The Other Stoney Creek Bridge

If you were to do an image search using the query, you’ll be shown a graceful arch-supported structure used by trains and in a stunning mountain setting. Deep in the British Columbia Rockies it’s been the subject of hard earned photos and some are so impressive as to obtain icon status. Getting close is a serious undertaking – it’s bear central, remote, there’s route finding challenges in the dense woods, and let’s not forget precipitous drop offs. Other than that it’s a cake walk*. What you’ll see in this post is not it and instead the other, lesser known Stoney Creek Bridge.

This structure similarly supports trains and while not as visually appealing, it’s still impressive in its own right. It spans a deep canyon that must have caught railways builders by surprise and just appears out of nowhere. Train crews have quite the view crossing over and if you’re not a fan of heights, the look down must get the mind racing.

“What if the train derails? Do you realize all that’s keeping us from tumbling over the edge, and certain death, is a little metal lip an inch or so deep on each wheel? That’s it!”

Trains tiptoe across, slowly, carefully and not because of any present danger, but rather for operational reasons. It’s just outside an area of congestion and limited visibility which necessitates lower operating speeds.

We’re in a little place called Tadanac and in the shadow of the Trail BC Smelter, an industrial complex of such size as to be mind-blowing. That stack! The area’s economy relies on this complex and always has, and it’s hard to miss as it’s just that huge. You think Trail and you think smelter – the two are forever linked.

Tadanac was once it’s own town, but now a community in Trail. Tadanac: Canada backwards plus T for Trail.

Unlike the other Stoney Creek Bridge (both support Canadian Pacific Trains, incidentally), this one’s easy to view thanks to a public road crossing right out front. There’s no grizzlies either.

Had we spun around (which would require work and thought) we could have shown you the Trail yard, inside the smelter property. It’s behind a fence and train crews have to open a gate when coming or going. From the bridge angle, it’s hard to see the goings on inside, and the property so big that there’s little to see anyway, so no loss there.

We’ve not found any data mentioning when the structure was built, but we did see photos of it going as far back at the 1930s. It could be older, however. One image showed a steam powered passenger train crossing and even back then it looked the same. Railways build things to last and change for them slow.

This railway line dead-ends in Trail and sees perhaps a couple trains per day, so it’s not terribly busy. It was put in during the 1890s and most of the traffic on the line has always been in some way connected to the Trail Smelter. They have a satellite plant nearby (at the very end of the CPR branch in Warfield) that process by-products of the smelting process.

That nuclear glow is caused by smoke coming from various North American forest fires. Damn, it was hot on this visit and our notes mention it being 35c when these photos were shot. That’s in the evening when things were cooler and during the day it felt like the whole world was going to burn up.

We shot a lot of stuff in the Trail area this adventure and the smelter is so huge that it became a backdrop for many of our photos. Search “Trail BC” on this site to see what we were up to this time and from previous visits. We like that area and hope to return again, as we’ve just scratched the surface.

*Don’t do it! Reports we’ve read suggest getting there requires some serious trespassing on railway property and that’s not a good idea.

Go further: (new window): Stoney Creek Bridge (the one that’s more well known) and Trail BC Smelter .

There’s always more coming down the track, so don’t go away.

They’re saying…

”I only know Chris, great guy (ed: that has been confirm by Connie). I sure enjoy reading about their travels” James Churchill.

Silly stuff…
No Vacancy – Not on Expedia.
Red Deer River Valley Wanderings – Just because.
Pinball Art – Boobs sell.

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

Date of Adventure: July, 2021.
Location: Tadanac (Trail), BC.

We’re in Tadanac (Trail) BC…

…And this is the other Stoney Creek Bridge.

Nuclear glow is from forest fire smoke.

This street cut across the track right before the bridge.