A Grand Time in Grand Forks—North Dakota and British Columbia

June found me visiting Grand Forks—North Dakota, and B.C.

Grand Forks, ND is home to a busy BNSF mainline.

Grand Forks, BC, is home to the Grand Forks Railway, a very short shortline—just 3.7 miles.

While in North Dakota, I took a few shots of BNSF power near the old roundhouse.

That included a visitor from B.C.

While in B.C., I took some photos of the GFR.

While the BNSF is well-known, the GFR is probably unknown to most.

It operates former CPR trackage in its namesake town in southern B.C.

The GFR was created in 1993 after the CPR abandoned the line connecting Grand Forks to Castlegar to the east in 1991.

Today it is owned today by International Forest Products, which owns the mill the railway serves, and the Regional District of Kootenay.

The railway has two locomotives; SW8 #6073 (originally owned by the CPR) and SW1000 #86, in GMTX livery.

At the time of my visit, #6703 was partially under a tarp; it looked like #86 was handling switching duties.

Without a direct Canadian railway connection, the GFR interchanges with the Kettle Falls International Railway south of town near the Canada-U.S. border. The KFI then forwards traffic to the BNSF.

Once on the BNSF, I suppose cars could then make their way east to the other Grand Forks, in North Dakota, thus completing the circle.