WCRA NEWS SEPTEMBER 2014

WCRA GALA EVENT— SEPTEMBER 9 STEAM IN DREAM WEDDING STORY WCRA News, Page 2 GENERAL MEETING

The General Meeting of the WCRA will be held on Tuesday, August 26 at Rainbow Creek Station, Willingdon at Penzance in Burnaby, at 1930 hours.

Entertainment will be a video by Catenary Video Productions: 'North to the Yukon', starting with BCER 'sightseer' streetcar, CPR steamships at Pier BC, up the coast, then arrival at Skagway, double-head WP&Y steamers up the 3.9% hill to Whitehorse, then the luxurious paddlewheel steamer 'Casca' to Dawson City; route of the gold-rush.

ON THE COVER

Weddings at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park have become a regular occurrence, but this one was very special as Michelle Hall wed Cory Richardson on July 26, 2014. For the full story, see page 10. (photo by Gordon Hall)

SEPTEMBER CALENDAR

• West Coast Railway Heritage Park open daily 1000 through 1700k • Sunday, August 31—Vontage Mustangs Group visit at the Heritage Park, an estimated 100 Mustangs will be on display from 1100 to 1300k. Special low admission prices apply— just $10 adult / $5 child. Food vendors will be on site. • Friday, September 5—Deadline for items for the October 2014 WCRA News • Tuesday, September 9—WCRA Fundraising Gala, Roundhouse Community Centre in Vancouver, 1730k • Saturday, September 13 / Sunday, September 14—Mini Days at the Heritage Park, special rides, mini rail guest engines and special admission prices (see page 8) • Sunday, September 21—Rolls Royce Owners Club visits the Heritage Park—come and see the special cars • Tuesday, September 30—WCRA General Meeting, Rainbow Creek Station, 1930k

The West Coast Railway Association is an historical group dedicated to the preservation of British Columbia railway history. Membership is open to all people with an interest in railways past and present. We are a non-profit British Columbia society, registered as a Canadian charity. Membership prices are as follows, Please note that GST must be added to all fees: Senior $50 ($52.50), Individual $55 (57.75), Family $65 (68.25) E Members (electronic newsletter only) are $35 ($36.75) Senior, $40 ($42.00) individual and $50 ($52.50) family. Other categories are: - Junior Member (age 18 and under ) $ 30 ($31.50) - Sustaining Member $100 (tax receipt) plus membership type regular fee - Life Membership $700 ($735) individual life / $1,200 ($1,260) family life All memberships include the monthly newsletter, Heritage Park admission (except Special Events), mini rail rides and discounts on food and merchandise. The Association holds a monthly meeting on the last Tuesday of the month at 1930 hours in Burnaby at Rainbow Creek Station in Confederation Park. Apply through www.wcra.org or mail to WCRA, PO Box 2790 Stn. Term., Vancouver, B.C., V6B 3X2. WCRA News, Page 3 EDITORIAL

CELEBRATING THE SPIRIT OF OUR RAILWAY HERITAGE

Railway heritage is of particular importance to Western Canada and British Columbia. Not only did the railways play a significant role in the establishment of commerce as they did all over the world, but here they are also responsible for the actual creation of our country and the communities in which we live. It is that heritage and the action that we at West Coast Railway Association have taken to preserve it that will be the theme for our upcoming celebration gala on September 9th.

It is great that many are interested in this heritage and take an active part in its history as a hobby. All of these activities and efforts are very worthwhile and compile a grand amount of data and stories about our history and how it came to be.

But at WCRA we have taken it a step further, with the creation of a sustainable business model that is designed to ensure that our heritage remains relevant to future generations and is funded to continue long into the future. Thanks to the great support of our sponsors, funders and many active participants, we have been able over time to create the base of a long term self funding operation that will see a valuable collection preserved in perpetuity and sustained for future generations.

It has not been an easy task, and we have certainly had some bumps along the way. But here in 2014, we are on the cusp of that achievement with several lines of business now active. Our public facilities not only preserve our collection, but also expose it to the public of all ages through a series of events and opportunities at our Heritage Park, the 374 Pavilion and our many off site activities that take place throughout the year.

