Caption: On Vancouver Island, CP’s line from Parksville to Port Alberni was ruled from 1949 to 1971 by Baldwin diesels, but increasing tonnages from the mills in Port Alberni plus the risk of fire from the common steel brake shoes on prolonged grades resulted in trial of pairs of GP9s with dynamic braking. At the same time, due to advanced age of two large timber trestles, diversions on culverted fills were constructed. This is an eastward train powered by 8684 and 8649 on the Four Mile Creek bridge at mileage 24.4, just east of the siding at Stokes. In another half mile, bridge 23.9 over Five Mile Creek will be encountered.

Stokes, in common with numerous other stations on the Port Alberni sub., is named for one of its surveyors, this one for William Marpole Stokes, later an E&N division engineer.