Railfan 2026
In 2025, I completed my tenth calendar. My journey began in 2015, but I missed 2016 due to my battle with cancer. Creating a calendar involves ranking photos and choosing ones that best match each season, which means some excellent pictures don’t make it in. For 2026, I decided to include photos from each year that didn’t fit previously but deserved a spot if there had been room. I’ve always wished I could share more details about my photos, since it’s tough to capture their story in just a few sentences.
During the fall of 2022, while visiting my mom, I spent time with my Pake (Grandfather). Sharing my hobbies with him, I realized I’d never sent him one of my calendars, even though he showed interest. As an avid reader, I thought he’d appreciate a writeup explaining the photos, so I created one for my 2023 calendar. I enjoyed this process and started thinking about how to share these stories with others. Although my Pake has since passed away, I now have a blog where I can post these writeups for everyone to enjoy.
I truly value how much many of you appreciate my calendar each year, and I am grateful for your kind words and ongoing support.
Cover
2025: Westward Movements
CP 8851 (GE ES44AC) and CP 9725 (GE AC4400CW), pull CPKC 313 made up of 98 Canola hoppers at Cowley, AB.
Date Taken: 8 March 2025
I was out with my friend Jason, and it was windy. It was nearing the end of a very successful day when we first caught this Canola train near Pincher Creek. We chased it west to Lundbreck and decided that it was time for a beer at the Oldman Brewery in Lundbreck.
Page 1
Background
Autoracks at Grizzly, near East Glacier MT.
Date Taken: 25 November 2018
I don’t remember a lot about this photo. I am sure that the graffiti on the car drew my attention as it was bright. When one designs a saddle-stitched calendar, there is an extra page available due to the physical number of sheets required for 12 months with a cover and back. Many designers use this page as an extra month, but I use it as an opportunity to put in more photos!
Inset 1
Amtrak Empire Builder 8/28 at Essex MT.
Date Taken: 23 August 2025
My friend Murray took me on a quick day trip down to Marias Pass for my birthday. I had a weak moment and decided that I would cross the border. Murray took that window of opportunity to go to his happy place, and we had a fabulous day. The Empire Builder was a few hours late and so we had the opportunity to catch it as it passed by the Izaak Walton Inn at Essex, MT. It was quiet there, no Canadians.
Inset 2
CP 602 Potash train at Mile 16 on CP’s Lanigan Sub just north of Regina, SK.
Date Taken: 23 May 2021
Railfanning with AJ can mean putting a lot of miles on a vehicle as he knows all the spots and the people who know things. We took several days and travelled through parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan. We experienced all four season on the May long weekend. I put around 4000kms on my new to me truck and managed to get it real dirty on a Saskatchewan “road”. On one day we started in Lethbridge, made our way up to Three Hills, found out the train we were looking for was no longer at Hardisty, so we went to Regina, a 1064km drive that day. We stayed in Regina for a couple of nights at Matt’s place and on this day, he toured us around and so I just got to be the passenger in the back. I don’t remember all the details about where we went that day as I wasn’t required to navigate. But this place on the CP Lanigan Sub stood out with the coulee as a hidden gem and we caught a northbound Potash train going through a coulee.
Page 2
Background
CPKC 419 is a Manifest train that starts in Edmonton, AB, travels south to Lethbridge and then west to the US border at Kingsgate, BC.
Date Taken: 13 October 2023
For the last several years, Jason and I have gone for a railfan weekend in October. Often, we go west to the Cranbrook area, but our friend Kevin was away, and Justin had a wedding to go to. So, we decided to head north to Red Deer, AB and explore the CN Three Hills Sub. Shortly after our start from Lethbridge we caught this Manifest train just leaving the yard at Kipp. It was the start of a great weekend exploring new places that we had never been.
Inset 1
CN 459 is coming south into Swan Landing, west of Hinton, AB at mile 3 of the CN Grande Cache Sub.
Date Taken: 12 June 2021
May and June were busy with railfanning trips. May was with AJ and about 10 days later was a trip with Murray and Dan to the Wainwright, AB area. After a few days, Murray and I headed out to Hinton, AB to spend time around Jasper. It was 15 days of railfanning within 25 days! Anyway, Murray and I caught this train coming off the Grande Cache Sub. It was a treat as it had a consist of six locomotives lead by CN 2949 (GE ES44AC).
Inset 2
Loading up at Pecten.
Date Taken: 3 February 2021
It was a quiet day at work, and AJ called to let me know that CP was going up the Pecten Sub to grab a Sulphur train. I begged off for the afternoon and got up to the plant just as the power arrived to pick up the train. I managed a good chase down to the mainline at Brocket, AB and then it was time to go home. That is where things started to fall apart. I noticed that my radio and heater were having issues, and near Monarch, just as I was coming out of the river valley, the truck died. I limped a few kilometres to a safe place to pull over and called for a tow. It was an expensive afternoon off!
