MOTIVE POWER NOTES
Observations October 31 included Kansas City Southern 4602 at Thornton and Illinois Central 3138 at North Vancouver, November 2 saw GM “Oakway” demo unit 9095 at Thornton, Nov. 4 CSX 661 at Thornton, November 9 BNSF 4328 / KCS 3912 / CEFX 6008, November 14 Norfolk Southern 2695 at Thornton, an all ex BCR power consist on a transfer to Lynn Creek of BCOL 4627/4643/4624, November 16 FURX 7259 / 7263 both in former BN green, and Oakway 9058 at Thornton, November 18 Norfolk Southern 2695, November 22 CSX 165 at Thornton, November 25 Illinois Central 6068 and 6060 at Thornton on two different trains. (R.C.)
GMD-1’S RAPIDLY DISAPPEARING
The unique Canadian only model road switcher, the GMD-1 is rapidly disappearing from CN’s roster. Originally built as A-1-A trucked units for light rail operations, most were re-trucked as B-B units and have served throughout Western Canada on CN (and on Northern Alberta Railways). These models also served on CN’s Vancouver Island lines for many years, and several remain in service in yard work in our area.
Latest news has the final three A-1-A units 1063, 1078 and 1082 (which was originally Northern Alberta 301) on their way to a US scrapper, while many others are now up for sale including 1411, 1414, 1416, 1417, 1430, 1431, 1432, 1436, 1442 and 1443. (TJ)
CONTAINER TRAIN FROM PRINCE RUPERT
The first eastbound container train on CN from the new Port of Prince Rupert container terminal departed on November 15, 2007. The 11,000 foot train was allotted 105 hours to reach Chicago, it made it faster in just 92 hours. Loaded containers headed for China are starting to arrive regularly, and the last ship to arrive left 1,700 containers to ship east. (D.W.)
CN PLANS DISTRIBUTION CENTRE IN HAY RIVER
CN has purchased 156 acres of land in Hay River, Northwest Territories, where it plans to build a multi-commodity loading and off loading operation. Preliminary work will start immediately and construction will proceed in 2008. A phased development will work towards handling of containers, steel and bulk products, and petroleum. (BL)
MOTIVE POWER NOTES
Canadian Pacific has accepted five BNSF SD40-2 units for horsepower payback. The units will be here for some time, and will operate in trailing positions in CP motive power consists. Units here now are BNSF 7144, BNSF 6870, FURX 7211, BNSF 7148 and BNSF 6795. (J.M.)
OLD TIES TO BE ‘GASIFIED” IN ASHCROFT
The Aboriginal Cogeneration Corp. has reached an agreement with Canadian Pacific to convert scrap wooden ties into usable energy through a gasification process. Beginning spring 2008, the used ties will be converted into a combustible gas that will power an electrical generator. The plan will handle 250,000 ties annually. (J.M.)
RESIDENTS SPECIAL OFFERRED ON WHISTLER MOUNTAINEER
Rocky Mountaineer Vacations is once again offering a special for BC Residents who want to advance book a trip on the Whistler Mountaineer in 2008. The offer must be taken advantage of by December 28, 2007 and offers round trip fares of $110 in Coast Classic and $185 in Glacier Dome. These make great Christmas presents to give to friends ands family!
OTHER NEWS
CANADA LINE FIRST CARS ARRIVE
The first four rapid transit cars for the new Canada Line arrived from Korea November 27 at Lynn Term in North Vancouver. The cars, numbered DM2-201 through DM2-204 were for SNC Lavalin Inc. in Vancouver, arriving from Mason, Korea. (R.C.)
OIL SANDS RAILWAY TO CLOSE
Unless an investment of $125 million is made into the poor track infrastructure of the railway between Boyle and Fort McMurray, Alberta, the only railway to the huge tar sands project will close. The Athabasca Northern Railway has filed to abandon the 320 km line and will cease operations December 17, 2007 unless a source of upgrade funds is found. (BL)
NEW AGREEMENT FOR GRAIN CARS
A new agreement for operation and maintenance of the fleet of 11,900 Government owned grain hopper cars has been reached. The agreement addresses management of the fleet with the railways for the cars, which are provided at no cost to the railways, for the transportation of grain. The cars will continue to be provided as at present, and maintenance / upgrades / operation will continue by both CN and CP. (BL)
THREE VALLEY GAP FOUNDER PASSES ON
Gordon Bell, the founder of the Three Valley Gap hotel and ghost town passed on recently following a heart attack. He was 74.
The tourist attraction in Eagle Pass, west of Revelstoke on Highway 1, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006. It started as a sixteen room motel, and has grown over the years to a 200+ room hotel, ghost town and museum.
An avid collector of many things, Gordon collected railway equipment which includes several business cars, a caboose and two steam locomotives. He also has a large automobile collection, mostly in storage in a basement under the hotel.
His most recent project involved creating an enclosed roundhouse to store his railway collection. This project is near completion. The roundhouse building is fabricated from two huge grain storage bins, the windows around the top of the roundhouse are surplus truck windows from the closed Western Star truck factory in Kelowna. Family members will continue to operate the Three Valley tourist attraction. (internet posting, Phil Mason, Nov 23, forwarded by Trevor Mills)
NEWS FROM SNOQUALMIE, WA
The Northwest Railway Museum is off on some further expansion plans as they announce the new Exhibit Building. This 20,000 square foot building will be inspired from a traditional train shed design and would house the most vulnerable artifacts in the museum’s collection in a combination of exhibit space and indoor storage. In other news, the museum has made its first rolling stock acquisition in 20 years, the all wood Chapel Car Messenger of Peace, built by Barney and Smith in 1898. (SDR)
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