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  • Railfanning around Vancouver

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in Canada. For specific railroad questions, see Fallen Flags and Active Railroads categories.
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in Canada. For specific railroad questions, see Fallen Flags and Active Railroads categories.

Moderator: Ken V

 #965985  by Silverliner II
 
I am going to be in the Vancouver and Surrey areas in a couple of weeks. Is there anybody here who would know of any good spots to grab some video of the Canadian either arriving or departing Vancouver or the immediate area (looking at the schedule, I notice it seems to use two different routes between Vancouver and Hope, depending on direction)? I would like to try and grab at least one of the Amtrak Cascade trains arriving or leaving the city as well.

Thanks in advance!
 #966162  by Ken V
 
These maps by the Railway Association of Canada may be useful: Vancouver area and British Columbia.

The Canadian does operate on different tracks in part of BC (CN westbound and CP eastbound) but between Vancouver and Mission it uses the CN route both ways. The Canadian's route is also shared with Amtrak's Cascades trains between Pacific Central Station and Fraser Jct.

I don't have any real experience in railfanning Vancouver so I can't offer anything in the way of suggested locations to visit (although I hear the beach in White Rock is a great place for catching BNSF and Amtrak).
 #967246  by ENR3870
 
New Westminster Dock yard by the New Westminster Quay is also a good place. You get CN, CP, BNSF, and SRY action.
 #971530  by Silverliner II
 
Thanks for the assist! I ended up getting the westbound Canadian making its stop at Abbotsford, and White Rock was my spot for Amtrak and BNSF. Got kept busy by friends, so didn't have time to do much more, but it was a good trip.
 #972538  by Silverliner II
 
And, a couple samples of my video work....

VIA train #1 working at Abbotsford...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7hIz8AMu7U

Amtrak train #510 at White Rock and the next day, Amtrak train #517 near Crescent Beach...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0uq3q2Am6g
 #1014707  by Trainplanner
 
Hi Everyone,

I'll be in Vancouver from 4 August to Thursday 9 August as part of a 6 week holiday by rail of Canada. In addition to the main VIA depot, can anyone assist me with two or three locations that I can go railfanning please. I'll be entirely dependent on public transport to access any location so if anyone can assist me on how to get to these locations would be sincerely appreciated. Thanks Graeme from Melbourne Australia
 #1021937  by Silverliner II
 
Another question: by chance is part of the route used by the Canadian out of Vancouver the same routing on CP as the West Coast Express trains? I notice Mission is the first stop out from Vancouver and that is also the terminating stop for WCE. I figure I may wander to Maple Meadows station to video it blasting through while out there next month....
 #1021988  by NS VIA FAN
 
Silverliner II wrote:Another question: by chance is part of the route used by the Canadian out of Vancouver the same routing on CP as the West Coast Express trains? I notice Mission is the first stop out from Vancouver and that is also the terminating stop for WCE........
No & Yes: The Canadian doesn’t use the same line as the WCE but the e/b train does pass through the WCE Mission Station (VIA uses at a different station in Mission)

Refer to the Vancouver Area Map Ken provides a link to in the second post from the top:

Eastbound, the Canadian departs Pacific Central Station using the “Green” line on the map identified as BNSF/CN/Amtrak and follows this route through New Westminster to Fraser Jct on the south side of the Fraser River. Here it takes the “Blue” CN line east to Page/Masqui Jct. where it crosses back over the Fraser River on the “Red” CPR line to Mission......then its east on the CPR to Basque (near Ashcroft) on about 250 KM of directional running through the Fraser and Thompson River Canyons.

The westbound Canadian is on CN all the way from Basque and doesn’t pass through Mission.

The West Coast Express uses the former CPR Station on the downtown Vancouver waterfront that follows the “Red” CPR line through Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, and Maple Ridge to Mission.
 #1022031  by Silverliner II
 
NS VIA FAN wrote:No & Yes: The Canadian doesn’t use the same line as the WCE but the e/b train does pass through the WCE Mission Station (VIA uses at a different station in Mission)

Refer to the Vancouver Area Map Ken provides a link to in the second post from the top:

Eastbound, the Canadian departs Pacific Central Station using the “Green” line on the map identified as BNSF/CN/Amtrak and follows this route through New Westminster to Fraser Jct on the south side of the Fraser River. Here it takes the “Blue” CN line east to Page/Masqui Jct. where it crosses back over the Fraser River on the “Red” CPR line to Mission......then its east on the CPR to Basque (near Ashcroft) on about 250 KM of directional running through the Fraser and Thompson River Canyons.

The westbound Canadian is on CN all the way from Basque and doesn’t pass through Mission.

The West Coast Express uses the former CPR Station on the downtown Vancouver waterfront that follows the “Red” CPR line through Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, and Maple Ridge to Mission.
Thanks. Guess I'll have to take a drive out to either stop in Mission to get my video... likely the WCE station just so I can have a steady shot of it passing through....
 #1428220  by bdawe
 
Took a drive up the canyon this weekend.

Not every day that you can get a picture of an entire freight train with a caboose right?

http://i.imgur.com/cZPcW4S.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;