Table of Contents

  Introduction

OKthePK's website "Last Call" page has appeared weekly over the past few years. Each week a different article told the story of various railway items of interest. While some of the articles were saved they are no longer available online. Many of those about the Canadian Pacific Railway have been compiled here on this page. There is insufficient room to display more than a few Last Call articles per page. As a result, "Canadian Pacific Odds and Ends - Part 14", continues this month with more possible parts to follow as time passes.

  ALCAM 2000

ALCAM  2000

Bill Mountain

An ALCAM equipped CP Rail unit coal train comprised of CP 5817, 5816, 5693, 20 cars, 5815, 60 cars, 5696, then 32 cars running west on Canadian National trackage near Glen Valley beside the Fraser River - 17 Aug 1992 Ken Perry.
 
Today I learned from Kylie Mason, who is working on a book about CP coal trains, this photo of what I thought was the ALCAM test train was actually the successor of the test train with Locotrol III. Kylie states units 6025 and 5992 were able to be used as Lead or Remote, units 6026 and 6028 were remote only. The ALCAM tests on CP took place between June 1989 and September 1991 - 11 Jun 2024 Ken Perry.

While Signalcom Canada, a subsidiary of Union Switch & Signal (US&S), was doing some other work for CP Rail (supplying intelligent radio control heads on locomotives), Bob Kull, the current President, learned that CP was fed up with dealing with Harris Corporation, the company that supplied Locotrol systems. Locotrol was the radio based system that allowed railways to add an additional locomotive in the middle of a train to improve performance.

As the only supplier of this technology worldwide, Harris had become complacent and really did not want to improve or change the product because it was making huge margins with a legacy product. CP was thinking about adding more locomotives throughout their coal trains, five locomotives, one every thirty cars, which they thought could really improve performance since the train would act like a 30 car train not a 150 car train.

Since we were doing radio control systems already, and our joint venture partner, RMS Controls made remote control submarines, Bob decided that we could make a new system. I had just come back to Canada as Commercial Manager with Signalcom so was tasked with putting this together. We negotiated a development contract with CP and started design using an upgraded version of our smart radio control head. The new system was called the Advanced Locomotive Control and Monitoring (ALCAM) 2000.

Signalcom Canada advertisement - Date? Artist?

The project turned into a much larger project than we originally intended:

• There had to be an interface to the locomotive braking system, so we worked with Westinghouse Air Brake (WABCO), which was related to US&S, to develop an electronic brake controller that would allow the system, and/or the locomotive engineer, to change the brake pressure on the train using a push button or the ALCAM system. To ensure proper operation we sent the prototype system to Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, where WABCO had simulated a 120 car train inside a large warehouse. Every time the electronic system tried to reduce brake pressure by a few pounds there would be an unintended emergency brake application somewhere in the train. It took weeks to resolve;
   
  
• Locotrol had a head end unit and a mid-train unit which could not be interchanged. CP wanted all locomotives to have the same hardware and have them interchangeable. We resolved that issue by making a standard electronics package for each locomotive and a separate control box that could be mounted on top of the engineer's control stand with velcro. The engineer would enter the order of locomotives in the control box by engine number (which was hard coded into each electronic box in each locomotive) and request a train configuration. To act like a 30 car train we had to isolate the air brake pipe at each locomotive, we could then monitor the pressure at each end of each locomotive independently. The first locomotive, which had been configured in setup as either short or long nose forward, would start charging the brake line which it believed led back to the train. The second locomotive would monitor the brake line and when pressure started to increase could configure itself to either short on long nose forward, and so on for the rest of the consist;
   
  
• CP was not comfortable with radio control just yet, so we actually wired a communications cable the whole length of the train so that the locomotives could communicate. These were unit trains of coal that never change cars so it was not a problem;
   
  
• In future, CP wanted to be able to monitor stresses in the couplers to understand how the train was being handled and see if there could be more efficiencies, like when a long train went over a hill, the first locomotive could start slowing down after it the passed the crest, while the others continued to push. We included an analog port that could read strain gauges (metal strips that changed electrical resistance when pushed or pulled) that were mounted on the couplers. In the end, this was not feasible because strain gauges have to be sized for the largest force they are ever going to see, and stresses in the middle of a 10,000 ton train are massive. Therefore the low readings we needed to see were so small that they could not accurately be read amongst the huge amount of electrical noise generated by the banging and crashing of normal train operation.

CP 5696 is an ALCAM remote in the westbound unit coal train near Glen Valley - 17 Aug 1992 Ken Perry

One coal train was outfitted in Calgary and ran regular runs from coal mines in Southern British Columbia to Vancouver for about a year. During that time we also tested a data radio link and had successful communications so radio operation was possible.

