Rocky Mountaineer | RailroadPhotosByChuck.com

To The Canadian Rockies On The Rocky Mountaineer
- A Railfan's Perspective

In August 2023 we took a long trip on the well-known Rocky Mountaineer, a luxury train ride through the Canadian Rockies. The route we chose was a round trip from Vancouver, BC to the beautiful locations of Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff, Alberta, with overnight hotel stays in Whistler, Quesnel, Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff, and Kamloops. For the railfan, the train followed Canadian National tracks from North Vancouver to Jasper, and Canadian Pacific / CN rails from Banff back to Vancouver. While much of the scenery was breathtaking, the railfanning was pretty good too.

Click here for more information on the Rocky Mountaineer routes, experience, and railfanning.

To the Canadian Rockies - Day 1

North Vancouver to Whistler

The first leg was short, beginning at the North Vancouver yard with an overnight stay at Whistler, the ski resort used in the 2010 Winter Olympics. The run along the coast and the climb through the rugged Coast Ranges was great; this single track line was the route of the Pacific Great Eastern (PGE), the “railroad from nowhere to nowhere”, later BC Rail, and now part of Canadian National (CN). Traffic was sparse; we met only one westbound freight in our first two days.

The upper level interior of the Gold Service bi-level cars gives great views of the Canadian scenery – most of which is undeveloped rivers, lakes, forests and mountains.	A view along Howe Sound, approaching Squamish on CN’s Squamish Sub. This route was originally part of the Pacific Great Eastern, later BC Rail.	Here the former PGE / BC Rail tracks penetrate the rugged Coast Ranges through Cheakamus Canyon in beautiful British Columbia.

To the Canadian Rockies - Day 2

Whistler to Quesnel

Day 2 began by having to avoid a nearby forest fire via motor coach the highway, while the train proceeded empty to Lillooet. 2023 was another bad fire season in British Columbia. After reboarding at Lillooet, we followed the Fraser River north to Quesnel.

At Lillooet, BC (mp 157.6), we reboard the train after detouring by highway for our safety because of a forest fire near the tracks. The open platform on the lower level was great for photographers.	After Lillooet, we are on 30 miles of 2.2% grade, the longest in North America, gaining 2,700 feet in elevation. Below is the Fraser River. We are at mp 168.5 on the Lillooet Sub of Canadian National, just having exited a tunnel.	Here our 6 car train climbs toward the Cariboo Plateau region, where the terrain and vegetation changes dramatically from the Coast Ranges. Two GP40-2s are on the head end.	At Lone Butte BC (mp 246.2, Lillooet Sub), a picturesque enclosed water tank stands vigil to an earlier time (1920) on the former Pacific Great Eastern.	Two ex-Wisconsin Central EMD units take the siding in the sunshine at Lakeside BC on the Lillooet Subdivision, just south of Williams Lake. Behind GP38-2 #2002 is a rebuilt GP40-2R #3026.
North of Williams Lake on the Prince George Subdivision, near mp 326, we met a southbound freight led by two 4,400 hp GE locos, CN #3811 (ES44AC) and #3040 (ET44AC).	At mp 329.9 on the Prince George Sub, we crossed the Deep Creek Bridge. While the PGE line was almost complete by the 1920s, high construction costs of this 1,194 foot bridge caused this bridge project to be abandoned. Finally, in 1952, with improving demand for lumber and coal from up north, the bridge was completed, and the line from North Vancouver to Prince George was completed in 1956. The absence of this crossing for years led to jokes that the PGE stood for “Prince George Eventually”.

To the Canadian Rockies - Day 3

Quesnel to Jasper

On Day 3, we again headed north and passed through Prince George, BC – the home of a locomotive facility, yard, and an eclectic mix of new and old equipment and locos. We leave the former PGE rails here, and within a few miles, we switched directions from heading north to heading southeast, following the Canadian National mainline and the Rocky Mountain Trench toward Yellowhead Pass and Jasper, Alberta.

