Port Metro Vancouver: At the crossroads: Rail and Marine Tankers at the Second Narrows

Before any Aframax Tankers make their way into the docks at Kinder Morgan's 'Maximize-Me dining area', east of the Second Narrows, there needs to be discussions on the timing of Rail car crossings athwartship, and their ups and downs needs of the Lift Span so as to not impede marine traffic and the Tides.

For Instance:

CN Rail payloads  -  152 cars per train

2003 -  62 crossings of Burrard Inlet via Thornton Tunnel per week
         -  9 crossings per day

2011 - 84 crossings of Burrard Inlet via Thornton Tunnel per week
         - 12 crossings per day

2015 - How many per week N/A
         - How many per day  obviously N/A

2021 - 95 crossings of Burrard Inlet via Thornton Tunnel per week
         - 14 crossings per day

Kinder Morgan Aframax promise: 2018 - 1 per day dependent upon Low Tide

         CNR

Thornton Tunnel North Vancouver Rail Traffic
Page 9 of 18

Weekly Train Movements 2011 - 2021

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As taxpayers have you enjoyed the time and tribulations that are being spent on the deck of the Second Narrows Ironworkers Memorial Bridge?  The 'benefit' is for the safety of cyclists and pedestrian sharing the same space with funding coming from Transportation Minister Todd Stone's budget.  What if .........

 ..... there's a different need for a Ten Foot high spiked top guard rail that is NOT there to stop cyclist and pedestrians jumping from the bridge deck?  What if ....  Kinder Morgan oil tanker owners need to be reassured that objects can NOT be dropped onto their craft from above.

Why then are we paying for security that is Kinder Morgan's responsibility?  NEB?

Over to you Translink!

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Port Metro Vancouver Security video:

 Shows vessels escorting a hypothetical 'Aframax' Tankers during DAYLIGHT hours, only???.  Actually the oil tanker in the video is NOT an 'Maximize-Me' Aframax tanker at all.

The vessel in the video is the Gulf Jumeirah, rated as an MR, NOT Aframax.

               MR                     Aframax
         Gulf Jumeirah        Gulf Vision        Differences (Hint: the Aframax is larger)
                   
               Dimensions        Dimensions       
                   
SDWT      46,488   MT      114,700    MT    68,212
On Draft    12.216    M               15    M            3
TPC           52.26    MT           99.2    MT        47
LOA          183.22    M             249    M          66
Beam             32.2    M            43.8    M          12
Depth            18.8    M                21    M           2
KTM             48.8    M             48.4    M           0
BCM             89.8    M           113.8    M         24
                   
                   
            Tonnages        Tonnages       
                   
GRT      29,508        63,500         33,992
NRT      11,943        19,050           7,107
SCNT    26,605        55,930        29,325
PCNT    24,498        N/A        ?

Great Exercise in PMV flotilla management but the departing Gulf Jumeirah is EMPTY

Gulf Jumeirah Stats

Will the Rail bridge span at the Second Narrows be more up than down during daylight hours for the silent running Aframax and its escort vessels   OR  will the bridge lift span be down at night for the long trains to whistle on through, disturbing the sleep of all those living in the immediate surrounding area?

Wikimapia

In 2013 CNR made the bold announcement that they were removing 'Man' from their Second Narrows Railway Bridge Control Office to operate it remotely from New Westminster....


We took a walk on the wild South side of Burrard Inlet last Fall to escape from the North Shore's heavy industries lining the waterfront east of the Second Narrows.   We chose to use the Trans Canada Trail (TCT)  from Vancouver's New Brighton Park/Pool on McGill.  We meandered through streets of warehouses, a parking lot and eventually made it under the Second Narrows Bridge with seagulls fast tracking down their next meal.

East Side

There was a fork in the trail, one leading up and over the CNR Thornton Tunnel and the other down to the Bridge (to the Left) / Tunnel (to the Right).   There are CNR signs that the TCT is on a Right-of-Way, No Cars Permitted and that the area IS patrolled by the CN Rail Police force.  T/F

We had no intention of accessing the bridge so why would there be a need to call.....

CN Rail security system protecting the service area where Tunnel meets Bridge consists of four motion sensors and a loud hailer.

A 152 hopper car train rolling by negates the well intended purpose of a loud hailer.   

In a country that is multicultural where there are two official languages (two instructions on flight safety in and out of Canada are REQUIRED) where English is no longer the dominant language in Metro Vancouver, CNR uses ENGLISH to communicate.


There's no barrier that comes down blocking pedestrian access, nor is there a chain link fence encapsulating the area.  Security is based on a large dose of Trust!


From the TCT above the Thornton Tunnel there's a clear view of the bridge filmed by enthusiasts of all things related to the movement of rail traffic.

Looking North out of Thornton Tunnel

Looking

Right to the South:

Hopper Cars heading into/out of Thornton Tunnel

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Arriving and Departing vessels from Kinder Morgan.....

Burrard Inlet has 8 Anchored Ship positions, swinging on their single bow cables, dependent upon the tide to keep them tethered in an East / West Direction as an Aframax slithers by, so too for the MR.

Translink Seabus service Times 2, crisscrossing North and South every fifteen minutes from Lonsdale Quay and Waterfront Station.

Through the midst of the anchored ships (not including barges, commercial vessels, sea plane, pleasure craft) in Burrard Inlet, the Aframax's Red Line runs through as if it were entering a Kinder Morgan Tank Farm on Burnaby Mountain. Right?

8 anchorages Burrard Inlet

4 anchorages between Kinder Morgan and Cates Park And Indian Arm

3 anchorages east of Lighthouse Park

16 anchorages off Spanish Banks

If you happen to be wondering what the name of those anchored vessels are......

Port Metro Vancouver Anchored Vessels

Interactive Map  highlight an anchorage, name and statistics pops up

Let's not forget about incoming and outgoing normal shipping traffic.

Enthusiast

Caboose Coffee

Note to A.R:  There is no fence protecting the public from danger, just walk on down

Second Narrows Lift Span