Of the four Lower Mainland rail yards, Canadian Pacific's Coquitlam Yard on Oxford Street was the one I most looked forward to visiting. For several years starting in 1996, I was taken here by my late friend Richard Isles. His friend Ken Perry was the diesel inspector at the time and gave us guided tours after signing a release. There were numerous locomotives of interest in this vast yard and my interest in leased power quickly increased. It was here that I saw my first Norfolk Southern units, saw the end of the CP GP35 era and had an opportunity to be in a cab of a brand new AC4400CW.
Coquitlam Yard was built between 1882 and 1884 and had a roundhouse and other associated buildings. The roundhouse survived until 1985 when it was torn down and a Safeway was built in its place.
The Canadian Pacific Railway roundhouse in September 1985. Photographer unknown.
On St. Patrick's Day 1997, CPR SW1200 1209 (nee CPR 8118) had been renumbered, but its mate behind still carried the 8100-series numbering.
CPR GP9 1550 (nee CPR 8490) at the fuelling racks on July 5th, 2002.
Two years earlier I had found the same engine in a different area of the yard.
CPR GP9 1580 (nee CPR 8542) on a March 17th, 1996 visit.
GP9s abounded this day with 1583 (nee CPR 8671) in front of the shops.
A trio of GP9s.
Only a few months before Canadian Pacific's internal shortline, E&N Railfreight, was formed, CPR GP38AC 3004 was still in its CP Rail livery on November 10th, 1996.
CPR GP38 3005 in the two-tone green that it wore for several years after being repainted and re-lettered for E&N Railfreight. 3005 and 3004 were the only two such locomotives painted. I captured this on Remembrance Day 2001.
A difference of decades and paint schemes with CPR GP38 3010 and CPR AC44CW 9610 on March 19 th, 2000.
CPR GP38-2 3033 in its multi-mark livery on St. Patrick's Day 1997.
CPR GP38-2 3104 with a teaser of a former Union Pacific unit on St. Patrick's Day 1996.
CPR GP38-2 3104, HATX GP40 213 (ex. UP 2082, exx. MP 2082, nee MP 931), HLCX GP40 4000 (ex. CSX 6667, exx. SBD 6667, exxx. SCL 1510, nee ACL 1925 and CPR GP9 8215 greeted me on my first time at Coquitlam yards on March 17th, 1996.
CPR GP38-2 3118 and CPR GP35 5010. It was on this trip that Richard informed me that the GP35 fleet was going to be sold and to get as many pictures of them as I could. The fleet was mainly split up between RaiLink, Fort Worth and Western and Progress Rail.
CPR GP35 5006 (nee CPR 8206) when it was operating on August 8th, 1994. This would become RaiLink Ottawa Valley 5006. RaiLink is a Canadian shortline operating mainly in Ontario.
CPR GP35 5008 (nee CPR 8208). Note the two number boards.
CPR GP35 5011 (nee CPR 8211). This would become RaiLink Lakeland Waterways 5011.
CPR GP35 5013 (nee CPR 8213). This would become RaiLink Lakeland Waterways 5013.
CPR GP35 5017 and GP35 5006 in August 1994. 5017 would become Progress Rail 5017 and 5006 would go to RaiLink Ottawa Valley as 5006.
Variety is the spice of life with CPR SD40-2 5589 and HLCX SD40-2 6211 (ex. DME 6834, exx. SOO 6834, nee MILW 194).
SD40-2s may have been boring to some railfans when that was the motive power du jour, but I had not experienced that ennui. Here is 5642 on St. Patrick's Day 1996.
CPR SD40-2 5769. Note the blanked-out cab windows.
CPR SD40-2 5769, Montana Rail Link SD40 200 (ex. BN 6341, nee C&S 881), CP SD40-2 5943 and CPR SD40-2 5869.
CPR SD40-2 5737 and SD40-2 5770 a year later.
CPR SD40-2 5831 on a stormy March 17th, 1996.
CPR SD40-2 5805 and others by the fuel racks.
CPR SD40-2 5831 behind the shops.
CPR SD40-2 5869.
CPR SD40-2 5869, CPR SD40-2 5843 and Montana Rail Link SD40 200.
CPR SD40-2 5943 in the dual flag scheme.
CPR SD40-2 777 (nee SOO 777).
SOO SD60 6011.
CP SD40-2 783 (nee SOO 783) and CP SD40-2 780 (nee SOO 780) on March 19th, 2000.
CPR SD40-2 6048 and SD40-2 6075 (nee CPR 5851) at the fuelling racks on July 5th, 2002.
CPR SD40-2 6061 with its windows blanked out on March 17th, 1996.
Remembrance Day 2001 found newly-delivered CPR AC4400 86002 undergoing testing.
CPR AC4400CW 86272 on March 29th, 2003.
CPR SD40-2F 90012 on March 17th, 1996.
Brand new CPR SD90 9108 on the turnable at Coquitlam yard on March 19th, 2000.
CPR SD40-2F 9006, one of the 'Red Barns', was here on St. Patrick's Day 1996.
CPR SD90 91152, SD90 91032 and an AC4400CW at the fuelling racks on November 11th, 2001.
