This picture was taken by Phil Mason and submitted 
by Jean Guy Hamel, Quebec, Canada

This was at St. Luc diesel shop, and apparently it was on
the last steam run on CP, November 6th, 1960, 75 years less a day from the driving of the last spike at Craigellachie BC on Novmeber 7th, 1885.

1980 to 1983 were Ontario Northland trains running between Toronto and Cochrane ON for their Northlander. The TEE trainsets were imported from Holland, where they were a push-pull operation (one diesel,  front & back). The trainsets were eventually replaced by FP7 units, as they
proved to be a maintenance problem.

Survivors:
It is very sad that the most beautiful diesel locomotive ever built was not preserved well. Of 250 cab units built, only 7 are currently known to exist. Three PA-2s were sold to the 
Brazilian National Railway and all 3 remain. One is in decent condition at the Museum of History & Culture in Brazil, while the other two units rust away in a backlot. There are currently no plans to restore these units and return them to the U.S. In 1967, Santa Fe sold 4 PAs to the
Delaware and Hudson Railroad. They were rebuilt and used to power commuter trains and special excursions. In 1978 the 4 units were leased and later sold to the National Railway of Mexico. 
Eventually D&H #17&19 (they still used the D&H numbers) were placed in museums in Mexico.
Although they are in operational condition, it is unlikely they will run again. Number 16 and 18, however still exist as wrecked hulks. They could be restored to service with a lot of work. These two units finally returned to the U.S. in 2000. Number 18 will be rebuilt and used for excursion
service as NKP #190, while #16 will be cosmetically restored in ATSF warbonnet and displayed at the Smithsonian. These two "incredible hulks" will be exciting to see when they are finished!
In addition, one B unit still exists as heater car #252. (Former Rio Grande 6012)

Cor van Steenis
Chestermere, Alberta, Canada

Cor van Steenis has given me permission to show these pictures on my site.
Many thanks go out to him. They are truly amazing pictures.

There were only 2 of these built by MLW:
The 26 and 27.
They were owned by Roberval Saguenay, an Alcan railway arm, operating 135 mile north of Quebec City.
This locomotive is carrying an acid load to the Alcan plant in Alma QC in the winter of 1978
 

The Roberval and Saguenay Railway is owned by Alcan Aluminium Ltd. to serve its smelter as well as other industries, primarily forestry-based ones, including the 
Price Bros. newsprint mill in Alma built in the 1920's. Its trains operate over CN to connect between two portions of the Roberval Saguenay; 19 miles between La-Baie 
and Jonquiere and 10 miles from Herbertville Station to Alma, Quebec. These running rights were granted by the CNR in the fall of 1975. 

The Alma and Jonquieres Railway was incorporated in Quebec in 1912 to build from Herbertville on the Quebec and Lake St. John to a point between Grand Decharge and Petite Decharge and from St. Joseph d'Alma to Jonquieres. Construction did not begin
until April 1923 and was completed in August. It too came under ownership of Alcan and eventually was merged (January 1, 1974) into the 
Roberval & Saguenay.

101 is now scrapped and 102 (last I heard ) was at Exporail, also called the Canadian Railway Museum, in St-Constant QC (just out of the Montreal island, on the 
South Shore 

RSR 101 is an S-2,  built in August 1949 (Ser# 76479), and aquired by Alma Jonquiere Railway (a division of Alcan  - Now Rio Tinto Alcan) in 1974. 
It operated in the Lac St -Jean area of Québec at Alma as their AJR 101, before being painted yellow in its final days and stripped for parts before resale.
The main operating range of the 101 and 102 locomotives was between Alma and Hébertville Station (about 10 miles), where the AJR connected with the CN. 

Basically, the 101 was a company road switcher. On road trips, it usually operated with sister RSR 102, a lookalike
but an S-4 built in 1951.
The roster indicates that 101 was scrapped by its new 
owners in 1990, while sister 102, was saved and is now at 
the Exporail railway museum in St Constant, QC.
 

