Trackside Log for Tuesday, May 20, 2008

This was the last day of our 2008 grain elevator extravaganza in Saskatchewan and beyond. We got started in Medicine Hat, Alberta and needed to get to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan that day to catch our plane the following day. No problem, we had plenty of time. Along the way we discovered a number of Canadian Pacific trains on the main line.

• 1005 MDT Dunmore, AB - CP power - CP 5919-SOO 6035 (photo)

Wait a second. That train looks familiar.

• 1029 MDT Irvine, AB - CP westbound - CP 6069-CP 8840-GCFX 3097 (photo)
• 1120 MDT Walsh, AB - CP westbound - CP 9117-CP 9137 (photo)
• 1325 CST Maple Creek, SK - CP westbound - CP 8505-CP 8719 (photo)
• 1340 CST Maple Creek, SK - CP 671 west - CP 8573-CP 9731/CP 8743-CP 9591
• 1454 CST Gull Lake, SK - CP westbound - CP 6604-CP 5757-GCFX 3062 (photo 1, photo 2)

After Gull Lake we left the Canadian Pacific main line and drove to Saskatoon and our lodging. This was a good trip. I we photographed plenty of grain elevators, trains, scenery and generally relaxed. That's why I take these trips.

Trackside Log for Monday, May 19, 2008

OK, we're going to try this again. This is the third time I've been to Sandpoint to photograph a morning train crossing the Lake Pend Oreille bridge. Sam and I got out nice and early and no sooner got on our way when we heard a foreman get a work permit for the bridge. Son-of-a...! That's the third time that's happened to me. So instead Sam and I drove over to the interchange yard and photographed the local power.

• 0840 PDT Sandpoint, ID - BNSF power - BNSF 3009-BNSF 3013 (photo)

I was pretty frustrated so I decided to push north to British Columbia. After a quick border crossing we headed to Cranbrook where we found a westbound just arriving and an eastbound about to depart.

• 1221 PDT Cranbrook, BC - CP eastbound - UP 8287-CP 9702
• 1228 PDT Cranbrook, BC - CP westbound - UP 8259-CP 9556/UP 8303 (photo)

Nothing else was in the area so we continued eastward along Highway 3. Sam and I enjoyed the scenery of Crowsnest Pass and exited the mountains at Cowley, AB. Here we found a meet between two Canadian Pacific trains.

• 1536 MDT Cowley, AB - CP westbound - CP 8754-CP 8800-CP 9707 (photo)
• 1548 MDT Cowley, AB - CP eastbound - UP 8301-UP 8263 (photo)

We figured out that our evening's destination would be Medicine Hat, Alberta. On our way through Lethbridge we checked out the monster trestle over the Oldman River. Sam was suitably impressed. No trains were immenent though so we continued east toward Medicine Hat. At Burdett we photographed our last train of the day.

• 1847 MDT Burdett, AB - CP westbound - CP 5919-SOO 6035

Then it was straight to Medicine Hat for a good meal and night's sleep.

Trackside Log for Monday, October 3, 2005

This day I headed from Calgary to Revelstoke, British Columbia along the CP Laggan and Mountain Subdivisions. I headed out in dark, miserable weather hoping it would clear up at least partially.

• 0839 MDT Exshaw, Alberta - CP local - CP 3035-CP 1125-CP 3101
• 0848 MDT Exshaw, Alberta - CP 607 west - CP 9811-CP 9553/CP 8617 (DPU)

While photographing these two trains I learned from the dispatcher that the Royal Canadian Pacific train was headed west along with several other trains. I was going to have to photograph it somewhere. First up though was a grain train. And wonder of wonders the weather was brightening up.

• 1057 MDT Field, British Columbia - CP westbound - CP 8531-CP 9627-CEFX 1056/CEFX 1031 (DPU)
• 1137 MDT Field, British Columbia - CP westbound - CP 8531-CP 9627-CEFX 1056/CEFX 1031 (DPU)
• 1300 MDT Field, British Columbia - CP westbound RCP - CP 3084-CP 1401
• 1330 MDT Ottertail, British Columbia - CP westbound RCP - CP 3084-CP 1401
• 1424 MDT Glenogle, British Columbia - CP westbound RCP - CP 3084-CP 1401
• 1526 MDT Glenogle, British Columbia - CP westbound - CP 8531-CP 9627-CEFX 1056/CEFX 1031 (DPU)
• 1556 MDT Glengole, British Columbia - Rocky Mountaineer Railtours eastbound - RMR 8011-RMR 8014
• 1633 MDT Glenogle, British Columbia - CP 607 west - CP 9811-CP 9553/CP 8617 (DPU) (photo)
• 1735 PDT Flat Creek, British Columbia - CP eastbound - CP 9147-CP 9129
• 1757 PDT Flat Creek, British Colubmia - CP westbound coal - CP 9652-CP 8522/CP 9716 (DPU)

It was getting very dark so I headed into Revelstoke where I would spend the night. I got some food and headed over to the yard to see what showed up.

The following were parked in the yard when I arrived.

• 1845 PDT Revelstoke, British Columbia - CP RCP - CP 3084-CP 1401
• 1845 PDT Revelstoke, British Columbia - CP power - CP 6034

Then the trains started showing up.

