Canadian Railroads > Thompson River Canyon in BC...why we like it!

Hello Fellow TO'ers...

Happy Holiday Season to all...

I had occasion to travel BC Highway #1 through the Thompson and Fraser Canyons this week.

There are a great many scenic photo locations.

I remember one of the folks saying they enjoyed the Canyon...so here we are!

1. CN 2835 east is on CP trackage heading towards Kamloops, and east. This location is between Lytton and Spences Bridge.

2. MP78 on CP's Thompson Sub... train had 524 axles.

3. Same train (making good speed through directional running) crosses the bridge at Spences Bridge BC.

One day I plan to spend a whole day in the canyon...especially when the Rocky Mountaineers are running.

A great place to visit!

It is winter out there so stay safe!

Thanks for looking.

611

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OK, oddball question here: are Canadian RR's moving towards PTC control, just like the U.S. RR's? I still lots of searchlights in use up there. Which is a good thing.

That might have been me. I think the first shot is the siding called Thompson on the CP is it not?

It doesn't look like winter to me in your photos. No ice and no snow. Is it always so mild there at this time of year?

Keep them coming - I love that area.

Rick

coach Wrote:
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> OK, oddball question here: are Canadian RR's
> moving towards PTC control, just like the U.S.
> RR's? I still lots of searchlights in use up
> there. Which is a good thing.

The following is extracted from the TSB Railway Investigation Report (R13C0049) 2013 Train Collision near Dunmore, Alberta:

In Canada, there are currently no PTC systems in use by freight or passenger railways, and there are no planned PTC installations. Any application of PTC in Canada likely would not occur for a number of years after the U.S. implementation is complete. However, to meet the PTC requirements for U.S. operations, both CN and CP have PTC implementation plans.
•As part of CP's implementation plan, 1004 locomotives are planned to be equipped with the required on-board systems. CP plans to install PTC on approximately 2850 miles of track in the U.S.
•As part of CN's PTC implementation plan, 820 high horsepower locomotives and 180 low horsepower locomotives will be equipped with the required on-board systems. CN will install PTC on approximately 3720 route miles of track in the U.S.

For both CN and CP, the PTC system will be based on the Interoperable Electronic Train Management System (I-ETMS). CN will install it on 41 subdivisions, and CP will install it on 17 subdivisions, corresponding respectively to 62% and 89% of their total U.S. route miles (excluding yard limits). I-ETMS is a locomotive-centric, train control system that uses a combination of locomotive, office and wayside data that is integrated using a radio network. This system will provide the following functions:
•Alert train crews to pending authority and speed limit violations, including passing a stop signal.
•Stop trains before exceeding authority and speed limits, including signals at stop.
•Interrogate upcoming wayside signals and switches, in a train route when operating in I-ETMS territory.
•Protect work zone limits by enforcing compliance with work zone restrictions.

This system is under development and awaiting Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) certification for use in revenue service.

rschonfelder Wrote:
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> That might have been me. I think the first shot
> is the siding called Thompson on the CP is it
> not?
>
> It doesn't look like winter to me in your photos.
> No ice and no snow. Is it always so mild there at
> this time of year?
>
> Keep them coming - I love that area.
>
> Rick

Rick, that area of BC is arid almost "semi desert", even in mid-winter there will be little or no snow at all. Can be a bitterly cold wind blowing up the river valley in winter and then whole valley scorching hot in the summer. BC is not all mountains, sea coast and coastal rain forest. Doug

Hi there Rick,

That first photo is east of the siding you are referring to.

The train is located on single track at that spot.

Here is one more for you...east of Spences Bridge. Not quite as lucky as I wanted as I was driving when the westbound (CP on CN) passed by the CN train.

Stay well.

611

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Wonder if Hunter Harrison will get around to ripping out a bunch of CP's sidings in the shared trackage area like they did at CN?

cpn456 Wrote:
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> Wonder if Hunter Harrison will get around to
> ripping out a bunch of CP's sidings in the shared
> trackage area like they did at CN?


Its already happening at CP on both the Cascade and Thompson Subdivisions. The following sidings have been either removed, severed or made into spur tracks: on the Cascade Sub: China Bar, Saddle Rock, Yale, Katz; on the Thompson Sub: Chaumox; Keefers, Kanaka, Thompson, Drynoch, and Spences Bridge. CTC signals still remain at these locations, but many of the power switches, turnouts and frogs have been removed from service. CP has identified 13 sidings and 25 main track switches that say are of immediate surplus track in this region.