CP 8100 (SW1200RS) services the VIA #2 CANADIAN at the downtown Calgary station in the early 1980s. VIA no longer serves Calgary and the 8100 was taken
off-roster in January 1999. As of 2009, there were less than 2 of these units left on the CP roster. and all were either sold or scrapped.

ALCO 202, C420, Class AGP-20msc, was built in December 1963, #84724.

It was sold to VNRR as 202 and further sold to WVRR as 202.  It was sold as PV Commodity Systems 202 in April 1978 and sold as Western Canada Steel 202 in 
June 1985. This ALCO Century 424 #202,  is ready for scrapping at Western Steel in southeast Calgary circa 1994. It looks as though the loco belonged 
to a private owner.

The turntable was then removed; the track lifted and
today, nothing remains of the fuel tanks etc. 
A large park was built on the site with a view into the Saguenay fjord, a deep waterway off the St Lawrence river.

This view was taken from the platform of the former Chicoutimi 
passenger station in March 1976.
Built in 1920 by CN, the 2-storey station was converted
into a commercial centre, upon termination of rail service.
The street entrance for the station was on the top floor. Passenger then proceeded to the lower floor for boarding.

See "before and after" shots of the station at: http://akakia.blogspot.ca/2007/05/
(The blog is in French and basically titled "Historians vs Developers")

Access my Stations page for a view at the undamaged building.

This photo was taken in the Great Hall departure 
point for the RCP on November 5th, 2011; following
a fundraiser train pull in support of the 
Special Olympics.
As participants pulled the diesel forward 30 ft 
(paying $20 apiece for the privilege), the trackmobile
in the rear returned the unit to its original starting position for the next 20 person team.

"The Great Hall", a 152m wing (just short of 500 ft), where the Royal Canadian Pacific is stored, when in Calgary. 
This photo was taken on November 5th, 2011.

The area can accomodate up to 80 people for seated dining  and about 200 people for weddings etc.
Catering is provided by the adjacent multi-star Palliser Hotel. View their interesting website.
Trips on the Royal Canadian Pacific are in the upper four-figure range, with onboard stateroom and
showers. Accomodation  is limited to 32 guests, 
each receiving 
VIP treatment throughout the consistof 10 fully 
restored (1916-1931) Canadian Pacific
business cars . 
http://www.royalcanadianpacific.com/
http://www.royalcanadianpacific.com
 

Most of the Pennsy units were painted in "
Brunswick Green" (Black with just a drop of green).
From research in the roster, it appears that the B unit
was given the same number as its A (leading) unit,  with
the B designation.
Also that Brunswick green was for mosly for freight, with  passenger units being  tuscan red or plain red, depending
upon  the train's importance. It all varied.
"As delivered", Pennsy units were Brunswick Green 
with 5 gold stripes.

The apparatus on the rooftop of the 9774 is an early
Trainphone induction radio antenna setup. 
These antennae were removed after the installation of a Motorola radio system  in the leading unit.
See a calendar colour photo in Brunswick Green, stripes
and installed antennae at  http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/about/roster/
5901tellerpainting.htm

In 1968, Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) merged with
New York Central Railroad (NYC) to become Penn Central Transportation, which in turn morphed into Conrail.(CR)
in the mid-70s
Conrail broke up into other entities in the 1990s.

This was the last locomotive to opperate on the The Salem and Hillsborough Railroad. The railway closed in 2006 after a fire set by arsons. This fire destroyed much of the equipment including the prised CPR 29 steam locomotive.

CPR always operated “The Atlantic” at minimal levels with only a 
single E8 locomotive, baggage car, coach, diner and sleeping car. 
Passengers for Halifax were required to use a ferry, then
transfer to the Dominion Atlantic Railway (DAR).
 
