Winter Valley Regional Railroad

July 2007

I agonized about these videos. I’m sure Cecil B. Demille agonized as well but he had a great deal more to work with. These little ‘movies’ were done using the Pentax Optio 50 video function. There is no special lighting or sound effects and I have no video software with which to dress them up. What you see is really there – with all its faults.

I hope you enjoy the show.

	The 1st Street crossing is one of my favourate places to catch trains entering the yard at Winter Valley.On this day there were a pair of new SW1200rs leading a short freight that included one of the last stock cars in revenue service.
	A morning in the park is interrupted by 1390 and 1382 leading a ½ dozen cars into Winter Valley. Three cars for the warehouse; one each for the team track, (corn oil) the grain elevator siding (covered hopper) and one more for the local feed lot
	At the warehouse. The level of activity around here may not be what it was 40 years ago but there’s always something going on. This video captures the passing of Winter Valley 5006 East as it races through the town that gave its name. No warehouse stops for that crew.
	Grande Prairie remains a center for grain handling operations as well as the home of the Winter Valley maintenance facility. Of course all the serious diesel work is now farmed out but the single stall engine house gang can do the day to day stuff with confidence. CN road switchers pass right through town without stopping.
	Over High Pass The High Pass can offer a significant challenge at any time of year but the presence of snow, and bitter cold, can make real work out of even the most routine movement. That 5006 East is working passed the speeder shed near the top of the hill.
	The mine at Colder has been producing high quality ore for two decades now and some of the employees will spend their whole working lives up at the site. It’s a thing of the past in most places but there’s even a one room school house for the families that make a home here. A CN caboose identifies a lower priority westbound waiting in a siding.
	Pearson is the largest community on the Winter Valley Regional Railway and, as you’d expect, it’s the center of railway activity in this area. On this trip we’re fortunate to capture the last pair of unmodified F units still in revenue service. Very shortly both will be off to Winnipeg for life extending upgrades.
	Waiting to take charge This new and powerful GP38-2W has been moved into the east yard at Pearson to wait an up coming assignment. Just one of these beauties will replace both of the older, phase one locomotives that are passing in front of her today.

[Home][About Us][What's New][Network Map][History][Archives][Interior Division][Mountain Division]
[Operations][Links][Contact the Engineer]

Site maintained by Lynks Web Services