Word got out in the heavy haul industry that we were developing a Locotrol replacement and I started getting calls from all over the world asking about the system, when it would be available, etc. Representatives from Australia National Railroad actually came to visit us.

The world Heavy Haul Conference was in Melbourne, Australia that year (circa 1990) and Industry Canada had agreed to sponsor a sales trip to show off the system.

So, all the world's heavy haul railways are now using the ALCAM system, right? Well, in a word, NO.

Just as we finished development on the project, US&S was sold to an Italian engineering company called Ansaldo. Staff from Italy began to replace senior staff in Pittsburgh, and this little R&D company in Toronto came up on the radar. "We cannot have R&D anywhere other than Head Office" was the official line from Ansaldo. When they came to Toronto to tell us we were all being relocated to Pittsburgh, I told them that no one would go. Our engineers could not, and would not, work in that sort of restrictive, bureaucratic, environment. They disagreed and told me I could work as a signal engineer again in Pittsburgh. I resigned. They worked their way through the entire company (about 20 engineers and admin staff) and they all resigned, except one engineer who wanted a green card so took the transfer and then left US&S as soon as he had the card.

But what about the ALCAM 2000? Since the software had been developed by our joint venture partner RMS Controls from Vancouver, I did not think that US&S would be able to work with it, plus the staff in Pittsburgh were solely railway signal people, no one would be able to understand the requirements, or work with CP to resolve issues, and make a fantastic product. On one of my last visits to Pittsburgh I told these concerns to Walter Alessandrini, the new Italian president of US&S, and suggested that John Conti and I be given the rights to ALCAM so we could go to Australia, sign up a bunch of orders, and give a royalty to Ansaldo on all sales once we exceeded one million dollars. They would not go for it.

About 3 months after, Signalcom was shut down (and because it shut down, the Canadian funding was cancelled so no one went to Melbourne!). CP called and said "We love the product and we want to equip 10 trains." At my estimate of about $250,000 per train that would have been a $2.5 million first order! Ansaldo hemmed and hawed about it. Can we change the software? Is this really our market? Can we work well with WABCO? Who is going to run the project? After about four months CP became frustrated and went back to Harris. "See what we have here? Can you duplicate it?" Harris of course agreed so CP issued an RFQ for the new system. Even though all R&D had been completed and paid for by CP the US&S quote was approximately twice the quote from Harris with a longer time frame to completion. Harris was awarded the contract and developed Locotrol II, which is the product now in use on all the heavy haul railways worldwide. The railway business of Harris was eventually sold to GE who continue to supply Locotrol.

Press Release from GE on 16 May 2018

GE Transportation this year marks the 50th anniversary of its Locotrol technologies, which enable train engineers to control multiple locomotives remotely distributed within a train. The technology provides coordinated braking and traction power to facilitate quicker brake applications and releases. Deployed on 20,000 locomotives in 16 countries, Locotrol works with braking systems and locomotive control systems on both diesel-electric and electric locomotives, said GE Transportation Chief Digital Officer Laurie Tolson in a press release.

Bill Mountain

  Auxiliary Power Unit

Auxiliary Power Unit

Andy Cassidy

CP 5726 APU spotting features - 7 Apr 2013 Andy Cassidy.

Sharp eyed viewers will note a small pipe facing upwards just above the number 2 in locomotive number 5726 on the rear hood, plus a small strobe light at the rear of the dynamic brake grid housing.
 
That's because this unit is equipped with an Eco Trans Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), at the back of the unit.
 
The small pipe is the APU engine exhaust pipe for that unit.
 
Basically the idea is for the small diesel engine to run when the main engine is shut down.
 
The small engine keeps the water and oil in the main engine warm to prevent freeze-up in cold weather.
 
It also charges the battery and keeps the cab warm with auxiliary heat.
 
A good system in principal, but not very successful, mainly due to personnel issues, training, and incorrect operating procedures.
 
Back in the old days units ran 24/7, so there was no need for this kind of system.
 
Later, with the advent of "Smart Start" automatic engine shut down and start system, engines would shut off automatically when not needed, and restart when temperatures, air pressure, or battery charge dropped.
 
This works great, but in places that have normally below freezing temperatures in winter, the system would be overridden, and not allow the engine to shut down.
 
Mainly because there was a chance the engine would not restart automatically, then there is big trouble (there is no antifreeze in these engines).
 
The water dumps and then the unit turns into a popsicle.
 
