Canadian Railroads > BCRail #14 with M420B remotes

On 8-11-84 I photographed southbound train 14 on BC Rail with 753/757/712  (SD40-2/SD40-2/M630) leading, M420B's 685/688 as mid-train remotes and manned helpers 762/758/702  (SD40-2/SD40-2/C630M)

This view is north of Pemberton, BC on the Squamish Sub.

Brian Ambrose
Renton, WA

---

---

---

Super great photos that combine wonderful scenery with an awesome train.
Thanks very much for your photo posting.
ALLEN

Great location, great colors.
Seems odd having two M420B's in the middle but they did stuff like that.
t4p.

Fantastic !  They sure could put on a show. Love that pair of M420Bs as remotes.

Wonderful shots!!! Thank you for sharing them.

TCnR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great location, great colors.
> Seems odd having two M420B's in the middle but
> they did stuff like that.
> t4p.

The M420B's had the space so the Locotrol equipment was removed from the Remote Control Cars and placed in the M420B's which allowed for the retirement of the Remote Control Cars.
Railroad came out ahead because they had less equipment they had to maintain.

All the BCR locomotives went through upgrades and rebuilds through time, the RCL equipment was moved around, on this day at least one of the M420B's had RCE. Later the M420B's wound up on log trains as ABBA sets, interesting lightweights that had many assignments both with and without the RCE. The green era had all sorts of interesting nuances for railfans to follow, quite a bit of evolution on the RR operating practices.,,and some really great scenery too.

Here's one article about the BCR RCE history and a summary chart attached:
https://www.cwrailway.ca/sites/default/files/Cariboo/Cariboo%2046.pdf



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/21 10:50 by TCnR.

---

Ahhhhhhh.
Fred

Wow, what an outstanding trio of shots. Just bought one of those combo sliding plug door BCR cars at a show. Great to see them in action. What an awesome railroad it was.
JB

PHall Wrote:

>
> The M420B's had the space so the Locotrol
> equipment was removed from the Remote Control Cars
> and placed in the M420B's which allowed for the
> retirement of the Remote Control Cars.
> Railroad came out ahead because they had less
> equipment they had to maintain.

Incorrect.

The M420B's were delivered from MLW  with receiver gear.

Brian E

I like Pic 1!!