Gallery - Prince George BC

A pair of BC Rail spreaders wait for the next winter season at the south end of the yard at Prince George.	A BC Rail snowplow and caboose is stored at Prince George BC (mp 462, Prince George Sub)	Quite a few locomotives sit on the facility tracks at Prince George, including CN 3078 (an ET44AC) and CN 2320, an ES44DC. In the foreground is a CN yard slug.	In this photo is CN 248, a YBU yard slug; CN 7223, a GP9-RM rebuild; and in the background, CN 3874, an ES44AC. An interesting mix of power!	CN # 5280, a somewhat unusual locomotive – a wide cab SD40-2W – appears in poor paint on a possible “dead” track. Canadian National was the only road to order this model from EMD.
Another forlorn-looking locomotive, a Grand Trunk GP38-2 #5822, sits adjacent to #5280.	On the sanding track are two GP9-RM rebuilds, #7261 and 7257, both with winterization hatches. CN 7257 was originally built as GP9 #4332 in 1959.	BNSF 2082, a GP38-2, has wandered north to Prince George and is looking out of place.	Another GP9-RM rebuild, CN 7027, sits on the sanding facility track. CN has a fleet of more than 200 of these rebuilt models.	A three-unit lash-up, including GE ES44AC #2822, sits on a spur outside the Prince George LRC (Locomotive Reliability Center).
We pass the east end of the CN bridge across the Fraser River at Prince George, BC. We now join the CN’s (originally Grand Trunk Pacific’s) Fraser Subdivision. Note the osprey nest on the top of the pole to the left – these poles were installed to encourage the birds from nesting on power poles.

The Final Miles to Jasper, Alberta

At Prince George, the train left the former BC Rails and turned to the southeast onto the former Grand Trunk Pacific (now CN) and followed the “Rocky Mountain Trench” and the Fraser River, with the beautiful backdrop of the crest of the Rockies, to the Continental Divide at Yellowhead Pass. At the end of Day 3 we arrived in Jasper, Alberta – 17 miles east of Yellowhead Pass.

Unfortunately, the town of Jasper suffered a major wildfire in 2024, and some of the town was burned to the ground. The lodge in the park was spared, But please don't hesitate to take a trip here - they can certainly use your tourist dollars!

For about 100 miles, our nearly straight tracks followed the Fraser River and the gentle grade up the Rocky Mountain trench towards Jasper. To our left are the Rockies and the Continental Divide.	Another view of the peaks along the Fraser River in British Columbia.	Our train, after arrival at Jasper, AB. The train was powered by #8013 and 8017, both of the GP40-2 family. The lead unit, 8013, a wide cab variant GP40-2LW, is ex-CN 9621; the 2nd unit, a GP40-2R rebuild, is ex-NREX 9956, originally Penn Central GP40 3114.

In the Canadian Rockies

While the train travel was great, our other purpose of this trip was to finally see the best of the Canadian Rockies, and do a little hiking. These few photos can give you a glimpse of what is there to see. It is worth the trip!

There is no direct rail connection between Jasper and Lake Louise, but the spectacular Icefields Parkway Highway more than makes up for the absence. The motorcoach stops at Athabasca Falls, the Columbia Icefield glacier and Skywalk were memorable. For the railfan, the stop at the Spiral Tunnel overlook on the TransCanada Highway was very informative.

The Columbia Icefield Glacier is an impressive sight. The specks on the lower left of the glacier are tour busses and visitors. We found the glacial surface to be very slippery to walk on.	A view of Peyto Lake from the Icefield Parkway. The turquoise color is partly from the very fine rock dust suspended in the water, known as “glacial flour”.	Beautiful Lake Louise in the early morning, before the breezes ruin the reflection of the peaks. Our stay in the Chateau here was our favorite.	A view from the overlook on the TransCanada Highway (Hwy 1) of the upper portal of the lower Spiral Tunnel.	A view of Mt Rundle in Banff Nation Park, Alberta. The scenery around Banff is spectacular, to say the least.

Return to Vancouver – Day 1

Banff to Kamloops

After our stay at Lake Louise and Banff, we again boarded the Rocky Mountaineer – this time on Canadian Pacific rails at Banff. The rail traffic increased noticeably this day. There were many rail highlights this day, beginning with crossing Kicking Horse Pass and descending the steep grade to Field via the famous Spiral Tunnels. After descending to the Columbia River, the line climbed to Rogers Pass in the Selkirk Mountains, passing over the famous Stoney Creek bridge and through the Connaught Tunnel (5 miles long) under Mount Macdonald. Later on, we passed through Revelstoke and ended our day at Kamloops, where the CN line from Jasper via Blue River connects.