Inset 3
Eastbound Coal at Wardner, BC
Date Taken: 25 April 2025
At the end of April, I usually go south to the Helena Train Show with friends to take in model trains and real trains in the Mullan Pass. This year it did not happen. There was the political drama, but most of all, is that Helena, MT is expensive. So, Murray and I decided to head west to Cranbrook for the weekend instead. We were not disappointed! We saw some great stuff and got to spend time with Logan, Kevin and AJ.
January
2020: Snow in the Pass
Shortly before the pandemic closed the border to the USA, I caught this eastbound BNSF intermodal at Pinnacle, MT. As it was one of a few US pictures that I captured that year, I never included it in my 2021 calendar. It remains one of my favourites.
Date Taken: 8 February 2020
Alex, Michael, and I headed south for the day into Marias Pass. It snowed quite heavily for a lot of the day, and it made for some great photos. This was my favourite of the day and was thinking that it was a good calendar shot. However, the pandemic changed things, and at the end of the year when it was time to put together my calendar, this was my only picture from the US and seemed out of place to have in the calendar with everything else being Canadian. So, it got shelved until this year!
February
2024: A Surprise in the Elk Valley
Every few weeks, a BNSF coal train arrives in Lethbridge from the Chicago area to get coal from the Elk Valley. Normally the BNSF locomotives are removed and replaced with CPKC engines for the trip through the coal mines.
Date Taken: 15 December 2024
Railfanning is like fishing, you can get skunked or you can get a lucky strike and it is always worth it! Jason and I headed out to catch some coal in the Elk Valley. The day started off with a few troubles, and we did not see a single train on the Crowsnest Sub which stretches from Kipp, AB west to the BC border. But that all changed as we drove down the hill into Sparwood. Parked in the siding at Natal, was a BNSF coal train, with BNSF power on it! To top it off, the remote unit was a “fake bonnet” BNSF 709, (GE C44-9W) which is a slang name given to former Santa Fe units that were not fully repainted into BNSF colours, but just had the name replaced.
What is unique about this train is that normally when it comes up to Lethbridge from Montana, the locomotives are removed at Lethbridge and replaced with CP power. This is done for a few reasons such as compliancy, distribution of power as BNSF runs 1x0x1, but CP runs in a 1x1x1 distribution. CP locomotives are also capable of remote control when going through the coal loading loops.
March
2023: One of a Few
CN 418 is heading south on the CN Westlock Sub north of Edmonton, AB with BCOL 4646 (GE C44-9W) and CN 5775 (EMD SD75I) in the lead. As time has passed many BC Rail units have been retired or repainted into current CN colours.
Date Taken: 23 November 2023
One of my last weeks of “freedom” while I was unemployed in 2023. In November I had just lined up my new job at College Ford, which was going to start in December, so I went to Chilliwack, BC to visit my Mom for a week and then went up to Edmonton to visit AJ while he had a few days off. He showed me around and we went north toward Westlock, AB as we knew that this rare unit was in the area. We managed to catch it four different times before moving on to other opportunities.
April
2021: Got the Goods
Just north of Warner, AB, the CPKC Montana sub winds its way up from the coulees to the plains. Here CP A08, a southbound manifest lead by CP 9720 (GE AC4400CW), CP 6242 and 6420 (EMD SD-60) grind up the hill on their way to the Montana border.
Date Taken: 23 April 2021
Jason and I both had the day off and so we decided to railfan on the CP Montana Sub which stretches from Lethbridge south to Coutts, AB at the Montana border. Timing was in our favour as A08 was just leaving Lethbridge and so we had the opportunity to chase it all the way to the border. On thing about that part of Alberta is that it is not flat, and contains some significant grades along the sub. Just north of Warner, the line comes up out of the coulees, and we discovered a new place to shoot just north of the cemetery at Warner. Our hope to was catch a northbound coal train coming up from Montana, but the train never showed up for the crew to take it back to Lethbridge.
May
2017: Camping Perks
Camping at Lundbreck, AB means easy access to trains! Here CP 8523 (GE AC4400CW) drags a manifest up the hill into Lundbreck as it leaves the foothills of the Rocky Mountains behind.
Date Taken: 20 May 2017
In the spring of 2017, my wife and I bought a new little travel trailer. We went camping with close friends on the May long weekend to kick off the season. Needless to say, the scanner stayed on most of the weekend, and I took full advantage of being close to the tracks.
June
2022: D-Day Delivery
CP 6644 (EMD SD70ACu) is a military tribute unit celebrating D-Day on 6 June 1944. On this day it had the honour of leading CPKC 419, a manifest train, west along the Crowsnest Sub. CP 8931 (GE ES44AC) also pulls at Bellevue, AB.
Date Taken: 3 September 2022
On the Labour Day weekend, I was out camping at Castle River when I received the news that 419 was heading out with 6644 leading. Fortunately, I was smart and took my camera along for the weekend, I don’t often do that as I am there to spend time relaxing with friends. So, I bailed on them for a few hours and drove over to Pincher Creek to wait. As it was a long weekend, there were several railfans out there and it became a bit of a race as we joggled for the next best spot down the line! This was one of the last photos that I took that day and I am glad that I am finally able to use it.