A cold SD40-2 does not start easily, if at all.
 
So the APU allows the engine to shut down to save fuel as normal, and the APU keeps everything tickety-boo till the main engine is restarted later on.
 
Here's a schematic of how the system is set up below.
 
Blue is the water line, red is lube oil, green is the fuel line.

Locomotive APU and engine schematic.

Andy Cassidy - 8 Mar 2021

  E&N Arbutus Creek Bridge Metalizing

E&N Arbutus Creek Bridge Metalizing

Ken Perry

A Canadian Pacific Bridge & Building gang motorcar crosses bridge 14d9 over Arbutus Creek - 2 Aug 1977 Ken Perry.

Wellman hoist number CP 414208 at the north end of bridge 14d9 over Arbutus Creek - 2 Aug 1977 Ken Perry.

The Wellman hoist and the gang lifting rails on the Arbutus Creek bridge - 2 Aug 1977 Ken Perry.

The ties were removed as the hoist moved southwards - 2 Aug 1977 Ken Perry.

Train No. 51 led by CP 8531 North approaches tunnel 15d5 at 07:02 on the Malahat - 2 Aug 1977 Ken Perry.

  E&N Baldwins Wrecked

E&N Baldwins Wrecked

Bruce Chapman and Ken Perry

CP Rail Baldwins 8006 and 8008 plus Geep 8632 on the shop tracks at Wellcox Yard in Nanaimo - 3 Jun 1973 Ken Perry.

Educational Bulletin of July 1973

Extra 8011 South with 2 units, 1 car, and caboose, was ordered for 14:30. The train was cleared at 14:31 with a clearance and five train orders, one of which was a Form "W", example 1, stating that all Superior Trains due before 14:30 had arrived "except No. 51, Eng 8008".

After a No. 1 Terminal Brake Test, Extra 8011 South entered the main track and departed at 14:55. While moving at a speed of 20 mph around a reverse curve, Extra 8011 South collided head-on with No. 51, Eng 8008, which was also proceeding at about 20 mph.

As an explanation for disregarding the content of the Form "W" Train Order, the crew on Extra 8011 South stated that they had observed diesel units on the shop track, and incorrectly assumed that the units had arrived on No. 51.

Although the Conductor and Engineman stated that they had crew members "read the train orders aloud" as required by Rule 210C, some doubt exists as to how carefully this rule was executed. Had the reading of the train orders aloud been carefully done, the reading of Eng. 8008 on No. 51 should have drawn the crew's attention to the fact that the units on the shop track did not correspond with the Engine number in the Form "W" train order.

Units on a shop track cannot be used as an indication that the expected train has arrived. Proper visual identification of a train is the identification of the Engine Number, whether or not Green Flags and Green Lights are displayed as per Rule 20, and whether Marker Lamps are displayed at the rear of the train in accordance with Rule 19.

The conductor stated that after he received the Train Orders, he thought possibly that the train had already been yarded, so he checked the Train Register to ascertain the arrival of No. 51, but failed to fill out a Register Check Form (Page 99, U.C.O.R.), and deliver or have it delivered to the Engineman, in accordance with Rule 83B.

What have we learned from this accident?

1. HABIT is a railwayman's worst enemy;
    
   
2. Any time we ASSUME something it leads to trouble;
    
   
3. PROPER IDENTIFICATION of trains is essential;
    
   
4. Members of Train Crews MUST CAREFULLY READ ALOUD ALL TRAIN ORDERS;
    
   
5. Register Check Forms MUST BE COMPLETED when a Train Register is checked.

Fortunately, no deaths resulted.

Bruce Chapman
 

CP Rail Baldwins 8011 and 8008 at milepost 68.3 Victoria Sub - 13 Jun 1973 Ken Perry.

On Tuesday, 12 Jun 1973, a bicycle ride got me to the Victoria roundhouse a few minutes early for my regular 16:00-24:00 shift. All was in an uproar as there was a report of a head-on collision north of South Wellington, at mileage 68.3 Victoria Sub between train No. 51 with two Baldwins and a Victoria crew and a southward Nitinat cab hop with two Baldwins and a Wellcox crew. A major mess with serious crew injuries but no fatality.

At Victoria, the focus became preparation of the auxiliary crane and train to attend, but what to use as power? The only road unit, Baldwin 8003, had its diesel engine apart for major work, leaving no choice but to press the yard engine, little MLW S3 number 6573, into work train road work. We had to scrounge class lamps from 8003. That is the one time I got to put them and the white flags up on an engine, and also get the auxiliary train together, pumping up on the shop track.

