CFB (Canadian Forces Base) Shilo, BC Rail ballast hopper

[rsn48]

This is for those BC Rail fans here at Railwire.  This is a photo my son Dane took while stationed at CFB Shilo and below is his text to me in an email.  Thought some of you might enjoy the old nostalgia:

"The gondola to the right is from BC Rail's work pool for ballasting. It would have (most likely) been stored on the old Squamish station track in the late 90s early 00s, relevant because that's where the BC Rail Steam Excursion (the train formerly known as the Royal Hudson) aligned itself prior to backing into town for the excursion break.

Here it is spotted on the CFB Shilo team track. This track is actually quite busy as a lot of CN MOW equipment calls it home. About twice a year loads of CF combat vehicles are also shipped from here to CFB Suffield, AB for training.

Drivers, not used to trains parked in the centre of the Base, have been known to hit the well marked stationary train at the crossing. Seriously.

Dane"

[cv_acr]

Those are ballast hoppers, not gondolas.

It's neat to see the BC Rail ones, though, with the CN takeover of the operations a decade ago, the BCOL cars tend to wander and I've seen a few of them here in southern Ontario.