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1977-1981
  
Public Relations and Advertising Department
Windsor Station Montreal Que. H3C 3E4
 

Volume 7   Number 13

Oct. 12, 1977


Phantom Signaller Sounded Warning

By Nicholas Morant
 
"Only Miracle Saved Kettle Valley Express from Destruction" was the headline story in the Vancouver Province, dated 9 Aug 1925.
 
It had been picked up from the Toronto Star, then - as now - prone to the sensational touch. The Star writer related:  "It was seven miles east of North Bend, B.C. and the long train of human freight was gathering speed every foot of the way as she roared along the pathway of double steel ribbons, flashing silver-like in the powerful rays of the big electric headlight. The fireman, his brow glistening with sweat, was bent to his task while the silent engineer, like the driver of a racing motorcar peering down the speedway, looked constantly into the pitch black night, cut only by the single blue-white shaft shooting from the front of the steaming monster locomotive."
 
But it wasn't the Kettle Valley Express, it was Train 1, the famous Trans-Canada Limited. Also the events that followed occurred about seven or eight miles east of Spence's Bridge.
 
In researching the past, writers are often faced with the problem of finding the truth which is frequently more exciting reading than a cooked up version relying, as in many cases, on picturesque language. It means sifting out the fiction, deliberately used to "colour the yarn" by a well meaning author as well as detecting untruths arising from honest misunderstandings.
 
Father's Experience
 
The story related here is true and was attested to in Canadian Pacific's Vancouver records. Through the assistance of L.R. Smith, senior regional vice president, and that of N.A. Sewell, his superintendent of Canyon Division, I came to correspond with an old friend, Lloyd Snowden, of Kamloops, B.C., currently involved with the Engineman's Training Project. I shall spare readers colourful descriptions of passenger trains screaming around curves in the gorges of the Fraser River Canyon, instead I present an unedited version of the letter written by Lloyd Snowden detailing the experience of his father, Bill Snowden, who was then running Kamloops to North Bend on regular passenger service.
 
The letter reads:  "I enclose a copy of the newspaper story of the incident which appeared in the Vancouver Province. As usual a newspaper rarely ever reports anything accurately and this one is certainly no exception as indicated by the information given me some years later by my father ( W.R. Snowden ) as to what actually happened the night of 31 Dec 1924."
 
"As I remember, my father was ordered at Kamloops for the night passenger west and at the time it was very cold, about 20 degrees below zero. As he told me, the train was a bit late and he was making up time so as to be in North Bend on the dot."
 
"Upon reaching Toketic, which was located at Mileage 67.3, ( Editor:  Currently mile 64.0 of the Thompson Sub between Basque and Spence's Bridge ) he received two distinct whistles on the communicating signal appliance while going through the reverse curves east of that station."
 
"The siding at Toketic at the time had a capacity of 57 cars and the stop was made with the engine about 15 car lengths west of the west switch. The conductor walked up to the engine on the north side of the train and denied giving the signal to stop, upon which, he gave the signal to proceed."
 
Here I interject to describe what happened next because my good friend, Lloyd Snowden, unlike myself, has been trained to make plain statements of fact - a trait that all running trades men will understand only too well.
 
Bill Snowden started up the train and, as the headlight swung round, he and his fireman were astonished to see a locomotive standing a few hundred yards down the mainline - showing no lights, shrouded in its own steam in the sub zero night!
 
Managed to Stop
 
But let Lloyd continue... "The M4 Class ( 3400 type ) locomotive was found just east of the creek which passes through a farm, ( which still stands a that location ) and which runs through a culvert into the Thompson River. Due to just starting the train, he again stopped without difficulty when he saw the engine in front of him.
 
The engineer and fireman were found to be asleep in their cab. It was evident to my father the brakes on the other engine were released and that the main throttle was leaking badly."
 
"The crew on the engine had worked all day and into the night on a work train between Spence's Bridge and Merrit ( a branchline to the south ). After taking coal and water at "the bridge" on the main track, the locomotive was backed into the house track where they fell asleep while waiting for the passenger train. My father told me that the engineer had probably placed the reverse lever in the forward position so as to be more comfortable on the seat. The fireman had banked the fire and with the main throttle leaking sufficiently to close the relief valves, the subsequent pressure build-up of steam in the cylinders moved the engine gently out of the house track and through the main track switch."
 
Coasted Eastward
 
"The engine coasted eastwards from Spence's Bridge to just east of Mileage 68.0 where it was found - a distance of approximately seven miles."
 
"Somewhere short of this point, the steam pressure being quite low, the relief valves opened and the engine moved slowly down the slight grade and stopped at the bottom of the sag."
 
"Some railroaders believed that the air hose connections between the passenger cars on Dad's train, due to sub zero conditions, became very stiff and the fast movement of the train on reverse curves created sufficient leakage at the hose gaskets to cause the signal to blow in the cab."
 
Door was Open
 
"Conversation between the conductor and my father upon arrival at North Bend, revealed the vestibule door on the first day coach behind the baggage car, south side of the train, was open but this was not known until after the train left Spence's Bridge. The open door was not discovered by the conductor at Toketic because he got off at the other end of the coach and walked to the engine on the opposite side."
 
"Although the trap over the steps was down, it was thought someone might have opened the door and jumped off when the stop was made at Toketic. However, the conductor said all passengers were accounted for and nobody appeared missing."
 
"The strange sounding of the signal to stop, which was clearly heard by the fireman and my father in the cab on that cold winters night, will forever remain a mystery. You can be sure, if the train had not received the signal at that particular time and proper action had not been taken immediately, there would have been a disastrous collision."
 
"Disastrous collision" indeed. The tracks stand close to the fast running Thompson River and on a fairly steep embankment. But what did we have here?
 
An act of the supernatural?
 
A faulty gasket or some other mechanical failure?
 
Whatever - how do we account for the simultaneous sounding of the signal with the presence of a lone engine standing on the mainline?
 
Is there indeed a Watcher over us?

This CP Rail News article is copyright 1977 by Canadian Pacific Railway and is reprinted here with their permission. All photographs, logos, and trademarks are the property of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company.

© 2005 William C. Slim       http://www.okthepk.ca