It is that set of achievements that we will celebrate on September 9 as we recognize our donors, celebrate our heritage, and have some great fun at the same time. We hope to see you there, and that you will play a continuing role as we move forward. We have made great strides, but the job is not yet done. Don

ASSOCIATION NEWS

FROM THE JULY GENERAL MEETING

Chair Bill Johnston called the meeting to order at 19:33 with approx. 25 members present: • Ken Tanner provided the Heritage Park report noting that July was a very busy month, with the , then the Squamish club, the Model A Fords visit, the 20th anniversary event and more WCRA News, Page 4

• Ken went on to note that it was good to have Randy Lucas back after a lengthy absence, he is working on the sleeper Belle Isle roof and the operating coach roofs as his first priority. He also noted that we will not try to heat the MP 2 shop this winter in an effort to reduce the utility costs at the facility. • Ken reported on the financial results to date noting that we were in a positive net income position mid way through the year. • Don Evans provided a fundraising report and noted the event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Heritage Park. He also noted the planned fundraising gala set for September 9th. • Ken Tanner read the tours report that was prepared by Jenn, and noted the excellent White Pass & Yukon trip just completed. Keith Anderson was thanked for his work with that tour. • Keith Anderson then provided a report on the White Pass Tour • Bill Johnston noted that the 374 Pavilion continued to have a busy summer. He noted a recent visit by the Rotary Club of Deer Lake, and the upcoming Member’s Reception for the Vancouver Board of Trade set for August 27th. • Events were reviewed from the newsletter, and the draw as held • Entertainment was by Bill Johnston with an historical look at loco 374, the Dunsmuir Tummel and other local landmarks.

MEMBER NEWS

Congratulations to Bill & Patricia Marchant on the occasion of their 25th anniversary.

A note from Sylvia Esdale notes that our long time member Bill Esdale has entered a long term care facility in Langley. She notes that he retains all his faculties and continues to enjoy reading the WCRA News every month. We send our very best wishes to Bill.

Congratulations to Rob Misjak who brought home a Gold Medal in Special Olympics aquatics. He completed the 50M Butterfly in an amazing 50:33 seconds, and then also placed third in the 100m Freestyle with a time of 1:28:42. Congratulations to Rob!

PLEASE RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP

If your address label reads 07 31, you need to renew now. If your label reads 04 30, this is your last issue. We need you as members—please renew. (J.D.)

NEW MEMBERS

The WCRA welcomes to membership: • Yasamin Alai and family of Garibaldi Highlands; • Brian Biddlecombe & Leanne Laundrum and family of Bowen Islamd; • John Hanson and family of Kamloops; WCRA News, Page 5 • Cory Herbert and family of Garibaldi Highlands; • Brenda Hubbard and family of Pitt Meadows; • Doug Leishman and family of Bowen Island; • R McGregor and family of North Vancouver; • Lloyd Newman and family of Squamish; • Victoria Paull and family of Garibaldi Highlands; • Monika Redekop and family of Vancouver; • Bev Roberts and family of Pt Moody; • Matt Rosati and family of Pt Coquitlam; • Julie Willie and family of Lyon, France.

We welcome back to membership: • John Cowan of Maple Ridge; • Karamjit Purba and family of Squamish. • Adree Ratushny and family of North Vancouver (J.D.)

WCRA TRIVIA #308 - by Ryan Cruickshank

There are two public elementary schools in Vancouver District 39 that have a railway connection. What are these schools? (find answer on page 27) COLLECTION

BCER 960 UPDATE

Hi all, just to let ya know 960 progresses even though at a more leisurely hot summer pace... And even with some health distractions plus vacation commitments with all of us involved, the cosmetic work on the cab progresses. Its amazing how badly the cab was beat up over its hundred plus years, and how evident it is when one sands, fills, and re-fills again, the cracks, dents, holes and bad seems on our wanna be little beauty. Perhaps early September we will have some telling progress pictures to show for all the dedicated picky work being done by Bob Gordon, Bill Marchant and myself, the cab prep crew.

