British Columbia Train Bridges – Your Railway Pictures

Canadian Train Bridges and Trestles
British Columbia and the Territories

I decided to write this page on railway bridges after a visitor Arthur Grieve, Winnipeg, Manitoba offered to give me a number of railway bridge pictures that he had collected.
I again hope that my visitors will be sending me their pictures to be
included on this page. johnmacdonald@summerville-novascotia.com


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The following series of drawings for the CN Fraser River Bridge were submitted
by James Booth, Willingdon AB

BC Highway Landmarks

This section has been written to show what I refer to as Highway landmarks. These landmarks are associated with a railway and in most cases have greatly improved the highway near a rail line or in some cases are just simply very nice to look at.

	Kettle Valley Railway Bridge in Myra Canyon The Kettle Valley Railway was built in it’s entirety by the CPR [except for the section between Princeton and Brookmere, built by the Great Northern Railroad] The Coquillhalla Sub was abandoned in 1961. Even with the Coquilhalla removed, the KVR continued as a southern mainline, running through Merrit into Spences Bridge. In 1979, the Carmi Sub between Midway and Penticton was abandoned, and thus, the old KVR was dead, except for the 160 miles between Spencer Bridge and Penticton. This was abandoned in 1989, officially ending all rail service on the old KVR. These trestles all burned in the big fire near Kelowna a few years ago. Caption by”Jamie Masters”
This picture was submitted by Arthur Grieve, Winnipeg, Manitoba
	Kettle Valley Railway Bridge in Myra Canyon
This picture was submitted by Arthur Grieve, Winnipeg, Manitoba
	Kettle Valley Railway Bridge in Myra Canyon
This picture was submitted by Arthur Grieve, Winnipeg, Manitoba
	Kettle Valley Railway Bridge in Myra Canyon
This picture was submitted by Arthur Grieve, Winnipeg, Manitoba

