Large Scale Central

Two days of chasing the VIA Canadian and the Rocky Mountaineer

Prototypes
#1

Well the weather is holding - making up for the rotten early Summer - and being out on the road is fun. Chased The Canadian (VIA #2) from Kamloops to Jasper On the way back it was the Rocky Mountaineer running a 20 car consist. All went well until I dropped the scanner on the Canoe road bridge (south of Valemount) - ouch, solid concrete and it was 3" from dropping into the river. It still works but the audio is gone, have to try it with the extension speaker. Last shot was at Blue River there was a big construction delay after that and without the scanner I had no idea if I was ahead or behind the train. Ah well, I got enough really good shots as it is. And I got back to Kamloops for some eXtra long trains. Videos coming up.

Total trip distance: 1420km

#2

The first teaser video from yesterday

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/28827739[/vimeo]

RM at Blue River, BC :wink: :slight_smile:

#3

Nice video Hans, but why the baggage car on the end of the train.

#4

I believe it’s a Generator car for electrical power.

#5

Nice! That consist done disturbed the crows!

#6

Yes, they had Baggage/Generator cars on both ends.
A longer video (in the works) will show the train being spotted at the platform, with plenty of smoke coming off the rear Bag/Gen car. I read/heard some comments pooh-poohing the new paint scheme. My opinion? It looks fantastic in the landscape, like an ondulating wave moving along - video showing the impression coming up. :wink:

#7

Update on the scanner - it is a Canadian refurbished unit. Call the dealer to be told that the Uniden BC92XTL is not a very sturdy unit ( really?), that they don’t have schematics (Hmmmm?), that parts are kind of hard to get (you don’t say?), but they’ll look at it, minimum charge of 1/2 hour - no, I didn’t ask for the rate. A refurbished unit with 100 instead of the 200 channels is $170+ 12% tax.

Guess what … I order a newer (current) model from amazon.ca with the 200 channel capacity and a serial port to program from the PC – all that for $161 including the tax and free shipping.
Next time a merchant here in the Valley gripes how tough things are, I have a little story to tell him. :wink: :slight_smile:

Oh yeah, one more thing … I’ll put the new one on a lanyard. Enough of this crap with the belt clip.

#8

And there were freight trains, too.

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/28881671[/vimeo]

A long, loaded Coal Unit Train slowing down at Avola to meet “The Canadian”

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/28880714[/vimeo]

A mixed manifest East of Jasper crossing the Snaring River bridges.

After that one I kept driving to get to Hinton, AB where I stayed overnight. One look at the rates in Jasper made me decide on Hinton (basically half the price!). And …
… the following morning I got up early - seems to be the rule - to be in Jasper to watch the Rocky Mountaineer being spotted for loading.
While on the road the sun was rising ever so slowly.

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/28860069[/vimeo]

That kind of stuff sets the mood for the rest of the day. :smiley: :smiley:

#9

And finally “The Canadian” better known as VIA #2

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/29154887[/vimeo]

Depending on room left after loading the Merritt to Spences Bridge road trip (with the good music that suites the terrain), I’ll upload the “Mountaineer”, too.

#10

Great vid again HJ. I don’t think I have ever seen a Via train that long before. The tourist business must be doing well.

#11

JUST AWESOME!!
Love seein them 40’s even with the Canadian mods!
Thanks HJ!
:slight_smile:

#12

Excellent :slight_smile:
Thanks for sharing your Railfan adventures.
Ralph

#13

Thanks guys!
And finally - Randy will flip over this one - the 20 car Rocky Mountaineer between Jasper and Blue river.

I have a bit more on the RM from when they’re getting the train ready. Some of you have probably heard or read that the on-board employees of the Mountaineer went out on strike at the start of the season. Long story but suffice to say they used to belong to the CAW and then switched to Teamsters.
Anyhow, the RM got in late on Wednesday with that huge consist, the yard in Jasper was jam-packed and it was dark already. So they couldn’t do the routine jobs, all of that was happening the morning after. So after much to and fro the train finally left at 09:08 instead of 08:00. “Oh boy”

[vimeo]http://www.vimeo.com/29282308[/vimeo]

Those people who were standing on the platform waiting to get the show on the road were cold and unimpressed.

There were a few railfans around and some of us had set-up in “clever” spots. It was just a matter of time for CN Police to show up. Here comes the cop; he had already cleared three before he headed my way. Here I was cozy in my almost dayglow mountain jacket, HV vest and a Rocky Mountaineer baseball hat.

“Do you work for the Rocky Mountaineer?”
“No”
“Do you work for CN?”
“No”
“You’re not supposed to be here, you’re trespassing.”
“Oh?”
“Best go over to where that other guy is and save yourself $287” :wink:
“OK”
Really young guy who was really nice about it. :smiley: :wink:

Which means I have to get myself a CN hard hat; one of these days, real soon.

#14

Yep CN Hardhat and tell the youngun your from HQ and just doing a little checking on their productivaty. :slight_smile: