Ian and Bill Visit the West, Part 1 – Traingeek

Long-time reader Ian Walker and his railfan partner Bill Hall visited the Prairie provinces early this summer, and sent along some photos. I’m sharing them here in a series with Ian’s captions. All of these photos were taken by Ian.

Header photo: A potash train led by CP 8505 passes the Brandt Company facility (and locomotive) outside Regina, SK, May 26.

Ian and Bill headed west first, then worked their way back east. The photos start in Saskatchewan then move into Alberta.

CP 8162 leading a potash train, approaching Swift Current, Saskatchewan, May 27

CP 8023 and 9761 with a K+S potash train, May 27

Medicine Hat

Ian and Bill spent some time in Medicine Hat, photographing the switching activity and static displays there.

CP 1418 and 1424 on static display in Medicine Hat

The next day, Bill and Ian went to Edmonton, Alberta.

Edmonton

Northern Alberta Railways diesel 302 — GMD-1 ex Northern Alberta Railways #302 at the Alberta Railway Museum. NAR 302 pulled the last passenger train from Edmonton to Dawson Creek on May 31, 1974.

They visited the Alberta Railway Museum, a museum I have yet to visit!

Water tank at the Alberta Railway Museum. This tank was from Gibbons, AB.

Back to live trains…

The VIA Rail "Canadian" in Edmonton, Alberta — The VIA Rail “Canadian” in Edmonton, Alberta

A trio of CN SD40 locomotives switching the Scotford Industrial Lead on the Vegreville subdivision.

Read part 2!