Alberta Coal Branch
CREDIT: Copyright © A C Lynn Zelmer
The following photographs were taken by A C Lynn Zelmer from the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s. Most of the photographs were taken in the Alberta Coal Branch. Some, however, have been included to provide a broader perspective on the era.
The CN main line runs through the Yellowhead Pass to the west coast of Canada, and was the reason for the building of the Grand Trunk Pacific and Canadian Northern Railways through Northern Alberta. Jasper is on that main line just to the west of the Coal Branch "as the crow flies"(many more kilometres by rail to get around the intervening mountains). Edson is the closest town to the junction between the CN main line and the Coal Branch. Wabamum is a modern strip mine located about half way between Edson and Edmonton; the long CN trestle/bridge is located between there and Edmonton. Historic Fort Edmonton Park, located in the river valley inside Edmonton's city limits, has a recreation of a typical 1920s Alberta town.
Drumheller, another ex-coal mining centre, is located on CN's line between Edmonton and Calgary, and is a couple of hundred kilometres southeast of the Coal Branch area. Camrose is roughly 100 kilometres north of Drumheller on the same branch line. Both have typical CN stations and other buildings, their major commodities are cereal grains. Thorsby is located on yet another branch line wandering into the Alberta foothills from the CP line between Calgary and Edmonton. The feed mill is NOT serviced by the railway but is typical of such structures, many of which are serviced by rail.
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- View 1920s Street in Fort Edmonton Historical Park, 1979
- View Abandoned mine near Edson, long shot 8/66
- View Abandoned mine near Edson, medium shot 8/66
- View Camrose AB, small works buildings, 1973
- View CN 208372, ex-reefer in work service, Robb 9/70
- View CN 4 outside-braced box cars in work train, Robb 9/70
- View CN 51654, ex-single dome tank car in work service, Robb 9/70
- View CN 67479, in work service, Robb 9/70
- View CN 67983, in work service, Robb 9/70
- View CN 68348, in work service, Robb 9/70
- View CN 69525, bunk car in work service, Robb 9/70
- View CN 69750, in work service, Robb 9/70
- View CN 69967, in work service, Robb 9/70
- View CN 70139, ex-caboose in work service, Robb 9/70
- View CN Freight shed Drumheller, close-up end view, 1973
- View CN Freight shed Drumheller, end and partial front view, 1973
- View CN Freight shed Drumheller, trackside view with loading doors, 1973
- View CN mixed cars in work train, Robb 9/70
- View CN standard station, Camrose AB, 1973
- View CN switch stand, looking north down the Coalspur yard, 1968
- View CN trackside shed built from ties, 1973
- View CN work gang in the Yellowhead Pass area, crane with counterbalance weight, 1970
- View CN work gang in the Yellowhead Pass area, replacing a length of rail, 1970
- View CN work gang in the Yellowhead Pass area, spiking track, 1970
- View CN work gang in the Yellowhead Pass area, tie crane, 1970
- View Coal Branch Motors, Mercoal, likely 9/70
- View Coal Branch wooden trestle (near Robb?), 1968
- View Coal Branch wooden trestle deck (near Robb?), 1968
- View Coal Valley, erosion and gully at edge of overburden pile, 1970
- View Coal Valley, erosion at base of slag/overburden, 1970
- View Coal Valley, garbage and overburden piles, 1970
- View Coal Valley, likely looking south, along grade towards open pit mine, now water-filled, 1970
- View Coal Valley, looking north along grade; new telephone lines runs on poles at edge of trees to left of grade, road beyond, 1970
- View Coal Valley, looking north from the road/telephone line side of old yard, 1970
- View Coal Valley, looking south (?) across remains of yard and loading area, 1970
- View Coal Valley, looking south across abandoned open pit mines and overburden piles, 1970
- View Coal Valley, looking towards open pit mine, now water-filled, 1970
- View Coal Valley, looking west across the grade and subsistence, 1970
- View Coal Valley, looking west across the grade to the road, 1970 **
- View Coal Valley, new telephone line, likely looking north, 1970
- View Coal Valley, old adit (overgrown), 1970
- View Coal Valley, old adit (vertical), 1970
- View Coal Valley, remains of old house, 1970
- View Coalspur General Store, now residence, 1966
