Dear HO Customers: We recently saw this E&N Rail America GP38 in Blaine Washington. We are going to produce a couple of these for a couple of customers who have requested them in Custom Paint. If you would like one please let us know we are taking reservations.

• 999-H2088   Custom Painted GP38 E&N Railway Co (Rail America) HO Scale # 3870 (Red/White/Blue)

(Picture courtesy of James Wiseman)

A Brief Background of E&N

E and N Railway

The E and N Railway (E&N, ENR) (AAR reporting marks ENR) is a short line railway in British Columbia, Canada. It is run by the Southern Railway of British Columbia, who assumed control from RailAmerica Inc. on July 1, 2006. The E&N is now known as the Southern Railway of Vancouver Island.

It is one of two remaining railways over 160 km (100 miles) in length on Vancouver Island. Until 1996, it was called the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway (AAR reporting marks EN). It then spent three years as E and N Railfreight before being sold to RailAmerica, who changed the name to the E&N Railway Co (1998) Ltd. RailAmerica ceased to operate the E&N on June 30, 2006 with the Washington Group's Southern Railway of BC taking over operations the following day.

The new operators (Washington Group's Southern Railway of BC) have given the railway a name that better describes the places served by the railroad. Although the "Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway" name is historically significant, the railway goes beyond the historical termini of Esquimalt and Nanaimo. It currently runs from Victoria to Courtenay, with a branch line from Parksville to Port Alberni and a spur south of Nanaimo that connects to the E&N's main railyard and barge slip (dock) on the Nanaimo waterfront.

VIA Rail Canada runs regular passenger train service (the Malahat) with Budd-built Rail Diesel Cars on the Victoria to Courtenay main line (called the Victoria Subdivision by the E&N), from Victoria to Courtenay, with a stop at Nanaimo; the Victoria and Nanaimo stations have ferry service to Vancouver on the mainland. At one time this train stopped in several small communities including Saltair, but these stops were taken out. Communities like Union Bay are still flagstops on the current VIA schedule. The E&N runs from Victoria to Parksville, Parksville to Port Alberni, and Parksville to Courtenay.

In February 2006, the Canadian Pacific Railway donated its portion of the 234 km (139 miles) E&N Vancouver Island trackage between Victoria and Courtenay, to the Island Corridor Foundation.