Canadian Railroads > VIA #6 Eastbound Skeena Routing Question

The westbound Skeena, VIA #6, uses the Robson Sub then goes onto the Tete Jaune Sub at Taverna. Simple. I have always assumed the eastbound Skeena leaves the Tete Jaune Sub and takes the north connector at Harvey, rejoins the Robson Sub at Peterson, then uses the south connector from Lubin to Spicer on the Albreda Sub to get to Jasper with the flow of traffic. Is this generally the case? Always the case? Or am I out to lunch? Trying to get some intel for an upcoming trip. Thanks.
Fred

I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you one route from the other, but about 10 years ago, it was standard for the westbound Skeena (train to Prince Rupert) would take the route and typically it provided the "better view" of Mt. Robson - crew quote, not mine. Come back to Jasper eastbound on the Skeena (train from Prince Rupert I guess you call it???), the crew said the route was at the discretion of the dispatcher and there seemed to be a few options available. Never really questioned it, because I always seemed to see Mt Robson, even though you supposedly can't see it most of the time. Sorry I'm not helpful, but certainly something to look into as options appear to be at hand?!?!?!

Excellent map of the wye and great supporting photos and discussion in this post:

Date: 08/20/22 16:51
Railfanning Jasper area

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?15,5527848,5528111#msg-5528111

feclark Wrote:
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> The westbound Skeena, VIA #6, uses the Robson Sub
> then goes onto the Tete Jaune Sub at Taverna.
> Simple. I have always assumed the eastbound Skeena
> leaves the Tete Jaune Sub and takes the north
> connector at Harvey, rejoins the Robson Sub at
> Peterson, then uses the south connector from Lubin
> to Spicer on the Albreda Sub to get to Jasper with
> the flow of traffic. Is this generally the case?
> Always the case? Or am I out to lunch? Trying to
> get some intel for an upcoming trip. Thanks.

The route you describe is normal for the eastbound train.  Note that the RTC has the option of switching it from the North Connecting Track to the Robson Sub at McCabe (Mile 3.0) as well as at Peterson (Mile 4.8).

Note that it is possible to photograph the same train on both sides of the horseshoe loop of this track formation. In July 1999, I shot it at Mile 1.75 of the North Connecting Track, then cut across on an east-west road (Jackman Flats Road, compass south of Peterson) to the Yellowhead Highway, turned east (compass north) on the Yellowhead and then took a dirt road up to Jackman siding for more shots, the better ones being of the Park car going away. The photos were 17 minutes apart.    

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railsmith Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> feclark Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The westbound Skeena, VIA #6, uses the Robson
> Sub
> > then goes onto the Tete Jaune Sub at Taverna.
> > Simple. I have always assumed the eastbound
> Skeena
> > leaves the Tete Jaune Sub and takes the north
> > connector at Harvey, rejoins the Robson Sub at
> > Peterson, then uses the south connector from
> Lubin
> > to Spicer on the Albreda Sub to get to Jasper
> with
> > the flow of traffic. Is this generally the
> case?
> > Always the case? Or am I out to lunch? Trying
> to
> > get some intel for an upcoming trip. Thanks.
>
> The route you describe is normal for the eastbound
> train.  Note that the RTC has the option of
> switching it from the North Connecting Track to
> the Robson Sub at McCabe (Mile 3.0) as well as at
> Peterson (Mile 4.8).
>
> Note that it is possible to photograph the same
> train on both sides of the horseshoe loop of this
> track formation. In July 1999, I shot it at Mile
> 1.75 of the North Connecting Track, then cut
> across on an east-west road (Jackman Flats Road,
> compass south of Peterson) to the Yellowhead
> Highway, turned east (compass north) on the
> Yellowhead and then took a dirt road up to Jackman
> siding for more shots, the better ones being of
> the Park car going away. The photos were 17
> minutes apart.  

