I heard that Canadian Pacific sold their rail operations some time ago to a U.S. rail company. Is railroading on Vancouver Island still going strong including the E&N Dayliner? I take it that operations for frieght service still is out of Naniamo. Is Canadian National still doing switching in Victoria[?]
I’m sure Nanimo73 can give you a run down when he sees this thread.[;)]
I think it is owned by railamerica as of 1998, but Nanaimo73 will tell you if I’m right or wrong.
It has a few GP38s and a GP10 I think.
Matthew
CP sold the line from Nanaimo to Port Alberni and leased the Victoria to Courtenay line to Railamerica back in 1998. A couple of years ago the former MacMillan Bloedel mill over in “Port” switched all of their traffic to trucks and I believe that was over 90% of Railamerica’s traffic. About all they do now is deliver tank cars of propane in the Nanaimo area. Power is a former CB&Q GP20 and two ex PC GP38s.
The Dayliner still runs from Victoria to Courtenay every morning (later on Sundays) and back each afternoon.
CN pulled out of Victoria and the Cowichan Valley over 10 years ago.
At the north end of the Island Canfor still runs their 60 mile logging line. Some of their 4 SW1200RS’s were rebuilt with Cat engines by BC Rail.
You are welcome to ask questions on the Canadian Railway thread.
Niagara has 3 a’s
Nanaimo has 2 a’s
Amtrak has 2 a’s and no c
vacuum has an a and 2 u’s
[;)] eh ?
oh, snap, I was so close! We were waiting for you!
Nice spelling there!
Maybe it should be Nehnehimo with two ehs ?
Sorry Nanaino73, I’ll try not to let it happen again.[;)]
Ha Ha I’ve already graduated from the Nanaimo spelling school. So eat you’re heart out loosers![:-,]
Seriously though, there is info about this over on the Canadian Railways thread.[:)]
CP tried three times to be relieved of the requirement to sustain those lines, and the third time they applied, the government even went so far as to order them to “improve” service! We don’t care that you are losing money, make it work, and do it better. The
Supreme Court of Canada finally agreed with CP that the duty was onerous (“nuts” was probably what they meant to say), and ordered the Feds to let them give up the system on the Island.
Have you ever seen those tracks? Ribbon rail that looks like it hasn’t been replaced since the '30s, and really light stuff! And REALLY rusty!
I’m happy that I got nanaimo73s name right!
85 pound rail gives it a rustic look.[;)]
The line even has a tunnel.[:)]
Nobody ever says Railwaying, do they ?[(-D]
Weeeeeeeeeell, “railroading” just seems, y’know, so…um…coarse.
Now, when CP relinquishes it’s abandonment of the line shouldn’t it give back all the land and mineral rights to the crown as was the agreement at first, somehow I don’t think CP will adhere to the original plan, —Nanaimo, now tell everyone out there what a Nanaimo Bar is.
Actually, I have never had a Nanaimo Bar. I can’t even remember if I’ve seen one.
http://david.bembidion.org/recipes/nanaimo.html
Tatans,
Please don’t be offended by this, I am not upset at you.
The point about the Land Grant is bullsh_t that you have heard from other people.
There are a lot of people here on the Island that actually believe it, and I can understand many people off the Island have fallen for this nonsense.
The Land Grant went to the Dunsmuirs back in the early 1880’s. In 1905 the CPR bought the Railway, the equipment and the Land Grant from the Dunsmuir family. The CPR bought the land at fair market value, and I don’t think they should be held accountable for the fact the Dunsmuirs received it 25 years earlier. The government at the time wanted a railway built between Esquimalt and Nanaimo, and the Dunsmuirs did it. That deal had nothing to with the CPR, unlike the 25 million acres they did receive for the mainline.
I had one when I was there last March. Didn’t care for the coconut or walnuts in it though.
We stayed with some family and my uncle had hoped we could take a day and ride the train up island but they had had an accident or something and couldnt get back through to Esquimalt.
They seem to hit a car several times a year.
Ross Rowland ran a tourist train out of Victoria for a couple of months a few years ago, using equipment from the Ohio Central.
I saw 3 Nanaimo bars at the Subway just now.
They look like they are full of sugar.
The Nanaimo bars are simply too sweet for my palate. Funny, the older I get the less sugar I want. I enjoy dark chocolate, semi-sweet. But those Nanaimo bars have lots of fat and sugar.
There is one thing I could eat for lunch…walnut squares.
The Dayliner has had a least two grade-crossing impacts in the last 18 months, or so. Both with dumptrucks. Tch!
It is a wonder it survives in any shape or form. I can’t imagine that the ridership is great, and it is as slow as molasses due to the innumerable crossings. One thing in its favour is super scenery.
Another tidbit: there was a huge public backlash here in the Comox Valley, its northern terminus, when the E&N RR announced it would use herbicide to clean up the right0of-way…which reeeaaallly needs it. They had to abandon their plans, and it will likely be another nail in its coffin…if you’ll pardon the old term.
You never had a nanaimo bar? Ouch…
Naniamo73(bar), good on your explanation of the CPR. being an ex-western Canadian, I guess my thinking was CP was the original owner, thanks for straightening that fact out, I guess I’m still miffed about the decline in passenger service and the abandonment of rail lines without reverting back to the original agreement and returning land and minerals back to the people. E&N, still one of my favourite railways,thanks.
Now that you know the story, I only have to tell 999,999 more people.
[(-D]
Matthew-
This is a pretty slim collection from your Province. Can you add to it ?
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locationList.aspx?Level=3&ID=AB,CA