Alan Sewell's visits to Vancouver Island paper mills...

Another post in the Alan Sewell series, whom has kindly shared both his photography and visit notes from sites across the world...

Isolated lumber/paper mills make an interesting layout muse because they offer a relatively small and compact operation perfect for a small H0 or N switching layout where much of the operation can be represented. Staging has the added benefit of being a rail ferry or barge, so that rolling stock can be switched on and off the layout - it's a subject I've considered before on the blog - yet here, Alan has visited two of the sites mentioned in my original post.

Alan has visited Vancouver Island a number of times over the years and has on occasion managed to visit a number of the logging railroads and paper mills on the island. In September 2006 he had visited to see the Englewood (the subject of my own initial N scale ramblings last year), but fitted in a visit to the Harmac mill, owned by Pope and Talbot on the coast just south of Nanaimo. A flying visit, as he was heading for the ferry, normally photography would not have been allowed but Alan had written in advance and so permission was granted.

HARMAC

The system is un-connected to the E&N system on the island and is served by barge from Vancouver. They use the loco to switch cars 4-6 times per month when a barge is in. The railroad was not working, but unlike Elk Falls, they switch box cars as well as tank cars and the loco was out in the open. It is an SW900 but an early one, apparently built in the late 1930’s, and acquired in 1996 It replaced a General Electric centre cab unit, which was underpowered for the work.

Harmac mill, September 2006. Alan Sewell photo.

The mill has just rebuilt the loco and it, and the rail system, is integral to their operations, without which they would have difficulty in operating. The shipping manager stated that around 30 box cars of finished pulp and at least double that number of tank cars of chlorine and other chemicals are handled each month. The barge dock is three tracks and like similar operations idler cars are used to keep the loco off the barge and apron. These cars are ex-BCOL 50-flat cars with added weight and additional steps”.

Harmac mill, September 2006. Alan Sewell photo.

Harmac mill, September 2006. Alan Sewell photo.

The track layout is fairly complex and I was fortunate to have a brief chat with, I think, the Engineer on how it operated.  

Harmac mill, September 2006. Alan Sewell photo.

The barge tracks are near the centre of the system. Cars are pulled from the dock and pushed into two north facing stub tracks, one which held mainly empty box cars and the other various tank cars. There is a siding to run round cars alongside the yard as both the shipping shed and tank car unloading switches face south. The shipping shed holds 7 cars inside, with a track running outside and which continues further into the mill. This might have been used for additional pulp handling or mill maintenance but appeared little used.   Another longer spur ran to the west of the mill where there is a two track chemical unloading dock with a capacity of 4 cars. Cars coming to and from loading bay and the chemical dock would be pulled in the run round track to enable the lokey to switch the barge dock from the mill end.

Harmac mill, September 2006. Alan Sewell photo.

Harmac mill, September 2006. Alan Sewell photo.

Harmac mill, September 2006. Alan Sewell photo.

ELK FALLS

Alan visited the second mill shared here before Harman, in August 2003. This was the Elk Falls Division, part of Norske Skog Canada just north of Campbell River - it has been part of Crown Zellerbach until the 1980s. Alan had arranged to be part of a weekly tour of the mill, led by customer services - as a result photography was restricted...

This is one of the older pulp mills on Vancouver Island and one of only three still with its own in plant switcher. The major raw material, wood chips, comes in by barge and paper is shipped out the same way to Vancouver for export. The other main materials are chemicals and they also come on a barge but in rail cars. This arrives two or three times per week and cars are then stored and emptied as required to feed the various types of pulp and paper produced. At the time of the visit no barge was in and the rail system inactive. However a large number of tank cars were in the yard and the rails were shiny indicating the railroad was still integral to mill operations.

 

Elk Falls mill, August 2003. Alan Sewell photo.

The yard is laid on a very gentle down grade but this increases as the barge slip is reached. This is also on a sharp curve and idler cars are used to unload a barge. The three cars were parked on the lead to the barge slip awaiting further use.

Elk Falls mill, August 2003. Alan Sewell photo.

Across the tracks from these was the engine house which contained the working loco an ex CN SW900 acquired in 1993. Prior to this the mill had an RS-3 and a Baldwin VO-1000 and was the last user of steam ( a 2-truck shay  #1) on Vancouver Island.

Elk Falls mill, August 2003. Alan Sewell photo.

Elk Falls mill, August 2003. Alan Sewell photo.

A little different to the subject material in Alan's previous visit blog posts, yet I hope still of interest to many of you. Alan, thank you once again for sharing this with me along with the permission to share more widely. If anyone would like further information or discuss ideas on planning such a layout, please feel free to add a comment here and I'm sure Alan and I will be happy to indulge. In the meantime, more soon...