	CN Wooden Train Trestle near Terrace, BC
This picture was taken by Phil Mason and was submitted by Jean Guy Hamel
	CN Railway Trestles on the Kitimat Branch
This picture was taken by Phil Mason and was submitted by Jean Guy Hamel
	CN Wooden Overpass near Kitimat, BC.
This picture was taken by Phil Mason and was submitted by Jean Guy Hamel
	CN railway Bridge at Terrace, BC
This picture was taken by Phil Mason and was submitted by Jean Guy Hamel
	A typical railway truss bridge in a view taken from the rear platform of the Rocky Mountaineer train in May 2009. The Kicking Horse River flows under this bridge, located near Golden BC. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truss_bridge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kicking_Horse_River
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones
	Looking west on the rail bridge over the channel at Sicamous BC (pronounced “sicamoose”) from the rear of the Rocky Mountaineer train in May 2009. On right side, Shuswap Lake, on the left side Mara Lake. Sicamous is midway between Vancouver and Calgary, Alberta, on the Trans-Canada Highway and is known as “the houseboat capital of Canada”. Hundreds are available for rental, due to large amounts of shoreline along each lake. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicamous,_British_Columbia
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones
	CN Kitimat Branch Line bridge over the Skeena River
This picture was taken Bill Walker and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	CN Kitimat Branch Line bridge over the Skeena River The grey road bridge you see beside the rail bridge is known in Terrace as the Old Skeena Bridge
This picture was taken Bill Walker and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	CN Kitimat Branch Line bridge over the Skeena River
This picture was taken Bill Walker and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	CN Kitimat Branch Line bridge over the Skeena River
This picture was taken Bill Walker and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	CN Kitimat Branch Line bridge over the Skeena River
This picture was taken Bill Walker and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	Porphyry Creek 001 This is a curved trestle bridge over 40 metres high across Porphyry Creek near Moricetown, BC. The bridge is located at mile 31.3 in the Bulkley Subdivision on the CN Mainline and is an original bridge built somewhere between 1912 and 1913. The photograph was taken from a side door in the vestibule of the Park Car on the Skeena Passenger Train heading west to Prince Rupert on August 14, 2014.
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	Porphyry Creek 002 Another shot, zoomed in slight ly more of the historic, curved trestle bridge over Porphyry Creek at mile 31.3 in the Bulkley Subdivision on the CN Mainline. Taken from the Skeena Passenger Train heading west to Prince Rupert on August 14, 2014.
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	the Seeley Gulch Bridge near New Hazelton, BC
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	When the Canadian Pacific Railway built along the Fraser River in the early-1800s, it chose the easiest route. Later, its rival, the Canadian Northern Railway (later Canadian National Railway) also wanted to build but couldnï¿½t squeeze two sets of rail lines on the same side of the Fraser Canyon and had to build on the other, but trickier side. Both crossed the Fraser River at Cisco (proper name: Siska), about 9.5 miles south of Lytton BC on their own tracks. To do so, CN had to build a girder bridge but the railways co-operate and one railway runs on the otherï¿½s track when necessary. Between Basque and Vancouver, there is “directional running” where CP and CN cooperate, sending all westbound trains down CN tracks (and on the trestle) and all eastbound trains on CP track. Eastbound on CP tracks now, our Rocky Mountaineer train has already crossed the river first through a stone tunnel, then a squared-off black bridge and is now ready to pass under the orange-pained CN girder bridge bound for an overnight stop at Kamloops, where Rocky Mountain passengers have been booked into local hotels before departure the next morning. There is a splendid photo of both bridges in several resolutions at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Canadian_Pacific_ Railway_train_crossing_Fraser_River_on_Cisco bridge_at_Siska,_British_Columbia(2010-Jun-13).jpg The Canadian National bridge is a truss arch bridge, 247 metres (810 ft) long and 90 metres (300 ft) high. The north-west end of the bridge abuts into a near-vertical rock face. The south-east end of the bridge crosses the CPR tracks about 100 metres (330 ft) north of the CPR bridge. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisco_Bridges
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones
	A view from almost directly under the CN girder bridge taken at At this point on the trip, the Rocky Mountaineer slows down to about 15 mph, to allow passengers a full view of the scenery, another slowdown occurring on top of the Stoney Creek Bridge around Revelstoke and perhaps a few other notable sites, as time allows.
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones
	The top deck of the Stoney Creek Bridge, straddling the Beaver Canyon; in Glacier National Park, between Revelstoke and Golden BC Its centre span is at the CPR Mile 76.2 Mountain Sub and the tracks are 300 feet (91 m) above the valley floor. The original wooden bridge was built in 1885, linking Calgary to Vancouver and in 1893, it became a steel structure. The bridge went through several transformations, one of which was to add a second arch in 1929 and a walkway in 2001 (seen at the left). This view is a from a video looking east from the rear platform of the Rocky Mountaineer train in May 2009. View the complete sequence (interrupted by still shots of the valley floor below) at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgxvzWFmnPE. For a westbound video by someone else: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0E9toG-TZ8. It is more direct into the bridge, and the train stops momentarily on the deck.
Video capture: Massey F. Jones
	After crossing the CP Cantilever Bar Tunnel, passengers come upon this view of the CN Truss Arch Bridge and Fraser River canyon as they are about to cross the Cisco Bridge, barely seen in the lower right corner. While the Trans-Canada (#1 Highway) is about a kilometer to the right, the area is mainly inhospitable and home to the Siska First Nation, who have been there for thousands of years, living off salmon fishing and meager farming. Some live below the CPR bridge.
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones
	CPR 5821 leads an eastbound coal drag over the Revelstoke railway bridge over the Columbia River in BC, summer 1975
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones
	This steel bridge is situated at the exit of the lower portal of the lower spiral tunnel. Above the tunnel portal is the upper track, barely seen through the trees VIA 6407 is leading “The Canadian” west over the bridge, which is the last step for trains within in the spiral tunnels complex. Unfortunately, VIA ceased to go through the area in January 1990 and was replaced that summer, by the Rocky Mountaineer; a private company operating luxury trains on a 2-day daulight-only trips. Photo taken in the late 1980s
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones
	Although this isn’t a “railway bridge” as such, this photo gives an excellent idea of most Vancouver Skytrain guideways. Two tracks are in the guideway and all signalling is automatic. There is no operator on the trains. If something or someone falls on the tracks, all trains will stop automatically. This one is of the Metrotown Skytrain station in Burnaby, a Vancouver suburb, June 27th, 2007.
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones
	A view from inside the Vancouver Skytrain guideway. The bridge above is a road.
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones

