Canadian Railroads > Past & Present, CP Rail on Vancouver Island

...these two shots display two significantly different views of CP's Willcox Yard in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The first is from 1998, when it appeared that business was actually increasing on the E&N Railway. The second shot, taken this week on October 23, shows that all is not well for rail traffic here on the Island, the lone ex CN GP9 is owned by a group on Vancouver Island hoping to start an excursion train, we all hope it works, as all other similar attempts have not...


cheers,

Lorne Miller

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Wow, neat comparison, Lorne. And, of course, sad. I had the chance to visit Vancouver Island for the first time in 2004, and was amazed at almost the complete lack of ... well ... anything at the Victoria roundhouse area, other than the RDCs stored there. And on our trip up the island, I don't think I saw a single revenue car in service anywhere, although I'm sure there were. Still, it looked like a tourist railroad, not one that actually hauled freight.

I don't mean to steal your thunder, and take away from your great comparison, but here's what Victoria, West Victoria, I believe looked like in September 2004. Looked like museum grounds.

Lee Hower
Sacramento, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/09 11:25 by mcfflyer.

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Espeenut Wrote:
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> The second shot, taken this
> week on October 23, shows that all is not well for
> rail traffic here on the Island,

Thank you RailAmerica...Southern Railway of Vancouver Island I hear has been able to increase the freight business by 33%. They've also been clearing the Port Alberni Sub along with volunteers from the Alberni Pacific, while mainly for Alberni Pacific's excursions over the hump to Parksville, it will open up the line into Port Alberni again for freight.

Give it time, there may still be a use for the old E&N. After all, the Northwestern Pacific is being brought back to life. The Compliance Energy Coal mine development near Bowser could bring some much needed rail traffic to the E&N.

The last time I was over there, tonnage at Wellcox yard was looking better than it did during the RailAmerica days. I remember during the RailAmerica years being up at Wellcox and not seeing a single car in the yard.

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Compare with Chris Guenzler's (Mudrock)'s 1972 photo here. Shot from the same angle as a couple of these shots.
http://www.trainweb.org/chris/earlycanada.html (Photos 17, 18, & 19 in his photoessay)
Ted in OR