When I was a kid of ten my family moved to Rosedale, in the Drumheller valley, and for quite a few years literally lived across the street from the main CN line running from Calgary to Saskatoon. The trains coming from Calgary used to sit and wait on a sidetrack right in front of our house for the oncoming trains from Saskatoon before proceeding, sometimes for hours. They would idle quietly and every now and again drop a car off on the siding by shuffling back and forth. Eventually a big freight train would come thundering through town shaking our house, with their horns blaring, pulling heavily laden cars full of prairie grain heading for the coast. Once it had passed, the big diesel engine of the train that had been waiting, would grumble to life with a low growl as the engines strained to pull the massive weight stretched out behind them. On some summer nights with my bedroom window open and with just the right wind and weather conditions, you could here the train rumbling slowly along for at least half an hour as it climbed out of the 400 foot deep Red Deer river valley.
This image is neither the Drumheller valley or a CN train, but I like it. This is one of CP's AC4400CW engines made by GE and was delivered to CP in 1998. This guy has a massive 4400hp engine, weighs in at 415000 pounds, and can hit almost 113 km/h. It has just arrived in Field, B.C. after coming down the BIG hill from Lake Louise and passing through the spiral tunnels.
[Nikon S3]
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