Sunday, May 14, 2006

Proto photos from my Jasper trip...volume 1.


Time to add some more 12" to the foot scale photos. I was called as a brakeman on train 107 to Jasper AB last Sunday. This looked like a good opportunity to test out my new 6.0 mp digital camera.

Our train ready to depart McBain Intermodal Terminal, on the west end of Edmonton. On the point is a pair of GE Dash9-44cw's


Whew! A high speed meet on double track at Acheson. We were doing about 30 mph, and train 104 was cruising at about 60 mph. Overall closing speed had to be at least 90mph! The hogger on 104 has them smokin' as he crests the slight grade, 7 miles west of Edmonton. Lucky to get this shot! As you can see, the lazy brakeman was on the trailing unit...

Meeting 346 at Hargwen, just east of Obed Summit between Edson and Hinton. Obed is the highest point on the CN mainline. Shiny new GE ES44DC on the point.

As you can see, the hogger put the 'lazy brakeman' to work in the 'hot corner', drivin' the train...



Just west of Entrance (named by the Grand Trunk Pacific surveyors for the 'entrance' to the front range of the Rocky Mountains). Crossing the Athabasca River, which eventually flows into the Arctic Ocean as part of the Mackenzie River watershed. Please excuse the raindrop marks on the windshield! Lighting went from perfect to subpar as we approached the mountains, along with a few showers.
Just leaving Brule Tunnel, this is Windy Point on Jasper Lake. We have travelled close to 200 miles from Edmonton by this time.
We remarshalled the train at Edmonton for delivery to the CP west of Kamloops. The containers ("cans") on our train are destined for the intermodal terminal on Burrard Inlet in Vancouver BC.


Crossing Snaring River, about 12 miles east of Jasper. You can just make out the train we are meeting at Henry House.

Time to pack up the gear and put the gloves on, for some more switching in Jasper yard. We have 2 blocks for Deltaport (Roberts Bank) for train 111 to pick up...damn windshield wiper keeps getting in the way! Hey, the sun was out for a bit! Where did it go to??

2 Miles east of Jasper at English. Meet another container train (think it is 106). Note the new GM SD70M-2 as a trailing unit.

This concludes this issue. I will do another post with stuff around Jasper and the return trip. Hope you enjoyed this photo essay!

Regards...Ken King.

2 comments:

Mike Hamer said...

Hey Ken...wow! Fantastic pics only a railroad employee could take! Great stories and captions as well! I'll have to tell my buddies about your blog as well!

Cheers, Mike

Mustang Meds said...

Hey Ken, It's Brent Medwid here just saying your layout looks like it should be a feature in MR magazine. I transfered to winnipeg in March last year and got into the hobby with a 4x6 sized layout. Not much but I wanted to complete a small layout to enhance my skills before making a large one. I have you to thank for my interest in the hobby. I remember you would sometimes bring MR Magazine to work, and once you even brought the 1653 to Scotford when we were working relief 1 right before the UTU strike of 2007. Anyways Ken hope to hear from you have a good one!