Besides the cab project, we now have re and re'd the 2 sets of brush holders for #3 traction motor and are ready for their reinstall. Some may have heard the high pitched shrieking whistle testing in MP2 over the past months, as we've obtained a few traction whistle versions that required attention. Since we have yet to get our hands on perfect matches to 960 original equipment used, we're talking circa late 40s into 50s, the on hand brass gems may well have to be standbys until some rail / collector out there does an attic hunt and discovers the BCE Freight engine 3 chime originals. I can send some blurry pictures of the desired pieces to anyone who thinks they might have possible candidates for 960. (M. McG) WCRA News, Page 6 RANDY BACK, BELLE ISLE ROOF WORK

Its great to have Randy Lucas back working at the park after a extended period of time off. He has helped out in finishing our organization of the Car Shop along with Trevor Mills and Kyle Harris. The car shop is looking great! And Randy has started to work on the Belle Isle roof, making repairs and sealing the roof so the sleeper car can return to the exhibit lines north of the Mac Norris Station. (R. MacB.)

TRAINING WORK CONTINUES

Railway operations training continues for WCRA. We recently had a successful 4 days of training with the BC Maritime Employers Association using our CPR S3 #6503. (R. MacB.)

BCOL 990242 LETTERED

It was good to see Chris Forget back at the Heritage Park recently, and he applied some of the finishing touches to the BCOL Safety and Rules Instruction car BCOL 990242. The newly applied logo and lettering look great. The car serves as our Garden Railway storage and operations car and can be seen out near the Wilkie Exhibit building. The ex Milwaukee Road coach was converted to work service by the PGE and continued this way with BCOL. WCRA News, Page 7 THANKS

• To Norm Shepherd for donating 9 RR videotapes for the archives and future entertainment. They were delivered by Dave Emmington, who is helping Norm adjust to a care-home lifestyle • To Doug Kibble for a large variety of recent RR magazines for the archive collection, too. • To Donald John MacLennan for the donation of $100.00 toward the #2 spot.

WEST COAST RAILWAY HERITAGE PARK Home of the Royal Hudson

MORE THOMAS VOLUNTEERS

In addition to the volunteers listed in our last issue, we also need to recognize the following volunteers who worked the mini rail during the Day Out With Thomas event…. Tom Barss, Rene Brisette, Marcus Dias, Mattaeus Dias, Michael Dias, Doug LeMoine, Fay Lighthall, John Lighthall, Bill Mellors, D’Arcy Nelson, Elaine Pruden, Tom Pruden, Deanna Simon, Howie Tichauer, Dai Yates. Culprit here is use of two separate sign ins—this will be corrected with future events to assure everyone is counted in.

Thanks to all for your help in making our 2014 DOWT our best ever. (J.N.)

HERITAGE PARK ENTRANCE GETS A MAKEOVER

The front Entrance of the Heritage Park has had a major makeover and looks great. Thanks to those who worked on it.... Kyle Harris, Cat Jamieson , Tomo’o Oshikawa, Danielle Fourchalk, Devon Bailey, Seb Lagors, Gord Bell, Robert MacBeth . We also received gravel donated by Mel MacCallum of Murrin Construction Ltd .—thanks Mel for your continued support. Now the front entrance looks great with very little maintenance needed. See photos on our back cover.

MOTORCYCLES DROP BY

The weekend after the Harley Owners Group we had the Squamish Motorcycle Festival that saw about 250 people visit the park that day for the event. We had lots of different types of , both off and on road. Food venders, and a motorcycle “Wheelie Machine” as well as music made for an active day. (R. MacB.)

CLASSIC MUSTANGS TO VISIT

We are excited to be welcoming the 35th International Mustang Meet on August 31, Sunday of the long weekend. The Greater Vancouver Mustang Meet will be held in Richmond and as WCRA News, Page 8 part of their event we will be the destination of their cruise. For that day we will have only the Ford Mustangs in the parking lot of the Heritage Park as the is planning on 100 cars coming that day.