• 1932 PDT Revelstoke, British Columbia - CP westbound coal load - CP 9652-CP 8522/CP 9716 (DPU)
• 1958 PDT Revelstoke, British Columbia - CP 362 eastbound grain empty - CP 8639-CP 9812

Train 362 only had one working unit and picked one up east of Revelstoke.

• 2011 PDT Revelstoke, British Columbia - CP 821 westbound coal load - CP 9836-CP 8576/CP 9722 (DPU)
• 2030 PDT Revelstoke, British Columbia - CP 208 eastbound intermodal - CP 9808-CP 8549/CP 9581 (DPU)
• 2044 PDT Revelstoke, British Columbia - CP westbound grain load - CP 8531-CEFX 1056/CEFX 1031 (DPU)

The grain train dropped its second unit in Moberly. At this point I was done my food and headed to the hotel for the night.

Trackside Log for Wednesday, September 28, 2005

This was a trip to the Canadian prairies primarily to photograph the remaining grain elevators. Any trains I ran across were a bonus. This day I only found one train.

• 1030 MDT Bassano, Alberta - CP westbound - CP 9140

I was just passing through Bassano to start following the abandoned portion of the Canadian Pacific Empress subdivision. As luck would have it I saw headlights when I looked down the track.

Trackside Log for Thursday, July 17, 2003

• Coalhurst, Alberta - CP ???bound - CP 5807-CEFX 119-UP 3125
• Coalhurst, Alberta - CP ???bound - CEFX 132-CP 3131-SOO 6011-CP 9112-CP ????
• Lethbridge, Alberta - CP Coutts Turn east - CP 3126-CP 3052
• Purple Springs, Alberta - CP ???bound - CP 9552
• Seven Persons, Alberta - CP 336 east - CEFX 105
• Walsh, Alberta - CP 355 west - CP 9617-CP 9677-CP 8522/CP 9651 DPU
• Gull Lake, Saskatchewan - CP ???bound - CP 5688-CP 5741-CP 5904
• Gull Lake, Saskatchewan - CP 671 west - CP 9584/CEFX 1017-CP 9674 DPU
• Beverley, Saskatchewan - CP 336 east - CEFX 105

Trackside Log for Saturday, July 12, 2003

• Lake Louise, Alberta - CP westbound - CP 9507-CP 9679-CP 9639-CP 9142-CP 9676
• Lake Louise, Alberta - CP ???bound - CP 9508-CP 5991
• Field, British Columbia - CP ???bound - CP 9519-CP 9601-CP 9660
• Field, British Columbia - CP ???bound - CP 9508-CP 5991
• Ottertail, British Columbia - CP ???bound - CP 9508-CP 5991
• Glenogle, British Columbia - CP ???bound - CP 9508-CP 5991
• Glacier, British Columbia - CP ???bound - CP 9677-CEFX 1012
• Revelstoke, British Columbia - CP ???bound - CP 9739-CP 8559
• Revelstoke, British Columbia - CP ???bound - CP 9507-CP 9679-CP 9639-CP 9142
• Taft, British Columbia - CP track inspection - SRS 127
• Vernon, British Columbia - Okanagan Valley Railway power - OKAN 1025-HBRY 2506-HBRY 3550
• Vernon, British Columbia - Okanagan Valley Railway power - OKAN 1049
• Kelowna, British Columbia - Kelowna Pacific Railway power - KPR 3515

Trackside Log for Friday, July 11, 2003

• Edmonton, Alberta - CP power - SOO 6040-CP 5983-CP 3100
• Fallis, Alberta - CN 300 east - CN 5770-CN 5600
• Jasper, Alberta - VIA power - VIA 6434
• Jasper, Alberta - static display - (CNR 6015)
• Jasper, Alberta - CN eastbound work - CN 50554 (maintenance of way equipment pulling ballast hoppers)
• Jasper, Alberta - CN 112 east - CN 5799-CN 2436-CN 5710-CN 2452
• Jasper, Alberta - Rocky Mountaineer Railtours 610 east - RMRR 8015 (with private cars)
• Jasper, Alberta - CN 303 west - CN 5249-CN 5268-CN 5535
• Jasper, Alberta - CN 119 west - CN 5746-GTW 5928-CN 2566

Trackside Log for Tuesday, March 11, 2003

• Edmonton, Alberta - CP power - CP 8635-CP 8628-CP 786-CP 5877

Trackside Log for Sunday, March 9, 2003

• Edmonton, Alberta - CP power - CP 1565-CP 1696

Trackside Log for Friday, July 6, 2001

• Alyth, Alberta - CP power - CP 6622
• Alyth, Alberta - CP power - CP 749
• Alyth, Alberta - CP power - CP 5515
• Alyth, Alberta - CP power - SOO 4201
• Alyth, Alberta - CP hump switcher - SOO 6450-CP 5400; hump power
• Calgary, Alberta - CN power - CN 7024-CN 1405
• Morley, Alberta - CP eastbound - two CEFX SD90MACs pulling an eastbound empty potash train
• Exshaw, Alberta - Lafarge Canada power - Lafarge 16-52
• Exshaw, Alberta - CP power - CP 3069-CP 3104
• Exshaw, Alberta - CP ???bound - CP 9543-CP 9558
• Lake Louise, Alberta - RMR 102 east - RMRR 8014-RMRR 8015
• Lake Louise, Alberta - CP ???bound - CP 9635-CP 9132
• Field, British Columbia - CP power - CP 9516