Submitted For Your Approval - One-hundred-fifty-nineth Installment
Author: D. B. Arthur
Date: 10-06-2022 - 17:26

Here's a photo I took on August 24, 1976, FORTY-SIX YEARS AGO, when I made a one-week trip to British Columbia and Alberta. This is Canadian National's westbound Train # 1, the Super Continental making its way through the Rockies west of Brule Tunnel and running along the Athabasca River.

Here's an aerial view and I'm pretty sure this is the curve where I took the photo:

[goo.gl]

In looking at aerial photos of this region, it appears you can still see the rights-of-way for both the former Grand Trunk Pacific, built in 1911, and the Canadian Northern, built in 1913. Today's CN line in this area uses the best of both.

From Wikipedia:

The GTPR followed the original Sandford Fleming "Canadian Pacific Survey" route from Jasper, Alberta through the Yellowhead Pass, and the track-laying machine crossed the BC/Alberta border in November 1911. In the mountain region, costs escalated to $105,000 per mile, compared with the budgeted $60,000. Following the CNoR paralleling through the Rockies, which created 108.4 miles (174.5 km) of duplication, the GTPR rail bed largely became redundant.

The CNoR tracklaying through the Canadian Rockies in 1913 roughly paralleled the GTPR line of 1911 and created about 100 miles of duplication. In 1917, a contingent from the Corps of Canadian Railway Troops added several crossovers to amalgamate the tracks into a single line along the preferred grade as far west as Red Pass Junction, which is misidentified as 36 miles west of Red Pass on Google Maps. The surplus rails were lifted and the heavier grade GTPR ones shipped to France for use during World War I.

Today, the majority of the GTPR is still in use as CN's (name change to Canadian National or acronym "CN" in 1960) main line from Winnipeg to Jasper. The former CNoR line, and a later connection to Tête Jaune Cache, merge north of Valemount, before continuing south to Vancouver. The former GTPR line through Tête Jaune Cache to Prince Rupert forms an important CN secondary main line. The GTPR's high construction standards, and the fact Yellowhead Pass has the best gradients of any railway crossing of the Continental Divide in North America gives the CN a competitive advantage in terms of fuel efficiency and the ability to haul tonnage.


https://i.ibb.co/V35Jwkk/19760824-008-020.jpg



Subject Written By Date/Time (PST)
  Submitted For Your Approval - One-hundred-fifty-nineth Installment D. B. Arthur 10-06-2022 - 17:26
  Re: Submitted For Your Approval - One-hundred-fifty-nineth Installment Peter D. 10-31-2022 - 00:34
  Re: Submitted For Your Approval - One-hundred-fifty-nineth Installment D. B. Arthur 11-28-2022 - 22:16


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