Misplaced Pages

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47-724: This shorter tunnel, which passes under the highway, allowed the desired approach to, and siting of, the east portal of the Mount Macdonald Tunnel . Built first was the adjacent Connaught Creek bridge on the Macdonald Track . Using this access, the Manning-Kumagai (MK) joint venture (comprising Manning Construction & Kumagai Gumi) began to tunnel northward in June 1985. The soft brittle rock initially slowed progress, and work stopped while steel arches were installed. The tunnel lining

94-539: A 270-metre-long (880 ft) reinforced concrete box in a cut-and-cover trench. This structure carries both the highway and protects the portal from avalanches. In 1985, the words "Mount Macdonald Tunnel 1988" were stamped into the concrete cladding above the portal. The eastern work camp was near the Mount Shaughnessy Tunnel, and the western one at Flat Creek. A third camp for summer surface workers existed near Rogers. Breaking through on October 24, 1986,

141-466: A maximum grade of 28 ‰ (which is common, e.g. , for lines through the Alps ), the limit is a train weight of 1400 tons; if a train is heavier, bank engines have to be added in the middle or to the end of the train in order not to exceed the maximum load for any coupler. Adding locomotives in the middle of the train has the distinct advantage of applying the helper power to only part of the train, thus limiting

188-582: A pair of 70-ton deck plate girders, offloaded near the east portal of the Connaught Tunnel, and hauled up to the highway and down to the site; Cana Construction built. ^j . A railway point. ^k . A railway point. CP built a substation in Revelstoke and from it constructed a 35 kV operating distribution line along the railway right-of-way; originally built using both 69 kV insulators and construction standards. On August 27, 1984,

235-483: A result they could not push at full power for very far before steam pressure dropped. If it could push enough to get the train to the top of the grade, then it could build up pressure while coasting back down and while waiting for the next train to come along. This practice was common in Europe. Since it was not possible to remotely control a steam locomotive , each helper had to have a full crew on board. Careful coordination

282-569: A train. Although monitored at the Revelstoke control centre, the ventilation system is computer controlled, and adjusts to the type and size of train. Standing at the top of the shaft, near the Rogers Pass highway summit, the ventilation building houses four fans, a standby 2.8-megawatt (3,800 hp) diesel generator, and two elevators. Used by maintenance staff, each open cage takes 11 + 1 ⁄ 2 minutes to slowly descend an open elevator shaft to tunnel level. A straight tunnel would have made

329-498: Is a railway locomotive that temporarily assists a train that requires additional power or traction to climb a gradient (or bank ). Helpers/bankers are most commonly found in mountain divisions (called "helper districts" in the United States), where the ruling grade may demand the use of substantially greater motive power than that required for other grades within the division. Helpers/bankers were most widely used during

376-722: Is in southeastern British Columbia , on the Revelstoke – Donald segment. This single-track 14.66-kilometre (9.11 mi) tunnel, which carries the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) main line under Mount Macdonald in the Selkirk Mountains , handles most westbound traffic, whereas the Connaught Tunnel handles mostly eastbound. The tunnel was opened by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) in 1988. By

423-549: Is reinforced concrete at the south end, and for a few metres at the north end, the remainder being shotcrete . The contractor was fined $ 132,000 by the Workers' Compensation Board for a series of safety violations relating to both tunnels. The 84 cubic metres (110 cu yd) of rubble produced daily was dumped into the large depression to help create the grade stretching to the Mount Macdonald Tunnel. Completed in 1987,

470-430: Is the longer of the two is disputed. 2005: While clearing ice in the tunnel, an employee died when struck by a falling 225-kilogram (496 lb) chunk. 2019: An avalanche descending upon a stopped train at Wakely derailed seven container -carrying flatcars . Bank engine A bank engine (United Kingdom/Australia) (colloquially a banker ), banking engine , helper engine or pusher engine (North America)

517-445: Is to prevent locomotives overheating and remove air pollutants. The opening and closing of the gates at the portals and mid-point assists the extraction process. The mid-tunnel gate structure stands inside a 25-metre-long (82 ft), 27-metre-high (88 ft), and 16-metre-wide (52 ft) cavern. In a power failure, counterweights return all gates to the up position. Each gate has a central wooden panel designed to break if struck by

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564-697: The Connaught Track . With longer and heavier trains than in the 1980s, former experienced pusher crews adapted to the new situation. The single-track operation required opposing trains to meet at the Glacier , Stoney Creek, and Griffith sidings. In 2006, a similar exercise occurred during a six-week work project within the tunnel. For ongoing maintenance, refer PaCT maintenance in Mount Macdonald Tunnel Mount Macdonald Tunnel The Mount Macdonald Tunnel

