At the risk of geting killed, Morant's Curve? Boring. Now, if you want some real action, trek about 20 km further west past Lake Louise just where the Trans Canada starts to climb over the Continental Divide. The line divides into two going west from Lake Louise - 1.8% grade on the lower track (you want to see those eastbound trains rock and roll around the corners as they pick up speed) and 1.1% grade on the upper track. A good spot on the south side to see the trains come through. A nice coffee shop at Lake Louise Village as you wait for trains to come through.
Your first stop is just before the TCH crosses over the CP at Divide. This is where the double-track from Lake Louise goes back to a single track. Pull off the north side of the road into the "parking lot", walk down to the railway tracks and wait for the grain trains to come struggling up the upper track from Lake Louise. Man, those turbo-chargers are screaming! And if it's winter time, the anti-slip mechanism is adding to the screaming. You can tell when the train has gone over the hump at the Continental Divide as the back end of the train starts to pick up speed.
Second stop is just off the TCH at Lake O'Hara Road. Catch those trains coming around the corner on their way down the hill. At this point, it's sheer weight and momentum that's moving the train along. Oops. Better go back and catch the trains going along the shores of Wapta Lake.
Third stop (or is it the 4th stop) is just past the observation deck but on your left (not the right). This is an access road that will take you right up close to Yoho Siding and the Lower Portal of the Upper Spiral. You won't believe the grade! Two AC4400s/ ES44ACs on the front and one on the back. Grain trains, stack trains, sulphur and coal unit trains, mixed merchandise. You're right along 3 - 4 km of track all downhill (or uphill) on a 1% - 1.8% grade).
Fourth stop - right at the end of the Big Hill (the start is about halfway up to the upper spiral and a 4 km hike to the end. It looks like a wide hiking path but a large part of it is the original Big Hill), right next to the rock shed that goes across the rock fall (avalanche territory). You get the trains sneaking up on you as they come down from the Lower Spiral (you can't hear them), through the snow shed, across the rock fall, through the nose of the tunnel on Mt Stephen, and down into Field.
Fifth stop - the observation deck at the upper end to take a gander from afar at the Upper Portal of the Lower Spiral. Bring along those binoculars/ telephoto lens as you are quite a distance away. To my knowledge, there is no way to get up close to the Lower Spiral. You might be able to snowshoe in in the winter time.
Sixth stop - right alongside the TCH where the track comes almost onto the highway. The trains are coming from the Rock Slide down to the Lower Spiral.
Then race down to Field to catch the trains coming off the mountain, or waiting to charge up the hill. Always 4 - 5 trains in the yard waiting to go up the Kicking Horse Pass or on to Golden, the Selkirks, and Revelstoke.
There's lots of other stops along the way but this will get you started in finding all of the good viewing spots on the best railfanning territory in all of Canada - no, make that all of North America!
I'll see if I can cut out some shots of the 4 hours of video I shot last February.
Morant's curve - boring? Just kidding. It is probably the most relaxing place to put your feet up and wait for the trains - next to the Upper Spiral in the middle of February waiting for the next train to come along.
If you ever make it out there, you've just gotta see it. You won't believe it.
So, lets see some more of those old photos, gang!
Bob M.
BTW - Those grizzlies and black bears you seem scooting across the tracks in those videos - they're for real. So, if you go railfaning in the spring, summer or autumn, keep your eyes open.
