Crestbrook Forest Industries

Until 1968, Crestbrook Forest Industries used CFI 003, a home-built diesel chain-drive locomotive constructed in 1966 from a small CPR steam locomotive Tender.

The CFI 003 was not that satisfactory and in 1968 CP 14, a diesel hydraulic side rod CLC locomotive was purchased for the Canal Flats Saw Mill operation. The CFI 003 was sent to the Skookumchuck Pulp Mill about Twenty Miles South on the Kootenay Central. It was scrapped in 1974.

CFI 14 at the Flats remained in service until late 1979, when it was pushed to the end of steel next to the big burner. In 1980, I was asked to survey Canadian Arsenals No. 1 at Westroc and traveled north with the CPR CSC Road Runner. A stop at Canal Flats Mill was on the agenda, and I photographed CFI 14 newly derelict. At this time the unit still had its bell just in front of cab, One CLC builder's plate on side visible, and the HS-5 class plate. Cira 1990 we visited the unit again, bell and CLC plate was missing, but we did get the HS-5 plate for the Museum. In 2004 CFI 14 moved to Fort Steele along with CP 15 from the saw mill at Elko.