The Mustangs group will be here from 11am - 1pm . We are making this a public event and for that day there will be special prices of $10 per adult and $5 for students and seniors kids under 5 are free. Mini Rail will also be running from Silver Fox for the regular price of $5. The admission will include all exhibits being open with volunteers presenting them. We will also have Dougiedawgs here as well as our own kiosk with snacks and coffee.

This will be a super fun day to come up and see some beautiful cars as well as our own exhibits. Please join us! (J.N.)

CHILDREN’S PLAY BACK

Thanks to the Squamish Lions Club , the Heritage Park has its popular children’s play train back. It is of brand new construction, and has been being built for some months now. The installation has been made and it is already a popular piece. The train will receive a formal dedication and final lettering and recognition shortly. (Don Evans photo)

MINI DAYS SEPTEMBER 13 AND 14

Come out to the Heritage Park on September 13 and 14 for some great family fun, special prices and some special rides. During this weekend there will be special guest engines on the mini rail adding to the fun on this great ride. In addition, there will be rides on the big rails on WCRA News, Page 9 board both the pump car and motorized speeders.

Prices for this weekend only are $8 for Adults $5 for Children and $25 for a family—and those include all rides. (R. MacB.)

HERITAGE PARK 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

The West Coast Railway Heritage Park celebrated 20 years with a special event held on July 19, 2014. The event started at 4PM with a special preview of the Chinese Legacies Exhibit which is in the Mac Norris Station through mid September. A glass of champagne was enjoyed on the station platform, then the group proceeded over to the CN Roundhouse & Conference Centre for a number of special activities.

First up was the dedication of the upper deck of the Roundhouse as the Canron Upper Deck , recognizing the support and contribution of Canron Western Constructors to the project over many years. Canron was the company that fabricated and erected the extensive steel structure of the building, as well as the turntable. Jim McLagan of Canron cut the ribbon and declared the deck officially open. The crowd of about 100 then enjoyed a reception and the wonderful view over the Heritage Park.

At 6:15, the group headed to the main floor of the CN Roundhouse & Conference Centre for dinner, making the descent to the sounds of the band Circle of Friends . With the Royal Hudson on one side and PGE #2 on the other it was a fitting setting for the celebration. After dinner, there were words by Corinne Lonsdale, Don Evans and Mayor Rob Kirkham noting the development of the Park over the past 20 years.

A special presentation was made to Canadian Western bank by President & CEO Ken Tanner thanking the bank for their support with our new mortgage financing. Brian Korpan of the bank said a few words. The bank is also recognized by a new permanent sign on the driveway fencing as you enter the Park.

Track 6 of the CN Roundhouse & Conference Centre was dedicated in the name of Paul & Lynne McCrea and Family . The family was on hand for the unveiling of the dedication plaque. A silent auction and more great music rounded out the evening, and the Heritage Park moves on into its second 20 years of operation and growth.

Special thanks for the evening go to Barb Stover for her help with the Centre Pieces as well as the tour, and also to volunteers Donna Fourchalk, Lloyd & Lorraine Black, Ernie & Lynne Ledgerwood who dressed for the era and helped with the evening.

The Heritage Park today is a far cry from the rustic facility that first opened July 11, 1994! WCRA News, Page 10 FEATURE ARTICLE

A ’S DREAM WEDDING - by Gordon Hall FEATURING MODEL , REAL TRAINS & A VERY SPECIAL DAUGHTER

My cheeks are still sore from grinning from ear to ear having hosted my daughter’s wedding at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park (WCRHP). The theme was mountains and trains - real and model - as chosen by Michelle. I hope you enjoy these photos and details of the trains from the wedding. It was a fun event for and non-railfans alike.

Our family are long-time members of WCRA. Michelle has been a good help over the years in setting up and running model railway displays with me: volunteering at the Railway Park and WCRA events, driving the mini rail, working in the West Coast Rail Tours (WCRT) office, and helping as a WCRT tour guide, including on Royal Hudson steam train trips. From an early age she traveled with the family on various WCRT and other train trip vacations all over North America and loves riding the trains.

