CPR 1950 Banff to Field

My father's third railway vacation, made with the assistance of his Company pass, took him to the west coast. 

At the end of the last instalment (links below) he had reached Banff on Train Number 7.

LC Gagnon surveys the Bow River Valley from a 'hayrack' open observation car.

CPR 7910, Vancouver, July 1952; Stan Styles. Collection of LC Gagnon.

The CPR had 16 open observation cars in this class and they could not be interchanged with US railroads.

Most of the passenger trains listed below had them in their consists during peak tourist season.

The Laggan Subdivision employee timetable includes the time of this trip.

A meet with an eastbound freight.

Working up the Bow Valley toward the Continental Divide.

Castle Mountain (1858-1946)
Mount Eisenhower (1946-1979)
Castle Mountain (1979 to date)

The bus is likely meeting the train from Chateau Lake Louise.

Looking from the 'right' side of the train at Lake Louise.

Looking across Lake Wapta.

Today the Trans-Canada Highway follows the general route of that distant road.

The valley of the Kicking Horse River near Field.

The lower Spiral Tunnel is to the right.

Entering the lower Spiral Tunnel.

Meeting an eastbound which is perhaps 'displaying signals' (the flag at the right).

The terminal at Field.
Successive generations of structures and buildings for steam locomotive support can be seen.


Previous segments of this trip:

CPR 1950 Kenora to Broadview

CPR 1950 Prairies to Banff


The first section of the Technology Index ...
Looks at Field Hill operating rules, brake technology (including 'water brakes') and the CPR Mallets.

CPR, The Big Hill (Kicking Horse Grade) c1885 to c1909