Hi Fred:
You may be quite right. I'll have to try to find an old-timer around here (I
live on the north side of Coquitlam) to see if I can clarify this matter.
However: on the strength of my employee time table for 1946, even at this late
date, trains 809/810 were an all-stops local between Vancouver and Huntingdon.
There were seven flag-stops and six station stops between Vancouver and
Huntingdon. Whether or not this train handled mail, I can't say at this point,
but it would be a logical train for handling mail in the lower Fraser Valley.
We'd have to find an expert on the railway mail car service to find out if mail
was exchanged across the border at Huntingdon. Also bear in mind that it is
not impossible that the car was being pressed into temporary service as a
baggage car. The way the truck is backed up to the car, there is a suggestion
that the car may be simply handling express rather than mail. (correct me if
I'm wrong, but this is actually a mail/express car, is it not?)
Also, there is one other consideration we've all overlooked - this photo might
actually be taken at New Westminster, BC. In fact, I'd have to say that the
location looks much more appropriate to New Westminster than it does to
Vancouver. In that case, even though the Westminster Sub. had mixed train
service to handle passenger, a mail/express car would not be that unlikely,
because New Westminster was a significant city.
Joe Smuin
----- Original Message -----
From: Fred Shannon
To: cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2006 11:23 AM
Subject: [SPAM] [SPAM] [cpsig] Re: 1946 consists for No 1, 2, 3, 4,
7,8,11,12,13, 14, 809, 810, 801, 802, 45, 46
Hi Joe,
I can't see the railway using a mail car of any kind on train
809/810, the mileage works against you. The 41.7 miles between
Vancouver and Mission is handled by main line trains, and not
809/810. Even though it takes almost three hours to cover the
distance between Vancouver and Mission. Further this train only works
5 towns, and two of these are flag stops only. At Mission they arrive
at 10:15k and level at 11:15k, and arrive at Huntingdon less than an
hour later at 12:10k.
The railway simply didn't commit a mail car to a 10 mile run. They
didn't do it in Manitoba, or anywhere else that I am aware of. The
cost alone of operating the car plus staff to man it. I just can't
see it. If this train worked the entire route I could see the railway
coming close to braking even operating such a car.
Now I have consists of the train arriving in Vancouver for the
entire 1955 year. Now I realize there is a difference between 1946
and 1955. But the passenger portion of the consist is the same every
day it ran, Combine 3303. No mail car, or extra baggage express car,
or coaches, just the combine 3303. In 1946 I could see a combine and
possibly an additional coach, but thats it.
The only way one could change my mind on this is to seeing a photo
taken in the time frame of 1946, or a consist from a dispatchers,
conductors, papers or files.
Regards,
Fred Shannon
--- In cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, KVRailway <kvrailway@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Fred:
>
> Wrongo!! Employee Time Table No. 88, October 27th, 1946 shows that
the Huntingdon (Mission Subdivision) turn worked out of Vancouver,
departing 730k, reaching Huntingdon at 12.10k and departing 13.40k
and returning to Vancouver at 17k. I think the photo in question
most likely shows this train.
>
> I guess you must have missed my post early this morning. :>)
This photo definitely was not the consist for train Nos. 801-802. As
per my earlier explanation, trains 801 and 802 did not run west of
Revelstoke, nor were they barged ovee the Arrow Lake system.
>
> Joe Smuin
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Fred Shannon
> To: cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 4:13 PM
> Subject: [SPAM] [cpsig] Re: 1946 consists for No 1, 2, 3, 4,
7,8,11,12,13, 14, 809, 810, 801, 802, 45, 46
>
>
> Hi Robert,
>
> I don't think so. The 809/810 Huntingdon, was and to this day
> still is a interchange transfer job, travelling only 10 miles one
> way. There isn't enough mail traffic to warrant a express mail or
a
> mail car period. Any mail would have been handled by the baggage
man,
> on the combine.
>
> I think it may be 801/802 Robson West/Revelstoke via Arrow Lakes.
> Now I have seen photo's in Bains books CP in the Rockies of D-
4g's
> working the passenger in the Arrow Lakes. Now that train had
express
> mail car, baggage car, and a coach or two.
>
> REgards,
> Fred Shannon
>