	Some winter shots I took from the caboose of an eastbound CPR freight in 1980, when I was set back working as an engine service brakeman this view shows the bridge over the Kicking Horse River near field British Columbia.
This picture was taken and submitted by Larry Buchan
	This picture shows our caboose on the bridge and the lead units of our train emerging from Spiral Tunnel No.2 on Field Hill.
This picture was taken and submitted by Larry Buchan
	Looking westward at the bridge when our caboose had emerged from the west portal of the Spiral Tunnel.
This picture was taken and submitted by Larry Buchan
	Mile 82.2 Laggan Subdivision small bridge approaching Banff taken from the Canadian 1980

	WP Bridge at Carcross YT, Aug 1982
This picture was taken and submitted by James Booth, Willingdon AB

	The Grand Truck Pacific Bridge in Prince George, BC The bridge was built in 1914, a year before Prince George was first incorporated.
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	The Grand Truck Pacific Bridge in Prince George, BC
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	The Grand Truck Pacific Bridge in Prince George, BC
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	The Grand Truck Pacific Bridge in Prince George, BC
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	The Grand Truck Pacific Bridge in Prince George, BC
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	The Grand Truck Pacific Bridge in Prince George, BC
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	BC Rail (CN Lease) Quesnel River train bridge There are two rail bridges over the Quesnel River, both in the city the river’s named after. This bridge is both a bridge and an overpass across a stretch of road known as Johnson Loop. The bridge crosses the Quesnel River by its mouth with the Fraser River, BC’s longest river entirely within BC.
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	BC Rail (CN Lease) Quesnel River train bridge
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	BC Rail (CN Lease) Quesnel River train bridge
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	BC Rail (CN Lease) Quesnel River train bridge. This is the second of the two bridges crossing this river at Quesnel, BC This bridge serves the sawmills and pulp mills of Quesnel
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	CN Exchamsiks River Bridge This bridge is at its mouth with the Skeena, the second longest river entirely within BC. The bridge is 50km west of Terrace and 90km east of Prince Rupert.
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	CN Exchamsiks River Bridge
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	CN Second Narrows Railway Bridge that goes across Burrard Inlet showing The Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing behind it. For more information on the narrows bridge go to this site. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Narrows_Bridge
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	CN Second Narrows Railway Bridge The Second Narrows Bridge is a vertical lift railway bridge that crosses the Burrard Inlet and connects Vancouver with the North Shore. As the name suggests, it is located at the second narrowing of the Burrard Inlet.
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	CN Second Narrows Railway Bridge
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	CNR Hansard Rail Bridge This bridge crosses the Fraser River between Upper Fraser and Sinclair Mills. Upper Fraser was a company town that Northwood Pulp and Timber closed in July 1999. Sinclair Mills is a small community, but still in existence. Until a few years ago, the road crossed over the bridge, sharing the same space that the railway traciks occupied. Traffic lights on either end of the bridge were controlled by men who worked in a booth on the bridge. It is now a rail only bridge.
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	CNR Hansard Rail Bridge
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	This is a railway bridge over a creek in the Fraser Canyon near Spences Bridge, visible from the Trans Canada Highway
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
The following series of four pictures shows the spring flooding in the Prince George, BC area. They were submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC They were taken by his mother, Miriam Walker using an iPhone so the quality is not as high as I would like but they do show the river in flood.This is during the spring 2012 flood, which saw the Skeena and Kalum Rivers reach their highest levels since 1972. The photos were taken on June 25
	The bridge is on the CN mainline between Jasper and Prince Rupert, over the Zymacord River in the community of New Remo. The Zymacord is a tributary of the Skeena River, and is located about 15 minutes west of Terrace, BC. The photo was taken on June 25, 2012 at the height of the spring 2012 flood, during which river levels were higher than they’d been since 1972.
This picture was submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	CN Bridge over the Skeena River on the branch line to Kitimat, just west of the Terrace, BC CN Yards.
This picture was submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	CN bridge over the Kalum River at its mouth with the Skeena River on the mainline to Prince Rupert. The Kalum River forms the western boundary of the City of Terrace and the eastern boundary of the Kitsumkalum First Nations Reserve, that the river takes it name from. This is during the spring 2012 flood, which saw the Skeena and Kalum Rivers reach their highest levels since 1972. The photo was taken on June 25
This picture was submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	CN train just west of Terrace heading to Prince Rupert at the height of the spring 2012 flood,
This picture was submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC

