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Post by Low Light Mike on Jan 23, 2013 11:45:16 GMT -8
New thread, inspired by an email that WCFF received from a forum reader. (yes, there's some overlap between current & historical in these links, but that's ok; really it is)  the email said.... =============== I stumbled across the following link recently while researching some older west coast rail barges. I'm not a forum member but I thought some of your members might be interested in seeing it. It is a pdf scan of the publication Canadian Rail of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association. Wonderful illustrated article gives a great snapshot of operations in 1968. Canadian Rail of the Canadian Railroad Historical AssociationAlso Marcon International currently has a Canadian rail barge listed for sale. Likely the Hyak King (Can 345125) owned by Canexus Chemicals Canada. Marcon International currently has a Canadian rail barge listed for sale |
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Post by Chris City on Jan 23, 2013 13:08:14 GMT -8
New thread, inspired by an email that WCFF received from a forum reader. (yes, there's some overlap between current & historical in these links, but that's ok; really it is) Great idea for a thread! I know I have a lot of questions regarding the railbarges and their routine. For instance, the Canexus Chemical Plant: it has it's own barge slip but I know it's also switched by CN. So does this barge slip get used anymore? If it is, where are the cars coming from/ going to? I'm guessing they used their own barge but now I see that they're selling it so what will become of the barge slip? |
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Post by Chris City on Jan 31, 2013 12:56:46 GMT -8
For instance, the Canexus Chemical Plant: it has it's own barge slip but I know it's also switched by CN. So does this barge slip get used anymore? After looking at an updated Google Maps view of their barge slip, it shows the actual barge slip is still there but all rails leading to it have been removed. That would explain why they're selling their barge. That leaves the lower mainland with I believe 3 operational rail barge slips: the BNSF Burrard Inlet slip, Tilbury, and the only one currently being used on Annacis Island. If I missed any, I'd be interested to hear about them  |
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Post by Mike C on Jan 31, 2013 15:20:18 GMT -8
For instance, the Canexus Chemical Plant: it has it's own barge slip but I know it's also switched by CN. So does this barge slip get used anymore? After looking at an updated Google Maps view of their barge slip, it shows the actual barge slip is still there but all rails leading to it have been removed. That would explain why they're selling their barge. That leaves the lower mainland with I believe 3 operational rail barge slips: the BNSF Burrard Inlet slip, Tilbury, and the only one currently being used on Annacis Island. If I missed any, I'd be interested to hear about them There is currently a railbarge berth in service in Vancouver, directly north of the intersection of Powell St and Cordova Div, between Balantyne Pier and Rogers Sugar. This berth was used for a brief period of time (I think in 2009) by the SRY, I'm assuming while their berth under the Alex Fraser Bridge was undergoing maintenance. |
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Post by Chris City on Jan 31, 2013 17:53:07 GMT -8
There is currently a railbarge berth in service in Vancouver, directly north of the intersection of Powell St and Cordova Div, between Balantyne Pier and Rogers Sugar. This berth was used for a brief period of time (I think in 2009) by the SRY, I'm assuming while their berth under the Alex Fraser Bridge was undergoing maintenance. That would be the BNSF barge slip, I don't think it's been used since SRY used it in 2009. It seems like all the rail barge movements that come in and out of the lower mainland have been consolidated at the Annacis barge slip. |
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Post by Mike C on Jan 31, 2013 20:07:22 GMT -8
There is currently a railbarge berth in service in Vancouver, directly north of the intersection of Powell St and Cordova Div, between Balantyne Pier and Rogers Sugar. This berth was used for a brief period of time (I think in 2009) by the SRY, I'm assuming while their berth under the Alex Fraser Bridge was undergoing maintenance. That would be the BNSF barge slip, I don't think it's been used since SRY used it in 2009. It seems like all the rail barge movements that come in and out of the lower mainland have been consolidated at the Annacis barge slip. Documentation of this operation for your viewing enjoyment |
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Post by Chris City on Feb 1, 2013 9:46:29 GMT -8
Documentation of this operation for your viewing enjoyment That's a great dvd, highly recommend it!  |
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Post by WettCoast on Feb 1, 2013 11:16:33 GMT -8
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Post by Chris City on Feb 1, 2013 19:37:54 GMT -8
Came across this video of a Seaspan tug hauling a railbarge from Kitimat, which is interesting in that I didn't know there was a railbarge slip there. I don't think they move railcars to Kitimat this way anymore though, I'm guessing this video is older as I believe that barge has been retired. Can anybody tell me more about the Kitimat barge slip?
