Saturday, August 4, we left Vancouver B.C. in a rented pickup and camper in a heavy downpour, headed north to Lytton, one of my personal favorite areas to railfan. The scenery in the Thompson canyon is stunning. Weather cleared up as normal, nice and warm and dry. A great campsite (though across the highway from the railways) is the Skihist Provincial Park campsite. Spent a couple of nights here. Midday Sunday we set the family up in the camper for lunch just north of Lytton with a great view of the Thompson River. I hiked down along some trails set up by the Kumsheen rafting resort for a shot of the Rocky Mountaineer tour train (RMRT) coming east on the CP line. Had lunch and a book. There were 3 domes on RMRT Banff section and 2 domes on Jasper section, domes are spread out in train now in these 2 groups.

Got my shot and raced backup the hill to the camper as I had asked my family to be ready when they saw the RMRT train come by. No luck, however, as they were not paying attention and were not ready. It took a few extra minutes to pack up the truck and be off, a camper on these curvy hilly roads is not the best thing to chase a train. No luck again as we were too late and with a bit of traffic did not get ahead of the train till Spences Bridge, so missed my other preferred photo locations.

Monday we headed back to the canyon for a shoot of the train going west on CN, the train was running a half hour ahead of many previous times I had seen it through here, possibly less freight traffic with the holiday? We were only half way to my preferred photo location when I noted the train coming and got what I could for photos, will try again next day. Was having some problems with the camper so while some of the family went white water rafting through the canyon had to drive a 100 km to Cache Creek to get camper repaired. The family reported the rafting trip was great, lots of interesting history on the railways and great views from the river! Just do not plan on taking anything but a waterproof camera securely attached to your person as you shoot the rapids of the Thompson Canyon. It's like a roller coaster, they reported, but the view of the tunnels was something else! This night we stayed at the rafting resort, great for railfanning, just step out the back door of your camper or tent, take a couple of steps and you are just above the CP line and look across the canyon to the CN. They have some tents set up something similar though a bit fancier as to what the CP railway builders used 120 years ago in the same location. Some great little history bits on sign posts along the trails over the railways as well.

Tuesday I had a different photo location picked out a little further east. I backed the camper into a little pullout with a water fall and pool for the kids to play in, and I took a camp chair across the road to a scenic lookout over the CP line, sat in the shade with a good view. Heard a rumble up the canyon looked out to the CN line and my jaw dropped. The camp chair and camera bag went flying as I grabbed my camera and raced to a good photo location for the CN side and just in time caught the 2 CN E8's (50's green paint scheme) pulling a 4 car train, an Illinois Central gray sleeper and three CN green business cars. Got a few shots and considered briefly if I would have time to grab the camper and family and head west for more shots but just knew it would be a while before I could pack them up and head on. Oh well, stayed put and got a couple of good shots of the RMRT east. Family was not ready so did not push them to race north. After a good play by the falls we headed north to Spences Bridge and camped by the river in a free site next to CP tracks. A little noisy with both CP and CN close by. Lots of freights by night, not so many during the day.

Wednesday morning we moved the camper to the south end of town and while the family had breakfast I set up with a view to a very scenic waterfall. RMRT was running about an hour behind the Monday trip (closer to normal schedule). Snapped off a few good shots and thought I had done pretty well!

We were just about to pack up when I spotted something different on the rear of the train. It was a California Zephyr Budd dome car similar to the VIA Park cars - cameras really in action now! (This was the Silver Solarium private car as reported in our last issue). Now we raced south testing the cornering ability for a pickup and camper through the tight curvy and hilly roads back to Skihist Park. Made it in good time for a very scenic lookout to the CN tunnels. Caught some good photos and then headed south for a photo over the bridge over the Fraser at Lytton and then further south to join some other railfans at Cisco crossing where CP and CN tracks switch sides in over the Fraser River. Almost out of film, one chap luckily sold me another roll just in time.

The canyon had delivered big time on the trains I was after. A note on RMRT trains, most trains had one dome and some coaches still in purple and blue stripe, but most are now in gold for Gold Leaf domes and red stripe for Red Leaf coaches - the painting is coming along well. Also to be noted is that, of course, I was unable to photograph VIA's Canadian, which passes through this gorgeous scenery in the dark of night.

We packed up and now headed to BC Rail country in Lillooet, a good hour on a very scenic curvy hilly road along the Fraser River. A free camp site is provided by BC Hydro a short walk to Seton Lake and, of course, near the BC Rail line. The railway runs right beside the lake just above the lake level. Mountains rise almost vertically in spots some 4-6,000 feet straight up from the lake and railway. Thursday, while the kids played at the beach, I waited for the midday 4 car RDC BC Rail train north. Running a half hour late its lights were visible 20 minutes south down the lake as it made its way as tiny spec under the towering mountain peaks. The track patrol truck appeared a few minutes ahead of the train.

I got some good shots of the passenger train along the lake. Today the train had 2 Cariboo Prospector cars going only to Lillooet, and 2 cars of the Explorer train for passengers from Whistler to Pavilion (instead of Kelly Lake as in the past). The Explorer cars now come from Vancouver to Whistler as part of the train providing some extra passenger capacity. I drove up to the old bridge and walked across to the east side for great shot north to the BCR bridge as the 2 Explorer Budds came across and stopped for a view. Did not want to waste gas and families time away for too long so did not chase north.

The Cariboo Prospector train is supposed to head south around 3:30pm today with the southbound Prince George train added on for a 4 car train south. We were down at the lake and I thought I might climb the hill for a different view of the southbound train. Waited 45 minutes, no train. Gave up and went back to the beach with the family. Train came by 1 1/2 hours late - would be a late night into Vancouver! I had also hoped to catch the Whistler Northwind train this trip, but this is one of the weeks that it was canceled due to lack of passengers.

Friday, the RDC train was a half hour late northbound, 6 cars today. Last month, on one trip I was on, the train split in 3 at Lillooet, with 2 cars staying for south trip, 2 Explorer cars to Pavilion and back to Whistler and 2 north to Prince George. Today the train dropped 2 cars at Lillooet and the other 4 headed north as one train to Pavilion. A couple of railfans came by and asked where the train was, they had photographed it north to Whistler and Pemberton and made the grueling drive to Lillooet over the mountains to the east in record time. I headed north on the west side of the river at the top of a hill and got some photos just north of Lillooet. The 2 car train from Lillooet headed back south on time Friday.

Saturday we did the long twisting hilly drive with the camper rocking all over the road from Lillooet to Pemberton, Whistler, Squamish and back home to Vancouver. The road is very rough in a lot of spots and tour groups are wise to put their passengers on a train between Whistler and Pavilion. I would not want a bus ride over this road. From Squamish I had hoped to follow the Hudson train for photos on its return to Vancouver but we did not get going early enough. After stopping for a visit and lunch at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, the kids decided they would like to go for a mini rail ride around the park so we got out a little to late to catch the passenger train.

The traffic between Whistler and Squamish and Vancouver was almost bumper to bumper today, nuts really. They will have to 4 lane this road at some point in the future. But seems certain that if they get the Winter Olympics in Whistler something will be improved. I am certain that passenger rail travel makes sense along here. From our camp site very few BCR freight trains ran during the day and not many at night either.

And so ends the saga of a week of vacationing in paradise, as it can only be described when you appreciate the combination of fabulous scenery, good camping for the family, and a great array of passenger trains to watch and photograph.