In the Shadows
The Southern Railway of British Columbia's westbound Abbotsford switcher climbs one of the many small grades in the Mount Lehman area of Abbotsford, BC. This line's roller coaster grade profile, and everpresent parallel pole lines are a not so subtle clue to it's origin as an interurban railway.
The British Columbia Electric Railway was already a thriving interurban operation in the Vancouver suburbs on the north side of the Fraser River when construction of the new 'Fraser Valley Branch' began in 1909. Enabled by the 1904 construction of the Fraser River Bridge by the Federal Government, the Fraser Valley Branch stretched from New Westminster, through the then rural farming communities of Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford, and finally Chilliwack. Once opened in 1910, the Fraser Valley Branch boasted a healthy ridership in addition to significant business in transporting milk and other farm products into Vancouver for sale. The last interurban trolley ran in 1958, after which the ownership and control was passed on to the crown electric power corporation 'BC Hydro' who continued freight operations as a short line. BC Hydro leased the freight rights, rolling stock, and track to the American shortline operator Itel in 1988, who in turn sold to the current owner, the Washington Group in 1994.
The two MP15DC powering the train wear the same paint scheme that until recently the other Washington Group rail property, Montana Rail Link also used. Of the 14 cars that the train departed Abbotsford with, 10 were dropped at Gifford, and only 4 covered hoppers remain. These would be left at Sperling for their eastbound counterpart from New Westminster to spot.
While 10,781 foot high Mount Baker soaks up the last sunlight of the day in the background, the dense forest on Mount Lehman has been shading these rails from the sun for hours already.
In the Shadows
The Southern Railway of British Columbia's westbound Abbotsford switcher climbs one of the many small grades in the Mount Lehman area of Abbotsford, BC. This line's roller coaster grade profile, and everpresent parallel pole lines are a not so subtle clue to it's origin as an interurban railway.
The British Columbia Electric Railway was already a thriving interurban operation in the Vancouver suburbs on the north side of the Fraser River when construction of the new 'Fraser Valley Branch' began in 1909. Enabled by the 1904 construction of the Fraser River Bridge by the Federal Government, the Fraser Valley Branch stretched from New Westminster, through the then rural farming communities of Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford, and finally Chilliwack. Once opened in 1910, the Fraser Valley Branch boasted a healthy ridership in addition to significant business in transporting milk and other farm products into Vancouver for sale. The last interurban trolley ran in 1958, after which the ownership and control was passed on to the crown electric power corporation 'BC Hydro' who continued freight operations as a short line. BC Hydro leased the freight rights, rolling stock, and track to the American shortline operator Itel in 1988, who in turn sold to the current owner, the Washington Group in 1994.
The two MP15DC powering the train wear the same paint scheme that until recently the other Washington Group rail property, Montana Rail Link also used. Of the 14 cars that the train departed Abbotsford with, 10 were dropped at Gifford, and only 4 covered hoppers remain. These would be left at Sperling for their eastbound counterpart from New Westminster to spot.
While 10,781 foot high Mount Baker soaks up the last sunlight of the day in the background, the dense forest on Mount Lehman has been shading these rails from the sun for hours already.