The westbound train was considerably longer for the return trip to Vancouver. Here we are boarding at the Banff AB depot, with GP40-2Rs 8019 and 8018 (rebuilds of ex-Penn Central GP40s 3152 and 3133) on the head end.	The morning sun cast strong shadows across the picturesque Lake Louise depot. A number of historic Canadian Pacific passenger cars are on display at the depot.	Crossing the Continental Divide at Kicking Horse Pass, mp 121.5 on the CPRR Laggan Subdivision. The TransCanada Highway and the “Big Hill” is immediately ahead; the Spiral Tunnels are just minutes away.	As we begin our descent to Field at the base of Kicking Horse Pass, we pass the serene Wapta Lake.	A schematic diagram of the Spiral Tunnels at the overlook on the TransCanada Highway. The original 1885 Canadian Pacific line had an expensive and dangerously steep 4.5% grade from Field to the summit of Kicking Horse Pass. By replacing the grade with a longer line and the two tunnels in 1909, the grade was reduced to a safer 2.2% with lower operating costs.
Descending the lower Spiral Tunnel one can see the concrete lining. It was quite a sensation on the open platform. Photo taken with my Galaxy smartphone.	We are entering the upper portal of the lower Spiral Tunnel at mp 131 of CP’s Laggan Subdivision. This is the same location photographed earlier from the TransCanada Highway.	Near Kinbasket Lake (mp 62 on the Mountain Sub), we pass an eastbound freight with a Union Pacific SD70AH #8910 as the rear helper DPU.	Another thrill on this Rocky Mountaineer trip was crossing the famous Stoney Creek Bridge, with its iconic steel arch. This 484’ long bridge is 295 feet above the creek.	After descending from Kicking Horse Pass to Kinbasket Lake, we climb again to crest the Selkirk Mountains on CP’s Mountain Sub. Here we meet another eastbound freight, led by #8730, a CP ES44AC, and a CPKC unit in Kansas City Southern livery.
At Revelstoke BC, we pass a westbound freight undergoing a crew change. The lead unit is CP 8046, an AC4400CWM (or AC44CW). At Revelstoke we enter the Shuswap Subdivision, mp 0. Like at Prince George BC earlier, Revelstoke has a yard, facilities, and an array of snow-fighting plows and spreaders poised for the next winter storms.	At Notch Hill, mp 80 on the Shuswap Sub, we pass another eastbound freight and its rear helper, CP 8928, an ES44AC.	At Kamloops, BC, we pass the large Rocky Mountaineer yard, which is adjacent to Canadian National’s Kamloops yard. At Kamloops (mp 0 on CN’s Ashcroft Sub) we pick up the CN line going north toward Jasper, and another Rocky Mountaineer train (Journey Through the Clouds). While we detrained and headed to the hotel, the cars from the other CN train are coupled onto our train for our final leg back to Vancouver.

Return to Vancouver – Day 2

Kamloops to Vancouver

Our final day on the rails was back on Canadian National, from Kamloops to our destination, Vancouver. Both the CN and CP follow this route, the CP being here first and claiming the best alignment along the Thompson and Fraser Rivers. Because of the high traffic density, both roads agreed to share trackage and use directional running – the Directional Running Zone (DRZ) – all westbounds use the CN tracks, the eastbounds use the CP. The only line with heavier traffic in North America is the Union Pacific east of North Platte, Nebraska. We saw a LOT of rail traffic, and we were held up 5 hours because of congestion ahead, near Vancouver. A long day, a late night, but it was fun.

