Trackside Adventures Vol. 2 - Trouble in the Spiral Tunnels

Continuing with the trackside adventures series, we find ourselves in Field British Columbia documenting Canadian Pacific trains conquering the large grade in Field.
Just as we arrived, trouble in the spiral tunnels resulted in some interesting train movements through some of the most spectacular scenery on this smokey August evening.

[@trainmanzach2684]

Great catches, shots, & video Nick!

[@swossinator]

Great video! I’m not a foamer but I thoroughly enjoy watching your videos on the big screen.

[@edy21865]

Do all CP trains normally go this painfully slow through the spiral tunnels or was this train just severely under powered? I mean this train was going 10 mph tops.

[@SD70ACEguy]

Some shorter and lighter trains may go a little faster, but not by much. This grade is painfully long and not exactly an easy climb. These trains make quite the rumble heading up hill.

[@davidwhiting1761]

Gotta realize that the grade in the spirals is 2.2% on curves. That creates a lot of resistance which makes it physically harder to pull the train up the grade at any speed faster than a crawl. Even the hottest trains flying over the plains at 70mph would be hard pressed to maintain a high speed on a tough grade like that. Plus the curvature inside the tunnels mandates a speed restriction of 15mph both for ascending and descending trains. The nice thing is that this is the toughest grade this train will face. Once beyond the spirals it's smooth sailing and full speed ahead.

[@edy21865]

@@SD70ACEguy That simply means these trains are severely under powered. I bet if you strapped twelve locomotives instead of three, (four at the front, four in the middle, four at the back) the train would shoot up the hill at 50 mph or more. The tracks certaintly look like they can handle a fast train. After all CP uses 140 lb/yd CWR extra-heavy steel on the Rocky Mountain passes.

[@georgehaeh4856]

That's Wapta Lake at 13. O'Hara is some 10 km south.

[@johnmcgarvie4061]

What was going on on The Big Hill on this date. I don't run the volume due to a lack of hearing. The eastbound that you showed in the opening did it have to reverse back to Field?

[@SD70ACEguy]

On this day, CP Train 200 stalled on the hill east of field. CP Train 100 was sent up the hill, with half of its train to push 200 the remaining distance. 100 then reversed down the hill, grabbed the rest of its train, and continued eastward towards Calgary!

[@johnmcgarvie4061]

@@SD70ACEguy tks for the reply. This is what I call "Precision scheduled railroading". If Hunter Harrison was still running ffthe show at CP he would have been pissed o

[@kimrok1]

In my 26 years and having been on plenty of trains that laid down and ones that had to shove. Who in their right mind would talke half their train up the hill and then back down. Lol. Sounds like some pSR nonsense.

[@davidwhiting1761]

It does seem odd when you could just send the 2 lead units up to push train 200 up the grade. We'd need more details of the conversation.

[@kimrok1]

@@davidwhiting1761 yes agreed.

[@GeorgesBindschedler]

why did they not only use the two front engines instead of pushing half a train backwards on the hill and down again?

[@SD70ACEguy]

That is the million dollar question. I’m not exactly sure!

[@pjohnston7775]

That was my question???

[@AllenFoto]

Most likely to clear the west end of Field, so as not to block the main line and yard access. Taking the first half of the train up the hill allowed the crossing on the east end to remain clear.

[@tomrogers9467]

@@AllenFoto. They could have split the train, then uncoupled the front half of the consist when it cleared the crossing. Seems like a real waste of fuel going back up with all those cars. But then, I’m just an armchair KZbinr.

[@AllenFoto]

@@tomrogers9467.. Immediately to the east of the crossing, the mountain grade begins; there's no way that half a train will be allowed to be left on a mountain grade without power attached and unattended. The amount of handbrakes required to hold it would take longer to apply (and release after) than getting the job done with half of the train.

[@rafterman3712]

What they are doing is combining 2 fully air charged trains. That adds 3extra locomotives & cars with additional air brakes & 18 sets of locomotive dynamic brakes for combined braking power. That's my guess. Plus it won't take long to recover the other half of the helper train when they depart eastward. That's my guess; I'm not a power engineer, just a train nut

[@AllenFoto]

In this case, where one train helps another, the trains are not 'cut-in' together with air. That would cause issues with all of the power (consist setup) and likely throw both trains into emergency, thus causing a major problem, on a mountain grade no less.