rdamon Wow ... just wow! I would be suprised if any of the old bridge is saved.
Wow ... just wow!
I would be suprised if any of the old bridge is saved.
Here's a shot of the fill and shoo-fly CP built.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tranbc/51734373613/in/album-72157720143417483/
The damaged bridge is being dismantled and a level crossing will be built here.
The truckers are not happy that the railways are open but both the Trans-Canada and Coquihalla highways are still closed.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
CN's Ashcroft Sub reopened this afternoon for the third time. They ran a couple empty eastbounds over it first, and since that went well the floodgates have opened and westbounds are pouring out of Kamloops.
Hopefully things can finally start getting back to normal.
CN decided to send a train of 'White Fleets' to Boston Bar. CP sent some of theirs to the area a week or two ago.
This is the first time I've seen in western Canada during my working years, I'd forgotten we had any left.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OAk5BDBa1UY
Cursator A bit off topic question here: what amount of trains did run on the BC Rail line from Vancouver to Prince George in the "old days"?
A bit off topic question here: what amount of trains did run on the BC Rail line from Vancouver to Prince George in the "old days"?
BC Rail's operating plan ran there through freights in each direction per day, presumably no longer than 6000' as this is how long the sidings are on this route. Then as now most northbound cars were empty, and there was a helper crew based at Pemberton to push heavy southbounds up the 2% grades from Darcy to Birken and Pemberton to Mons (a few miles northeast of Whistler).
CN is now say that our line through the Fraser Canyon should be open by this weekend, and the traffic backlog will not be cleared until at least February.
As of right now only the CP line is open, they are continuing to run fleets of trains one direction at a time between Mission and Basque/Coho, the two ends of what is normally the directional running zone.
It's easily, and far and away, the most troublesome length of trackage in the country, and both roads have a lengthy history of overcoming natural problems on the right-of-way. There are numerous fires, landslides, washouts, and the rocksheds to help with them, along the Fraser River between about Ashcroft (where the Thompson flows past) and beyond to Lytton (burnt to the ground in July, entirely), and on to the Hell's Gate mess, Cisco, Yale, and ending about 20 miles past Hope where the rails meet the Fraser delta. I'm very proud of our rails because, yes, they really seem to have been at least somewhat ready to plow through, long days, hard work, and a git-'er-done attitude.
Leaving aside the rails' problems and costs, I think the tally in the Delta will be well over $20B by the time the last cheques are signed.
The work your engineering crews are putting in must be extreme. To repair a landslide like this in such a short time is astounding.
The rain keeps coming. CN had repaired our line and filled in the biggest washout at Falls Creek, only for it to wash out again a day later. CP was impacted by some slides but they were able to clear things and reopen fairly quickly.
CP's line is currently open and they are still fleeting trains.
As much traffic as possible has been diverted to Prince Rupert, the Trunk line has remained in operation but things are becoming congested up there. Prince Rupert can only handle so much.
The former BC Rail line is seeing only minimal use, probably one train a day. A far cry from what BC Rail used to run, especially when they were handling CN detours during times like these (our non-DB power must have been real popular with their crews).
CP has not attempted to repair the Tank Hill bridge yet, instead they built a shoofly around it. Highway 1 is still closed through the area, and I suspect Tank Hill will end up getting a level crossing until a new bridge is built.
To top things off, two drunk teenage girls caused confusion and delay last night by climbing aboard a CP DP remote and pulling the emergency brake handle after riding for some distance.
blue streak 1 Were any borings done away from the planned bridge? Surely in the distant past there was evidence of landslides or severe flooding?. Were there enough ground borings to note the past landslides / flooding potential?
Basically everything in the canyon above high water and bedrock, is either lanslide debris or alluvium. The general geologic term is mass wasting.
Is it still raining? That is a tough job and a major challenge for the Engineering men to overcome. I presume there are no alternative routes to bypass this part of the canyon. Looks like this will take more than one week to reopen.
