Caption: Southward freight train No. 52 from Wellcox in Nanaimo to Victoria encountered a broken rail on the curve just south of South Wellington in the wee hours of Wednesday 1974-02-20, resulting in lead GP9s CP 8531 and 8613 derailing mostly upright, but idling Baldwin CP 8005 rolled onto its left side, as seen the following day on 1974-02-21, with following cars scattered down the bank. Internal engine damage resulted, and that was the end of 8005’s active life, leaving only seven of CP’s original thirteen Baldwin roadswitchers.

The elevated perch for this photo was a handy tree, and served well to show some early history in the near distance. Note the diagonal farm road running to the upper right, once a railway grade of Pacific Coast Coal Mines from Extension to Boat Harbour. That slag pile is from the Alexandra Colliery, and was a good camera perch on the other side of the derailment scene. Off in the far distance is Mount DeCosmos, at the western end of Crown Zellerbach’s log-haul railway from Nanaimo Lakes to Ladysmith.