Railway Museum of British Columbia
| Railway Museum of British Columbia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Switcher No. 6503 and coaches at the station | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Squamish, British Columbia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 49°43′41″N 123°09′38″W / 49.72794830174618°N 123.16041834910486°W | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Connections | Canadian National Railway Company | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial operations | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Built by | West Coast Railway Association | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preserved operations | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operated by | West Coast Railway Association | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reporting mark | WCXX | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stations |
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| Length | 1 km (0.62 mi) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preservation history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| May 25, 1990 | Lease agreement signed with District of Squamish | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| August 1991 | Pacific Great Eastern car shop moved to site | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| May 1, 1994 | First rail equipment operated at the park | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| July 10, 1994 | Opened as West Coast Railway Heritage Park | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| July 1996 | West Coast Mini Rail built | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Headquarters | Squamish, British Columbia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| wcra | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Railway Museum of British Columbia, formerly known as the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, (reporting mark WCXX) is a heritage railway in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada, operated by the West Coast Railway Association.[1]
The museum runs excursion trains over Canadian National track throughout the year. Their primary event is the North Pole Express, a short operation hauled by two diesel locomotives.[2] They also host the Sea to Sky Model Train and Hobby Show and Buddy and Friends Children's Festival, and previously operated a Day Out with Thomas event.[2]
History
The West Coast Railway Association was established in 1961 by a group of enthusiasts, who operated rail excursions in British Columbia with historical rail equipment.[3] As their collection grew, the association began making plans to open a museum in the 1980s. Squamish was chosen as the site, and a sublease agreement was signed on 25 May 1990 with the District of Squamish for a 49,000-square-metre (12-acre) plot. Construction began the following year in 1991, when the association purchased a former Pacific Great Eastern car shop and had it moved to their site in August.[4] After two years of construction, they moved their first pieces of equipment into the park on 1 May 1994, hauled by PGE RS-1 No. 561.[5]
The museum, named the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, had a grand opening ceremony on 10 July 1994 and began its first season, attracting 4,300 guests in its first year.[4][6][7] In July 1996, a ridable miniature railway named the West Coast Mini Rail was opened.[4]
The regularly scheduled Royal Hudson excursion train, hauled by ex-Canadian Pacific Royal Hudson No. 2860, brought a considerable amount of passengers to Squamish, and more specifically, to the Heritage Park.[8] On 2 October 1999, the annual Association of Railway Museums Conference took place at the site, during which No. 2860 was chartered to participate in and unbeknownstly marked the end of its second career, as mechanical issues followed in the proceeding months.[9] With the cancellation of the excursion in 2001 and the unnecessary storage of the locomotive in BC Rail's North Vancouver Steam Shops, No. 2860 was leased to the District of Squamish and West Coast Railway Association for preservation at the Heritage Park.[10] It was hauled to Squamish by FP7A No. 4069 on 13 May 2002 and parked besides the Mac Norris Station with several coaches. It was later moved to the Car Shop track around 2004.
In 2021, the Heritage Park was renamed to the Railway Museum of British Columbia, and a blacksmith shop, a Pacific Great Eastern fire hall, a print shop, and a general store were opened.[11]
After 21 years of operating an annual Day Out With Thomas, the event was cancelled in 2025 due to the exchange rate on the United States dollar, as most licensed props, such as the Thomas the Tank Engine replica locomotive, were from the United States.[12] Day Out With Thomas was replaced by a similar event, titled the Buddy and Friends Children's Festival, which focuses on PGE 2-6-2ST No. 2 disguised as fictional steam locomotive "Buddy".
Equipment
Locomotives
Passenger cars
Freight cars
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Gallery
Canadian Pacific No. 6503 and two coaches besides the Mac Norris Station
Pacific Great Eastern No. 2 on the turntable on 8 August 2019
Canadian Pacific No. 6503 with caboose No. 1859, troop sleeper No. 722, business car No. 1910 Pullman Spirit, and other rolling stock
Silver Fox Station, the terminus of the West Coast Mini Rail
Canadian Pacific No. 2860 on static display inside the CN Roundhouse & Conference Centre on 8 August 2019
Canadian Pacific No. 4069 idle besides the PGE Car Shop on 8 August 2019
Great Northern No. 182 on display with a snowplow and caboose in the background
Deteriorating rolling stock alongside the museum's mainline on 29 September 2018
A sign made in 1966 discussing the history of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway
See also
References
- ↑ "Home". Railway Museum of British Columbia. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- 1 2 "North Pole Express to continue despite CN Rail cutting service north of Squamish, B.C." CBC. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ↑ Christie, Jack (2 May 2007). "Squamish rings with whistles of railways past". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- 1 2 3 "The Story Of The Heritage Park". West Coast Railway Association. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ "The Railway Museum of BC Newsletter April - June 2024". Railway Museum of British Columbia. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ↑ "WCRA News May 2019" (PDF). Railway Museum of British Columbia. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ↑ Strachan, Alex (11 July 1994). "Railroaded caboose saved from end of line now carries B.C. history". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ↑ Hall, David (December 1974). The "Royal Hudson" North Vancouver to Squamish Excursion - An Impact Study. British Columbia: British Columbia Department of Travel Industry. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ "CP F unit photos". CDNRail. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- ↑ "Royal Hudson To Be Leased To Squamish" (Press release). British Columbia: Government of British Columbia. 3 April 2002. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ Ghuman, Gagandeep (24 June 2021). "WCRA is now the 'Railway Museum of British Columbia'". The Squamish Reporter. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ↑ "The Railway Museum of BC Newsletter January - March 2025" (PDF). Railway Museum of British Columbia. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
- 1 2 3 Roberts, Earl; Stremes, David. "Canadian Trackside Guide 2024" (PDF). Canadian Trackside Guide: 27–30. ISSN 0829-3023. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Exhibits". Railway Museum of British Columbia. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
External links