When it was time to plan her wedding, we easily agreed on the WCRHP, surrounded by mountains and views of water falls. The couple (Michelle & Cory) enjoys the outdoors and local mountains, so the wedding theme was mountains and trains. The model A vintage car club was visiting the park on the day of the wedding and made for a great back drop as guests arrived for the wedding on a sunny July 26, 2014.

The bride and bridesmaids arrived by train for the wedding. Michelle picked her train for the wedding: CP FP7A #4069, cars (power car McDonald Creek and 3 coaches) from the former CN service in the 60’s (also used for the BC Rail Royal Hudson train), and PGE vintage caboose #1817. Guests were seated on the lawn next to the station—a picture perfect sunny afternoon. WCRA News, Page 11

The train with the bridal party in the caboose rolled up to the station while the groom and groomsmen waited on the platform. The mountain views provided a fantastic backdrop to a great wedding. After the ceremony, the wedding party boarded the caboose and guests boarded the coaches for a short train ride on the park grounds. Many had never been on a real train. Guests also had time to ride the mini rail, tour the other exhibits before appetizers were served on the CN Roundhouse’s Canron Upper Deck - which overlooks the park with great views to the mountains all around.

There were many great spots for wedding photos around the WCRHP with the trains and in

the gardens. The restored business car British Columbia hosted the bridal party to relax before the reception (photo) , and the Alberta car provided a grand platform for the bridal party’s entrance.

The wedding reception was hosted in the CN Roundhouse with the WCRA News, Page 12

Royal Hudson steam engine on one side and vintage Alberta car on the other track framing the reception area. The reception dinner tables each had a name of a hike they had done and were decorated with green tablecloths and log candle center pieces surrounded by moss and pine cones. The head table was in front of the Royal Hudson. As decoration for it, I placed my Weaver Royal Hudson O scale model and Sunset CP heavy weight passenger cars in front of the bride and groom. I have an old early sound system that has a Royal Hudson steam engine whistle recording from the real train. This was placed under the head table with a button for the Bride to control.

The history slide show at the wedding included many photos of family holidays by train, model trains at Christmas when the kids were young, and model train displays when they were older. Guests had fun with railway/train jokes through the wedding reception speeches and announcements.

Michelle selected all the model trains and requested the custom built train wedding cake. By the bar, we featured the MTH Coors Silver Bullet train, with a poster of the train as seen in a Coors commercial. Unfortunately the computer board died and I could not run the sounds or open the freight car doors that look really neat. I bypassed the dead computer board and wired the motor direct to the power pickups and powered it with a DC transformer. The Coors train was a real feature for guests and generated much discussion and questions on the model railway hobby.

The wedding cake was placed on a custom built foam mountain model train base and was Michelle’s favorite part of the wedding (other than marrying her groom). She had me design the cake to reflect the mountain theme to match the tables, and reflect the couple’s love for hiking the local mountains. The base was 4x5 feet, which fits in a small station wagon or van. It was made strong for future WCRA model train display use. The bottom loop featured a Script Canadian Pacific steam train. A Bachmann Shay with 3 log cars was on the second layer. The top part of the mountain transitioned from trees to a snow capped mountain, which was the cake - layers of chocolate with white icing. The cake topper was a mountain hiking couple with a “Just Married” flag. A model vehicle similar to the wedding couple’s truck was WCRA News, Page 13 featured on the base; I took photos of the groom’s license plate and stuck them on the model. Some bear figures and logs around the mountain finished it off. The trains running around the wedding cake mountain were a real hit with the guests. They all speculated on how much of the cake mountain was edible.

