Located deep in a remote valley in southeastern British Columbia, Corbin is home to a few residents, some summer cabins and one giant coal mine – you can’t miss the latter. Very near the Alberta border, the town was once tied to that mine which has operated on and off… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…lines continuing from there. It was noteworthy amongst train geeks since it rostered a very large fleet of MLW locomotives well into the 1980s and beyond. Locomotives from that maker were rare out west, on any railway. In the past the line was known as The British Columbia Railway and… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…are examples at the Fort Steele heritage town, Heritage Park in Calgary and the British Columbia Mining Museum in Britannia Beach BC. And perhaps others. The HK Porter Company was known for its industrial and mining locomotives, small simple but tough machines that laboured away in steel mills, factories, quarries,… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
The government of British Columbia oversees the operation of a number of ferries across the province. When large bodies of water block progress, these become essential links in the highway system and all the inland fresh water routes are free. The one seen in this report in on the Upper… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…there’s Sentinel Peak and flat topped Plateau Mountain. South, it’s many unnamed hills. To the west, a great towering wall of barren rock marks the border with British Columbia. And there’s so many cut blocks that way, making it not all that scenic photography wise. But we gotta get timber… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…Mountain split by a pass (the Crowsnest Pass in fact). In between and jammed in narrow space, there’s a couple lakes, the train tracks, the highway and little (relatively speaking) Crowsnest Ridge. Beyond, you’re looking into British Columbia. To the north, there’s rolling hills much like Saskatoon Mountain. Some have… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…by all means contact us! Date of adventure: September, 2018. Location: Sandon, British Columbia. Distance: 13km, out and back Height gain maximum: >30m-ish. Height gain cumulative: >60m-ish. NOTE: all distances and heights are approximate. Technical bits: In some spots, take extra care so as not to trip. _________________________ BIGDoer.com: Doing… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
Moyie is a charming little town in the East Kootenays of British Columbia. Tied to mining for its first few decades – the St Eugene was a huge producer of lead and zinc, silver and gold – today it’s a sleepy little community with a retirement vibe, split by a… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…sort. A make-shift man-lift? If you know more, you know what to do, or if it’s yours….just saying…invite us for a closer look (wink-wink). This truck earlier belonged to the Vancouver British Columbia Fire Department, last as as Ladder 22, before coming here. A firm called Anderson made it, out… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
The summer of 2021 found us in the West Kootenays of British Columbia and very soon we’ll show you the awesome adventure we had. Here it’s something quick and simple but there’ll be more…much more. We’re in Creston and this was a chance discovery – how we like it –… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
Grain elevators are more often associated with the vast expanses of Canadian prairie so seeing one deep in heart of British Columbia seems really odd. However here in the mountain flanked Creston Valley conditions are prefect for growing grain and this helps explain why a few of these “prairie sentinels”… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
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… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…Dig deeper: (new window): Slocan British Columbia. Drop by often for new and exciting content posted every week! They’re saying… ”Off the Beaten Path”, what a great resource for visitors to AB, SK and eastern BC. Such detailed info and photographs to back it up make the site invaluable for… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
We’re looking at a section of old Number Three, the Crowsnest Highway, in its namesake locale, the Crowsnest Pass of Alberta. Along here we’re a stone’s throw from the British Columbia border and it’s just behind our shooting position. This stretch is still paved and can be driven after being… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…often established concurrently, which might seem like a puzzling cart before the horse type approach. But it worked, especially on the prairies. The GTP was an ambitious undertaking, built to high standards and when completed connected Winnipeg Manitoba to Prince Rupert British Columbia and all points in between. The line… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
The city of Trail British Columbia is FULL of character. This West Kootenay community clings to the side of a hill and here we’re looking at one of the most interesting parts called the Gulch. The Historic Gulch. It’s a fine evening, in spite of the stifling heat, the sky… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…Lethbridge Alberta, Winnipeg Manitoba and Victoria British Columbia. I suspect you’ll see more of Calgary Transit #7632 in the future and even before we were done, came discussions of a sequel. We have all these crazy ideas… Know more (new windows): Fishbowl Buses (BIGDoer.com), Calgary Transit #7632 and Flyer Low… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