CP AC4400CW 9548 has a special memory for me. Here it is in its dual flag scheme with the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) Musical Ride emblem on the side.
Myself at the controls of AC4400CW 9548.
The screen at the controls of AC4400CW 9548.
CPR AC4400CW 9558 and a sister engine beside the turntable pit.
CPR AC4400CW 9559 on St. Patrick's Day 1996.
A wide angle view of Coquitlam yard shop area.
CPR snow plough 401001.
CPR steam generator car 400900 (ex. Robot Control Car 4 (R1004) 1976, ex baggage car 4478, nee silk car 4935).
I had enjoyed the above, but now the fun began with leased power that Canadian Pacific Railway had in their yard over the years.
MKCX SDP45 9515 (ex. Conrail 6695, nee Erie-Lackawanna 3664) inside the shop on March 17th , 1996.
Helm Atlantic Leasing {HATX} GP38-2 213, ex. UP 2082, exx. MP 2082, nee MP 931).
Conrail SD40 0608 (nee Penn Central 6258). Note that 'CR' is not centered over '608' - this due to the fact it was painted 'CRL' which is actually Chicago Rail Link.
HLCX GP40 4000 (ex. CSX 6667, exx. SBD 6667, exxx. SCL 1510, nee ACL 925).
Another favourite engine of mine is HATX GP40 521 (ex. CSX 6830, nee C&O 4075).
Ken Perry demonstrated Run 8 to Richard, his son Jonathan and I and I enjoyed the smoke - a first for me which was the higlight of this St. Patrick's Day 1996.
HLCX SD40-2 6211 (ex. DEME 6834, exx. SOO 6384,, nee MILW 194) and CPR SD40-2 5589 beside each other.
HLCX GP40-2 4403 (ex. HLCX 656, exx. AMTK 656, exxx. HLCX 3072, nee Illinois Central), SOO SD40 756 and CPR SD40-2 5381 by the fuelling racks on November 10th, 1996.
HATX SD45-2 904 (ex. CSX 8950, exx. SBD 8950, nee SCL 2045) on the same day.
Montana Rail Link SD40 200 (ex. BN 6341, nee C&S 881).
MKCX SD40-2 9054 (now HLCX 6301, ex. MKCX 9054, exx. PLM 3019, nee UP 3019).
ATSF SF30C 9539 (now HLCX 7010) on March 17th, 1996.
HATX SD40-2 750, ex. HATX SD45 901, exx. CSX 8958, exxx. SBD 8958, nee SCL 2053) on St. Patrick's Day 1997.
HLCX SD40 5054 (ex. MKCX 9413, exx. NRE 6400, exxx. BN 6400, nee NP SD45 3600) beside the shop building on the same day.
EMDX SD40 6406 (ex. CR 0800, nee Penn Central 2641).
This day was also the first time I had seen Norfolk Southern power. Here is SD40 1586, nee N&W 1586.
HATX GP40 519 (ex. CSXT 6585, nee B&O 4010) and NS SD40 1586 (nee N&W 1586) were paired.
NS C30-7 8028 (nee N&W 8028).
NS SD40 1605 (nee N&W 1605).
This is HLCX GP38 108 (ex. CSX 2101, exx. C&O 2101, nee B&O 4501).
HLCX GP38 108 with a line of Canadian Pacific power.
Montana Rail Link F45 392 (ex. WSOR 1002, nee BN 6642). Photographer and date unknown.
HATX GP38 107 (ex. CSX 2069, nee C&O 3869) was photographed by the late Michael Coles on February 10th, 1997.
CEFX SD90MAC 122 on March 29th 2003.
Montana Rail Link SD45 8940 (ex. VMV 8940, exx. CSX 8940, exxx. SBD 8940, nee SCL 2040).
RailAmerica GP38 3877 (ex. ENR 2813, exx. MNNA 2813, exxx. NS 2813, nee SOU 2813). Mark Forseille captured this on March 2nd, 2002 after its stint on Vancouver Island as part of the E&N Railway fleet. Note the 'PSAP' reporting marks (Puget Sound and Pacific) which is where it was going.
CPR GP38 3084 in the script lettering on March 3rd, 2002. Photograph by the late Michael Coles.
Pacific Wilderness GP10 706 (ex. SPCX 706, exx. MidSouth 1071, exxx. ICG 8228, nee IC 8228) with its Ohio Central reporting marks prior to being sent to Victoria for the start-up of the tourist train there. I caught this and the passenger cars at Coquitlam yards on March 19th, 2000.
OHCR coach 5583 (ex. VIA 5583, nee CN 5583), one of the passenger cars for the Pacific Wilderness Railway which would start in June 2000. These cars were on active tracks quite a distance away and this was the best I could do under the circumstances.
General yard scenes as seen from the pedestrian overpass on August 1st, 2010.
CEFX AC4400CW 1036 and 1045 on the same day.
This is not every picture I took at Coquitlam, which amounts to about 250 over the years. I had a lot of fun each time I visited and am glad I had the opportunity to see and capture the various eras on film. Thank you, Richard and Ken for making these outings possible and so enjoyable to this railfan.
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