On my last holiday to Canada in May 1998, I visited the WCRA site with Richard Courage whom I was staying with. I was so impressed that I returned a few days later and joined; this particular day was when the steam excursion from North Vancouver was double headed by #3716 leading #2860. I have since followed the progress of the WCRA via the excellent monthly magazines but I vowed that on my next visit to Canada, I would put in a day’s volunteer hours at the site. So, having planned my holiday for May this year, I was somewhat dismayed to learn that 4069 was to haul the Squamish train this summer, from June, Too late! Then came the devastating news that CPR Hudson #2816 was to run excursions between Port Moody (No relation!) and Mission on May 4, exactly a week before I arrived!

Richard already had a project lined up for me, helping to de-rust and apply primer paint to the F7B unit #4459. So on May 12, less than 24 Hours after arriving in Canada, Richard and I headed for Squamish. What a great improvement to the site the station building is. I stood and imagined what it would look like with 2860 stood beside it as in the artists impression. Having signed in, we made our way to the workshop and began work on the F7B unit which was parked in the same position that #4069 had occupied four years previously. On that occasion The 'A' unit was also in need of painting. Richard introduced me to Brad and Mike, Brad had just been designated as project leader for the restoration of 4459 which has to be very pleasing news.

I was slightly disappointed that #4069 was not on site, but that was not going to last for long, because when we stopped for a bite to eat, Richard introduced me to Don Evans, who told us that 4069 would be bringing the Royal Hudson to Squamish the following day. This coincided with the day I would pick up my hire car, as it was Richard’s wife Brigitte had volunteered to take me on a sight seeing tour of Vancouver. What better way to start than by seeing #4069, 2860 and the BC Rail’s "Dinner Train Loco CRS-20 #601 on the rear, standing in the yard at North Vancouver. Sadly the BC Rail Police prevented us from witnessing the departure at 1020, but with a short drive to Ambleside Park we could hear 4069 pulling on the wet rails. Even with it pouring with rain, what a sight!

We were soon on Highway 99 and at Porteau, where the train met BC Rail #4618 south. I then learned that CPR Hudson #2816 had also left Vancouver today bound for Kamloops and Calgary, so after getting another couple of shots en route to Squamish, we headed back home to Abbotsford. My hosts dispatched me eastwards to Kamloops (where it never rains!) arriving there at around 2330.

Tuesday May 14, 0630 and it is still "Never Raining” in Kamloops. Searching for a breakfast bar, I soon discover that #2816 and train have been sleeping very close to my Motel. Heading east I found loads of railfans, five actually at Pritchard. The steam train was departing at 0815, following Freight #9521 East, lead by AC4400CW s #9521, 9554 and SD40-2 5873. Extra 2816 was formed of 3 Tool Vans and 3 passenger cars, by the time it approached Pritchard the rain was receding fast. #2816 was travelling at no more than 45 mph so chasing by car was easy. A further 3 shots were obtained before the appropriate location of Chase. Here Highway 5 and the railway part company, so the next location I found was at Notch Hill where the presence of CPR Police and a couple more railfans suggested 2816 would take the north track via the loop. Not so, but a long range video shot was obtained before bypassing Salmon Arm and arriving at Sicamous just in the nick of time to get..…#9521 East.

Taking up a position overlooking the river bridge before 2816 and train could head east, a Canopax grain train worked exclusively by CEFX SD90s #114, 102 and 105 Mid train came west allowing 2816 to put on a show of steam when it was "Given the road". In fact, everywhere I saw it, it was steaming well. Further shots were obtained near Cambie and on the roadside reverse curve at Kay Falls near Taft. It was here that somebody suggested that this was the first unassisted steam train to work over this stretch in 50 Years, could that be confirmed please?

Here in the South of England we are blessed with regular steam workings between London and either Canterbury, Salisbury or Winchester hauled by an ex Southern Railway Merchant Navy class Pacific Locomotive 4-6-2 #35005 named (Appropriately) "Canadian Pacific" after the shipping line with the same name. But even I knew that by any standard this was an extremely rare happening!!!

Road work at Three Valley Gap precluded any further grab shots for I had been assured that the bridge shot at Revelstoke should not be missed. Quite right too!, as 2816 steamed majestically over the bridge at 1315. Not being equipped with timings or a scanner and not wishing to become lost in Revelstoke I pressed on, finding a dirt track that led to Jumping Creek. I liked the location and waited and waited. After two or so hours I was rewarded at last by....our old friend #9521 east, waiting a further hour for the special which had slightly reformed and had now become extra 3084 East. The addition of the Tuscan red liveried GP38-2 only served to enhance the train, three further shots up to Macdonald tunnel followed, both locos working hard up the grade to Rogers Pass.

As there was still quite a lot of snow I pressed on and the next location was at Forde, this time 3084 was doing all the work arriving Golden at 1715 Mountain Time (yes we had steamed thru a time zone). #3084 and 2816 were to leave Golden very early the next morning to get to Field so that 2816 could work a steam special to Calgary. This meant that 2816 had traveled a distance of 430 miles as an empty coaching stock move to work a train for a mere 81 Miles, is this a world record for a steam hauled empty coaching stock movement?

I, however, had a date with F7B #4459 at Squamish and I would now be running a day late. I headed back west staying near Sicamous and heading back through the Thompson Canyon on Wednesday, progress being hampered by several eastbound freights that just had to be recorded! In the end I made an effort to head for home only to have to turn around again at Lytton because, though the lead engine was a standard AC 4400 #9570, the second engine was not. What was Union Pacific AC 6000 #7517 doing in Canada?, certainly an interesting conclusion to the day.

Thursday May 16 and arriving at the site, there she was, 2860 standing beside the main station at the head of her train awaiting formal acceptance. More Red Primer paint was applied to #4459 as Brad and Mike attempted to start up #6503 against flat batteries, whilst #4069 slumbered beside Sweet Apple station.

The next week was taken up railfanning full time with Richard, in both Canada and USA, Richard’s last day off work was Monday May 27, just three days before I was to return home. We took off to cover the line between Hope and North Bend, there were a few trains heading west but the eastbound C P tracks were under engineers occupation, However messages on the scanner told us that the line would have to be cleared by 1330 for the Business car train, what ever that was. Further messages made references to 1400, Richard gently pointed out that they were not making references to the time of day so a quick drive from the C N 's Boston Bar to North Bend and the presence of a couple of railfans from Oregon, confirmed the 1347k arrival of CP FP7A #1400 leading B unit #1900 and A unit #1401 hauling eight business cars Mount Royal, baggage car 95, Killarney, N R Crump, Strathcona, Van Horne, Royal Wentworth and Mount Stephen. Crews were exchanged so we had the chance to view the locomotives and imagine them being #4069 and 4459 instead.

So, without even trying and certainly no planning, I had in effect seen three FP7A's, one B unit, the CPR heritage liveried GP38 not to mention two CPR Hudsons!!! I am looking forward to my next trip over in 2004, and wish everybody at W.C.R.A all the best. I am totally convinced that #2860 will be a great asset to the society.