611-701: The Crowsnest Pass , because too wide for the Spiral Tunnels , and unloaded at the south end of the new Stoney Creek bridge; supported on 44 custom-designed piers and two abutments; pier heights range from 4.6 metres (15 ft) to 21 metres (70 ft); cut and fill not adopted because it would undermine Connaught Track above, and encroach on highway below; spans installed from early 1987 to that July; walkway on north side; named after John Fox . ^h . Length 1.83 kilometres (1.14 mi). ^i . Length 48 metres (156 ft); single span; comprises

658-534: The age of steam , especially in the American West , where significant grades are common and trains are long. The development of diesel-electric or electric locomotives has eliminated the everyday need for bankers/helpers in all but a few locations. With the advent of dynamic brakes on electric or diesel-electric locomotives, helpers/bankers can also be used to provide more braking force on long downhill gradients. Bankers or helpers were historically positioned at

705-419: The 1970s, it was evident that the Connaught Tunnel alone could not meet the increasing traffic demands. The major growth opportunities were primarily in the bulk commodities of coal, sulphur, and potash. In 1980, the estimated construction cost of $ 300 million was almost 20% of CP's gross income for 1979. Furthermore, westbound grain transportation had been an ongoing liability for the railways. Consequently, CP

752-405: The Mount Shaughnessy Tunnel. Because of the tunnel's length and lack of electrification, it uses a ventilation system consisting of a series of huge fans which clear the tunnel of diesel exhaust left behind by the locomotives. The tunnel also has large doors at the portals and the mid-point which can open and close whenever the tunnel needs to be cleared out. The purpose of the ventilation system

799-584: The PaCT slab, can be repaired with epoxy resin in minor cases. Injecting the resin restores structural integrity. Slab removal and replacement is needed in serious cases. From 1993 to 2020, a total of 115 metres (378 ft) of PaCT were replaced in the two tunnels. The hardware for power, communications, and signalling is obsolete. The slow ventilation systems can take 45 minutes to purge the air after each train. In 2019, consultants were advising on possible improvements, but it will probably take 5 to 10 years to modernize

846-528: The Selkirk Construction joint venture (comprising S.A. Healey, Foundation Company of Canada , and Atlas Construction) began blasting from the east portal. By mid-October, sufficient room existed to install their 6.7-metre-diameter (22 ft), 18-metre-long (60 ft) tunnel-boring machine (TBM). In December 1985, the tunnel passed 110 metres (360 ft) below the Connaught one, almost directly beneath

893-422: The approaching tunnels joined. Cementation Canada sank the 8.5-metre-diameter (28 ft), 350-metre-deep (1,150 ft) ventilation shaft. MK drilled and blasted the gate chamber below, and air tunnels to, this shaft. After concrete lining, the tunnel height is 7.9 metres (25 ft 10 in), and the width is 5.2 metres (17 ft) on the straights, and 5.5 metres (18 ft) on the curves. In September 1988,

940-429: The concrete lining along the sections adjacent to each portal. Large cross-struts over the track held the 11-by-6-metre (36 by 20 ft) steel forms in place until the concrete cured. Each of the seven set ups took 36 hours from installation to dismantling. To complete the project, the contractor sprayed shotcrete upon the arched ceiling, requiring only 12-hour work blocks. During each closure, westbound trains diverted to

987-454: The end of the steam era. Special heavily constructed cabooses were sometimes used in helper areas. Ordinary cabooses were built as lightly as practical and might be crushed by the helper/pusher's force, which could be as much as 90 tons. The heavy cabooses allowed crews to avoid the time-consuming procedure of splitting the train just ahead of the caboose. Pushers/helpers were commonly designed to provide extreme power for very short runs; as

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1034-571: The end of the train, but in front of the caboose . This was done for the safety of the train crew riding inside the caboose. To be able to add and remove helper locomotives quickly, which is especially important in Europe due to the high traffic density , they are usually added to the end of the train. Normally, they are coupled and the air hoses are connected, which is necessary for the air brake to work correctly e.g. , in emergency situations, but in special cases trains are banked with uncoupled locomotives, which can be added or removed "in-flight." In

1081-460: The final track concrete was poured. The paved concrete track (PaCT) rests on a 2.4-metre-wide (7 ft 10.5 in), 230-millimetre-thick (9 in) reinforced concrete slab. The height clearance can accommodate any future electrification. A fleet of 50 dump cars were built exclusively for the project. About 5,000 tons of material were removed daily from the western side. Parks Canada allowed some dumping about 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) from

1128-407: The finished tunnel height is 7.9 metres (25 ft 10 in), and the width is 5.2 metres (17 ft) on the straights, and 5.5 metres (18 ft) on the curves. The height clearance can accommodate any future electrification. The Paved Concrete Track (PaCT) track rests on a 2.4-metre (7 ft 10.5 in) wide, 22.9-centimetre (9 in) thick, reinforced concrete slab. On December 12, 1988,