That's a fascinating option I hadn't put together in my mind from two previous visits to this trackage. We've gotten #5 twice, two westbound (compass south) through Peterson, and surprised by an EB that came westbound (compass north) through Peterson headed for Prince Rupert. It had an EB number because it left Vancouver EB, but I hadn't twigged it was not going to Jasper on the Albreda Sub (it wasn't a train I see in Edmonton). We've shot at Spicer and Charles, as well, but not Jackman. Thanks all for your input.
Fred 

feclark Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> That's a fascinating option I hadn't put together
> in my mind from two previous visits to this
> trackage. We've gotten #5 twice, two westbound
> (compass south) through Peterson, and surprised by
> an EB that came westbound (compass north) through
> Peterson headed for Prince Rupert. It had an EB
> number because it left Vancouver EB, but I hadn't
> twigged it was not going to Jasper on the Albreda
> Sub (it wasn't a train I see in Edmonton). We've
> shot at Spicer and Charles, as well, but not
> Jackman. Thanks all for your input.

The regular eastbound CN freight that will take the Robson Sub from Charles to Peterson and then the North Connecting Track to Harvey is M354 (Vancouver Thornton-Prince George), which runs daily, carrying the traffic that used to run between North Vancouver and Prince George on BC Rail. Its opposite number is M355, which will run compass south from Harvey on the North Connecting Track.

You can get an interesting shot of a freight taking that route at McCabe, where the grades of the connecting track and Robson Sub converge. Here's a shot I took in July 2005 of the short-lived "Prince George-Chicago Express", which CN had launched a year earlier when it took over BC Rail. It's coming up the connector.  These days, you'd see eastbound intermodals from Prince Rupert taking this route.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/24 23:43 by railsmith.

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railsmith Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> feclark Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > That's a fascinating option I hadn't put
> together
> > in my mind from two previous visits to this
> > trackage. We've gotten #5 twice, two westbound
> > (compass south) through Peterson, and surprised
> by
> > an EB that came westbound (compass north)
> through
> > Peterson headed for Prince Rupert. It had an EB
> > number because it left Vancouver EB, but I
> hadn't
> > twigged it was not going to Jasper on the
> Albreda
> > Sub (it wasn't a train I see in Edmonton).
> We've
> > shot at Spicer and Charles, as well, but not
> > Jackman. Thanks all for your input.
>
> The regular eastbound CN freight that will take
> the Robson Sub from Charles to Peterson and then
> the North Connecting Track to Harvey is M354
> (Vancouver Thornton-Prince George), which runs
> daily, carrying the traffic that used to run
> between North Vancouver and Prince George on BC
> Rail. Its opposite number is M355, which will run
> compass south from Harvey on the North Connecting
> Track.
>
> You can get an interesting shot of a freight
> taking that route at McCabe, where the grades of
> the connecting track and Robson Sub converge.
> Here's a shot I took in July 2005 of the
> short-lived "Prince George-Chicago Express", which
> CN had launched a year earlier when it took over
> BC Rail. It's coming up the connector.  These
> days, you'd see eastbound intermodals from Prince
> Rupert taking this route.

Yes, that's it, #354. This is the shot we got back in 2018, mid-afternoon. We'd set up in the pull-in you see on the right, were eating lunch, and the horn hit for the crossing just down the way. Lunch stowed, lawn chairs flung out of site, and the vehicle reparked - phew! I like your shot at McCabe, with the wider perspective you get there. We'll have to check it out.
Fred

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Great thread! My wife and I will ride the Skeena in August from Prince Rupert to Jasper as part of a loop we’re doing around BC and Jasper by bus, train, and ferry.

I’d like suggestions, pls, or links or references to some sort of passenger guide for the route so we could have an idea of what to watch for out the window. I had one such guide for all of Canada years ago but I don’t now and even when I used it on the Canadian it was nearly 20 years outdated then.

Posted from iPhone

From the VIA Rail site
Search on GOOGLE

Use----Route_Guide_Jasper_Prince_Rupert_EN.pdf
      
You should end up with a 2 page pdf

Thx. I’ll look again. My wife’d tell you that I routinely have to look at least three times to find anything I’m looking for!

Posted from iPhone