Canadian Railroads > The Canadian 2018 and 2019

Hello everybody,

the Canadian and the Fraser River Canyon recently got quite some coverage on Trainorders. This caused me to show some pictures of this and last year’s pictures taken in the Canyon. I was not so lucky to see any business trains, but still. The trips took place in June, and September 2018 and June 2019 respectively. The pictures shown are only a small selection of what I was able to see.
The Canadian has been a favourite of mine for a while now. I was too late for the real “thing”. So the actual schedule and the routing over CN put the train on the backburner. With the ongoing tardiness in 2017/2018 this changed. In 2018 I made two pilgrimages to the Fraser River Canyon to see what could be done about the Canadian. The first pilgrimage even netted some SD40-2 in worktrain service. I had not even recovered from the jetlag of this first trip in June when I was contemplating a second trip. Weather was not really cooperating both times, though. In September 2018 it was so wet and cold that we went down to the Columbia River the first week of the trip to see what BNSF and UP had to offer.
Come June 2019 the plan said fly to Calgary and go head south to see Montana Raillink. Upon arrival at the airport the Canadian was running 30 hours late due to a wildfire in Ontario. I had second thoughts now, as I had before leaving. Some two miles before crossing the border into the U.S. plans changed. I had not ridden the streetcar in Nelson, BC, which was not too far away, for some time was the excuse. This way I even met some friends from Germany, who were also there on a mission, in the parking lot of the mall in Nelson.
I eventually got to Ashcroft, BC. Not to my surprise, but to my dismay the westbound Canadian passed through Ashcroft well before sunrise. But the eastbound was rescheduled for a departure of 2300 in Vancouver, BC. This put the train in the Black Canyon just outside of Ashcroft after sunup. Apparently eastbound freights were running through the Canyon on a headway of every 15-20 minutes this Saturday morning. CP’s even woke me up during the night. It seems VIA just had to line up for its turn to don’t mess with the schedules of the host railroads. After the eastbound Canadian had passed there was indeed a major lull. But just before I was going to leave trains showed up again… In the evening some shots of the westbound Canadian near Walhachin, BC ended another pleasant and exhausting day in the Canyon in June 2019.
1+2: A loaded potash train west of Martel, BC. In the middle a faded UP unit was working, at the rear another CP-unit. And for once in the right spot.
3: A BNSF-unit shoving at th rear of a loaded grain train in Black Canyon, BC.

Please enjoy

kbs651



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/19 13:55 by kbs651.

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4, 5, 6: VIA's #2 in the Black Canyon, BC on the morning of June 15, 2019.

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7: A loaded coal train and a manifest meet in Black Canyon well after the Canadian has passed through.
8+9: VIA's #1 eastbound near Walhachin, BC shortly before sunset.

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A look back at June 2018.
10: Two SD40-2s tied down in Lytton, BC
11: Morning rush before the curfew. A BC-Rail unit and the two SD40-2s meet in Lytton, BC.
12: The two SD40-2s are heading back to the quarry in Walhachin, BC. They are seen passing through the Canyon below Skihist Park.

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13: VIA's #1 on a not so pleasant day in Morris, BC, September 2018.
14: VIA's #1 on a more pleasant day in Morris, BC, June 2018.
15: The two SD40-2s assigend to worktrain duties shove empty ballast hoppers into the yard in Walhachin, BC, June 2018.

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Thanks for the pics...

Awesome county, awesome railroading! Waiting to retire so any delays will be part of the adventure!

Hello CM80-46,

just do not wait too long. I have been around both of the Americas, Asia, and Australia. It is far too many places I would like to visit again. This means to say you may better go now. Thus you may have a chance to visit a place you really like a second time, or even a third time. Also, I have seen a few changes, not always to the better. I am lucky to have been to some places before these changes occured. Well, and sometimes I was plain late...

Cheers

kbs651

Nice selection of photos. Great locations to photograph trains.