A special thanks to everyone at WCRA for helping to make this event a dream for the Hall family. The weather cooperated and many guests commented on the unique venue and how great the overall WCRHP experience was. Volunteers were Robert MacBeth as our train engineer, Karla Koski as our train conductor, Aaron Gruber who helped with set up and clean up, Bill Johnston as a train attendant, Seb Lagors helped with the set up and take down, Kyle Harris was an especially big help from early morning till the last of us left at night with the entire set up, take down, and helping as train crew staying late to the end and up early the next morning, Jeanene Nelson for the event organization, and Jeremy Davy and Dai Yates running the mini rail. (G.H.)

Jeanene adds the following comments…….”Well I just want to brag about how great this place looked today and wanted to brag about the great team work to make it happen. The entrance, the ceremony site, the train, the mini rail, the G-Scale, the Canron Upper Deck and the CN Roundhouse all looks perfect. The team worked really, really hard and making this place look its best and I believe we really impressed them all.

Cat, Seb, Kyle, Ernie and Tomo’o had the ceremony site looking perfect. We have made a few changes to the lawn area and the flower beds so they look fresh. Cat has been working like a dog around here and it looks amazing! The train got cleaned by Kyle, Seb and Kathrine . Kyle also washed the caboose on the outside. The Roundhouse floors and the tracks got a good cleaning and then the set up went really great in here too.

The guests all enjoyed the Big Train ride and that as well went off without a hitch. Thanks to Robert, Karla and Kyle . We also had Gord Hall and Bill Johnston as coach attendants. The mini rail guys are out impressing the guests right now, thanks to Jeremy , Dai and Aaron . As well we have two trains running on the G Scale.

Wallace was busy directing traffic and Makenna did a great job in the gift shop while we had two events going on. We had the Hall wedding at the same time as a Model A Car Club on a tour. There were 11 Model A Cars along with the drivers and passengers. Danielle organized the volunteers for this and Seb took the lead today while Donna, Ernie, Lynn , Wallace and Barbara did their presentations of the exhibits while looking smashing in their costumes.

And then, in the midst of all this, there were Ken and Carol Tanner busy painting the PGE snow plow...Ken a little more covered in paint than Carol or I noticed! Thanks everyone! WCRA News, Page 14 FUNDRAISING

SAVE THE DATE—SEPTEMBER 9

September 9 is our major fundraising gala in Vancouver at the Roundhouse Community Centre in Yaletown, as we seek to reconnect and recognize our donors over the years. A major new recognition will be started to honour those who have—and continue to—support us as a permanent installation at the Heritage Park. This will be a top class event, and tickets are $250 each / $2,500 table of ten. Contact Jennifer at 604-681-4403 for tickets and info.

PLANNED GIVING

Have you considered a gift to the WCRA in your will? This is an easy way to make sure that organizations you love and wish to have future success are looked after in the future. It generates a major tax savings for your estate and takes just a few minutes to put in place. WCRA has a Planned Giving package that we would be happy to send out or discuss at your request, as well as several independent advisors if you wish to discuss this with someone. Don Evans has the info and will be happy to send it to you. Call Don at 604-988-3435.

PAVE THE WAY CONTINUES

The new pavement at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park entrance has made such a significant difference that we would like to do some more and extend it around the roundhouse to the east (currently we have done the west half only). This work is estimated to need about $10,000 more to complete and would really present a fully finished look to the entrance. As you have seen this year, car shows and motorcycle shows are on the rise.

If you would like to help, we are seeking four more donations of $2,500 to complete this work. Our sincere thanks to those who made the first piece happen—George & Bonnie Game, Paul & Mary Roy, High & Sharon Little, and Trudy Lowes. You can help too and the results make a big and lasting difference.

374 PAVILION

At the Engine 374 Pavilion, the month’s attendance was down slightly from last year at 4,609 but we remain very close for year to date for same period last year. We were closed July 1 st for Canada Day and July 11th for a private event.

Volunteers are always welcome and we are working to fill all shifts now as we head towards fall. Two more special events will use the Pavilion on August 27 (Vancouver Board of Trade) and September 9 (WCRA Fundraising Gala). (B.J.) WCRA News, Page 15 WEST COAST RAIL TOURS

2014 TOURS—LOOKING AHEAD TO 2015

West Coast Rail Tours is looking for new members on the Tours Committee. Are you an avid train traveler? We need your expertise to help us shape the tours business for 2015. Next Committee Meeting, Wed. Oct. 8 th at 3 pm at the Burnaby Tours office.