1175-422: The first revenue train, hauling coal, passed through the tunnel, and saved an hour on the journey. Adding a third locomotive to the head largely resolved an early problem of locomotives stalling in the tunnel. Many freight trains are longer than the tunnel, and transient airflow cools the locomotives as they pass through it. The lack of a forced ventilation system has caused occasional overheating of locomotives. When

1222-451: The helper(s) and the train being helped. If radio operation is not possible, electrical control might be used, by way of cables running the length of the train (especially in case of passenger trains). Alternatively, radio communication with the lead engine's driver facilitates manual operation, which is still the norm for bank engines at the end of freight trains in Europe. In the UK, an engine that

1269-505: The lead locomotive of a westbound train is stopped at the signal by the east portal of the Mount Macdonald Tunnel, the engineer may need to shut down any slave units still in the Mount Shaughnessy Tunnel as a precaution. From early August to the end of September 2002, the Rogers (Fraine) pusher base was temporarily reactivated for the first time since the Macdonald Track opened. This allowed a tunnel closure, when Emil Anderson Construction replaced

1316-456: The maximum drawbar pull applied to the first car of the train to a safe level. The narrow gauge portions of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad , in particular, used "swing helpers", which meant the helper locomotives were placed mid-train at a point where they were pushing and pulling an approximately equal amount of tonnage, said location being referred to as the train's "swing point". This

1363-434: The mountain peak. On completion, Selkirk Construction had advanced 8.45 kilometres (5.25 mi) westward. On October 5, 1984, the Manning-Kumagai (MK) joint venture (comprising Manning Construction and Kumagai Gumi) began from the west portal. Using the drilling and blasting method, 30 men, rostered in 3 shifts, completed 5.8 kilometres (3.6 mi) eastward. Meanwhile, the highway was temporarily relocated to construct

1410-494: The mountainside along this section to accommodate the new lower track. ^d . Length: 96-metre (315 ft); 2 × 250-ton spans. Height: about 44 metres (145 ft) below Mountain Creek bridge on Connaught Track. Cana Construction completed in fall 1985. ^e . A 2,700-metre (8,800 ft) siding; named after Mike Wakely, a former chief construction engineer, who oversaw the years of preparatory work, but retired before

1457-438: The need for pushers. To enable the reintroduction of double tracks , three schemes required a 1.8-metre (6 ft) lowering of the Connaught Tunnel floor, complemented by a new approach to serve the east portal: However, lowering the floor would be extremely difficult while maintaining traffic flow. Three schemes offered a straight new tunnel at a lower elevation: Mike Wakely, Regional Engineer, Special Projects, suggested

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1504-417: The portal, creating a bed for track twinning. The remainder was dumped outside the park boundary at various proposed double-tracking sites between Golden and Revelstoke. The 500 cubic metres (660 cu yd) of rubble produced daily at the eastern end was dumped into a large depression to create the grade. Minus the 48-metre (156 ft) bridge, this fill covered the 1,337-metre (4,386 ft) distance to

1551-430: The rear of the train, in which case they also protected against wagons or coaches breaking away from the train and running back downhill. Also, in a pusher role, it was possible for the helper/banker to easily separate once the train had crested the grade . Once separated, the banker would return to a siding or stub so as to clear the mainline and get ready for the next train. A common practice with knuckle couplers

1598-749: The selected option, which provided a 1.0% grade from Rogers, and a west portal 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) west of Glacier station. The budget, including approaches, was $ 600 million. In 1975, preparatory work began in earnest. The 34.8-kilometre (21.6 mi) route of surface track and tunnels, within a 30-metre (100 ft) wide right-of-way, uses continuous welded rail. ^a . Connaught Track and Macdonald Track diverge; named for former Pacific Region V.P.; previously called Rogers. ^b . Length: 40-metre (130 ft); two span; double track; Cana Construction completed in July 1984. ^c . Connaught Track had to be moved 9.1 metres (30 ft) into

1645-411: The shaft location clearly visible from the summit monument. To hide the complex, a slight kink was made in the tunnel alignment. On November 9, 1988, the first official train travelled the Macdonald Track westward. About 535 metres (1,755 ft) west of the west portal, R.S Allison, CP president, connected the last track clip. On December 12, 1988, the first revenue train, hauling coal, passed through

1692-678: The title from the Cascade Tunnel (1929) 12.6 km (7.8 mi) as the longest railway tunnel in the North America. The project was the largest CP expansion of capacity since the building of the transcontinental in the early 1880s. In 2016, the tunnel was inducted into the North America Railway Hall of Fame. Tunnel 4 of the Cuajone –El Sargento line in Peru is of similar length, and which