West of Kamloops, at mp 34.9 on CN’s Ashcroft Sub, our train crosses the Thompson River on the Wallachin bridge.	Near CN’s mp 38 on the Ashcroft Sub, we get a great look at our longer train after adding more cars at Kamloops.	Near mp 40 (Ashcroft Sub) we passed a westbound stack train on the siding, with two General Electric ES44Acs on the point. CN 3978 is an ex-CREX #1503.	The lead unit on the westbound stack train is CN 3815, with 3978 trailing.	At Basque, the CN and CP tracks are adjacent to each other on the south side of the Thompson River. A major set of crossovers is located here, added to increase operating flexibility, and on this day, tends to concentrate rail traffic. Here, a CP ES44AC #8782 mid-train helper (DPU) pushes an eastbound stack train upgrade on CP’s Thompson Sub.
One of the crossovers between the CP Thompson Sub (left) and the CN’s Ashcroft Sub (right) at Basque.	The eastbound stack train at Basque also has a rear AC4400CW DPU, CP 9831.	Another eastbound stack train on CP’s Thompson Sub towers over us, just west of Basque, with CN 2994, an ES44AC, on the point.	Our train has crossed back to the north side of the Thompson River, giving us a distant view of another eastbound CN freight on the CP Thompson Sub. The two 4400 hp locos, #3272 and 2801, are an ES44AC and an ET44AC, respectively	The rugged canyon east of Lytton BC, at mp 93 on CN’s Ashcroft Sub, is known as “Avalanche Alley”. It’s easy to see why the Canadian Pacific, first to lay rails through this canyon on the Thompson River, chose an alignment on the other bank.
A closeup of the CN tracks and overhead avalanche chutes at “Avalanche Alley”, east of Lytton BC.	The fabulous scenery along this stretch of CN’s Ashcroft Sub doesn’t stop. Thompson River near mp 93.	At Lytton BC, our train crosses the Thompson River just before the confluence with the Fraser River. CN Ashcroft Sub, mp 97.7. The town of Lytton was mostly destroyed in a 2021 wildfire.	At Cisco BC, the two lines switch sides of the Fraser River. Here the CN crosses over on an arched bridge at Ashcroft Sub mp 103.7, and the CP tracks on a truss bridge, partially blocked from view.	A view of the Fraser River at the Cisco crossing. The cloudy or milky gray appearance of the water is caused by very finely suspended particles of rock from upstream glaciers, and is known as “glacial flour”.
Our RM train crosses over the Canadian Pacific tracks at Cisco.	A famous pinch-point on the Fraser River is known as Hell’s Gate, shown here. This is at mp 7.0 on CN’s Yale Sub.	As the Fraser River nears Vancouver and the Pacific, the river valley broadens out considerably. Our train encountered even more rail congestion at this point, and we moved under yellow signals most of the way to Vancouver.

Good References:

Trains Hotspot: Kicking Horse Pass. Trains, November 2019, p 68.
The DRZ: Where CN and CPKC Cooperate. Trains, May 2024, p.20
“Mile Post”, the included mile-by-mile guide to the routes of the Rocky Mountaineer

Information on the Rocky Mountaineer

Rocky Mountaineer offers rail cruises on three different routes into the Canadian Rockies. The “Rainforest to Gold Rush” route runs north from North Vancouver to Whistler, Quesnel, and Jasper over 3 days, following the CN. The “Journey Through the Clouds” route runs east from Vancouver to Kamloops then north to Jasper over 2 days, using the CN. Finally, the “First Passage to the West” route runs between Vancouver, Kamloops, and Lake Louise/Banff over 2 days using the CN and CP Many tours include motor coach transit between Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff along the Icefields Parkway Highway. Travel is during daylight hours only, with overnight lodging in hotels – some of them 4 and 5-star hotels. All lodging and meals on board the train are included in the cruise fare; meals off the train are not.

Rocky Mountaineer offers a wide variety of trip options – some only a few days, others as long as two weeks – so one can select the trip to fit one’s taste and budget. Two service levels are offered on all trips – Silver Service (single level cars) and Gold Service (two level cars). We chose the Gold Service, which has coach seating and overhead windows above and dining below. We also chose a circle tour – starting and ending in Vancouver with free days at Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff for sightseeing and hiking. Service on the train was super – a courteous staff, good food, and great scenery. The open platform on the lower level, with standing room at the railing for 6 or more, is great for the photographers.

The upper level interior of the Gold Service bilevel cars gives great views of the Canadian scenery – most of which is undeveloped rivers, lakes, forests and mountains.

For the railfan, the Mile Post guide in newspaper format was very helpful. It included information on both the CN and CP; mile-by-mile guide information, including maps and the railroad subdivisions crossed; historical, geographical and naturalist information; and what sights to see. As expected, the hostesses use the onboard public address system to alert the passengers to what will soon come into view.

The company (Great Canadian Railtours Co Ltd; reporting marks RMRX) own their own locomotives and passenger cars, but not the tracks – those are owned by the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific (now Canadian Pacific Kansas City) railroads. The locomotives are all EMD 3,000 hp GP40-2 models, GP40-2R models (GP40 rebuilds) and GP40-2LW wide cab models. The SilverLeaf Service (single level) passenger cars, originally built in the 1950s for Canadian National, were remodeled into single level domes in 2012. The GoldLeaf Service bi-level domes were custom-built for the Rocky Mountaineer in Fort Lupton CO beginning in 1995, and have been recently remodeled.

