and 585 (RS10’s) with an RS3.

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#20 Here we have BC-10 leaving on it’s nightly journey to Ft St James. This was a special run to carry non-union workers to a lumber mill that was on strike at Fort St. James.

#21 Back at the CN we found the 9158 ready to leave for Prince Rupert.

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#22 Back at the BCR we found that things had moved around and we were now able to photograph the 717 and friends.

#23 And finally, we caught the 9179 on the Via train from Prince Rupert to Jasper.

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John,
I am greatly enjoying your photo story. Your photos have given me a lot of ideas for my future HO-scale layout based on CN and CP in British Columbia. Thanks for sharing.

Great photos, presentation. I travelled this route years later and saw the station at MC Bride, somewhat is disrepair but figured when you were there would have been maintained. Was quite a structure as I remember.

Bob Jordan

Ahh there is the BCR Stuff- OUTSTANDING!

A couple notes of some interest. Regarding the 811. The C425 was one of 12 C425's that BCR got from a lessor after Conrail (at formation) had refused to take them. When they arrived on BCR, they were in sad shape, thus the comment on the nose of 811. Eventually, all 12 were cycled through the Squamish shops and completely rebuilt to BCR standards. They were to spend 20+ years on the railway and 4 or 5 of them are still at work today on DL in New York. It has been said that the railway spent more on rebuilding the C425's than they would have had they purchased new power at the time.

582 is an RS-10. You wouldn't know it to look at it, but the long hood is the "front" of this locomotive. Delivered in the 50's with a factory built high short hood, the railway chopped the noses on most of the RS-10's to improve visibility for switching. They never did swap the controls around however. Note the bell on the front of the long hood.

Thanks for posting this stuff - it's great


Brian E

I believe they were reposssed x the lessor for non payment. 1st I've heard the reason CR rejected them. Note CR absorbed Alco's from every RR. Additionally I think CR got EL's C424's.

I am absolutely amazed at the number of ALCO locomotives I keep seeing on TO. I really had no idea that so many were built and even more amazing is the fact that so many are still in daily service throughout this country. It almost seems very sad that with all the railroads that purchased these units that ALCO couldn't continue to compete with GE and EMD. I suppose what even impresses me more is the wonderful condition all these ALCO's appear to be in. They just keep running and running.

Beautiful pictures and thanks for the tribute to ALCO.

Jim
Hatboro, PA