 

From a delapidated condition, it would appear that the area under the bridge
has all been converted to green space.
The structures on the bridge once held overhead catenary 
for the Montreal electric locomotives.

The unit was renumbered 1019 in 1995 and sold to
National Railway Equipment in June 1999. 

VIA rail service on the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway, linking 
Victoria to Courtney was suspended on March 18th 2011, 
after 125 years, due to steadily rotting ties and lack of money to
fix them. 
A bus charter was started between the two cities, with the
hope that rail service will be eventually reinstated but it
appears very much in question, as VIA has been wanting to
abandon the line for some time. Meanwhile, the two RDCs 
on the Island were moved from Victoria in May, to long term
covered storage at Nanaimo.
 

In the mid 70s, GP9s were the prime CN freight power at 
1800HP (to today's 4400 plus).

The photo  is taken at an unknown location, likely in the Laurentians, during a
fantrip with the St Lawrence Valley Railway Society (CRHA) out of
Montreal in the mid 70s.
The back  was preferred, to take advantage of  full sun on the RDC.

 A careful look will reveal the "extra" flags at the other end by the door.

First of all, VIA6312 is no longer on the roster (sold to RaiLink and 
renumbered RaiLink 1401) A photo of the 1401 at the tail end of a
train at CN Sarcee Yard in Calgary on its way to a new home,
appears on these pages.
The 6312 built by GMD in 1957 as CN # 6523, was rebuilt by
VIA for use on "The Canadian" and other trains, before being 
sold to RaiLink, who had it repainted by ONR at their North Bay
shops in July 1999.

The second reason why this photo is historical is that VIA no
longer runs through Calgary. Anyone traveling trans-Canada 
on VIA, now goes through Edmonton.

The  third reason is that the building on the left, which was the Calgary central post
office was totally gutted inside and out and is now the headquarters
for the Royal Canadian Pacific luxury train at 201-9th Ave SW. 
Misssing from the picture and yet to be constructed, is the
12 meter high glass rotunda with beautiful marble floors
Canadian Pacific Pavillion (see my station page) , linking the multi-star Palliser Hotel in the background, to the RCP headquarters . 
At the west end is the Great Hall, a 152 m wing that houses the 
Royal Canadian Pacific train when it is in Calgary.
(The track near the platform formerly held the Speno/Pandrol
Jackson grinding trains when in town)

The exhaust signals that 6312 is starting its journey west 
through the Rockies,
pullihg VIA #1 "The Canadian" with  all-GMD A-B-B power 
at the head end. 
There is no ready explanation for the old cars in the 
foreground, except that they happened to be in the downtown
yard at the time, if not actually passing through, 
in this summery late 1980s photo, taken from a parkade overlooking
the yard. 
A half-block block away on the other side of the Palliser is the
Calgary Tower complex.

The Water Tower at the Antony Hendray Museum, 

Delburne AB (near Red Deer)
This CNR  tower at the Antony Henday Museum in Delburne 

AB accomodate railway artifacts.
The museum has fixed hours  of operation in the summer

but will  accomodate appointments.
CN metal caboose 79290  (1967) is also on the property, along

with a small rail speeder.

Admission to the museum is by donation.
http://www.unlockthepast.ca 

The loco (now in the CPR maroon and grey paint scheme)
was to be removed  in December 2010, after most of the CPR Ogden facility  was sold to Alstom. 
4104 could now be stored at a proposed rail museum in 
Beseiker AB but this is not
certain . Website: http://www.alberta2005rail.com/
A great photo of the 4104 in service at Nelson BC
is available at http://www.flickr.com/photos

This photo was taken at the Industrial Yard, on 9 Ave (in front of 
Fort Calgary) on December 9th, 2002; just before CP91 found
its way  to the museum for preservation.

