Canadian Railroads > Laggan Sub - Dec 09

Eastbound train 608 (sulphur empties) at Canmore

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Last Saturday's trip to Lake Louise told me they have way more snow than around Canmore or Banff. So remembering there's a trail in Yoho that goes up to Cathedral from Yoho Road (closed in winter) that has for years been closed all summer because of bear activity, I decided to try and snowshoe it.

Got to Cathedral East too late to make it across the bridge over the Kicking Horse River before an eastbound 400 came along. Alas, best I could get of the Lower Spiral Tunnel. Not knowing if another train would arrive before it would be too dark for travel through the bush, I headed back down. One of these days I'll get it right.

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Of course part way back down the hill, the radio crackles a westbound is departing Stephen after 400's arrival (Stephen to Lake Louise is double track). Going down is way easier and I make it back to the truck with enough time to catch the westbound, (113), arriving in Field.

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Heading for home and there's another westbound coming which I catch at Cathedral West.

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Love all your mountain photos...keep them coming.Brian

Drove out to Lake Louise yesterday before starting my quest for the Holiday Train last night. Caught the westbound grain leaving Canmore and the 400 at Lake Louise and Castle Mountain.

How long is the Cathedral siding?

Really like your photos. I'm surprised at the difference in snow cover between Canmore and Lake Louise.

Rick

rschonfelder Wrote:
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> How long is the Cathedral siding?
>


Cathedral siding is no more. The CTC switches have been removed at both ends. There is now a manual switch at Mile 132.4 which leads to a stub-end storage track going eastwards to nearly where Cathedral East was. This would be for any setoffs required for westbounds due to the Hot Box Detector at Mile 130.2 (between the 2 tunnels). Cathedral East was at 132.0 so the setoff track is around 2000 feet long.

The eastward signal at Cathedral East and the westward signal at Cathedral West remain as they were but the opposing signals at each are gone. The westward approach signal for Cathedral East and the eastward approach signal for Cathedral West also still exist and are still called out by the train crews as such.

It's kind of weird when listening. You would think that the crews missed calling out a signal. For example, the eastbound 400 out of Field called, "8509 East clear signal TO Cathedral West". Then you don't hear them call, "8509 East clear signal AT Cathedral West". Their next call is, "8509 East clear signal AT Cathedral East". Similarly, westbounds call their approach to Cathedral East and then the next call is at Cathedral West.

Cathedral was 5921' which means it was basically useless.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/11/17 10:31 by KickingHorse.