CP 6573 work extra auxiliary train on shop track at Russel's Roundhouse in Vic West - 12 Jun 1973 Ken Perry.

Never will I forget the dispatch office tension when I walked up to give them the supply detail. Passenger train No. 2 had seen the Nitinat waiting in the clear at the south switch at Stockett and met No. 51 at Ladysmith, and the engineers of No. 2 and No. 51 were brothers, so you may imagine the emotion and suspense at that time. By the time No. 2 arrived Victoria, 25 minutes late at 17:25, we had word the No. 51's engineer was okay, a great relief to No. 2's engineer. Work Extra 6573 departed north shortly after that.

The next day, a group of railfans headed north in early daylight, and went through the brush from highway 1 to access the wreck site. What a mess! How all the crew members survived was little short of a miracle, the long-hood-forward operation of the Baldwins was one significant factor in that. The second unit of No. 51 had taken out the rear hood and crushed the cab of the lead unit, just missing the engineer heading out the back door, and had ended up down the bank on the west side. When I arrived, the second unit and water car and caboose of the southbound Nitinat had been removed to Wellcox, so the most dramatic sight was the two lead units, separated by a few feet.

8006 and 8008 versus 8011 at mileage 68.3 Victoria Sub - 13 Jun 1973 Ken Perry.

With the caboose and freight cars of train 51 removed, the Victoria auxiliary was on site and carmen were all about, determining the next steps in the cleanup.

The cleanup at mile 68.3 continued with re-railing the mangled-both-ends lead unit of train 51, 8008.

Regarding the rear damage to 8008 by 8006, it amazes me that not one but all three crew members in the cab of 8008 survived with relatively minor and one serious injury. Note also the fuel tank at the bottom of the short hood remained intact, good rugged Baldwin design and construction.

Once re-railed, the next challenge was moving 8008 south to be set off on the gravel pit spur at Fiddicks. It was a little reluctant at first, with something getting hot. How I wish this shot was just a little farther south at the mostly-forgotten removed siding of Silvene, named for an early E&N locomotive engineer.

CP 414326 auxiliary crane with 8008 and 8011 at mileage 68.3 Victoria Sub - 13 Jun 1973 Ken Perry.

8006 and 8008 versus 8011 at mileage 68.3 Victoria Sub - 13 Jun 1973 Ken Perry.

Eventually the gravel pit spur at Fiddicks, 1.8 miles south of the collision point, was reached. By some miracle the station name sign for Fiddicks was still on location, allbeit knocker over, and that is milepost 66 off in the distance. The wreck of 8008 was set off on the gravel pit spur, which was a bit under one mile long and utilized part of the grade of the collieries railway from Extension to Boat Harbour.

8008 and auxiliary train powered by 6573 at Fiddicks - 13 Jun 1973 Ken Perry.

At Fiddicks, the Victoria auxiliary provide an elevated opportunity to see the extent of the cab damage on 8008.

8008 cab damage and auxiliary crane at Fiddicks - 13 Jun 1973 Ken Perry.

The lead unit of the southbound Nitinat cab hop, 8011, was the next concern, with the displaced front truck the biggest challenge. Consider how differently things might have been if either of the two lead units had between the trucks type of fuel tanks instead of in the short hoods.

8011 and John Mahy at mileage 68.3 Victoria Sub - 13 Jun 1973 Ken Perry.

Retrieval of 8006 from its roll down the bank was next but work back in Victoria meant I missed that. A quick visit to Wellcox yard was made to see the least damaged unit of the four, 8007, with its bent down short hood end of the cast main frame foretelling its future. The water car and caboose of the responsible Nitinat are in the distance. That's the Vancouver auxiliary crane to the right.

Caboose, water car, and 8007 and the Vancouver auxiliary crane at Wellcox in Nanaimo - 13 Jun 1973 Ken Perry.

The four wrecks from the head-on were stored at Wellcox yard in Nanaimo for just over a year, and were all scrapped there in July 1974.

8008, 8011, 8007, and 8006 wrecks at Wellcox yard in Nanaimo - 22 Jun 1973 Ken Perry.

Ken Perry

  Temporary Flat Wheel Repair

Temporary Flat Wheel Repair

Ken Perry

CP Rail SD-40 number 5766 rests on the backtrack at Stoney Creek - Ken Perry.

One morning I was called to attend Stoney Creek for locomotive number 5766 which had been skidded into the backtrack with a locked axle.
 
Having never had to do so, but with numerous tales of others to encourage me, the gear case halves were cut off traction motor 4, then the pinion teeth were cut to allow the bull gear and wheelset to roll free, revealing a slid flat so massive that even low speed operation was out of the question.
 
