Caption: On Vancouver Island, CP’s E&N Division hauled logs for Crown Zellerbach’s Nitinat Logging Division from Lake Cowichan east 18 miles to Hayward then north 17 miles to the CZ log dump into Ladysmith harbour. On Tuesday 1980-01-08, that assignment was handled by GP9s 8689 and 8530, seen here eastward in fresh snow on the outskirts of Duncan about to duck under Cowichan Lake Road and carefully descending the grade with a bit less than one mile to the junction switch at Hayward.

Note the white Extra flags on 8689 are angled outwards, a pleasing departure from the standard straight-up display on most CP GP9s, also standard on TH&B GP7s 71 to 77 and SOO SD40-2s 6615 to 6623.

A very Merry Christmas to all.