Canadian Railroads > Fast track and fast freeway, Indian Head SK

We are on the four lane Trans-Canada Highway 1 between Indian Head and Sintaluta SK.  This portion of the highway parallels the Canadian Pacific main line for several miles.

The train is the current version of CP's fastest westbound intermodal which has run since the 1960's but has changed symbols with every new CEO .The presence of Canadian Tire containers on the train indicates it is the hottest of the hot. Canadian Tire is a big box retailer across Canada. The season for making track improvements in Saskatchewan is relatively short, so that the maintenance gangs have long track and time track closures limiting the number of trains operating in daylight hours.

However, the exception is made for the hottest train and here it is in late August 2020, doing 60 miles on hour on its way to the west coast. The railway was completed through here in 1882. This railway had portions of double track ABS which were removed when CTC was added in the 1970's. An oddity was that the older train order stations were demolished in favour of modern portable buildings serving as train order offices shortly before that. Some of these buildings are still in use as maintenance buildings. Today, the older searchlight signals are gradually being replaced by modern LED signals. The old searchlights are still powered from a power line on the old telegraph line which today is "well weathered"

By comparison, the highway is comparatively modern. In 1961, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, who hailed from Saskatchewan made good on his promise to build a two lane blacktop highway all the way across Canada. The trucking industry took full advantage of this new highway. From the late 1960's to the present day, portions of the Trans-Canada highway have been upgraded to four lane limited access freeways. In the case of Saskatchewan, the "limited access" is not fully true. Most secondary highways simply intersect Route 1 at grade at right angles. Saskatchewan is a farming Province, and it is not unusual to see a combine harvester or a tractor lumbering across Highway 1 or even driving along the ditch. The speed limit on the highway is 110km/65 mph however there doesn't appear to be the 60km minimum speed limit. 

Various combinations of multiple trailer operations are permitted on Canada's freeways, and the second picture shows a westbound "Turnpike" combination operated by Bison Transport of Winnipeg likely hauling Walmart products gradually overtaking the hot CPR freight.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/20 10:14 by eminence_grise.

If there must be trucks on the highway, these Bison ones are among the sharpest-looking! Rosenau's vivid blue is another good-looking fleet.
Fred

feclark Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If there must be trucks on the highway, these
> Bison ones are among the sharpest-looking!
> Rosenau's vivid blue is another good-looking
> fleet.
> Fred

I agree about the Rosenau trucks. 
It was interesting to note that one of the trucking companies operating turnpike combinations has a parking area/maintenance facility beside Highway 1 at Indian Head indicating that they may run the highway operation by changing crews at appropriate locations like the railway.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/20 10:06 by eminence_grise.

eminence_grise Wrote:
----Hi Phil, So How did you take this Photo when the Truck was not in the First photo,
but the train is still behind the truck in the second one?? Was the train Stopped for some reason??
Cheers Brian In New Zealand..
---------------------------------------------------
> We are on the four lane Trans-Canada Highway 1
> between Indian Head and Sintaluta SK.  This
> portion of the highway parallels the Canadian
> Pacific main line for several miles.
>
> The train is the current version of CP's fastest
> westbound intermodal which has run since the
> 1960's but has changed symbols with every new CEO
> .The presence of Canadian Tire containers on the
> train indicates it is the hottest of the hot.
> Canadian Tire is a big box retailer across Canada.
> The season for making track improvements in
> Saskatchewan is relatively short, so that the
> maintenance gangs have long track and time track
> closures limiting the number of trains operating
> in daylight hours.
>
> However, the exception is made for the hottest
> train and here it is in late August 2020, doing 60
> miles on hour on its way to the west coast. The
> railway was completed through here in 1882. This
> railway had portions of double track ABS which
> were removed when CTC was added in the 1970's. An
> oddity was that the older train order stations
> were demolished in favour of modern portable
> buildings serving as train order offices shortly
> before that. Some of these buildings are still in
> use as maintenance buildings. Today, the older
> searchlight signals are gradually being replaced
> by modern LED signals. The old searchlights are
> still powered from a power line on the old
> telegraph line which today is "well weathered"
>
> By comparison, the highway is comparatively
> modern. In 1961, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker,
> who hailed from Saskatchewan made good on his
> promise to build a two lane blacktop highway all
> the way across Canada. The trucking industry took
> full advantage of this new highway. From the late
> 1960's to the present day, portions of the
> Trans-Canada highway have been upgraded to four
> lane limited access freeways. In the case of
> Saskatchewan, the "limited access" is not fully
> true. Most secondary highways simply intersect
> Route 1 at grade at right angles. Saskatchewan is
> a farming Province, and it is not unusual to see a
> combine harvester or a tractor lumbering across
> Highway 1 or even driving along the ditch. The
> speed limit on the highway is 110km/65 mph however
> there doesn't appear to be the 60km minimum speed
> limit. 
>
> Various combinations of multiple trailer
> operations are permitted on Canada's freeways, and
> the second picture shows a westbound "Turnpike"
> combination operated by Bison Transport of
> Winnipeg likely hauling Walmart products gradually
> overtaking the hot CPR freight.

eminence_grise Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------
> I agree about the Rosenau trucks. 
> It was interesting to note that one of the
> trucking companies operating turnpike combinations
> has a parking area/maintenance facility beside
> Highway 1 at Indian Head indicating that they may
> run the highway operation by changing crews at
> appropriate locations like the railway.

In my observation it's not so much a crew change as a power swap. Drivers typically have an assigned tractor, on the Alberta to Winnipeg run they seem to meet halfway and swap trailers. The Calgary to Winnipeg run just barely fits into the hours of service; by swapping trailers at a midpoint companies can use cheaper daycab tractors and drivers can be home each night. Not all take that approach, but does seem to happen at some points.

Posted from Android

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

RogersPass Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> eminence_grise Wrote:
> ----Hi Phil, So How did you take this Photo when
> the Truck was not in the First photo,
> but the train is still behind the truck in the
> second one?? Was the train Stopped for some
> reason??
> Cheers Brian In New Zealand..
> --------------------------------------------------

The wonders of telephoto....the second image was actually the earlier photo. I would have liked to have had the locomotives and the truck in the same image. The truck was being overtaken by other road vehicles when that was taking place. The train was doing a steady 60 mph, the truck was doing 65mph (or better) and the "four wheelers" were doing more than that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/20 08:25 by eminence_grise.