The Scrap Dock, Stores, and Administrative Offices

The Scrap Dock and Stores Department

The Scrap Dock has an area of 4400 square feet. The Stores Department and Administrative Offices is a building is 262 feet by 60 feet for an area 30,240 square feet. The Scrap Dock was located in between the Locomotive Shop, and the Stores Department and there is a track that runs along the platform of the Stores dock, and there is another dock and track on the Westside of the Stores building. There is more trackage that runs between the locomotive shop, and the scrap dock crane, this takes you to the foundry, and two other plants located outside of the shops acreage. I remember working during summer shutdown, the month of July, in 1967. There was only a skeleton shift, and most of the employees were on holidays. This one particular day in July I will never forget. The CPR had purchased a number of Hydraulic Switchers in the early 1960s these locomotives had their cab in the middle, a diesel engine and transmission on each end. They were lightweight locomotives that the CPR hoped to use on some of their light branch lines, they were not too successful as they were not able to pull many loads, and they were constantly breaking down especially with two transmissions. A lot of them were sold off to lumber yards and other small plants. Ogden shops had one No.13 if my memory serves me right. Anyways on one day, the Works Manager decided to play locomotive engineer and was running old No.13 from the Car Shops down to the Foundry. He was going a fair clip of about 30 mph when he was approaching the locomotive shop he did not notice that the track switch was lined for Pit One and not for the clear track that ran between the scrap dock crane and the locomotive shop. The results were disastrous, and there was a locomotive sitting outside of pit one and he ran into it with such force that it knocked the locomotive through the doors of pit one and in to another locomotive that was sitting inside. Fortunately, with summer shutdown and there was nobody working around this area sown there are no injuries that were reported. I've pasted a picture of a similar engine No 19.

The Stores Department was a large warehouse that distributed materials all over the CPR's Western Region. Anything from Adzes to Zippered Welders Overalls you name it. They had it or could get it, a lot of the work we did in the tin shop was store orders, oil cans, funnels, traction motor shims, and stainless steel stairs for Dayliners of all manufactured in the shops. The Administration Office had two stories on the front of the Stores Department the Works Manager, Chief Clerk, and other clerks had their offices on the main floor. On the second floor was a drafting office, and there they made blueprints for changes around the shops, and for tools, bolts, and any changes in paint on rolling stock for the paint shop.