CP potash loads move east, but geographically west at this location, as 602 ascends the land between the Spiral Tunnels. This is one of two CP locos that still retains plow stripes from its time as a movie star along the Wheeling for the flick Unstoppable.

This location is all too familiar with its own version of something unstoppable. A loaded grain train began sliding down the hill and flew off the tracks about a mile downhill from my location just railroad east of the signals at Yoho. The crew of three all perished sadly.

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Eastbound potash empties are approaching Divide on the Laggan Sub. It is only a couple days into February and it shows. The mountainous territory along the BC/AB border gets its fair share of winter weather and today is no different. Both provinces mandate some form of upgraded winter tires between October and April.

We get snow in the Midwest and I feel to be a competent winter driver. The snow tire package on our rental was a total game changer though. They gave me an extra layer of security on my first visit along the trans-Canada Highway and CP’s famed Kicking Horse Pass. Not the easiest season for a first visit for sure.

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201’s dpu is a little bit of current affairs while a sentinel of the past on the Laggan Sub looks on.

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What I assume to be 201 approaches the outskirts of Canmore. Soon he’ll be westbound past Canmore city limits proper and then within Banff National Park. The weather has turned sour and the cold rain has transitioned to a sloppy snowfall.

All about the elements here.

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Given the other terrain between Vancouver and Banff, this CP intermodal train is mostly on Easy Street from here on out. A sloppy wintry mix has blown in and will blanket much of the Laggan Sub in heavy wet snow by morning.

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