Canadian Pacific Railway was not only a rail company, it had steamship, barge, hotel and air components. In the 1950's, a new steamship, the Princess of Vancouver, was ordered which combined passenger, automobile and railway cars, and would ply the waters between Vancouver, British Columbia and Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island. As a result, new docking and transfer facilities were needed and a new modern railway yard was built and opened on June 12^th, 1955. This was Wellcox Yard (derived from the Wellington Colliery, an earlier name for the Canadian Collieries coal mining interests) located south of the new steamer terminal along the Nanaimo waterfront on the old colleries property. The facilities largely replaced the terminal at Wellington and eventually took over most of the functions performed at Victoria and by the 1990's, they were the base of operation for the majority of Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway's train crews. The transfer slip, which was the way rail equipment was moved on and off the island, was usable at any stage of tide.

As I started this hobby in the early 1990's, I missed the Baldwin and GP9 eras of Canadian Pacific's locomotives at Wellcox or on the Island.

To wit, these two pictures were taken in August 1972, when I was just six months old! Photographs by Chris Guenzler.

Thus, when I started to visit Nanaimo on a regular basis, it was a sea of GP38s or GP38ACs which was not very interesting to me. However, I captured them on film nonetheless. My visits were every three of four months to pick up several railfan magazines at Leisure Time Hobbies. Branchline, Railfan and Railroad, Trains and the short-lived Vintage Rails were eagerly acquired and later on, CTC Board, (Pacific) Rail News, Classic Trains and Passenger Train Journal rounded out my magazine collection. I continue to read each of those that still exist to this day.

Canadian Pacific GP38AC 3000 at Wellcox Yard in Nanaimo on October 25^th, 1995.

Canadian Pacific GP38AC 3001 is without the multimark logo on June 28^th, 1995.

Canadian Pacific GP38AC 3002 was also sans the multimark.

Canadian Pacific GP38AC 3004 and E&N Railfreight GP38AC 3005 (nee CP 3005) were a pair were usually seen together. 3004 would be the second, and last, locomotive to be painted in the E&N Railfreight livery, an internal shortline that Canadian Pacific Railway created in 1996.

E&N Railfreight GP38AC 3005 (nee CP 3005) at Wellcox Yard in 1996.

Canadian Pacific GP38AC 3008 beside the drop pit on June 28^th, 1995.

Canadian Pacific GP38-2 3129 on June 28^th, 1995.

A Wellcox yard scene on June 28^th, 1995.

Canadian Pacific GP38AC 3007 in the dual flag scheme with E&N Railfreight GP38AC 3004 on August 20^th, 1996.

Canadian Pacific locomotives and equipment as seen from the bridge over Wellcox Yard in 1995.

Canadian Pacific GP38-2 3129 and GP38AC 3007 from Esplanade Avenue overlooking Wellcox Yard on August 20^th, 1996.

Canadian Pacific snow plough 401021 which was removed from the active roster in 2016.

Canadian Pacific GP38-2 3118 was at Wellcox Yard on October 25^th, 1995.

Canadian Pacific GP38-2 3090, GP38AC 3001, E&N Railfreight GP38-2 3004 and 3005 occupy Wellcox in August 1997.

Southern Railway of B.C. (SRY) SW900 910 (nee BC Hydro 910) and SW900 911 (nee BC Hydro 911) were visitors to Nanaimo on February 21^th, 1999, a harbinger of things to come in the mid-2000's when Southern Railway of B.C. Vancouver Island took over freight business from RailAmerica.

In 1999, Canadian Pacific sold the line from Nanaimo to Port Alberni to Rail America, who also leased the rest of the line. Suddenly, the motive power scene changed and became a lot more interesting to me as they had 'history' - previous owners and numbers. It was this which grew my interest in leased locomotives and leasing companies. Here is ENR GP10 1001 (ex. Kiamichi 1001, exx. Conrail 7525, exxx. Conrail 7406, exxxx. Penn Central 7406, nee New York Central 6006) on February 21^st, 1999.

ENR GP38 2796 (ex. Minnesota Northern 2796, exx. Norfolk Southern 2796, nee Southern 2796) on the drop pit on February 21^st, 1999.

