CP Train 9502, Craigellachie, British Columbia

AUGUST 2002 – A Canadian Pacific Rail train with locomotive 9502 passes Craigellachie in British Columbia, Canada. © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com


The story behind the image

Highway 1 is the important lifeline between Vancouver and the Banff National Park and the eastern states of Canada. And it’s a fantastic sightseeing route on your way to and from the Canadian Rockies.

We used the highway to get from Revelstoke to Salmon Arm in British Columbia. Enroute we stopped at the Craigellachie rest area for a good reason: Here, the historic train line between the Canadian west and east coast was connected. The single track is really close here, and during our (short) stay a long train was passing. Despite not being a trainspotter by any means, I could not resist to take this photo. 🙂

By the way, the memorial plate erected by the Department of Recreation & Conservation reads:

THE LAST SPIKE

A nebulous dream was a reality: an iron ribbon crossed Canada from sea to sea. Often following the footsteps of early explorers, nearly 3000 miles of steel rail pushed across vast prairies, cleft lofty mountain passes, twisted through canyons, and bridged a thousand streams. Here on Nov. 7, 1885, a plain iron spike welded East to West.

It’s almost lyric, and I am glad to have visited this place.


The high resolution image

Capture Date24-AUG-2002
LocationCraigellachie, B.C., Canada
CameraCanon AE-1 Program
Image SourceFuji Slide Film
Digital Image SourceMinolta Dimage Scan Elite II
Digital Image Source FormatTIFF, 48 bits/pixel, AdobeRGB
Edited Image FormatJPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB
Edited Image Dimensions2431 x 3275 Pixels
Copyright© by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com

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