Trains, Wineries & Treasures of Northern California, Fly Vancouver to San Francisco and tour Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 before visiting the gold rush town of Sonora. Tour Yosemite National Park and Railtown in Jamestown- an 1897 historic park featuring turn-of-the-century and railcars (and movie location for High Noon, The Virginian and Petticoat Junction). Go to Sacramento and visit the Governor’s Mansion and the State Capitol building. Travel over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the resort gambling town of Lake Tahoe and enjoy a narrated cruise aboard the M.S. Dixie paddle wheeler. Stop at the California State Railroad Museum then drive to Sonoma County for a tour and tasting at a local winery and olive oil press. Sample various wines aboard the elegant Napa Valley Wine Train to Santa Rosa, then you fly back to Vancouver. October 20-28, 8 days from $3,099 includes 13 meals, all rail, airfare, accommodation and home pick-up and drop-off SPACE STILL AVAILABLE

3 Legendary Train Journeys through Switzerland, and • Fly Vancouver to Zurich for some time before travelling to Gstaad to ride the Golden Pass panoramic train through the Alpine mountains and along Lake Geneva to the town of Montreaux. • Journey off to scenic village of Zermatt, at the base of the Matterhorn. • Board the world-renowned narrow gauge Glacier Express through the heart of the Swiss Alps to St. Moritz for the night. • Embark on the Bernina Pass Train, one of the most scenic railway lines in the world en route to Tirano, Italy followed by a ferry ride on Lake Como. • Journey to Lucerne, the Swiss Paradise on the Lake, for some traditional delicacies for the day tour and overnight. Fly home from Lucerne to Vancouver.

September 12-21, 10 days from $3,099 includes 12 meals, all rail, airfare, accommodation and home pick-up and drop-off SPACE STILL AVAILABLE

Hudson Bay, Buggies & Bears, Roundtrip from Winnipeg • The Arctic is easily accessible to you on this travel package that will see you journey WCRA News, Page 16

roundtrip by rail from Winnipeg to Churchill, Manitoba to see the annual Polar Bear Migration.

• The tour includes your rail transportation in sleeping car accommodation on the train (4 nights in total) and in the town of Churchill (2 night hotel stay). • Travelling on the world Famous Tundra Buggy along the shore of Hudson Bay is always a highlight. Also the tour includes station to hotel transfers and town and area tour as well as visits to local attractions, heritage & cultural presentations and time to shop the many boutiques in town. The package, along with our detailed information kit, itinerary, souvenir pins, history of the “Bay Line” booklet, route guide and experienced guide.

October 7-13, 7 days from $2,695 round-trip from Winnipeg. Limited space – tour sells fast!

Okanagan Wine Festival Tour • The fall season is a great time to visit the Okanagan as it celebrates the ripe grapes ready for harvest. • Experience the Okanagan Wine Festival with gourmet wine accompanied by great food, unique events, art and education in a breathtaking setting. • Visit the Osoyoos Desert Model Railway and ride the Kettle Valley Steam Railway!

October 2-6, 5 days from $1,060 includes all accommodation and travel, some meals, wine tasting cruise, wine tastings at 4 wineries and ride on Steam Railway SELLING FAST!