Where is this yard?! RailAmerica GP38 344 (still lettered for its former owner (ex. Cascade and Columbia River 344, exx. Pittsburgh and Lake Erie 2050, exxx. Conrail 7818, nee PC 7818), HATX GP38 104 (ex. CSXT 2096, nee Chesapeake and Ohio 3896) and ENR GP38 3809 (ex. Minnesota Northern 3809, exx. Kiamichi 3809, exxx. Pittsburgh and Lake Erie 2031, nee Penn Central 7778) at Wellcox Yard on May 24 ^th, 1999.

A close-up view of RailAmerica GP38 344 (still lettered for its former owner (ex. Cascade and Columbia River 344, exx. Pittsburgh and Lake Erie 2050, exxx. Conrail 7818, nee PC 7818) on May 24 ^th, 1999.

ENR GP38 3809 (ex. Minnesota Northern 3809, exx. Kiamichi 3809, exxx. Pittsburgh and Lake Erie 2031, nee Penn Central 7778) on May 24^th, 1999.

The trio of locomotives from the other end.

Helm Atlantic Leasing (HATX) GP38 104 (ex. CSXT 2096, nee Chesapeake and Ohio 3896). This would follow me around as I saw it again in North Vancouver a couple of years later.

A Wellcox yard scene in spring 1999.

The yard in summer 1999 as seen from the bridge across the tracks.

Red, white and blue abounds in Nanaimo after Rail America's takeover.

Less than a month later, on June 13^th, Locomotive Leasing Partners (LLPX) GP35 2009 (ex. VMV 2000², nee Southern Pacific 6503) joined the fleet.

ENR GP38 2813 (ex. Minnesota Northern 2813, exx. Norfolk Southern 2813, nee Southern 2813), LLPX GP35 2009 (ex. VMV 2000², nee Southern Pacific 6503) and ENR GP10 1001 (ex. Kiamichi 1001, exx. Conrail 7525, exxx. NYC 7406, nee NYC 6006) at Nanaimo on June 13^th, 1999.

The view had not changed much in September 1999, except the addition of former Canadian Pacific caboose 434371 now owned and re-painted by the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Division of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association. This would later be found at the roundhouse in Victoria.

Former Canadian Pacific caboose 434371 now owned and re-painted by the E&N Division of the CRHA.

A trip on December 12^th, 1999 found LLPX GP35 2009 joined by newcomer Rail Link GP20 2099 (ex. RLK 1751, exx. Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western 321, exxx. Minnesota Central Railroad 321, exxxx. Minnesota Northern 321, exxxxx. Burlington Northern 2038, nee Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 902)

A broadside view of ENR GP38 3876 (ex. ENR 2796, exx. Minnesota Northern 2796, exxx. Norfolk Southern 2796, nee Southern 2796) on June 11^th, 2000.

A working railyard scene on June 11^th, 2000.

ENR GP10 1001 (ex. Kiamichi 1001, exx. Conrail 7525, exxx. Conrail 7406, exxxx. Penn Central 7406, nee New York Central 6006) and Rail Link GP20 2099 (ex. RLK 1751, exx. Dakota, Missouri Valley and Western 321, exxx. Minnesota Central Railroad 321, exxxx. Minnesota Northern 321, exxxxx. Burlington Northern 2038, nee Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 902) lead a train from the barge slip to the main yard area.

The Pacific Wilderness Railway locomotives at Wellcox Yard on July 29^th, 2001 after the operation ceased and the equipment was to be returned to Ohio Central Railway.

Rail Link GP20 2099 was still in Nanaimo on May 12^th, 2002 when I took Bob Alkire here for his first visit.

The Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway emblem on the Rail America GP38 locomotives. Photo by Bob Alkire.

ENR GP38 3870 (ex. Cascade and Columbia River 344, exx. Pittsburgh and Lake Erie 2050, exxx. Conrail 7818, nee PC 7818) and ENR GP38 3809 (ex. Minnesota Northern 3809, exx. Kiamichi 3809, exxx. Pittsburgh and Lake Erie 2031, nee Penn Central 7778) at Wellcox yard on May 12^th, 2002. Photo by Bob Alkire.

These scenes whetted my appetite for more leased and 'foreign' power. I would definitely find that on 'the mainland' {what the Vancouver area is known as, as opposed to 'the island' (Vancouver Island)} but those are topics for other railfanning travelogues.

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