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JASPER - PRINCE GEORGE
WEDNESDAY 30th
JULY 1997
The route of the "Skeena"
Map courtesy of VIA
CN GP40-2 #9461 at Jasper
A westbound grain train headed by CN SD50 #5401 and Conrail C40-8W #754 leave Jasper
I spent the morning watching trains again and then went for the “Skeena” to Prince George and Prince Rupert. It should have left at 13.00 but the air-conditioning in the first class was faulty so another car was attached meaning we left 45 minutes late. The normal formation was a 2nd, first and bar/dome car.
The "Skeena" prepares to leave Jasper for Prince George and Prince Rupert
The
train was relatively quiet due to a large number of cancellations by tour firms.
There was a fishing dispute between British Columbia and Alaska which had caused
the blockading of ferries from Prince Rupert and this had scared off a lot of
tourists. We followed a coal train uphill and, unfortunately, there was single
line working. We were, therefore, held for two eastbound freights before
eventually overtaking the coal train. The weather was poor with rain and low
cloud. There are wire fences on the climb to Yellowhead Pass (3700 feet ) to
warn of rock
falls. There were several recent landslides visible. Yellowhead Lake was passed
and after Redpass Junction most of Mount Robson, the highest mountain in Canada,
could be seen. At Redpass there is a very large triangular junction with the
Vancouver line. The legs of the triangular extend over many miles.
Tail-car interior and Vista Dome
At
Raush Valley the train drew into a siding behind a westbound grain train. After
crossing an eastbound freight both the grain and the “Skeena” set off
together a few hundred yards apart at about 30mph in the same single line
section! Was this against regulations I wonder, or just a desperate measure to
prevent another 30 minutes delay? We eventually overtook the freight at McBride.
The area along the line was unbelievably empty with no sign of
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