	The BC Rail footbridges over railway tracks over the tracks in Quesnel, quite close to the former BCR Station. The bridge is a concrete spiral beside what was once an active railway crossing. The crossing is only open now in the spring when Johnson Loop is flooded. When open, the crossing provides direct access to the Johnson Bridge across the Quesnel River into Johnson Subdivision (the subdivision where the caboose is located and found on the Caboose page).
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	The BC Rail footbridges over railway tracks over the tracks in Quesnel,
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	The BC Rail footbridges over railway tracks over the tracks in Quesnel,
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	The BC Rail footbridges over railway tracks over the tracks in Quesnel,
This picture was taken and submitted by Corey Walker, Prince George, BC
	The remains of the rail bridge truss (span4) from the E&N station end in June 2012, with the bridge on the left still handling traffic. Future plans call for building a new bridge by 2016; to the left of the old one, which will then be removed. It will be a bascule geared design and not fitted with rail. http://www.johnsonstreetbridge.com/the-project/design/

	A three-quarter view of the Johnson Street Bridge in June 2012, with the rail span now removed. The station was located on the left side in the photo. On Friday, February 24 2011, the largest single-lift crane barge in Western Canada lifted the rail portion of the 88 year old bridge and its 500 (metric) tonne counterweight (about 551.3 US tons) its foundation, lowered the load onto the barge and it was floated away to be scrapped due to severe corrosion. http://www.vancouversun.com/news/thewest/Barge+arrival +begins+Johnson+Street+Bridge/6191054/story.html. Anyone interested in a complete assessment of the Johnson Street Bridge for heritage value can visit: johnsonstreetbridge.org/pdf/kalmanreport.pdf The report contains several engineering and historical photographs. The large building in the background is the Delta Victoria Hotel.
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones
	A scan from a colour negative taken by a friend, brought out an early 1970s view of the Johnson Bridge with both spans in place and an E&N train running on the bridge, northbound out of Victoria City Centre.
This picture was submitted by Massey F. Jones and is part of the Massey F. Jones Collection
	A view from the eastbound Rocky Mountaineer; showing part of the century-old New Westminster swing bridge in the foreground, spanning the south shore of the Fraser River at New Westminster and the north shore at Surrey BC. In the next few minutes, our train will turn left and ride on it. The New Westminster Bridge was constructed in 1904 and originally built with two decks. The lower deck was used for rail traffic, and the upper deck was used for automobile traffic. With the opening of the Pattullo Bridge in 1937, the upper deck was removed and the bridge was converted exclusively for rail use. It is owned and operated by the BNSF Railway, while the Canadian National Railway has trackage rights as do VIA Rail and AMTRAK. For about the first 50 miles in and out of Vancouver, the Rocky Mountaineer uses CN trackage. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Westminster_Bridge The Patullo Bridge in the background was named in honour of Thomas Dufferin Pattullo, former premier of British Columbia. Both bridges are now up for discussion on their replacement.
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones