Above, from left to right: Cliff Green, Eugene Skinner and Kevin Johnson were among the BCR crew members who made for me a day to remember at the yard in Fort St. John, BC.
Sympathies are extended to relatives and collegues in Fort St. John after Cliff lost his life while on duty on December 30, 2004.

The photos on this page are from August 07, 2004.

Before I get to the photos, I think a quick explanation of the trip to this yard is in order.  I went with some BC relatives to the yard with the hopes of taking a few pictures, should there be anything worth photographing.  That's how it started out--but things progressed ever further throughout the visit.

I obtained permission from the yard crew (BCR folks--there were no CN people there that day) to take pictures of the cars and locomotives in the yard.  After a while, I was given a ride by carman Chuck Napier to the other end of the yard to see a BC Rail caboose--one of the last in service anywhere in North America.  Apparently, it was to be retired two weeks after I was there.  Chuck also gave me a union hat and BCR order forms, which could be considered collector's items with BCR now a fallen flag (it was purchased by CN).

After taking a few more locomotive shots, I was asked if I'd ever been given a cab ride, to which I replied no.  So...  I was given a ride in B39-8E 3905 within the cautionary limits of the yard, with four other locomotives running light behind.  It was fantastic--even if the throttle wasn't advanced beyond run 3 and speed was limited to 20 mph.  I learned about the controls, having not seen them used previously.  Engineer Eugene Skinner was in charge of the five locomotives.

After the ride, Eugene let me hear the horns of several of the five locomotives.  I wasn't able to record them, but the leading 3905 had a beautiful K5L, a Canadian-tuned five-chime version of the Nathan K series that's typical on BCR locomotives.  He also treated me to seeing a couple of idling prime movers of the units, opening up the engine of an SD40-2 to reveal the camshafts and valve springs in action.

The photos I took are posted, but what I gained from this visit was far more than just a few roster shots.  Many thanks to all the people at the yard who made it so wonderful.

There was a total of nine locomotives in the yard that day.  A group of five units was led by B39-8E 3905, the locomotive I rode in.  As the name indicates,  it's a 3900-horsepower unit, built by GE in 1988.  Following it were B39-8E 3908, RS18s 604 and 601, and SD40-2 765.

Note the nose-mounted headlight and the bell between the numberboards, a standard Canadian arrangement best suited to snowy weather conditions.  Also Canadian: The melodious Nathan K5L horn, the best of the type that I've heard.

Sister unit 3908.

RS18 604 in the common blue, white and red BCR scheme.  BCR's fleet of MLW-built RS18s were rebuilt in the 1990s with 2000 horsepower, 12-cylinder Caterpillar engines, the reason for the modified radiator area.  The K5L on 604 wasn't as well-tuned, most likely because of age.

The fourth unit, RS18 601, is clad in a unique "Pacific Starlight" purple and gray scheme.  (The fifth unit, SD40-2 765, wasn't photographed in a roster shot)

The second set of locomotives was made up of SD40-2s 759, 743, 766 and 767.  Here is SD40-2 759.

SD40-2 743.  Note the Leslie S5-T horn and the cab-mounted headlight, neither of them typical of BCR locomotives.  This is because 743 was built by EMD in the US and was acquired by BCR from Shamrock Coal in 1987.

SD40-2 766.  Units 763 through 767 are late SD40-2s, built in 1985.  Note the SD50-style blower duct behind the cab, Q-type radiator fans and flush exhaust stack.

SD40-2 767.

BCOL tank car 1969, on a track adjacent to the four SD40-2s.

SULX 1501, one of many open-top sulphur cars in the yard.

SULX 1211.  Both 1501 and 1211 have a 4400 cu-ft capacity.

BCOL 900046, a 4000 cu-ft sulphur car.

Twin car BCNE 900055.

BCR caboose 1885, one of the last in service in North America.  It was way down at the other end of the yard, hooked to a string of boxcars.

Here's where things got interesting.  This is a view down the yard looking out from the center left window of B39-8E 3905.  Shortly afterwards, the engines were revved up and eased down the track.

An engineer's eye view, past the yard but within the cautionary limits.

Looking back from the engineer's side of the cab shows the long hood of 3905 and the winged radiators common to modern GEs.

Back at the yard, Eugene opened up the hood doors of SD40-2 765, the fifth locomotive of the set.  Behind rumbled a 16-645E3 prime mover, EMD's bread-and-butter engine used in thousands of locomotives built from the 1960s through to the 1980s.  Its 16 turbocharged cylinders produce 3000 horsepower at 900 rpm, but nothing close to that at idle speed.  Opening up the top of the engine, a simple matter of releasing latches, revealed the camshafts and springs for the exhaust valves (4 per cylinder) and fuel injectors.

Eugene Skinner, engineer in Fort St. John.

Cliff Green, Eugene and Kevin Johnson, outside the yard office.

Michael Eby 2005