Introduced in 1949, GP7's were used to pull just about anything 
anywhere and were suceeded by the GP9, some of which are
still in use today.
The 562 was immortalized by Atlas as their 48063 in N Scale.
http://nekrailroad.com/NEK/MEC_GP7.html
http://www.trainz.com/p-179072

Built in May 1972, along with a great deal of its sisters, 5605 was
part of the CP's immense fleet of SD40-2s.
Most are now relegated to minor roles on branch lines, or used as secondary units on road freights. Some are in yard service. 
The 5605 was sold to Helm Leasing in December 2006, for use
just about anywhere in North America.
 

Several attempts have been made to revive the run in the form
of a high speed train that would wisk passengers in about 2 hours,  in what would be one of the busiest rail corridors, next to the Windsor-Quebec City portion.
Two routes have been proposed http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2009/07/21/calgary-edmonton
-corridor-next -up-for-train-improvements/
Cost (about $60 one-way) and other semantics seem to always
get in the way; with  the project on the back burner for some time, then resurfacing  periodically. 
A brief trial took place on the CPR Red Deer Sub, with a Bombardier
bullet train and no passengers but  the (diesel) unit was found to 
be unsuitable. Many of the studies done on the project are now very outdated. 

2301  was sold to Quebec Cartier Mining (Cartier Railway)
in 1976 along with several other M636s.
Renumbered  Cartier 42, it was scrapped it in 2003 at
Port Cartier QC.

This Kodachrome was taken in Windsor ON during
April 1976. Shortly before the unit's retirement.
Unit CN 5050 was retired in 1998.

This diesel  has had a very hard life. 
In this photo taken (probably in North Vancouver) 
in the late 60s MLW Demonstrator is on the BC Rail

Here is the exerpt from http://www.flickr.com/photos
Built in 1959 as Alco RS-27 Demonstrator #640-3, then 
became UP #676 before being sold in 1971 to
Strobell Company who in turn then resold to 
Montreal Locomotive Works who refurbished/repainted
(maroon and silver)/renumbered to #676 - used in lease
service in Canada including at BC Rail. Sold by MLW
in 1975 to Devco Railway, renumbered again to #214 
and finally retired/scrapped in 1984.

Devco is the acromym of the Cape Breton Development Corporation, a mining concern. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devco_Railway
 

CN 4590, a classical GP9;  in its black and red paint
scheme at an unknown location.
Clearly visible is the footboard pilot, enabling yard
crews to ride the locomotive
See a picture of her in newer paint at: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture
 

A detailed Q&A of the pros and cons of the move at http://www.cn.ca/en/calgary-logistics-park-faq.htm

Built in 1958-1959 as CN 1913, GMD1 1402 is still 
in operation, according to the latest 
Canadian Narional Historical Association roster. 

In road service GMD1s usually ran long end first, 
a holdover from the steam era days.
 

The 1985 photo shown here is no longer possible, due to 
high chain link fences on both sides of the tracks today. 
Excellent ground shots can be taken at level crossings
of 11 St SW (by Mewata Armoury) and 8 St SE
(by Fort Calgary)
Both at the edge and within walking distance of 
downtown and served by nearby transit, with a 2-3
block walk to the tracks (recommended)

Just a warning that a lot of vibration from semi trailers 
and others will be encountered on the bridge but  it has a 
sidewalk and the yard view is superb, with almost constant
diesel operation. A small city street at the east end of the
bridge will allow photos of power in the back of the diesel
shop. You may not go further up this road, as it becomes 
CPR property. Consult Google Earth for further details 

Last in a series in a series ranging from #11 (b/1957) to
# 23 (b/1960) , the D-T-C was sold to a variety of owners
after retirement in 1980. The number 2034 displayed on
the front was it's last "name" with the former owner in
Burlington, Ontario.

It is photographed here at Champion Park on 
15 May 1989. Other railway artifacts (track speeder),
signal can be seen in the photo

Champion Park is named for the railway station, which
was rescued and refurbished. See it in my Stations page.
CP #19 is part of a collection displayed on private property.
The site is not open to the public but serious visitors
may request permission to enter. 

