Canadian Railroads > CN's Cisco bridge

A couple of shots from Saturday afternoon, couldn't get too close due security & equipment. CN was moving w/b's on CP & the Rocky was east bound at Cisco at 14:30

1 & 2, as close as I could get
3, Trucks filling the turnout with equipment & supplies, lots more down by the tracks.
Bob

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W/b CN on CP, grabbed out the window.

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Some nice pics. Well done. I assume you meant Friday afternoon since today is Saturday. I gather you can't get down Cisco Siding Road to the lookout so were these shots taken from the road with a telephoto? Limited options, I guess. Are they running westbounds over the connecter track at Cisco? Or are they staying on CP all the way to Mission? Any word on when the repairs will be complete? Sorry about all the questions but I'm thinking seriously of running up there today so the more I know the better. Thanks...

Keith Robertson
Langley, BC

Is there any word on the cause of the fire? I suspect it was some sort of combustion as this area is in Canada's hot spot with temperatures in Lytton often hitting the 40C mark.

Rick

You are right, it was Friday, I'm retired so they all kind of run together now. I hung around Cisco as long as I could but did not see what happened once they got to there. I waited for a CN w/b stack but they put him in the siding for a couple e/b plus the RMR. Didn't see anything moving on CN the rest of the way to Hope.
Bob

So trains are operating through the area largely due to the "parallel" CP track in the Canyon, from what I gather. But I imagine the CP track is getting a little "congested" if dealing with CN and CP freights, let alone the passenger trains of the RMR and VIA Rail Canada (even though the later two are not daily trains, but in the peak of their operating periods!). Hope the bridge deck can be restored soon (and no structural damage has ocurred). I believe that my two trips on the RMR in this area had us going over the CN bridge as it provided more optimal views. We were told we were "lucky" to be switched onto this section of track for our journey.

jp1822 Wrote:
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> So trains are operating through the area largely
> due to the "parallel" CP track in the Canyon, from
> what I gather. But I imagine the CP track is
> getting a little "congested" if dealing with CN
> and CP freights, let alone the passenger trains of
> the RMR and VIA Rail Canada (even though the later
> two are not daily trains, but in the peak of their
> operating periods!). Hope the bridge deck can be
> restored soon (and no structural damage has
> ocurred). I believe that my two trips on the RMR
> in this area had us going over the CN bridge as it
> provided more optimal views. We were told we were
> "lucky" to be switched onto this section of track
> for our journey.

The Rocky is in its "peak" operation. The Canadian may be in "peak" season, but would be effected no different on the same schedule it runs in Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

BNSF3450

This is going to be a stupid question, but - hey, I'm a telecommunications guy.
The bridge is steel - is the deck also steel? Are the ties creosoted? How can they
get started on fire. No hot boxes anymore. Was there a rail grinding outfit anywhere
near here? Concrete ties too heavy? Anybody know?
Sid.

telegraphboy Wrote:
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> This is going to be a stupid question, but - hey,
> I'm a telecommunications guy.
> The bridge is steel - is the deck also steel? Are
> the ties creosoted? How can they
> get started on fire. No hot boxes anymore. Was
> there a rail grinding outfit anywhere
> near here? Concrete ties too heavy? Anybody
> know?
> Sid.

I don't know specifically how this bridge is built but there are two main methods of supporting tracks on metal bridge. In the first a metal trough laid on the steel cross-members is filled with ballast and the tracks laid on ties in a more or less conventional manner. In the second method heavy wooden bolsters or stringers are fastened to the steel bridge frame and wooden ties then bolted directly to them. I suspect that the Cisco bridge is of the latter type of construction as the creosoted stringers and ties together would provide a significant amount of fuel for a fire. I've not heard any information on how the fire actually started...

Keith Robertson
Langley, BC

I traveled on VIA from Jasper to Vancouver arriving Vancouver July 2 and we arrived on time and as best as I could tell via the CN through the canyon (we stopped at Abbotsford). They sure must have gotten it fixed quickly.

Interesting.

JBWX

jbwest Wrote:
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> I traveled on VIA from Jasper to Vancouver
> arriving Vancouver July 2 and we arrived on time
> and as best as I could tell via the CN through the
> canyon (we stopped at Abbotsford). They sure must
> have gotten it fixed quickly.
>
> Interesting.
>
> JBWX

Were you up for most of the trip through the Thompson/Fraser Canyons? CNs website had a 48 hour moritorium on traffic well the bridge was being fixed, and this afternoon traffic was spotted by a fellow TO member crossing the bridge, meaning things were back to normal. Thus theres a chance you travelled on CP from Kamloops down to the connecting track, situated beneath the CN bridge at Cisco. I called Vias Arrivals and Departures on Saturday morning to see how #1 was making out, and they said it was on-time until it got delayed at Hope. I see you had the Golden Turd leading.

CNs website had a 48 hour moritorium on traffic well the bridge was being fixed, and this afternoon traffic was spotted by a fellow TO member crossing the bridge, meaning things were back to normal.

BNSF3450

BNSF3450 Wrote:
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> Were you up for most of the trip through the
> Thompson/Fraser Canyons?

> BNSF3450

Nope I was attempting to sleep in my nice roomette, so it is possible we went down the connecting track. However, having walked that track in the past I suspect I would have felt a little unusual rock and roll. The only thing I recall is a fairly long period of sitting still, which I assumed was waiting on our time at Boston Bar since we were running early most of the way. Would be an interesting line on my map. Anyone know for sure?

JBWX

jbwest Wrote:
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> BNSF3450 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Were you up for most of the trip through the
> > Thompson/Fraser Canyons?
>
> > BNSF3450
>
> Nope I was attempting to sleep in my nice
> roomette, so it is possible we went down the
> connecting track. However, having walked that
> track in the past I suspect I would have felt a
> little unusual rock and roll. The only thing I
> recall is a fairly long period of sitting still,
> which I assumed was waiting on our time at Boston
> Bar since we were running early most of the way.
> Would be an interesting line on my map. Anyone
> know for sure?
>
> JBWX

That track has had work done in recent years, with upgrades done for a smoother ride. I was listening to the scanner and heared Via #1 calling clear through Chilliwack at 07:20 that morning. There was some discussion between the crew and RTC about a delay around Hope, which is west of Boston Bar.

Other conversations from other lists mentioned that CP was playing host to a number of westbounds on Saturday, which would have made for a good day of fanning, to catch the way operating was in the Canyons, before the direction running happened in 2000.

BNSF3450



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/11 23:18 by BNSF3450.

"Thus theres a chance you travelled on CP from Kamloops down to the connecting track, situated beneath the CN bridge at Cisco"

Or CN Kamloops to Basque/Nepa then CP to Cisco.

Ted in OR

Posted from iPhone

Thanks Ted. That's what I meant to say.

BNSF3450

Posted from Android