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To The Canadian Rockies On The Rocky Mountaineer - A Railfan's Perspective

The upper level interior of the Gold Service bi-level cars gives great views of the Canadian scenery – most of which is undeveloped rivers, lakes, forests and mountains.

A view along Howe Sound, approaching Squamish on CN’s Squamish Sub. This route was originally part of the Pacific Great Eastern, later BC Rail.

Here the former PGE / BC Rail tracks penetrate the rugged Coast Ranges through Cheakamus Canyon in beautiful British Columbia.

At Lillooet, BC (mp 157.6), we reboard the train after detouring by highway for our safety because of a forest fire near the tracks. The open platform on the lower level was great for photographers.

After Lillooet, we are on 30 miles of 2.2% grade, the longest in North America, gaining 2,700 feet in elevation. Below is the Fraser River. We are at mp 168.5 on the Lillooet Sub of Canadian National, just having exited a tunnel.

Here our 6 car train climbs toward the Cariboo Plateau region, where the terrain and vegetation changes dramatically from the Coast Ranges. Two GP40-2s are on the head end.

At Lone Butte BC (mp 246.2, Lillooet Sub), a picturesque enclosed water tank stands vigil to an earlier time (1920) on the former Pacific Great Eastern.

Two ex-Wisconsin Central EMD units take the siding in the sunshine at Lakeside BC on the Lillooet Subdivision, just south of Williams Lake. Behind GP38-2 #2002 is a rebuilt GP40-2R #3026.

North of Williams Lake on the Prince George Subdivision, near mp 326, we met a southbound freight led by two 4,400 hp GE locos, CN #3811 (ES44AC) and #3040 (ET44AC).

Gallery - Prince George BC

A pair of BC Rail spreaders wait for the next winter season at the south end of the yard at Prince George.

A BC Rail snowplow and caboose is stored at Prince George BC (mp 462, Prince George Sub)

Quite a few locomotives sit on the facility tracks at Prince George, including CN 3078 (an ET44AC) and CN 2320, an ES44DC. In the foreground is a CN yard slug.

In this photo is CN 248, a YBU yard slug; CN 7223, a GP9-RM rebuild; and in the background, CN 3874, an ES44AC. An interesting mix of power!

CN # 5280, a somewhat unusual locomotive – a wide cab SD40-2W – appears in poor paint on a possible “dead” track. Canadian National was the only road to order this model from EMD.

Another forlorn-looking locomotive, a Grand Trunk GP38-2 #5822, sits adjacent to #5280.

On the sanding track are two GP9-RM rebuilds, #7261 and 7257, both with winterization hatches. CN 7257 was originally built as GP9 #4332 in 1959.

BNSF 2082, a GP38-2, has wandered north to Prince George and is looking out of place.

Another GP9-RM rebuild, CN 7027, sits on the sanding facility track. CN has a fleet of more than 200 of these rebuilt models.

A three-unit lash-up, including GE ES44AC #2822, sits on a spur outside the Prince George LRC (Locomotive Reliability Center).

The Final Miles to Jasper, Alberta

For about 100 miles, our nearly straight tracks followed the Fraser River and the gentle grade up the Rocky Mountain trench towards Jasper. To our left are the Rockies and the Continental Divide.

Another view of the peaks along the Fraser River in British Columbia.

Our train, after arrival at Jasper, AB. The train was powered by #8013 and 8017, both of the GP40-2 family. The lead unit, 8013, a wide cab variant GP40-2LW, is ex-CN 9621; the 2nd unit, a GP40-2R rebuild, is ex-NREX 9956, originally Penn Central GP40 3114.

The Columbia Icefield Glacier is an impressive sight. The specks on the lower left of the glacier are tour busses and visitors. We found the glacial surface to be very slippery to walk on.

A view of Peyto Lake from the Icefield Parkway. The turquoise color is partly from the very fine rock dust suspended in the water, known as “glacial flour”.

Beautiful Lake Louise in the early morning, before the breezes ruin the reflection of the peaks. Our stay in the Chateau here was our favorite.

A view from the overlook on the TransCanada Highway (Hwy 1) of the upper portal of the lower Spiral Tunnel.

A view of Mt Rundle in Banff Nation Park, Alberta. The scenery around Banff is spectacular, to say the least.

The westbound train was considerably longer for the return trip to Vancouver. Here we are boarding at the Banff AB depot, with GP40-2Rs 8019 and 8018 (rebuilds of ex-Penn Central GP40s 3152 and 3133) on the head end.