1739-461: The train would experience a violent run-in (an abrupt bunching of train slack), resulting in the derailment of part or all of the train. The town of Helper, Utah , was named after these engines. It was where helper engines were kept to assist on the climb to Soldier Summit . Nowadays helpers/bankers are often controlled by coded radio signals from the locomotive at the head end of the train, allowing one engineer (driver) to simultaneously control

1786-488: The tunnel, and saved an hour on the journey. The official opening of the $ 422 million tunnel was in May 1989. The crest at the west portal is 90 metres (295 ft) lower than the Connaught crest. The 0.7% gradient westward eliminated the need for pusher locomotives. Nowadays, locomotives can climb the grade at 32 kilometres per hour (20 mph). Loaded coal trains travel at 14 to 21 kilometres per hour (9 to 13 mph) through

1833-893: The tunnel. Twelfth longest railway tunnel when opened: Seikan Tunnel (1988) (Japan) 53.85 km (33.46 mi) Daishimizu Tunnel (1982) (Japan) 22.20 km (13.79 mi) Simplon Tunnel (1906) (Switzerland) 19.80 km (12.30 mi) Shin Kanmon Tunnel (1975) (Japan) 18.71 km (11.63 mi) Apennine Base Tunnel (1934) (Italy) 18.51 km (11.50 mi) Rokkō Tunnel (1972) 16.25 km (10.10 mi) Furka Base Tunnel (1982) (Switzerland) 15.44 km (9.59 mi) Haruna (1982) 15.35 km (9.54 mi) Monte Santomarco Tunnel (1987) (Italy) 15.04 km (9.35 mi) Gotthard Tunnel (1882) (Switzerland) 15.00 km (9.32 mi) Nakayama (1982) 14.86 km (9.23 mi) Mount Macdonald Tunnel (1988) 14.66 km (9.11 mi) However, it took

1880-425: The tunnel. To ensure frequency vibrations do not cause damage to the track structure, the speed limit for all traffic is 48 kilometres per hour (30 mph). CP repairs 15 to 61 metres (50 to 200 ft) of PaCT each year. Drain holes cored down to a longitudinal collector drain under the tunnel reduce failures from excessive surface water. Slab cracking, owing to insufficient lateral and longitudinal reinforcing in

1927-445: The work was properly underway, and died soon after, never to see the completed project. ^f . Length: 210 metres (700 ft); seven spans. Height: about 150 metres (500 ft) below Stoney Creek bridge on Connaught Track. ^g . Length: 1,229 metres (4,032 ft); Pitts Engineering Construction began work in 1985; 45 × 27.18-metre (89 ft 2 in) steel spans, each weighing 82 tonnes; brought from Calgary via

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1974-432: Was also done to balance out the "slack" in the train between the locomotives, the swing helpers, and the end train helpers just in front of the caboose. However, this arrangement requires splitting the train in order to add or remove the helper engine(s), which can be a time-consuming maneuver. However, on some American railroads it was necessary to an extent, because operating rules required end of train helpers to be added at

2021-406: Was required between engine crews to assure that all locomotives were operated in a consistent manner. Standard whistle signals were employed to tell the helper crew when to apply power, drift or brake . A misunderstanding of signals by a pusher locomotive crew could result in a major wreck if the lead locomotive applied brakes while the bank engine was still applying power. The usual result was that

2068-412: Was temporarily attached to the front of a train to assist with the ascent of an incline was called a pilot locomotive . This differentiated it from the train engine(s) that powered the train to its destination. A train with one or more locomotives attached to the front may be described as a " double header ", "triple header", etc., depending on the number of helpers/bankers even when this lash-up of power

2115-408: Was to remove the knuckle from the front coupler . The locomotive would be brought up behind the last car of the train while the train was moving slowly. The air brake hose would not be coupled. When the train no longer required assistance, the helper/pusher would slow, then reverse and coast back down the grade to its siding at the bottom of the grade. This practice was outlawed in North America after

2162-667: Was unwilling to proceed with a new tunnel unless the Crow Rate , which did not cover the variable cost of grain movement, was addressed. In response, the federal government gradually increased this rate from 1983, before abandoning rate regulation in 1993. The need for pusher locomotives was another encumbrance. During the pusher station's existence, six engineers, six maintenance workers, and nine locomotives were based at Rogers. Five-unit engines were used on heavy trains carrying grain, coal, and potash. Four-unit engines were used on other freights. A significant grade improvement would eliminate

2209-400: Was used for the entire run. These terms gradually fell out of general usage as diesel locomotives replaced steam power , and are not used for the common assemblage of several power units. In countries where buffers-and-chain couplers are used, bank engines often cannot be added to the front of the train due to the limited strength of the couplers; In the case of standard UIC couplers and

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