dibber25 Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Been scanning a few old prints. This was VIA No. 1 The Canadian, westbound, making the Banff stop in summer 1981 when in still went over the CPR route. Love the 19th century baggage cart. But look at the amount of baggage - a lot of people joining the train at Banff, including us. Locos were just 2, a GP9 behind the FP9. Will add some more pics in due course. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 The two SRVI GP9s switch Top Shelf Feeds at Koksilah, south of Duncan. This was 2007, I think. The overgrown and uncared for state of the railway means that now it is virtually beyond repair, though the trains still run to Top Shelf around once a week but very slowly. Hard to believe but the main line is actually in the foreground, hidden by the weeds. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Surely one of the saddest loses. Crown Zellerbach 7128, ex-Army Baldwin and one of the last active logging locos on the island was restored to working order by an excellent little museum in the old logging workshops at Ladysmith. However, the town decided it wanted road improvements, trashed the museum, dispersed any exhibits it could get rid of and SCRAPPED the Baldwin. A truly appalling piece of corporate vandalism. One or two exhibits remain, slowly rusting on what's left of the site, including Comox Logging No. 16 (a 2-8-0) and the unique Humdurgin, a log unloader converted from the chassis of a Shay locomotive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 That Baldwin looks in beautiful nick, what a shame. Looking forward to even more (photos)! Thanks, Chris. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 That Baldwin looks in beautiful nick, what a shame. Looking forward to even more (photos)! Thanks, Chris. Best, Pete. When it was operating it had a row of short exhaust stacks coming straight out of the hood. It was said that you could hear it for miles when it was working hard. I couldn't believe they closed that museum. It had the only interlocking tower there had ever been on the island. That was mysteriously burned 'by vandals'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Three more: The Dayliner scuttling past Mason's at Shawnigan - probably 2000. I don't think we shall ever see that again. The little Shay at the BC Forest Museum, Duncan. Used to run high season and holidays but has been out of ticket for some years now. It was standard gauge and shunted at Crofton but was reduced to 3ft gauge to run at the museum. Mayo Lumber No. 3 is a pretty big Shay. In 1976 it was on static display at the Forest Museum. It was subsequently restored to full working order and leased to the Kettle Valley Railway in BC, but returned to Duncan a couple of years ago and is once again on static display. That's me (aged 29) striking the Richard Widmark pose! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 CPR Hudson 2816 eastbound Vancouver-Calgary via Crowsnest Pass in 2006. First stop outside Vancouver (Can't recall where). View from the cab - I was in cab from Golden to Windermere. And a view from the train. The only CNR movement I ever saw on Vancouver Island. GMD-1 No. 1000 crosses the island highway and the CPR line at Koksilah light engine Deerholme-Cowichan Bay. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted January 14, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 14, 2013 Superb photos. It is such a shame that so much is being lost in Canada. Both the BC line and the Via island line were such good scenic journeys. Glad we did them before they closed. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Chris, I realise now how much I missed when I was on Vancouver Island a couple of years ago! steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 Chris, I realise now how much I missed when I was on Vancouver Island a couple of years ago! steve Yes, sadly it had to be a couple of years ago to catch the Dayliner. There's still some good static display stuff - BC Forest Museum at Duncan, the Kaatsa Museum at Lake Cowichan (both have full size locos and rolling stock) Ladysmith still has a loco, the humdurgin and a couple of items of rolling stock, albeit they are just dumped - they are accessible without trespass. The freight goes north from Nanaimo about once a week but only up to Wellington, and south to Duncan once a week. The best bet, in summer, is Port Alberni when the train, sometimes steam-hauled, goes up to Maclean Mill. You need to find out when its running and sometimes they do it all pre-booked so you can't just turn up and ride. Crazy - they must lose a lot of custom. They certainly lost mine last time because I didn't realise that they operated such a daft system. If the steam-powered mill is operating, that's even better than the train! Of course, up north there's the logging railway at Woss Camp. A long, lonely drive but really worth seeing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Superb photos. It is such a shame that so much is being lost in Canada. Both the BC line and the Via island line were such good scenic journeys. Glad we did them before they closed. Ian Ian, if you mean the BC Rail line, that's still open,though regular passenger service was ended before the line went to CN. You can still travel over that route in two stages - Vancouver-Whistler, then Whistler-Prince George-Jasper - with this company http://www.rockymountaineer.com/en_CA_BC/routes_and_packages/all_routes_map , but at a far higher cost. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted January 15, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 15, 2013 Ian, if you mean the BC Rail line, that's still open,though regular passenger service was ended before the line went to CN. You can still travel over that route in two stages - Vancouver-Whistler, then Whistler-Prince George-Jasper - with this company http://www.rockymountaineer.com/en_CA_BC/routes_and_packages/all_routes_map , but at a far higher cost. Yes, although as you say at a much higher cost. We travelled on the penutimate RDC service all the way to Prince George back in October 2002 - the longest journey we have ever done in an RDC. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted January 15, 2013 Author Share Posted January 15, 2013 Yes, although as you say at a much higher cost. We travelled on the penutimate RDC service all the way to Prince George back in October 2002 - the longest journey we have ever done in an RDC. I believe it was (456 miles?) the longest RDC journey in the World. Sadly I only did it as far as Lillooet, though I did come back (with my kids, too) in the cab. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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