D-10 LOCOMOTIVE ASSIGNMENTS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

  A friend asked us for information on locomotive assignments for the Revelstoke Subdivision in 1950 so that he could number his newly acquired D-10 model locomotive.  After digging around in our "Kettle Valley archives" and thinking about sharing what is there, we were moved to start posting again after a long hiatus.  We will begin with a short review of the model and then expand to look at engine assignments for the D-10's in the Pacific (B.C.) Region in the late 1940's and early 1950's.  Here is an image of the unlettered model from Rapido's Website.

 

The Rapido Ten-Wheelers are fresh out of the factory in China and are selling very well. Several reviews on-line are favorable and a short period of testing on the Kettle Valley Model Railway was positive overall.  Here is an extensive review of the model by a happy purchaser: https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/rapido-d10-first-look-12786805?pid=1336495875

PERFORMANCE: The model crawled at a scale 0.7 mile per hour at speed step 1. At speed step 12 she moved well at 13 scale m.p.h. but at speed step 28, she flew by at 56 scale m.p.h.!  There was no stalling or cogging observable in the slow speeds which was impressive.  Unfortunately, there was not enough time for more testing after a train of 15 cars with free-rolling trucks made her slip and stall out on the 2.2% grade even with the traction tire fitted on the rear axle.  With the traction tire, the model should handle a reasonable freight train of at least 10 cars but someone else will have to test her with metal tires.  Rapido has a video on the engine's capabilities on a 1.7% grade here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfoSUHSkoqE&t=1s

BUILD & DETAIL: The detailing of the model is of the highest quality.  The lighting functions were numerous and delightful: headlight, tender light, number board, class lights, ground lights and firebox flicker. Drivers and rods were well done.  The many extra parts with the undecorated model are easily installed on the model to match the particular prototype one may wish to replicate.

SOUND: The factory settings for the decoder sounds are much too loud for our tender ears but that is easily adjustable. To be frank, the overall sound quality is not as good as our Kettle Valley engine models with their shop-built lead speakers and TCS decoders. The brake squeal is excessive when braking at slow speeds but perhaps there is room for adjustment in the programming. The chuff was well synchronized with the driver rotation - perhaps there is a cam to enable this. 

CAUTION: The drawbar coupling is fragile and can be broken or worse if the plug is not connected with care.  It is somewhat surprising that the thing works at all - since the plug has to withstand the pull of a train - but it seems to work on the Royal Hudsons which have been around for some time now.

Here is a listing of D-10's that worked the BC rails in 1947 transcribed from a faint copy of an official CPR Document given to us by Ted Howe many years ago.  There were 20 active D-10's operating in BC at the time, most of them on Vancouver Island.

LOCOMOTIVE DISTRIBUTION PACIFIC (B.C.) REGION
Period Ending February 15th, 1947.
Revelstoke Division:
Okanagan Sub.	Way Freight	983
	Mixed	962 (maroon panels)
	Fruit	985
Shuswap Sub. Freight	Freight	926
Vancouver Division:
Ioco & Coquitlam	Sw. & Transfer	724 (scrapped 1948)
Kootenay Division:
Boundary & Rossland Sub.	Passenger	954
Kettle Valley Division:
D-9's only		[569, 592.]
Esquimalt & Nanaimo Division:
Victoria Sub.	Passenger	922
All Subdivisions	Freight	901, 906, 907, 908, 909, 910,
		911, 914, 915, 918, 920, 923,
		925

 The 14 D-10's on the E&N were transferred in early 1949 to the mainland when they were displaced by the early Baldwin Road-switchers in the 8000 series. The chart following shows where they went including 3 for the Kettle Valley Division: Nos. 907, 914, & 925.  The ill-fated 907 suffered a boiler explosion that killed the engine watchman and destroyed the roundhouse in March of 1949. The Riegger Book has a photo of her on page 216.

LOCOMOTIVE DISTRIBUTION PACIFIC (B.C.) REGION
Period Ending March 14th, 1950.
Revelstoke Division:
Arrow Lakes	Mixed	923
Okanagan Sub.	Way Freight	918
	Mixed	962 (maroon panels)
	Switching	983
Mountain Sub.	Work	910, 985.
Vancouver Division:
Mission Sub.	Mixed	922
Thompson Sub.	Work & Sw.	909
Cascade Sub.	Way Freight	906
Kootenay Division:
Cranbrook - Nelson Subs.	Way Freight	1036
Lake Windermere Sub.	Frt. & Mixed	901, 908, 911, 915.
Boundary & Rossland Sub.	Passenger	954
Kettle Valley Division:
Carmi & Princeton Subs.	Way Freight	914
Osoyoos Sub.	Freight	925
Esquimalt & Nanaimo Division:
None - [Baldwins]

For further information on the Kettle Valley D-10's there is an earlier post here: http://kettlevalleymodelrailway.blogspot.com/2019/

 

Coquihalla Man

A VIDEO

 A short video of the layout was published recently by a modeler friend, Burr Stewart of Seattle.  He has been doing a lot of good work these last two years to promote the fine modeling of the modelers of the Pacific North West.  His efforts have helped many a modeler to retain their sanity and to get through the drudgery of the restricted life forced on us by the Pandemic.  The raw video was shot during an operating session some years ago.  He contacted us seeking permission to work up a presentation of the layout with the footage he had taken.  We readily agreed and are pleased to provide a link here to the finished work. Part 18 - Canadian Pacific RR action on the HO Kettle Valley Subdivision of the "Southern Mainline" - YouTube

The footage is surprisingly good considering that it took place during an operating session where he was actually working several trains. Sessions on the KVMR demand attention to the job in hand so Burr did miss one or two small things on his assignments as he mentions in his commentary.  Nevertheless, we are glad he did pause to record the event as the video turned out well.

One of the trains he ran was Extra 3628 West, the mine turn out of Brookmere to Princeton which is a popular choice of assignments for those who like switching.  Here is seen lifting the loads out of the Tulameen Collieries spur.  He will then set out the empties and continue on the return leg of his assignment.  On the upper level a short way-freight is holding the siding at Iago for a meet.

 He also ran a Passenger train, No. 11, the westbound Kootenay Express which is seen crossing the Tulameen Bridge at Mile 71.7. Towards the end of the video he is piloting Extra 5783 East across the Bridle Veil Falls Trestle on the Coquihalla Subdivision.  Between assignments, he was able to shoot a Westbound freight, No. 79, transiting the upper canyon which happens to have in its consist, the cars he had previously set out at Coquihalla summit from his earlier mine turn.

 Burr's efforts make us realize how much we need to do more filming of the layout in operation as it is quite interesting.  This will happen eventually, but right now the project in hand is a major expansion of the layout to include about 45 feet of mainline on each of the two levels.   Details to come.

Coquihalla Man