SHORTLINES COME TO THE OKANAGAN

Okanagan Valley Sub Becomes Two Shortlines: Part 1



Okanagan Valley Railway

CP turned over their operation to OmniTRAX. The first Okanagan Valley Railway train into Kelowna was on November 24, 1998. Using former I.C GP-10's. 1064 1049 1038. In Dec.1999, 1038 1049 and 1064 were sent to the CKRY in Kansas and replaced with former C.N. M-420[W]s 3557 3558 still in C.N. paint. Early March 2001, these units were wrecked in a collision witha loaded runaway tank car. OVR leased two CN GP38-2's #4700, 4718 until replacement units arrived.

Wrecked OVR 3558

Clicking on the picture above will show many views of the accident. 3558 was wrecked beyond repair and has been stripped of all useful parts. 3557 was sent to the Carton Trail Railway in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, for parts removal.
Here is a summary of the damage to 3558.

 ex Southern Pacific 3735

NBSR 3735 was sent here as a replacemnt unit. Upon arrival it was determined the unit was not operable. This unit was delivered to Action Metal in Kelowna on March 4, 2003. Scrapping was finished March 30, 2003.

On Oct.18,2001 HBRY GP-20 2506 and CTRW GP-10 1025, still lettered in Central Kansas Railway, arrived in Kelowna. November 28, 2001: OVR GP-10 1049 returned to service in the Okanagan. 1049 did not last a year before failing. 1025 suffered damage around April 20, 2003. May 1, 2003, HBR MLW-420 3550 made its first trip to Kelowna. CKRY which was part of OmniTRAX, has been sold to WATCO as of June 1, 2001.

The 'Trio' of OVR engines

Late December 2001, OVR's fleet, Carton Trail Railway (CKRY) GP-10 1025, Okanagan Valley Railway (CKRY) GP-10 1049 and Hudson Bay Railway (CKRY) GP-20 2506, parked outside the OVR office.



HBRY 3550
HBRY 3550, which is the replacement
for CKRY 1025.
First trip to Kelowna was May 1, 2003.
CKRY 2506
One of probably only two GP-20's in Canada,
at mile 118. Nov. 6, 2003.
CKRY 2506.


In late March, 2004, CRKY 1006 arrived as a backup unit, with a defective generator.
Pictures below were taken April 10, 2004, Vernon, BC. GP-10: Main generator replacement.

CKRY 1006
Rear-left view.
CKRY 1006
Generator installed.
CKRY 1006
Front view.

Generator 'donor'
1049 has 'donated' its generator.
This unit has not run for more than a year,
May 2005 it was scrapped in Kelowna.


1006's first job was on a work train for a major tie replacement from Vernon to Sicamous, to upgrade the track for the announcement below. Traffic will increase substantially.

May 6, 2009 — OVR lost its main customer, Owens-Corning Glass Plant, in Lavington, on October 31, 2008. With 50% of its business lost, OVR is sending back GP-20 2506 to The Pas, Manitoba.

Picture: Al in Vernon

CKRY 2506's exhaust stacks capped.
This leaves the OVR with GP-10 1006 & M-420 3550.
Picture: Al in Vernon

End of the O.V.R.—September 21st, 2009

Final two engines, CKRY 1006 and HBR 3550 have their shipping instructions posted in their windows.
Shipping intstructions for CKRY 1006 and HBR 3550.
Both engines left November 19th, 2009. The OVR office was cleaned out the week of the 21st of September, and has a “For Lease” sign in the window. Now we wait to see what happens with the line. Businesses in Grindrod and Enderby want the line to remain open.



NBSR 3735
December 1956- March 2003.

From delivery to Action Metal in Kelowna, March 4, 2003, to the frame on March 30, 2003. The end of New Brunswick Southern, GP-9. The unit was returned from NBSR and was supposed to be in operable condition. This was not the case.
Here is a sampling of the problems found.

The three stages of 3735's scrapping


 

Following pictures show the different stages of disassembly over the next weeks. 


3735 left side
Track in the foreground terminates
in the yard at Kelowna. 
Action Man in action
Action Metal employee removing parts.

 
Cut up parts
Parts of main generator
and engine. 
Front end
The front pilot.

 
Frame
Down to the frame.
Frame
Another view of the frame.

 
 
 
 
CKRY 1025
December 1957 - Feburary 2005.
 

Delivered to Knox Mtn. Metal in Kelowna's north end, December 18, 2004.The unit sat untouched for over a month,
until the week of Feburary 1, 2005. 

Waiting
Arrived December, 2004.
right side view
Feburary 1 2005
work starts.


Exposed engine on frame
Engine is going to be saved.
left side view
Pictures: Feburary 5, 2005.



spare parts
Cooling assemblies, fans and air
compressor saved.
End and roof
Exhaust caps and end of the
CKRY 1025.



CKRY 1049
December 1956- May 2005.
 

From delivery to Knox Mtn. Metal in Kelowna, March 17, 2005, to the cut up frame on May 25, 2005. GP-10 CKRY Ex OKAN 1049, the only unit in Okanagan Valley Railway paint that returned to the valley after going to CKRY, has not run for a couple years.


ex OVR 1049 ex OVR 1049
Mar. 17, 2005 Mar. 31, 2005,
engine on frame.

Caboose, CP 434683, which had been owned by KPR, had never been used and was delivered to Action Metal in March, 2005. In early May, Caramoomel bought it as their gift shop. Set on a length of track. Nothing was done to the caboose for more than 4 years. November 27, 2009—the caboose was donated to the KVR in Summerland.

Caboose saved



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