The hike to Devil’s Hole in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia is short, sweet and leads to a spectacular viewpoint overlooking a deep precipitous gorge. From this spot, look down to that little blue/green pond far below in a rocky trench or take in surrounding mountains. It’s a… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…Kenworth had a factory on the west coast of British Columbia at the time this W925 was made, so of course one wonders if it came from this plant. Old papers sourced, mention they produced W9xx derivatives (without mentioning the models – we understand there were others) in the 1970s… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
The Rampart – Isadore Loop is a pleasant and easy going walk in the woods out near Cranbrook British Columbia. It’s part single track (Rampart Connector on each end), part rail-trail (Chief Isadore in the middle) through forest and open grassland. Relatively flat in nature, you’ll be in the shadow… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
“Harvest” is a curious roadside attraction in the remote West Kootenay community of Meadow Creek British Columbia and placed there a couple years ago. It’s just one of many “Koots” sculptures in the region and they’re hidden away in forests or like here, more out in the open. No matter,… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…and amazing scenery and sharp viewers will notice just how many Crowsnest posts there are on this website. A lot! At this point in the Pass, we’re minutes away from the British Columbia border. Our now photos are shot free-hand using a complex but incredibly low-tech grid system, and it… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
There’s some interesting sidewalk tiles underfoot in this British Columbia community. If you know where to look that is. They pay homage to various classes of Canadian Pacific Railway locomotives and are located on 10th Ave S Cranbrook, in downtown. From what we know they were placed fairly recently and… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
Yellow! Don’t you agree it’s good to colour coordinate? Here’s a nice little Boler found in the British Columbia mountain community of Revelstoke and it’s pretty close to the BIGDoer shade, so of course we approve. All around here there’s majestic mountain scenery and here we are obsessing over a… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…again. Soon after completion it made its way back into Canada and for a time it hung around the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Only recently, Don, the current owner, acquired it and now it’s found a new, loving home with an aircraft aficionado. He and his brothers have their… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…Mountain. They’re saying… ”Fantastic detail and in-depth coverage of history in the Crowsnest. Great work – much appreciated by those who follow.” Rob Graz. More like this… Downtown Castor Alberta (Cosmopolitan Hotel). Slocan British Columbia 81 Years Apart. Unity Saskatchewan then & now. If you wish more information on what’s… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…is spotted down there at a tire shop. Boler! It’s a nice one and brings a little life back into our tired, old, beaten, depressed selves. Glad we took this route, but it’s still a hell-ish day otherwise. From the same card dump…Downtown Trout Lake British Columbia, Nakusp Rail Society… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…been rebuilt and renumbered in recent times, but in outward appearances not all that different. The second belongs to the Union Pacific Railway in the US. This train was likely headed to the UP connection at the border and west of Cranbrook British Columbia. It’s not uncommon for one company’s… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
Flashback to a couple summers ago (how time flies) and we’re out cruising backroads of British Columbia. While exploring one of our homebases for the trip, in this case Revelstoke, we came to a realization. It turns out this mountain community is a real hotspot for little fibreglass trailers. Remember,… (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
…when deemed uneconomical simply scrapped everything. Trolleybus networks typically stagnated once built, yet if done right and kept up to date, can flourish. At the peak there were fourteen systems in Canada but most were closed by the 1970s. Today there is one left and it’s in Vancouver British Columbia…. (Search hits: 0 in title, 2 in body, 0 in comments.)
Kenopsia: "the eerie atmosphere of a place that's usually bustling with people but now vacant or abandoned."
Posted
Byron Robb: Superman 1978: Cemetery Scenes
Don Wilson: RCAF/CFS Alsask Radar Dome
Sharon Wingenbach: You Are Here: Corral 4 Drive-in Calgary
Rob Pohl & Arturo Pianzola: Alexandra Bridge Fraser Canyon BC
Bob Fortin: CPR Illecillewaet Bridge Revelstoke BC
Rory Brown: Downtown Calgary & CPR Tracks 1977-2014
Dale: The Forgotten Cemetery of Morrissey BC
Sharon Wingenbach: MacDonald Bridge Calgary ~70 Years Apart
Gary Small: Polish Hall Coleman Alberta (1927)
Twold7: Calgary Inglewood Haskins/Victory Block
Gary Small: CPR Bow River Bridge (Abandoned)
Ken Newel: Grain Elevators of Turin Alberta
Gary Small: Silver Creek Coal Mine Skunk Hollow
Bonita Hudson: Coleman Miners’ Hospital 100 Years Apart
Gary Small: Dunshalt Alberta 1974 and 2013
Posting soon!
Byron Robb - Zeke - Rob Pohl & Arturo Pianzola - Don Wilson - Johanna (Connie) Biggart - Dale
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