Comments on: CP 8817 leads a westbound load of grain across the Stoyoma Creek trestle near Boston Bar. These tracks belong to CN but due to directional running they carry all westbound traffic in this area.

By: Spallumcheen

Spallumcheen — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 19:16:15 +0000

Thanks for the comment Mark. I can see that Alan is answering all your questions. I have taken a few shots at this location over time and it is a challenge to be ready for a train on either track.

By: Spallumcheen

Spallumcheen — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 19:07:19 +0000

Thanks Stephen!

By: fiddler

fiddler — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 18:27:58 +0000

Happy New Year,Mark. CP’s tracks are somewhere in the trees near the top of the photo.They lead to North Bend which is CP’s division point which is across the river from Boston Bar.Both lines are close to the river for their entire run through the Thompson and Fraser canyons.An engineer friend of mine told me years ago that CP’s line is much like a roller coaster through here and because CN came through much later,their track profile is better engineered for the heavy westbounds,hence all wb traffic is on CN. Cheers,Alan.

By: Mark MacCauley

Mark MacCauley — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 17:57:09 +0000

Thanks Alan, my next question was going to be where do the start/end the directional running haha. Would the Thomson sub be somewhere in the background across there river in the photo above? Thanks again, I appreciate the insight.

By: fiddler

fiddler — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 02:51:57 +0000

Hi Mark,Alan here,to answer your question and yes that is essentially a short stretch of double track into Boston Bar and technically is CN Ashcroft sub while the Thompson sub is CP across the river.I live in Vancouver and have been railfaning this area since the 70s and amazingly,not much has changed apart from the directional running between Mission/Matsqui in the west and Ashcroft in the east ( Basque,really, just west of Ashcroft ).

By: Mark MacCauley

Mark MacCauley — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 02:06:20 +0000

Hi Richard, that’s a great shot, I love the western scenery.Quick question, is the directional running westbound on both the tracks shown in your photo above, with the eastbound traffic on the CP on the other side of the river?

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Wed, 01 Jan 2020 20:37:04 +0000

Nice composition.