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Post by WettCoast on Feb 1, 2013 22:31:03 GMT -8
Came across this video of a Seaspan tug hauling a railbarge from Kitimat, which is interesting in that I didn't know there was a railbarge slip there. I don't think they move railcars to Kitimat this way anymore though, I'm guessing this video is older as I believe that barge has been retired. Can anybody tell me more about the Kitimat barge slip? I have lived in Kitimat since 1977. I have never seen, or heard of any rail barge slip here, either existing today or in the past. There is a barge slip, however. No rails on it now, at any time in the past. The barge slip was operated way back when by Northland Navigation. That was taken over by CP Rail who sold it a few years later to RivTow. RivTow in turn was taken over by Smidt. They too are gone now, having sold out to Seaspan (WMG). Kitimat has been served by a rail connection since 1955. CN's Kitimat subdivision connects Terrace on the BC north mainline with Kitimat and the industries here. If that video refers to a rail barge slip in Ktimat it is doing so erroneously. I have not watched the video yet. Will do so when I have time.Edit: I have watched the video. The information in it stating that the barge is en route to/from Ktimat IS incorrect. I am thinking that it could be rail cars heading to/from Powell River. The tug has the WMG logo on it. How long has that logo been around? |
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Post by Chris City on Feb 2, 2013 0:17:52 GMT -8
WCK: I was surprised when it said it was from Kitimat as I'd never heard of rail barges going there before, could be mislabeled like you said. I've asked the uploader about the video, waiting for a response.
P_Keenleyside: I've also seen in the past where isolated industries received railcars by barge but the cars were unloaded while staying on the barge. I don't know if that still happens anywhere today though.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2013 9:23:50 GMT -8
We used to tow those barges from Vancouver to Port Alice. The chlorine cars ( black ) were "exchanged" at the rail slip and the ammonia ( white ) were discharged from the barge via piping and hoses alongside a dock. In transit, the cars were turn buckled and chained to the deck and sometimes we had to wait days for favourable weather before we could go on the outside waters around the top of Vancouver Island between Port Hardy and Quatsino Sound.I'm not sure if that particular barge (SS 902 ) was later fitted with tanks but the earlier barges used to carry liquid caustic in tanks below decks.
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Post by WettCoast on Feb 2, 2013 10:28:38 GMT -8
My guess is that the "rail barge slip" is at Eurocan Pulp and Paper as the rail tank cars are carrying chlorine which is used in the bleaching process during the paper making operation. Seaspan had tank barges for chlorine but not alot of them, and it would be much easier to just place loaded chlorine railway tank cars onto a barge and tow it to the pulp mill. Powell River has a similar facility. Not uncommon for pulp mills to receive railway tank cars, store them on a short siding layout until they are moved into place by a low tonnage locomotive for discharging of the chlorine solution into the holding tanks prior to piping into the paper making operation. Eurocan sold off a few years ago, and it is there that the new LNG plant will be built. The barge slip may or may not be connected to the CN Rupert sub, which would have ended at the Alcan Smelter. In either instance this wouldn't be a rail barge slip for the same use as would be here in Vancouver. Can't really see the need to take rail cars that far north for transfer onto the CN mainline at Terrace. Eurocan (West Fraser) did not 'sell off'; they closed down permanently in January 2010. The value added forest products operation that was there has been replaced by 'raw logs for China'. They did not ever to my knowledge produce chlorine bleached paper. It was a liner board mill making paper used in products such as corrugated cardboard boxes and paper grocery bags. Only a small amount of chlorine was used at Eurocan and that was for water purification. Chlorine was used in fairly large quantities at Eurocan's industrial 'neighbour' Alcan (now 'Rio Tinto Alcan', aka RTA). Chlorine continues to be used at RTA (though much less than was once used) for metal fluxing (purification) and water treatment. As stated above there is a barge slip in Kitimat, but never was it set up to receive rail cars. There never was any rail connection to CN's Kitimat Subdivision, either. Chlorine was (and continues to be) brought in by barge, however. Chlorine cylinders were/are shipped by truck from the barge to RTA and in the past, to Eurocan. The Eurocan mill site is located a couple of kilometres inland from Kitimat Harbour. It is being used as a staging point for construction of 'Kitimat LNG' (one of several LNG liquification projects being built or proposed on BC's North Coast). It is not, however, the place where Kitimat LNG is building their marine terminal. That is about 10 km south, 'down the channel', on the west shore of Douglas Channel at Bish Cove. Eurocan had a dock connected to their mill by a ~2 km long private road. That dock was purchased by RTA and is now being used primarily for staging materials and equipment for the $3 billion Kitimat Modernization Project (smelter rebuild & upgrade to current smelting technology). One other point - The company 'Seaspan' has not, to my knowledge, had any involvement with marine transportation in Kitimat until just the last couple of years, when they took over Smidt's (formerly RivTow) operations along the BC Coast. |
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Post by WettCoast on Feb 2, 2013 21:23:10 GMT -8
Paul, are you confusing Western Forest Products with West Fraser? As far as I know they are unrelated companies, both in the forest products sector. West Fraser had owned Eurocan for many years. It was West Fraser that made the decision to shut down.