The morning sun cast strong shadows across the picturesque Lake Louise depot. A number of historic Canadian Pacific passenger cars are on display at the depot.

Crossing the Continental Divide at Kicking Horse Pass, mp 121.5 on the CPRR Laggan Subdivision. The TransCanada Highway and the “Big Hill” is immediately ahead; the Spiral Tunnels are just minutes away.

As we begin our descent to Field at the base of Kicking Horse Pass, we pass the serene Wapta Lake.

Descending the lower Spiral Tunnel one can see the concrete lining. It was quite a sensation on the open platform. Photo taken with my Galaxy smartphone.

We are entering the upper portal of the lower Spiral Tunnel at mp 131 of CP’s Laggan Subdivision. This is the same location photographed earlier from the TransCanada Highway.

Near Kinbasket Lake (mp 62 on the Mountain Sub), we pass an eastbound freight with a Union Pacific SD70AH #8910 as the rear helper DPU.

Another thrill on this Rocky Mountaineer trip was crossing the famous Stoney Creek Bridge, with its iconic steel arch. This 484’ long bridge is 295 feet above the creek.

After descending from Kicking Horse Pass to Kinbasket Lake, we climb again to crest the Selkirk Mountains on CP’s Mountain Sub. Here we meet another eastbound freight, led by #8730, a CP ES44AC, and a CPKC unit in Kansas City Southern livery.

At Notch Hill, mp 80 on the Shuswap Sub, we pass another eastbound freight and its rear helper, CP 8928, an ES44AC.

West of Kamloops, at mp 34.9 on CN’s Ashcroft Sub, our train crosses the Thompson River on the Wallachin bridge.

Near CN’s mp 38 on the Ashcroft Sub, we get a great look at our longer train after adding more cars at Kamloops.

Near mp 40 (Ashcroft Sub) we passed a westbound stack train on the siding, with two General Electric ES44Acs on the point. CN 3978 is an ex-CREX #1503.

The lead unit on the westbound stack train is CN 3815, with 3978 trailing.

One of the crossovers between the CP Thompson Sub (left) and the CN’s Ashcroft Sub (right) at Basque.

The eastbound stack train at Basque also has a rear AC4400CW DPU, CP 9831.

Another eastbound stack train on CP’s Thompson Sub towers over us, just west of Basque, with CN 2994, an ES44AC, on the point.

Our train has crossed back to the north side of the Thompson River, giving us a distant view of another eastbound CN freight on the CP Thompson Sub. The two 4400 hp locos, #3272 and 2801, are an ES44AC and an ET44AC, respectively

The rugged canyon east of Lytton BC, at mp 93 on CN’s Ashcroft Sub, is known as “Avalanche Alley”. It’s easy to see why the Canadian Pacific, first to lay rails through this canyon on the Thompson River, chose an alignment on the other bank.

A closeup of the CN tracks and overhead avalanche chutes at “Avalanche Alley”, east of Lytton BC.

The fabulous scenery along this stretch of CN’s Ashcroft Sub doesn’t stop. Thompson River near mp 93.

At Lytton BC, our train crosses the Thompson River just before the confluence with the Fraser River. CN Ashcroft Sub, mp 97.7. The town of Lytton was mostly destroyed in a 2021 wildfire.

At Cisco BC, the two lines switch sides of the Fraser River. Here the CN crosses over on an arched bridge at Ashcroft Sub mp 103.7, and the CP tracks on a truss bridge, partially blocked from view.

A view of the Fraser River at the Cisco crossing. The cloudy or milky gray appearance of the water is caused by very finely suspended particles of rock from upstream glaciers, and is known as “glacial flour”.

Our RM train crosses over the Canadian Pacific tracks at Cisco.

A famous pinch-point on the Fraser River is known as Hell’s Gate, shown here. This is at mp 7.0 on CN’s Yale Sub.

As the Fraser River nears Vancouver and the Pacific, the river valley broadens out considerably. Our train encountered even more rail congestion at this point, and we moved under yellow signals most of the way to Vancouver.

Information on the Rocky Mountaineer

The upper level interior of the Gold Service bilevel cars gives great views of the Canadian scenery – most of which is undeveloped rivers, lakes, forests and mountains.

To The Canadian Rockies On The Rocky Mountaineer
- A Railfan's Perspective