CPR Mountain Railroading Cranbrook Field Golden Nelson

[Miningman]

 

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Cranbrook 

GP9y 1611 at left with SD40-2 5827 and GP38-2 3103 lead units to right. 

 

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Field 

Not much left of the roundhouse. Open air part not really fitting for this part of BC! More like Victoria.

Turntable still usable. Former passenger station at far left. 

A wilderness settlement built especially for the railway. Field, BC 1901 Steve Morris Collection 

Field, BC 1940's Doug Phillips Collection 

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Golden 

Built to maintain coal unit trains. 

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Nanaimo: See Vancouver Island below

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Nelson

Yellow modular building (center) remains in use by train crews. Station (large building to right) has been saved. 
Everything else is gone! Diesel shop is above and behind station. 
Enlarged image

8641_4451 at right. ENLARGE 

5760_5717 

Nelson power gallery

Turntable is almost hidden (SAFETY) 

Fairbanks-Morse power is long gone and soon the diesel shop will be too. 

June 10, 1975 

Nelson, BC diesel shop where all of the CLC FM units were assigned. 
Pair of CLC road switchers 8709 and 8720 in foreground and another pair behind includes 8717. 
CLC covered wagon 4105 in old paint scheme. October 14, 1972 Tom Murray

[Flintlock76]

Interesting shots, but especially #18.

Bright, colorful, and scenic, it looks like someone's dream layout!

O, HO, or N, it doesn't matter.

[Miningman]

Yeah not the most flattering of pictures for the most part but at least captured images of what was for the most part. Perhaps NDG or SD70Dude can expand on what's left of yard trackage. Mainlines are intact. 

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

The pictures reminded me of one thing about Canadian railroading that's easy to miss, the relative lack of interchange within Canada.  Notice that almost all of the cars in the yards are lettered for Canadian Pacific.  I remember back in 1976 seeing CP freight trains in Thunder Bay with all but a handful of cars lettered for CP.

[Miningman]

That is very true. CN and CP were fierce competitors and rarely did you see cars of one road on the others. There were exceptions in pool service passenger. If you saw by some miracle a CNR boxcar on a CPR train it caused laughter!

[Backshop]

So many miss interlocking towers and passenger stations...I miss roundhouses...

I remember once in the late 70s when I was a teenager and I went to the CN's Ferry Yard roundhouse in Windsor, right on the river.  It was winter and very cold.  I walked in and checked in with the RH foreman and walked around.  They were very friendly.  It was steam heated and very warm.  I could have stayed there forever.  Windsor was a stronghold of the MLW S-5.

[Miningman]

Managed to get into half a dozen roundhouses in my younger years and was always treated well. Magical places for sure. Would take the train from Burlington to Toronto just to go to the CPR John St Roundhouse. Also Niagara Falls, London, St Thomas and several smaller ones. Only one that chased me away was the TH&B in Hamilton. No way! 

Cannot imagine doing that today, not to mention navigating all the complex trackage and switchers doing their business. It was just different back then. 

[Flintlock76]

The closest you can get to a live steam roundhouse here in the US is the Durango & Silverton, I think they give tours from time to time.  We've were out there twice but didn't have the time.

Cumbres & Toltec may  have roundhouse tours, but I'm not sure of that.

I think the Strasburg gives shop tours, but they don't have a roundhouse.

[MidlandMike]

There is the Steamtown roundhouse, although as I recall only a small portion is used for loco work.