The main point of what I wrote was not to get into an argument with you over whether the mill was 'sold off' or 'shut down'. It was to point out that that barge with the railway tankers aboard was not heading to/from Kitimat in spite of what it says in the video.
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Post by Chris City on Feb 11, 2013 19:42:39 GMT -8
I was in Vancouver the last few days and made a point of getting down to the Annacis Marine Terminal (AMT) to get a few photos. No action on this day as it was pretty quiet around there but it gave me a chance to look around. Looking at the apron with the different track configurations:  Seaspan 940 waiting to be unloaded:  Seaspan 930 waiting at BTU for it's turn at the barge slip:  |
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Post by WettCoast on Feb 11, 2013 19:53:57 GMT -8
So are those rail cars coming to/from the E&N, or elsewhere? Who is the customer for the tank cars? I can assure you that it is not a customer located in Kitimat.
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Post by Chris City on Feb 11, 2013 20:11:33 GMT -8
So are those rail cars coming to/from the E&N, or elsewhere? Who is the customer for the tank cars? I can assure you that it is not a customer located in Kitimat. Neither of those were from the E&N, both of them would've been from one of the mills. The mills still getting rail barges are Crofton, Port Mellon, Powell River, Harmac and Port Alice. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2013 0:17:52 GMT -8
Me likey this thread! |
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Post by EGfleet on Mar 30, 2013 11:30:27 GMT -8
I wasn't sure where to put this one...  This is the Transfer No. 4, which was commissioned at Yarrows back in 1945 as Royal Navy landing craft. That was canceled and it was completed as a barge. Later renamed Eclipse 109 and then Spirit 109. This photo was taken back in the 1950's. Anyone have any idea if it is still around? |
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Post by Chris City on Mar 30, 2013 18:55:46 GMT -8
I wasn't sure where to put this one... Sorry I don't have any info about this barge but I just wanted to say that's a great photo. I haven't seen many photos of rail barges from that era so it's nice to see, thanks for sharing. Do you know where this was taken, which route it was on? Looks like there's truck trailers on there too. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2013 20:25:35 GMT -8
From Vessel Registry Query System:
SPIRIT 109 (O.N. 194366)
Vessel
Official Number
194366
Vessel Name
SPIRIT 109
Former Vessel Name
ECLIPSE 109
IMO Number
-
Hull Number
-
Year Built
1945
Year Rebuilt
-
Port of Registry
VANCOUVER
Registry Date
1974-07-25
Certificate Expires
2013-11-30
Number of Encumbrances
0
General Statistics
Vessel Type
BARGE
Gross Tonnage
1593 t
Net Tonnage
1522 t
Construction Type
IN AND OUT
Construction Material
STEEL
Vessel Length
94.06 m
Vessel Breadth
16.22 m
Vessel Depth
3.35 m
Engine
Engine Description
NONE
Number of Engines
-
Propulsion Type
NON-PROPELLED
Speed
0.0 knots
Propulsion Method
NONE
Propulsion Power
0
Unit of Power
NONE
Builder
Name
YARROWS LTD.,
Address
-
ESQUIMALT
Province
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Country
CANADA
Postal Code
-
Owner
Sequence #1. Number of Shares: 64
Name
BALANGER LOADING INC
Address
14567 CHARLIER RD
PITT MEADOWS
Province
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Country
CANADA
Postal Code
V3Y 2T8
Authorized Representative
Name
BALANGER LOADING INC
Address
14567 CHARLIER RD
PITT MEADOWS
Province
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Country
CANADA
Postal Code
V3Y 2T8