The water on the left is the Kicking Horse River, 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kicking_Horse_River fresh
from the glaciers above and flowing swiftly. The train has
left Vancouver about 400 miles away and will pass through
the Spiral Tunnels, within the next 30 or 40 miles, 
on its way to Calgary and points east on the CPR mainline.

At this stage, the VIA 6300s, remanufactured from older 
CN and CP diesel passenger units are about to be 
replaced by newer FP-40s through Calgary until 1990.
At that time VIA merged its Western routes into
one, running instead on the CNR mainline through
Edmonton and Jasper; a more rugged and far less
picturesque setting . 

In order to take advantage of the former tourist trade on the
CPR, a consortium started the Rocky Mountaineer, which 
has enjoyed great success since, running domed passenger
trains  May through September, through the most 
spectacular mountain scenery in Canada by 
advanced reservation only during 2-day 
daylight-only trips Calgary-Vancouver (or reverse
depending on the dates) with night lodging in Kamloops,
included into the train fare. http://www.rockymountaineer.com/en_CA/routes_and_
packages

The Kicking Horse River tunnels continue to be used
every day, all year at all hours by CPR freights. 
The Royal Canadian Pacific and the CPR Empress 
steam locomotive also run on the line when scheduled.

Built back in 1912 as OE #21, 22 and  23, they were renumbered as BCE #961, 960 and 962 respectively, upon aquisition by BC Electric. 
BCE #960 was restored by the West Coast Railway in Squamish BC after a short stint as a museum artifact.http://www.wcra.org/collection/BCE960.htm
BCE #961 eventually ended up on Edmonton Transit, as 
their # 2001, helping build their initial LRT system under Jasper Street and and being used in other heavy duty work.  http://barp.ca/bus/alberta/ets/etsrbmow/2001/
(Click on "search by image"), before being  replaced by
diesel 2010 (same link). 
The #962 was scrapped in 1959.

Electric operation on the line on BC Hydro ceased in 1981. 
I perhaps took this photo of the 961 (and possibly 960)
at the BCH  Carrall Street yard (formerly  at the west
end of the present Gastown in downtown Vancouver)
circa 1974; on a railfan trip with a friend. We motored 
from eastern Alberta to his home in Prince George BC, 
visiting all major railyards enroute. 
 

This photo of the CPR 1600 is taken on the Brooks Sub,
just south of Alyth Yard. 
The remanufactured Geep (from unit 8690 is on switching duties in the mid 80s, almost fresh out of the shops
(Sep 85) and still in its shiny CPR paint. 
View a photo of sister 8694  - a High Hood unit 
in  Red Deer on this page
In March 2006, it will totally again change its 
appearance and become CPR1700, a GG20B "
Green Goat", a low emission diesel hybrid. 
View the totally "new look" at http://www.trainweb.org/greengoats/cp/1700.html

CPR terminated the contract.Green Goat with Rail Power Technolgies aftr converting 6 units (1700-1705) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railpower_GG20B
Subsequently, the 1700 was leased to  AMTRAK as their 
# 599. View a photo in its new paint at  http://www.trainweb.org/greengoats/amtk/599.html
before being returned to Rail Power Technologies 
(the originators of the Green Goad project) as their RPRX 2406 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?

The bridge in the background of the CPR 1600 is the CN bridge out of Sarcee Yard in Calgary, covered extensively
in my Bridge page.

Notice the rotating Mars light on the door and the single number board, subsequently modified on later RDCs.

CPR 9054, built in 1953,  was sold to the 
Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) in 1983
as their #54.
After retirement, it was acquired by the Illinois Transit Assembly Corp 
and  is now  displayed at the National Transportation Museum, St. Louis, 
MI., still carrying it's MBTA #54 roadnumber.
http://transportmuseumassociation.org/passenger_cars.htm

Helper GP38 CP 3014 is apparently still in service somewhere

VIA 6510 is dislayed in a park in Thunder Bay Ontario. 
View a picture of her at http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx
And 4th from the head end is, the steam generator; 
a relic of past railroading, when steam provided all 
heat we appreciated in the dead of winter.

