Nostalgia & History > Canadian Pacific West, June-July 1978 Part I

Five years after photographing on the Canadian Pacific in Alberta and British Columbia I returned, crossing over the international border on US 89 north of St Mary, Montana, 29 June 1978. My final day on Marias Pass photographing Amtrak and Burlington Northern had been rain soaked, but the weather improved considerably north of the border.

1. First freight of the day was this eastbound CP local crossing the prairie west of Pincher, Alberta, on the Crowsnest Pass line.

2, 3. I worked the Crowsnest Pass line for a day, traveled east to Lethbridge, Alberta, then headed west to Banff. During the night the rain returned but had slacked off by the time I broke camp shortly after dawn. I set up at Morant's Curve to lens the eastbound "Canadian" hoping that a FP unit was on the point. I was not disappointed. 30 June 1978



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/11 22:10 by captrr.

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4, 5. Coming or going, CP #2 was one of the best looking trains on the North American continent in the summer of 1978. Morant's Curve, 30 June 1978

6. I drove west over Kicking Horse Pass and dropped down into Field, British Columbia. The assortment of CP MOW and snow fighting equipment made for an interesting picture.

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7. Driving west out of Field, I encountered this eastbound freight in Yoho National Park near Palliser, British Columbia. 30 June 1978

8. Rather than continuing west to Golden, I decided to reverse course and pace this freight east over Kicking Horse Pass. My next view of SD40-2 #5706 was crossing a creek flowing into the Kicking Horse River west of Field.

9. Looking for shots of CP's route over the pass that I did not shoot in '73, I set up east of Field for this one. Trans-Canadian Highway #1 is largely built on the original railroad route on the west slope of Kicking Horse Pass before the Spiral Tunnels were drilled.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/11 22:12 by captrr.

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10. Having exited the Lower Spiral Tunnel, the eastbound freight passed under Canadian #1 en route to the Upper Spiral Tunnel. 30 June 1978

11. No matter how many times I have been to Kicking Horse Pass and the Spiral Tunnels, they never cease to impress. In my opinion, this is the most spectacular piece of railroading on the North American continent. Here the eastbound, having exited the Upper Spiral Tunnel, continues working upgrade towards the summit of the pass.

12. Nearing the summit of Kicking Horse Pass.

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13, 14. The slow pace of the eastbound afforded multiple views at Kicking Horse Pass. 30 June 1978

15. It was raining when the freight reached Morant's Curve.

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16. While changing film, I could hear an approaching westbound working upgrade. SD40-2 #5826 was on the point of a westbound grain train composed almost exclusively of 40 ft boxcars. I loved it! 30 June 1978

17. DPU's, 70's style. I decided I need more shots of these Robot cars, and after this picture I headed back west.

18. The rain was really coming down on the west slope of the pass, so I continued on to Field. It took the westbound a very long time to traverse the trackage between the Spiral Tunnels and my location. But long before I saw the train I head the shriek of brakeshoes and clouds of brakeshoe smoke lifting up through the trees. SD40-2 #5826 finally showed up, slowing to a stop at Field. The wait was certainly worth it...and the rain even stopped!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/11 22:15 by captrr.

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19, 20. My final two images of the day were this westbound grain train slowing to a stop at Field. What a freight...and what a day! 30 June 1978

The weather forecast was talking sun as I headed west towards Golden that evening, eagerly awaiting my second day photographing on Canadian Pacific in British Columbia in the summer of '78.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/11 22:16 by captrr.

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This is the best so far!!! Photo 14 is stunning!!! Rick, you know how to shoot film.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/11 22:20 by ClipX.

stunning photos. for a swabby, you certainly knew the rails. how did you camp?

stunning

captrr Wrote:
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> 11. No matter how many times I have been to
> Kicking Horse Pass and the Spiral Tunnels, they
> never cease to impress. In my opinion, this is
> the most spectacular piece of railroading on the
> North American continent.

i agree, and your over the highway photo east of field really brought back the memory of my last trip across the pass. can't wait for part two...

Guys, thkx!

connivermann, my "camping" consisted of throwing up a top-end pup tent (slept one and equipment comfortably, and that was about all) normally at a National Forest campsite, or every third day at a KOA for a shower. My original equipment dating from college days was destroyed by a black bear in Oregon's Blue Mountains at Dooley Summit in the summer of '74. As I was barely into my summer trip, I had to replace everything in kind at LaGrande, and because of the cost I downgraded considerably in terms of tent and sleeping bag. But while not quite as warm as their predecessors, everything worked fine until '85 when my camping days were done.

I normally left "home" (wherever my ship was homeported) with about a dozen boxes of Wheat Thins, and I would buy a quart of orange juice every day. Those were my trip rations, augmented by a Big Mac and fries when a Golden Arches restaurant was nearby. The best remedy for sleep deprivation was to buy a McD's large chocolate shake (they were made with real sugar back then) and a large black coffee. Wolf down the former as quickly as possible, followed by the coffee as soon as its temperature would permit rapid drinking. I drove many long hours to my next designated photo location on the "buzz" created by that combination.

I never cooked anything or brought any "standard "camping equipment (like I had in Boy Scouts) with me. The goal was to shoot trains every day in a pre-determined location, and camp as inexpensively as possible after a day's "work." I did make one adjustment after being roughed up by some locals in Colorado who thought I was a satanic cattle molester camping alone in a National Forest campsite. After that experience I never again camped anywhere where other campers were not present, which made for some particularly long drives prior to, or beyond, the summer tourist season.

When I scan these slides I recall the trains (thanks to my log entries), but also recall some of the special experiences on each trip. How glad I am that I did what I did when youth, bachelorhood, and pushing the envelope in all ways was SOP. Rick



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/11 07:14 by captrr.

That wayfreight behind the Geep is at the west mileboard for Cowley AB.(Mile 68.4 Crowsnest Sub) and the lumber loads are likely from Burmis AB, ten miles west.

The eastbound freight is first shows at the old east switch of Leanchoil BC. Note the trace of a wye visible. Pusher engines (helpers) from Golden to the west and Field to the east turned here in steam days. The Leanchoil station was a survivor until the mid-1970's.

The location between the Spiral Tunnels is called Yoho. Too short for modern freight trains, it remains a siding with hand throw switches often used to store work equipment.

In the shot taken near the National Parks Spiral Tunnel overlook, I have to wonder if the VW bus was going any faster than the eastbound freight!. It would certainly be pedal to the metal. Also in that picture are the original carved wooden "Mountain Identifyers" and descriptive wooden signs. Sometime in the 1980's, some bureaucrat decided the annual maintenance on the wooden signs (likely one NP employee) was an unnecessary expense and had them replaced. The older signs were ordered destroyed, however the citizens of Field took it on themselves to rescue one or two.

The image looking up at the eastbound gives a good sense of the difference between the original 4%+ grade and the present 2% grade of the Spiral Tunnel diversion. The Trans-Canada is on the 1885 grade at this point. The cutting visible on the present grade is called the "Blue Cut".