Nelson and Fort Sheppard in Under a Minute

This silly little time lapse (from 2016) was done for fun and we never really had intentions to share it on this website*. Yet here were are. So it occurred to us recently on viewing it for the first time in years, that maybe others might appreciate and enjoy it too. I guess it’s time. Better late than never, prepare yourself for a high-speed end to end tour of the little Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway out of Fruitvale British Columbia. It only takes a moment.

The N&FS line dates back to the 1890s and the section still in use runs between Fruitvale and Columbia Gardens not far from the city of Trail. Each round trip covers about sixteen clicks and trains happen every couple days or so. At the time of our visit there was only one customer on the line, Atco Wood Products in Fruitvale, a firm that makes veneers used in the manufacture of plywood. Atco also owns the railway.

Trains are short, as dictated by the limited space at the mill loading dock which can hold about eight cars. The N&FS has only one outside rail connection, at the interchange point in Columbia Gardens with a line that then heads south into the US. The border at this point is a mere stone’s throw away.

Want to know more about the Nelson and Fort Sheppard? Of course you do! We did a good length photo-piece and write up on the operation that you can find here: The Railway.

The trip: What you’ll see shows the line, an adventure of a couple hours, but with time sped up it’s over in the blink of an eye. It’s loads out and empties back and a small but vital link for the Atco mill. It’s all because of little flat sheets of wood that the trains run.

Take in the curves and trestles (one over a spectacular waterfall) – some scenic country here – and before you know it, the ride’s over. After some shuffling of cars, that is…at both ends. Since the locomotive is not turned, the return leg has you looking backwards but it’s an interesting view too.

Extra boxcars are dropped at the storage siding just down from the mill where as the remainder are spotted at the loading dock. Mere minutes later crews are seen busily filling them with bundles of veneer and in no time one is already completely loaded. Over the next day or two, the rest will soon follow.

The old locomotive gets bedded down and with that the journey, and this video, ends. This train trip, an earlier visit to the timber harvesting area and finally a tour of the Atco mill were also part of this adventure (links a few paragraphs down), a multi-part piece done for trade paper publisher.

The time lapse rig: This was an early production Garmin Virb X we only had for a short time, and while quite capable, it failed soon after this trip. We’ve chatted with others who got to test one like it and many tell of a similar story. That’s a hmmm moment and we haven’t really dabbled in the action-cam field ever since.

Hope you enjoyed the ride (we sure did – lots of reminiscing when viewing the footage) and stay tuned for more adventures coming soon.

Officially it appears the railway uses an ampersand in its name (this–> &) instead of “and”, but we like to mix it up so used both.

*Truth is, we toyed with the idea early on, but being unsure of an approach shelved the idea.

If you’re still curious about the N&FS (new window): Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway

They’re saying…

”Chris and Connie are the real deal – their adventures are truly interesting and fun!” Justine Cooke.

One busy weekend at Atco Wood Products…
The Woods – How it’s harvested.
The Mill – How it’s made.
The Railway – How it’s shipped.

Something to say and no one to say it to? Go here: contact us!

Date of Adventure: July, 2016.
Location: Fruitvale, BC.
Article references and thanks: The Nelson & Fort Sheppard Railway and Atco Wood Products.

This is the rig that recorded it all.

This is our subject, the Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway.

And this is the reason the trains run.