In 1999, the 5563 was sold to the Dakota Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (a subsidiary of the CPR) and 
renumbered DME 6079 
Confirmation that it is the right loco is at:
http://www.mountainrailway.com/Roster
In the view at 
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture
the CP logo and reference to CP on the side have  been totally painted out.
The botched results of the DME red spray can
paint job can be clearly seen on the computer screen.

The final paint scheme is at:
http://www.trainweb.org/wisrail/wcsc/wc1504sc.jpg

Here, it is  leading ACR 164, shown elsewhere in this page.
 

Only 6.33 miles long, the TI connected the resort and manufacturing town of Gananoque, Ont., on the
St. Lawrence River with the main line of the Canadian National Ry. between Montreal and Toronto. 
Locomotive no. 500, locally known as The Susan Push, 
was the TI's sole motive power from 1931 to 1962, thus
one of my earliest railroad memories and an engine
I simply had to model. 
The Susan Push was constructed by the Oshawa Ry. 
shops using the frame, trucks, and traction motors from retired Oshawa electric No. 42. The rest of the
components came from Whitcomb via its Canadian 
licensee, the Canadian Locomotive Works. The engine
was completed in May 1930 (even though Whitcomb
gives the date as December) and given builder's
no. 50006. It worked on the Oshawa Ry. until 
March 1931 when it was transferred to the 
Thousand Islands Ry. and became no. 500.
Originally powered by a 250-hp Waukesha gasoline 
engine, it was one of only eight Whitcomb gas-electrics
ever built. However, in 1947 the CN rebuilt the unit into a diesel-electric using a pair of Cummins diesels. 
When the Thousand Islands Ry. was integrated into the Canadian National system in 1959, The Susan Push,
at a mere 35 tons, became the smallest locomotive
on the entire system. Though taken out of service in 
1962, no. 500 wasn't officially retired until April 1963.
On June 4, 1966, after months of restoration by the
CN, it was donated to the town of Gananoque for
public display.

Other links are at: http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/CNR/TIR.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand_Islands_Railway

At http://www.mashpedia.com/Thousand_Islands_Railway, click on the photo of the 500,  to get excellent YouTube
type closeups of the engine (the site is a bit slow to load)
 

Equipment usually consisted of either E8s 1800 or 1802,
the Canadian Pacific Railway only E8s ever purchased
(1801 was damaged at La Chevrotiere QC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTC-A0d4Vn4 
and never ran again) .
Trains 41/42  only had basic facilities of coach, sleeper 
and snack bar and traveled overnight through the 
United States through Maine, reaching Canada the next morning. This was the most direct route.
Certain political changes came about, including the
formation of VIA in 1978 and the route was changed to provide Montréal-Halifax service using CN and 
CP tracks, such as it is today.

View the Atlantic Limited schedule at http://www.streamlinerschedules.com/concourse/track6/
atlanticltd195705.html
Solid historical details can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_(train)#
The_Atlantic_Limited

While the 25 is an low nose RS-18, the 26 and 27
are the only two M-420TR locomotives of this type ever built, featuring Hi-Ad trucks, later used in many CN and 
CP road locomotives. Other M420s (not the TR model)
were built and started the trend to the Canadian Comfort Cab, very familiar today.
All 3 locomotives were sold in 2000, as the RSR started 
to switch to into General Motors locomotives.

