Golden Shop Officially Opened
By Jane Mudry

The coal car repair shop and yard area cover 16 hectares of property.

Golden British Columbia - CP Rail's $50-million coal car repair and maintenance shop, which employs more than 100 people here, was officially opened last month.
 
More than 1,000 local residents, coal company officials, government representatives, railway executives, and employees were on hand as a remote-operated mechanical "indexer" moved a coal car through a banner at the shop's entrance.
 
Activating the controls were R.S. Allison, president of CP Rail, R.T. Marshall, president of the Coal Association of Canada, and Duane Crandall, MLA for Columbia River. Also taking part was J.D. Bromley, executive vice-president, CP Rail West.
 
 

Dignitaries and guests look on as a coal car breaks through a banner to officially open the golden coal car shop.
 
 
Mr. Allison said the new shop underlines the importance of coal to CP Rail and the Canadian economy, as well as the need for efficient rail links which enable British Columbia's southeast coal mines to compete in world markets.
 
"This new coal car repair shop is an essential part in fulfilling our responsibility to maintain an efficient flow of coal", Mr. Allison said.
 
"When we began our coal unit train system from the southeast Kootenays in the early 1970's, we had six train sets. Today, we have 20. We need this coal shop because of that growth", he said.
 
SAFETY FEATURES
 
The facility incorporates the latest in technological advances and safety features. Remote controls are used to activate car switching and to operate overhead cranes and trackmobiles.
 
The shop, which will operate around the clock, seven days a week, uses planned maintenance procedures designed to identify problems before they occur. The maintenance cycle ensures each coal car in the 2,200-car coal fleet receives service twice a year.
 
 

Employees make repairs to a coal car truck.
 
 
TRACK MOVES
 
As part of the project, CP Rail's trackage was relocated to the outskirts of Golden where the 16-hectare shop site and rail yard are now located.
 
The site has 16 yard tracks which can accommodate nine 111-car coal unit trains.
 
The facilities include the 5,100-square-metre shop, four repair tracks, an administration building, a yard office, a machine shop, and a track maintenance equipment shop.
 
In his remarks at the opening ceremony, Mr. Allison paid special tribute to the city of Golden and its elected officials who urged the railway to locate the shop in the community of 3,500 residents.
 
DECIDING FACTOR
 
"Their submission proved to be the deciding factor in our decision. We have had encouragement and good cooperation, it has been a pleasure to work with a community that has been so supportive", he said.
 
Mayor Jim Doyle, who is also with CP Rail's signal and communications department, added:  "CP Rail has brought many changes... good changes. This land that the rail yard is now located on was a slough before CP Rail brought in large quantities of fill".
 
NEW JOBS
 
"As a result of this facility, there are at least 170 new jobs", he said. "For us in Golden, this coal car shop was a great present on our 30th anniversary since incorporation as a city".
 
The official opening activities included a tour by train around the yard a well as an open house at the car shop.

This CP Rail News article is copyright 1987 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and is reprinted here with their permission. All photographs, logos, and trademarks are the property of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company.