- View Coalspur, looking north down yard towards station, 1968
- View Coalspur mine buildings/tipple, looking south, 1968
- View Coalspur mine, hand operated points on mine tracks, 1966
- View Coalspur mine, link and pin coupling on wooden mining wagons, 1966
- View Coalspur mine, small building and stack of coal wagons, 1968
- View Coalspur mine, wooden mining wagon on mine tracks, 1966
- View Coalspur miner's shack, 1966
- View Coalspur roundhouse foundations and pit, 1968
- View Coalspur roundhouse foundations looking towards Coalspur station, 1968
- View Coalspur station from east side, 1968
- View Coalspur station from south side, 1966
- View Coalspur station from west side, 1968
- View Coalspur station, CN Train Order board, 1968
- View Coalspur weir looking across river to town, 1968
- View Coalspur Yard limit, c 1970
- View Coalspur Yard limit (large image), c 1970
- View Coalspur, abandoned commercial building, 1966
- View Coalspur, abandoned store, 1966
- View Coalspur, looking north across the wye towards the Coalspur mine, 1968
- View Coalspur, semi-abandoned garage, 1966
- View Converting wooden trestle to steel and concrete on CN mainline west of Edmonton, before 1968 * (1 of 3)
- View Converting wooden trestle to steel and concrete on CN mainline west of Edmonton, before 1968 (2 of 3)
- View Converting wooden trestle to steel and concrete on CN mainline west of Edmonton, before 1968 (3 of 3)
- View End-of-rail, Mountain Park Branch 31.7 miles from Coalspur, 1968
- View Erith Tie piled ties and lumber, likely 9/70 (also see video)
- View Erith tie sawdust burner, likely 9/70 (also see video)
- View Erith Tie sawmill buildings left of burner, likely 9/70 (also see video)
- View Erith Tie sawmill buildings right of burner, likely 9/70 (also see video)
- View ex-Northern Alberta Railways 107 (4-4-2 ?) at Fort Edmonton Park, 1987
- View Farmer's sawmill northern Alberta, end view, c 1970
- View Farmer's sawmill northern Alberta, side view, c 1970
- View Grain elevators at end of yard, looking east from station, CN Drumheller, 1973
- View Interior Robb tunnel, built 1912, 1968
- View Main line 4-8-2 locomotive CN 6060 on display at Jasper, 5/64
- View Mercoal buildings, likely 9/70
- View Mercoal house and new caravan, likely 7/90
- View Mercoal house, likely 7/90
- View Mercoal house, likely 9/70
- View Mercoal station, likely 9/70 *
- View Mountain Park Branch right-of-way, cut along river and bridge; railroad is abandoned but rail not yet lifted.
- View Mountain Park Branch track looking south towards Mountain Park; railroad is abandoned but rail not yet lifted.
- View Robb tunnel, closeup north (?) end, 1968
- View Robb tunnel, long shot south (?) end showing signs and telltale, 1968
- View Robb tunnel, medium shot south (?) end showing signs and telltale, 1968
- View Standard switch stand
- View Sheffield stand pipe for locomotive watering
- View Sheffield stand pipe for locomotive watering, manufacturer's NAME plate
- View Sheffield stand pipe for locomotive watering, mechanism
- View Steel replacement trestle on CN mainline west of Edmonton, 1968 (1 of 2)
- View Steel replacement trestle on CN mainline west of Edmonton, 1968 (2 of 2)
- View Thorsby Feed Mill along one of the branch lines south-west of Edmonton, 3/4 view left from north, 7/71
- View Thorsby Feed Mill along one of the branch lines south-west of Edmonton, vertical view with tower from rear (south), 7/71
- View Thorsby Feed Mill along one of the branch lines south-west of Edmonton, interior through loading bay, 7/71
- View Thorsby Feed Mill along one of the branch lines south-west of Edmonton, interior loading bay, 7/71
- View Thorsby Feed Mill along one of the branch lines south-west of Edmonton, 3/4 view right from back (south), 7/71
- View Thorsby Feed Mill along one of the branch lines south-west of Edmonton, full end view from east, 7/71
- View Thorsby Feed Mill along one of the branch lines south-west of Edmonton, full front (north) view from road, 7/71
- View Thorsby Feed Mill along one of the branch lines south-west of Edmonton, 3/4 view right from north, 7/71
- View Wabamum strip mine, electric drag shovel, 7/66
The Alberta Coal Branch collection and its constituent resource materials copyright © 1910-1997 A C Lynn Zelmer and other copyright holders. Contact A Zelmer, Box 1414 Rockhampton Qld 4700 Australia; E-mail: L.Zelmer@CQU.edu.au . Last updated 29/5/97.