I believe that the barge was owned by CPR. In that picture in First Narrows, you can see a lifeboat on the foredeck. There would have been a crew on the barge then. I don't know how many. For many years, it was towed by Island Tug and Barge on the Vancouver/Nanaimo run. They carried rail and truck traffic and ran from the CPR pier A3 ( near the foot of Burrard St. beside the fire boat dock,where the convention center is now.) to the current Nanaimo rail slip. In the mid 60's, when I was in high school, the tug Sea Lion and the Island Challenger towed it and I made some overnight/ weekend trips on them with a family friend who was Master. There was a lot of rail and truck traffic moving back and forth then and I'm guessing that the Princess of Vancouver wouldn't carry Dangerous Cargo and it would go by barge. CPR later got the Trailer and Carrier Princess and the #4 was retired.
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Post by Low Light Mike on May 5, 2013 18:09:46 GMT -8
Photo of a sawmill site on Slocan Lake, BC. The rail barge slip caught my eye. ------------- Photo is from a 1980s era coffee-table book “Vancouver & British Columbia” which appears to be a gift-book aimed at tourists to Vancouver and BC. Not much is noted in the book regarding publisher info. “Coombie Books” from 1987, with illustrations & text by “Colour Library Books Ltd.” No photo credits mentioned. I purchased this book for $2 at our local Rotary club sale, for the very purpose of posting these type of photos here, to show a bit from that era.  |
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Post by paulvanb on May 6, 2013 22:20:43 GMT -8
New thread, inspired by an email that WCFF received from a forum reader. (yes, there's some overlap between current & historical in these links, but that's ok; really it is) the email said.... =============== I stumbled across the following link recently while researching some older west coast rail barges. I'm not a forum member but I thought some of your members might be interested in seeing it. It is a pdf scan of the publication Canadian Rail of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association. Wonderful illustrated article gives a great snapshot of operations in 1968. Canadian Rail of the Canadian Railroad Historical AssociationAlso Marcon International currently has a Canadian rail barge listed for sale. Likely the Hyak King (Can 345125) owned by Canexus Chemicals Canada. Marcon International currently has a Canadian rail barge listed for saleThat is an incredible article that the link goes to. My father used to subscribe to that magazine when he was alive. |
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Post by Chris City on Aug 15, 2013 9:19:12 GMT -8
Seaspan Guardian and railbarge returning from the once a week trip to the E&N barge slip at Nanaimo. In a few minutes she will be at the barge tie up at Annacis Island to complete the trip. Shot taken on Monday afternoon, August 12.  |
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Post by WettCoast on Oct 20, 2014 19:53:30 GMT -8
On my way back home yesterday I happened to see the CN AquaTrain barge at its berth just north of the BC Ferries' Fairview Terminal. The barge was just sitting there with no tug & no rail cars waiting to be loaded/unloaded. Perhaps the big Foss tug that hauls this barge around was called away on some other more important duty... This is apparently the largest rail barge in the world. Here are a couple of photos...  CN AquaTrain barge at Fairview, Prince Rupert slip, where rail cars are delivered to & received from the Alaska Railroad - 19 October 2014
© WCK-JST by Wett Coast, on Flickr This photo is a crop from the above photo. I last saw this barge in March of 2008 accompanied by the Foss ocean-going tug Barbara Foss. See this & this. It just may be that that same tug would have been here in the photo above, but it was called away to a marine emergency off the west coast of Haida Gwaii involving a small Russian cargo ship, the Simushir. See this.
Update - Tuesday, October 21 @ 11 AM - the Barbara Foss is currently at the AquaTrain slip in Prince Rupert. This pretty much confirms that my speculation above is in fact true.
For more info on the AquaTrain operation see this: www.oil-electric.com/2008/03/sea.html |
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