Phooey!
 
Next day, a Revelstoke carman (whose name escapes me) went to Stoney Creek with me.
 
He built up the flat with welding and ground it to an semi-operable contour, with me as fire watch.
 
Ken Perry.

After building up CP 5766's flat wheel the metal is ground to an appropriate curve - Ken Perry.

  1894 Fraser River Flood

1894 Fraser River Flood

The Canadian Pacific Railway and Mission Station - 1894 G.W. Edwards - City of Vancouver Archives AM54-S4-: Out P305.

The largest flood of British Columbia's Fraser River on record occurred in May 1894 when rapid snow melt caused river levels to rise dramatically, triggering flooding from Agassiz to Richmond. With no protection against the rising waters of the river, Fraser Valley communities from Chilliwack downstream were inundated with water. The flood was significant in both height and breadth. The high water mark at Mission reached 25.75 feet (7.85 metres). The Fraser's highest recorded flow, in June 1894, is estimated to have been 600,000 cubic feet per second (17,000 cubic metres per second) at Hope. Based on these flows, the 1894 flood had a return period of slightly more than 500 years. Of the two catastrophic floods on the lower Fraser River since European settlement of the Fraser Valley, the flood of 1894 is considered to be the "flood of record". After the 1894 flood, a dyking system was constructed throughout the Fraser Valley. The dyking and drainage projects greatly improved the flood problems, but unfortunately over time, the dykes were allowed to fall into disrepair and became overgrown with brush and trees. With some dykes constructed of a wooden frame, they gave way in 1948 in several locations, marking the second disastrous flood. The flood of 1948 caused greater damage because of the intensive development on the flood plain. Flooding since 1948 has been minor in comparison, until 14 Nov 2021 - Wikipedia.

This map shows the 1894 flood photo locations - Date? Google.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Nanton's Great Train Robbery

Nanton's Great Train Robbery

William M. Baker

The winter of 1907 was extremely cold.
 
Nanton was running out of coal.
 
The CPR said that coal would be delivered soon.
 
But trains with coal kept going through town without stopping for the next three days.
 
Then, on 5 Feb 1907, a train with seven cars of coal arrived, but the citizens were told that none was for them.
 
Someone suggested that the train should not be allowed to leave until some coal was made available.
 
The local CPR agent, J.P. Longpre, checked with the CPR superintendent.
 
He told the agent to refuse and to demand police protection for the train.
 
As Longpre and Royal North West Mounted Police Const. Tom Currie discussed the situation, the train began to leave.
 
Ira Shoop jumped on the caboose and ran along the boxcars, dropping down between them and putting on the brakes.
 
Const. Currie threatened to shoot, but Ira continued, even when a warning shot was fired.
 
Shoop was arrested but released because the jail had no heat.
 
The train crew again attempted to leave, but this time a crowd of citizens set the brakes on all the cars.
 
It being noon, the train crew, Longpre, and Const. Currie went for lunch.
 
The citizens of Nanton then held a meeting on the station platform.
 
It was chaired by the Baptist Minister with minutes being taken by the Presbyterian minister.
 
A motion was passed to proceed with the robbery.
 
It was further agreed that each rural resident would take one ton and each town resident, one half ton.
 
They would pay the CPR $6 per ton.
 
With a hearty "Three Cheers for Ira Shoop", the meeting was adjourned and the robbery began.
 
When the authorities returned following their lunch, they were advised that the robbery was on.
 
Const. Currie and the CPR officials calmly watched as the coal was distributed to the citizens, who politely lined up in alphabetical order to receive their share.
 
Hugh Shaw collected the money and gave it to the CPR agent.
 
An RNWMP Inspector investigated.
 
His report exonerated everyone writing that, "All parties behaved properly and honourably".
 
But the CPR was horrified that the hold-up was ignored and no charges were laid.
 
Thus the Nanton train robbers got off scot-free because of the transparent, civilized, orderly, and polite manner in which their community had robbed the train.
 
Reference - Baker, William M., "Vigilante Justice Tolerated - The Great Nanton Train Robbery, 1907"
Alberta History Journal of the Alberta Historical Society, Winter 1997.
"Mosquito Creek Round-up" Nanton and District Historical Society, 1975.
The Nanton News, 7 Feb 1907.

  ABB X2000

ABB X2000

Ian Smith

The ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB) X2000 - 1993 David Morris.

The X2000 controls - 1993 David Morris.

An X2000 coach interior - 1993 David Morris.

The Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) X2000 - 1993 David Morris.