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NEWSPAPER SINCE 1969

The year in review IZ:

EST VANCOUVER

aca teens

ee aad NEEE:

NV WORKERS HALTED|
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| Trains

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THREE THOUSAND railcars a day stand between a North
Vancouver businessman and unimpeded access to his

workplace.

Paul Wagner, Wagner Engineer-
ing Lid.'s senior vice-president of
advanced technologies and defence
systems, says he’s been frustrated
by railcars blocking Bewicke
Avenue for the past seven years,

Said Wagner: ‘‘We're losing
mail, customers and business.
Salesmen and customers turn

SENIOR vice-president at Wagner
Engineering Paul Wagner...‘‘we're
looking at tens of thousands of
dollars per year in losses."’

away. Couriers are delayed with
deliveries of bid quotations and
man-hours are wasted. If 1 was to
shoot from the hip, I'd say we're
looking at tens of thousands of
dollars per year in losses.’'

The busy area is the interchange
connection between BC Rail’s
North Vancouver yards and Cana-
dian National’s yards. Cars are
shunted at the interchange and
trains are often stopped by
Bewicke to exchange CN and BC
Rail crews for the sulphur run to
Vancouver Wharves.

The recent handling by CN and
BC Rail of $8-car unit trains has
exacerbated the situation, accar-
ding toa BC Rail spokesman.

“We do it as quickly as possi-
ble,"’ BC Rail corporate informa-
tion officer Jerry Collins said
Wednesday. ‘‘A lot will not stop

By MICHAEL HECKER
News Reporter

there, but given the length of the
unit trains, Bewicke gets hit."'

As long as the trains are moving,
it is legal to block a road. Once
stationary though, the maximum
legal blocking time is five minutes,

But over the years Wagner has
docninented blockages on Bewicke
of as long as 45 minutes.

“The average delays are 15 to 20
minutes with 10 or more daily, In-
variably there are car lineups of
several hundreds of yards for our
employees,"" Wagner said. ‘There
is a potential for serious injuries,
with people walking and driving
across the tracks to get in or out
ahead of a train.’’

Said Collins: **We're conscious
of our neighbors. We're trying our
best but idewlly we should’ have
grade separation at that point. So
far the city has not been willing to
spend the money.’

Wagner said when his company
opened the manufacturing plant
six years ago, North Vancouver
City Mayor Jack Loucks told him
there were plans to build an over-
pass at Fell Avenue.

According to North Vancouver
City engineer Alan Phillips an Oc-
tober 1975 study of possible grade
separations along North Van-
couver trackage by WESTAC
(Western Transportation Advisory
Council) recommended a Fell
Avenue underpass of the BC Rail
track.

“The plan has Jong-term
possibilities,’ he said. ‘'The cost is
quite sizable; the last cost estimate
was $3 million."

Phillips said the city is waiting
for the development of the Fuller-
ton fill site at the south end of Fell
before moving on the underpass.

North Vancouver City Fire
Department assistant fire chief
Frank Legros said the area is ac-
cessible in the event of an
emergency.

Orient
PAGE 23

NEWS photo Nell Lucenie

Taking the plunge

UWE MEYER plunges into the icy waters of the Capilano River on a recent winter

day. Protected with a wet suit, the expert kayaker says he will paddle anywhere during

any season to pursue his sport.