Canadian Railroads > Savona BC, rain at last.

Savona BC marks the point where Kamloops Lake flows into the Thompson River. First known as Savona's Ferry, it was the point where the Cariboo Wagon Road (built in the 1860's) to the gold fields required a ferry operated by Mr.Savona to cross the Thompson River.

In 1884, the Canadian Pacific was built along the south shore of the Thompson River and Kamloops Lake, and in 1915, the Canadian Northern was built along the north shore.

The Cariboo Road eventually became the Trans-Canada Highway, which crosses the Thompson River at Savona.

Here an eastbound CP Sulphur empties crosses over at Savona BC on the CP Thompson Sub. and westbound CN general merchandise train 417 passes the CN Savona station name sign.

Today, after more than a month of hot,dry weather, relief came in the form of light rain which hopefully will allow fire crews to control some of the many forest fires across the Province.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/22 14:50 by eminence_grise.

Thanks for these photos; I've taken about a half-dozen trips to this area and Ashcroft, but the last one was in 2010. Just seeing the sage, and the memory of the scent of it, which stays in your nostrils for days, it seems, are magnetic and magic. Maybe next year I get back. We always seemed to encounter some big-time rain on our trips, when we were hoping for unrelieved sun.
Fred

I'm booked on VIA No. 1 in three weeks. Has it been getting through every day that it runs? The VIA web site only says to expect delays (which pretty much happen all the time anyway). I won't ride if there is any possibility of a bus substitution.

andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm booked on VIA No. 1 in three weeks. Has it
> been getting through every day that it runs? The
> VIA web site only says to expect delays (which
> pretty much happen all the time anyway). I won't
> ride if there is any possibility of a bus
> substitution.

As of July 22nd, the worst of the wildfires in BC are under control, and most of the road closures and evacuations are over.

I don't think Via 1 & 2 were affected by the Ashcroft fire, seemingly the only railway loss there was a CN radio tower.

Similarly the Banff and Jasper "Rocky Mountaineer" trains were not affected by wildfire closures.

However, the North Vancouver-Quesnel-Prince George "Rocky Mountaineer" saw some "bustitution" while the CN former BCR route was closed at Williams Lake.

A recent operation of this train saw it operating between North Vancouver to Lillooet, bus from Lillooet to Kamloops. I don't know if the passengers continued north to Jasper by bus, or joined the Kamloops-Jasper train.