July
2025: Crossing the Divide
Chasing the Royal Canadian Pacific is always a good reason to get up early on a Saturday and travel west to the mountains. Here CP 1401, CP 1900, and CP 4107 run in an A-B-A arrangement as they cross the continental divide between British Columbia and Alberta.
Date Taken: 26 July 2025
When the RCP is starting to move, the whispers and rumours fly among railfans. CPKC keeps this train on a low profile as the train is usually a private charter or carrying executives. Often there is very short notice of direction and when it will be in the area, so it was blessing that it was on Saturday and I did not have to book off work. Jason and I headed out, met up with Clifford, and chased from Sparwood back to Fort Macleod. Along the way, we ran into several other railfans and were fortunate to spend some time together while waiting at different locations. After a log wait in the siding at Fort Macleod, the sun was too far west and so Jason and I decided that it was celebration time at Stronghold Brewery.
August
2015: Foamer on the Loose
The CN mainline was a thrill for my first time railfanning around Jasper, AB. A friendly wave from the conductor helps make the hike up the hill worth it. CN 2612 (GE C44-9W) and an EMD SD70 lead the Intermodal west to the Yellowhead Pass.
Date Taken: 13 September 2015
AJ invited me up to Edmonton to have a weekend railfan trip to Hinton and Jasper. He had also invited two of his long-time friends from when he was growing up to join us. So, I was able to spend time with Bob and Roger as well. I had never railfanned CN or that part of the province and it felt like shooting trains in a barrel! They were everywhere! It is a very busy line and there are a lot of scenic locations. We also had the opportunity to spend time with Tim who was able to get us into some locations that were not known to us.
September
2025: On Time
Mile 12.2 on CN’s Fraser Sub a few minutes west of McBride, BC made for a good lunch stop while waiting for VIA 6 to pass by. VIA 6441 (EMD F40PH-2D) is keeping the train on time as it travels east to Jasper, AB.
Date Taken: 6 September 2025
I had to wait a while for this one as I needed redemption. I was travelling from Lethbridge to Smithers to visit my mom for a week. One of the perks of working from home is that you can work from wherever there is internet, so I take a few items along, work the day and visit with Mom the rest of the time. Anyways, I had stayed overnight in Banff and was in Jasper right around 10 am. As I was pulling in, I saw the tail end of VIA 1 The Canadian heading west out of town. I had to stop and figured I would catch up later. A quick pitstop and I was on the road again, but I did not see the train, but I could hear occasional chatter. Suddenly I hear VIA 2 call out from behind me and I realised that there was not just one Canadian, but two! and I missed them both. 😒
I had to carry on as I had a long way to go yet, so I carried on to McBride and stopped to grab some food. A quick check on the VIA tracker helped me realise that VIA 6 was nearing town on the way to Jasper. I checked the map and found a siding at mile 12.2 on the Fraser sub that was suitable to wait and eat. after about 20 minutes I was rewarded!
October
2016: Tunnelling
BNSF 8232 (GE ES44C4) and BNSF 6163 (GE ES44AC) are loaded with grain. This westbound unit train has come down from Marias Pass and is nearing the Flathead Valley in northern Montana on the BNSF Hi Line Sub.
Date Taken: 1 October 2016
Near West Glacier, MT there are a series of tunnels on the BNSF Hi Line Sub. Michael and I were down in the pass on this day, and we managed to drive the access road down to the tracks along the river and plopped ourselves between two tunnels. I was having difficulty already with distance and endurance because of my chemo, so we would have never walked the 1km downhill if the gate was closed!.
November
2018: Big Sky Country
On a frosty fall morning, the Amtrak Empire Builder crosses the trestle in Cut Bank, MT on its way east to Chicago, IL. AMTK 121 (GE P42DC) and AMTK 61 (GE P42DC) both lead the way.
Date Taken: 25 November 2018
I took a day and went south across the border with Alex to the mountains. As there is a daily passenger train, the location for it is always available. That lets you plan a little bit! In this case we setup in Cut Bank, MT by the trestle and waited for Amtrak to show.
December
2019: Spreading Holiday Cheer
CP’s Holiday train approaches Frank, AB, on a cool, mostly overcast December day. It was an all-day chase from Lethbridge to Sparwood, BC, with stops along the way to enjoy the show in the various towns.
Date Taken: 11 December 2019
This was the last time that I chased the CP Holiday Train! As it comes through southern Alberta every two years, there was no train in 2021, and in 2023, I had just started a new job and didn’t think it was appropriate to book a day off on day three of the new job. Jason and I make a day of this when we can and enjoy the shows in Fort Macleod, Pincher Creek, Coleman, and Sparwood. On this day we also met up with Kevin and Justin at Sentinel and got to enjoy a few hours with them too.