April 20, 2007
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last updated: 05/08/07
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© 2000-2007 Dave Honan
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After venturing to eastern British Columbia in September
2006 and being absolutely astounded at the amazing scenery, I had a strong desire to return.
I took advantage of a down period at work to take a couple days off and spend a four-day weekend
based out of Radium Hot Springs, B.C.
After driving to Spokane on the night of April 19th, I got out of the motel before dawn to find
clear skies and a UP train headed east out of Spokane.
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| Coeur D'Alene Junction, ID |
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After exploring seemingly every grade crossing between the WA/ID border and Rathdrum, I
settled on shooting the eastbound empty potash train as it passed Coeur D'Alene Junction south
of Hauser.
Just minutes after I took that photo the train was flagged by a defect detector for two dragging
equipment problems, so I abandoned any thought of shooting this train again and continued
north. |
| Athol, ID |
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Driving through Athol with the sun still shining (a bank of clouds was looming to the north),
I remembered a nearby photo spot a coworker had shown me and called him for directions. Shortly
after I climbed to the top of the hill BNSF 7629 East called the Boyer West Dispatcher for a lineup
out of Hauser Yard, and twenty-five minutes later the eastbound Z train glided downgrade through the
cut at Milepost 26 on BNSF's Kootenai River Subdivision.
With the Z and its westbound counterpart out of the way, maintenance-of-way crews were given time
on the single-track around Rathdrum; knowing there wouldn't be any more eastbounds for a while,
I headed back to the Jeep and set out for the Canada border. |
| Meadow Creek, ID |
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I was unaware that the UP potash train had passed me while I sat around at Athol, and I was
surprised to catch up to the train at Bonners Ferry. It wasn't difficult to jump ahead of the
train in the 30 miles between there and the border crossing, and I was able to find this shot
of the train crossing the Moyie River near Meadow Creek. |
| Sinclair Siding, ID |
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With the sun obscured by clouds I knew I could shoot the northbound without the resulting photo
being too terribly back-lit, so I scooted back north to Sinclair Siding and grabbed one last shot
of the train before continuing on into Canada.
After getting lunch in Cranbrook, I headed north on Highway 95 towards a developing situation at
Canal Flats, where a northbound loaded coal train was going to meet two southbound empties. |
| Canal Flats, BC |
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I just missed the first southbound, but running just 10 minutes behind was CP 8501 South with 112
empty coal cars in tow. It's too bad there were low clouds as this is an absolutely spectacular shot
under clear slies. |
| Canal Flats, BC |
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Since I eventually had to make my way north to Radium Hot Springs, I decided to chase the loaded
train towards Golden until the light ran out. The first shot is looking east across Colubmia Lake,
the headwaters of the Columbia River,
towards the slopes of Mount De Smet. I jogged back to where I shot the 8501 South to capture a view
of the DPU unit, CP 8768, shoving hard on the rear end as the train accelerated northward. |
| Brisco, BC |
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Just north of the town of Brisco, the coal train twisted through yet more curves as CP's
Windermere Subdivision follows alongside the Columbia River. |
| Harrogate, BC |
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My last shot of the day was this view south down the Rocky Mountain Trench as CP 8784 North
swung through yet another curve along the Columbia, with Mount Norman looming above the engine. |
I headed up to Golden just to scout around town and, after an unexpectedly enjoyable dinner at
the A&W on the west side of town, headed back to Radium Hot Springs to check into the motel and get
ready for tomorrow's adventure.
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