Maybe they will save the bridge ...
additional photos:
https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/351934/New-photos-of-repairs-underway-on-Highway-1-in-Fraser-Canyon
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/bc-highway-1-damage-highway-3-closed
https://www.kamloopsbcnow.com/watercooler/news/news/Provincial/Province_targeting_mid_January_to_reopen_Hwy_1_through_Fraser_Canyon/#fs_105684
Note the fiber optic conduit
When the RR was built was a quick culvert or maybe even a bridge built to enable the RR construction to proceed? I assume the highway was built later. Then when the road was built how much boring was done to engineer the abutments for the RR bridge pilings? Were any borings done away from the planned bridge? Surely in the distant past there was evidence of landslides or severe flooding?.
Were there enough ground borings to note the past landslides / flooding potential?
Maybe some RR historian can give us an overview? also someone about the road construction?
rdamonWow ... just wow! I would be suprised if any of the old bridge is saved.
I am wondering how much deeper that visible piles actually go down in the ground?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
YEE HAW!!! (or honorary-Canadian equivalent)
He's back with us!
Thank You.
BaltACD SD70Dude ... A shame they didn't take a couple sleepers, those freight crews were ordered for 1700-1800 yesterday. On duty for 16+ hours on a deadhead that never even made it to the destination....... Are the DH crews being paid on Time or just the rate for the Trip?
SD70Dude ... A shame they didn't take a couple sleepers, those freight crews were ordered for 1700-1800 yesterday. On duty for 16+ hours on a deadhead that never even made it to the destination.......
A shame they didn't take a couple sleepers, those freight crews were ordered for 1700-1800 yesterday. On duty for 16+ hours on a deadhead that never even made it to the destination.......
Are the DH crews being paid on Time or just the rate for the Trip?
Under our contracts deadheads get paid by the mile, just like any other road service. I believe there is a provision for overtime to be paid if you average less than 12.5 miles per hour.
SD70Dude... A shame they didn't take a couple sleepers, those freight crews were ordered for 1700-1800 yesterday. On duty for 16+ hours on a deadhead that never even made it to the destination.......
Forget what I wrote last night, as of this morning both the CN Yale and CP Cascade Subs are closed due to flooding.
The deadhead VIA special never made it to Boston Bar, they reversed direction at some point and are currently at Chilliwack on their way back to Vancouver.
The rain is causing problems but trains are still moving as of right now.
A VIA special (two F40s and a single coach) is deadheading freight crews from Vancouver to Boston Bar tonight, running against the current of traffic on the CN Yale Sub.
BaltACDGuess there won't be too many forest fires in your area in the near future.
In the end, it may make things worse if the underbrush takes advantage of the rain and sprouts big-time...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
selectorAt this time of posting, we have had another 20mm of rain from the second of three predicted 'rivers' on eastern Vancouver Island. It's still very dull and grey, and rain is falling heavily. We get a break on Sunday and Monday, but the worst of the three is still to come on Tuesday. I think we're in for a world of hurt.
Guess there won't be too many forest fires in your area in the near future.
At this time of posting, we have had another 20mm of rain from the second of three predicted 'rivers' on eastern Vancouver Island. It's still very dull and grey, and rain is falling heavily. We get a break on Sunday and Monday, but the worst of the three is still to come on Tuesday. I think we're in for a world of hurt.
CN has reopened the Ashcroft Sub as of this morning, and trains are starting to run westbound on our line again.
SD70DudeUpon reading the fine print, RMR's website states that the train stops at the Pemberton platform, and passengers are transferred from there to a hotel in Whistler, presumably by bus.
I wonder why they detrain 20 miles away. I remember seeing a video of a freight going thru Whistler, and it seemed it was taken from a station area.
Glad to hear BCR is usable. Hope they won't mothball it again!
MidlandMike SD70Dude For this past season RMR was overnighting in both Pemberton and Quesnel. I thought I remembered reading that RMR overnighted in Whistler. Was Pemberton new this year?
SD70Dude For this past season RMR was overnighting in both Pemberton and Quesnel.
I thought I remembered reading that RMR overnighted in Whistler. Was Pemberton new this year?
I guess it's probably the same location, our bulletins are just using a different name than RMR's schedules.
Upon reading the fine print, RMR's website states that the train stops at the Pemberton platform, and passengers are transferred from there to a hotel in Whistler, presumably by bus.
I suspect that train crew arrangements have also changed somewhat, seeing as we no longer have employees home terminaled in Squamish or Lillooet.
SD70DudeFor this past season RMR was overnighting in both Pemberton and Quesnel.
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