Hi again...I thought I would take a small break from layout updates and show some of my photos from 'workin on the railroad'...The shot above is from Fort Edmonton Park, with a 1920s - era 'Prairie' type 2-6-2 steam locomotive pulling a short train around the park.
I was the engineer on a 'distributed power' train, hauling 18,000 tons of phosphate rock (originating at Kapuskasing Ontario) to the Agrium Redwater fertilizer plant. This is not far from Fort Saskatchewan, AB. We were waiting for local switcher assignment 512 to come off the spur and wye as it proceeded to Scotford Yard from the Agrium plant. Here we see a pair of SD40-2's on the point, with the leader actually designated as a SD40u rebuild.
Sitting at Scotford on a westbound to Edmonton's Walker Yard. We are awaiting the arrival of assignment 514 from the Beamer Spur. Interesting shot, given the Sun was setting and the being very dusty with harvesting and combining in full swing last Autumn. The Dow Canada (Fort Saskatchewan) plant cooling towers (just above the locomotives) sort of add to the shot...
Enroute to Biggar, Saskatchewan with an eastbound doublestack train. This CP intermodal train was enroute from Edmonton, thru Hardisty AB and Wilkie SK to Saskatoon or points east. Nice to see they don't skimp on power! Note the unusual bridge design...maybe the deck truss was too short and they had to fill the gap with a very short trestle! Just west of Unity SK...
Let's carry on with sunsets. SD40-2(w) 5296 on the point of the Wabamun Turn at Wabamun AB. This is close to the location of the derailment I was involved with in August of 2005.
I am currently on assignment 442, which runs three times a week from Edmonton to a crew change point and small yard at Mirror AB. The train performs some switching at Mirror, then continues to Calgary's CN Sarcee Yard with a fresh crew. Here we see a pair of GP40-2L's and a WC GP38-2 on the point of a late 442 arriving at Mirror last winter. It was probably -35 Celsius or colder that night...
After close to 12 hours since we were called in Edmonton, we have train 713 ready for loading at the Ram River sulphur loading facility, 224 rail miles southwest of Edmonton. The plant crew will load over 10,000 tons of bulk sulphur destined for North Vancouver to be shipped to Japan. Note the full moon over the nose of the locomotive...
Another shot at Ram River showing the loading tipple...power was a GMDD SD75I and a BCOL Dash 8-40CW...
Final shot shows yours truly climbing back on the headend of train 516 from Whitecourt to Edmonton. We had just finished setting out SD38-2 1651 in the elevator track at St. Albert (my home town)...
Thanks for looking!
Ken.
