Canadian Railroads > Change on the CN Ashcroft Sub. 1974

In the early 1970's, CN applied Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) to it's previously Train order/ABS main line between Edmonton AB and Vancouver BC.

In 1974, a local contractor is shown removing the station name board from the former Canadian Northern station at Spences Bridge BC, while others are removing salvageable items like doors and windows prior to demolishing this former train order office in the Thompson Canyon west of Kamloops BC.

The second image shows a coal empties behind a trio of CN SD40's en route from the Roberts Bank coal port to the coal mines in Alberta. The export coal traffic which came about in the late 1960's was one of the reasons for upgrading the CN main line with heavier rail, longer sidings and CTC. Note the many small CN buildings, section houses and company dwellings in the picture, including two separate outhouses.

The CN Ashcroft BC station was also scheduled to be demolished shortly. The steel post in front of the station once carried the train order signal. Note the hand painted CN Express sign.

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It's amazing how much different things are nowadays in the canyon, with the directional running on the rails & the Coquihalla highway having siphoned off most of the through traffic from the TCH.