This photo was taken circa 198(basically behind Canadian Forces Base Bagotville QC), at the top end of a very long and steep horseshoe curve inbound to the La Baie, the RS teerminal.
Action on the horseshoe curve outbound is a sight to 
behold when full loads, pulled by at least 3 locomotives, sometimes more depending upon the load. View the 
curve at: "La Baie" on Google Earth. 
The RS roster and other pertinent detail at: http://www.trainweb.org/rosters/RS.html

SOO 4201 looks changed completely,  when it  was 
converted for the CPR to "Green Goat" GG20B 1703 
in 2006 
http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/7/1/9/9719.1
163980800.jpg
6 units were converted (1700 - 1705), before CPR cancelled the contract with Railpower Technologies and the units 
were sent to other owners.
http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/24667360/
Have a look at CP unit 1600 and its Green Goat link, as
well as an aerial view of Alyth Yard on this page.

See the 6529 in VIA paint at Toronto's Spadina Yard
(now site of the Skydome)  http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto
By 2004, the engine had outlived its usefulness and looking fairly grim http://trainiax.net/photos/2005/2005-10-27-expo/photo

It was then donated for preservation to Exporail in St-Constant QC, who are restoring  it to fairly pristin
e VIA 6309, for outside display.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:VIA_GM_FP9.jpg

The building in the background is labeled ATL, for the Alberta Terminal Limited, 
a division of Cargill Limited. It was built in 1911 and was operated by several 
concerns, before Calgill took it over. 
A really good photo of the complex in 1983 can be found at
http://www.aportraitofcanada.ca/?p=1654
It's a side view of what is shown here. It was actually
located in the Bonnybrook district,
some fair distance from its popular name of "Ogden Elevator"

After Cargill closed down the elevator, historians tried to
find a use for the vacant
building but it couldn't be adapted to anything and was considered unsafe..
At 8am, on  Oct. 16, 2011; the last part of the elevator was imploded to make way for a housing project.
http://www.calgaryjournal.ca/index.php/news/end-of-an-era
Several YouTube sites show the implosion, as Calgarians were invited to witness it and cameras captured the event from several angles..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_0OuQZFRPU

VIA 6307 is a remanufactured FP9A, ex CN 6515, built in 1957 and sold to VIA in 1978.
It was renumbered 6307 in 1984 after remanufacture. 
Upon retirement in April 2002the 6307  was sold to Ohio Central Railroad.
See a video of her (now in tuscan red colours and trailing another FP9A (exVIA 6313 - exx CN 6526) at http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x38xx_ohio-central
In this photo, the Canadian is just leaving the Calgary 
VIA station, pulling the #1 to Vancouver, through Banff,
Lake Louise and the Spiral Tunnels.
The bridge in the background makes a fairly good vantage 
point for photographing mainline heavy tonnage rail, for the price of paying for parking at the Gulf Canada Square, the
large glass building above the train.

CPR Heaquarters is in Gulf Canada Square. In front of the building is CPR steam locomotive #29 on static display, also worthy of pictures (View my CPR locomotive page)
Access to the area is now barred, dur to 6 ft fencing on both sides of the tracks. The north side fence, still brand new is 
seen behind the engine.

Decent shots of westbound CPR freights are still possible 
at the railway crossing, a few blocks west near Mewata Armoury, at 11 St and 9 Ave SW; MP 1.1. CP Laggan Sub.
These is about one per hour each way, mostly led by
AC4400s and usually fitted with Distributed Power
(DPU) either in the middle of the mile-long train and/or 
in the rear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch a DPU train at shot at that location.

Canadian Pacific 5000 and 5001 are the only GP30
models ever acquired by CP.
(GP 30 stands for "General Purpose", so these 
locomotives could be used on either the mainline or 
branch lines. The 30 refers to the horsepower  - 3000. Actually, they were 2250 HP, fairly low power by
today's standards of at least 4000HP for road engines).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_GP30

In Port Coquitlam you could get good pictures by standing just off the South side of CP Property or by signing a 
release and taking pictures from certain areas on the
North side of the yards. However when taking pictures 
on the North side one would be advised not to leave the
areas you were told to stay in. The Port Coquitlam yard is extremely busy & dangerous.