INQUIRE NOW ABOUT THE FOLLOWING TOURS PLANNED FOR 2015: • Feb. TBD (4 days) Great Wolf Lodge Family Tour, Washington State • Feb. 11-22 (12 days) Zimbabwe by Rail, $4,749 double, $5,135 single • April 17-May 1 (12 days) 11 night Hawaii Cruise and Honolulu • May 8-11, (4 days), National Train Day Tour in Seattle, approx. $700 • May 11- 21 (11 days) Garratts in Zimbabwe • May 17-29 (12 days) African Wildlife Safari • May TBD (10 days) Magic of Haida Gwaii • July TBD (5 days) White Pass & Yukon Steam Spectacular • TBD - Alpine Lakes & Scenic Trains • TBD – Trains, Wineries & Treasures of Northern California • TBD – Trains of the Colorado Rockies • TBD – Louisiana – Mississippi by Rail • TBD – Japan by Rail • TBD – Trans-Siberian Express Call Jennifer Mitchell at 604-524-1011 or email [email protected] for individual itineraries pricing on ANY of these tours West Coast Rail Tours, Your expert in train travel www.westcoasrailtours.com WCRA News WCRA News, Page 17

FEATURE ARTICLES

STEAM IN BRAZIL by Abe Van Oeveren

If you know where to look, preserved steam is alive and well in Brazil thanks to the efforts of

the ABPF (Associação Brasileira de Preservação Ferroviária). This is the equivalent of the NRHS in the United States. Various sites, primarily on the coast around São Paulo, and inland in the state of , host weekend excursions, and these are surprisingly well attended.

In addition there are a couple of other towns that have railway equipment and locomotives stored or in the process of restoration. Visiting these locations was part of a larger and longer escape from winter in BC, and provided some exciting entertainment while traveling around Brazil. Sites visited and their operations are described in brief. More information can be found on the ABPF website: http://www.abpfsp.com.br or from a British based website: www.internationalsteam.co.uk/trains/brazil45.htm The information gathered by Rob Dickinson in this and related websites is thorough and well researched but many schedules may need updating as the information is dated.

WCRA News, Page 18

Campinas, São Paulo

This city is about sixty kilometres north of São Paulo. Trains operate weekends out of

Anhumas on the outskirts of Campinas and travel as far as Jaguariuná, a trip of about an hour and a half covering some twenty kilometres. After a lunch stop, where the locomotive is turned on a table, the train returns to Anhumas station. Various engines can be used on this excursion and double headers are not uncommon. At the time of our visit two engines were in steam, one pulling (4-6-2 Baldwin 53786/1920 #401) and the other pushing (2-8-2 Schwartzkopf 8904/1927 #505) until cutting off at the maintenance depot of Carlos Gomes. The meter gauge line in use today is part of a once much more extensive system, the Companhia Mogiana de Estradas de Ferro. The ten serviceable engines are all wood burners and the half dozen locomotives stored or in the process of being restored at Carlos Gomes include three cylinder 1911 Baldwin #210. This unusual machine is currently under repair. (Photo on page 17 shows #505 at Anhumas Station in Campinas preparing for the excursion to Jaguariuná.)

#401 at Jaguariuná preparing to head the excursion back to Anhumas. Passenger load on March 8, 2014 was estimated at around two hundred happy customers. Trains operate Saturdays and Sundays. WCRA News, Page 19

The question that tickled my brain was how on earth this operation is funded. It is extensive, well organized, efficient and has many employees. I asked the Chief Operations Engineer at

Carlos Gomes and he said that it is almost entirely paid for through ticket sales rather than state and federal subsidies. So although you pay a good fee to ride the train, it is worth it for

today and into the future.

Term da Serra de Mantiqueira

Approximately halfway between and São Paulo lies the town of Cruzeiro and from here state route SP052 heads up into the rolling hills of the Serra de Mantiqueira. This beautiful area near the coast is home to two fascinating steam excursions operating weekends only, so your trip here has to be carefully timed depending on the length of your planned visit to the area .

Passa Quatro

The two coach train here runs twice on Saturdays and only once on Sundays. The single engine here is wood burner 4-6-2 RMV #332, Baldwin 58852/1925. (photo at station) WCRA News, Page 20

Like most of these trips there is a carnival atmosphere on train days. There are musicians playing on the platform and on the train, there are local handicrafts for sale along with water,

beer, soft drinks, snack food and souvenirs. On this run, with only two coaches, reservations are highly recommended as it is not unlikely that trips sell out. The train runs ten kilometres to

SNS Coronel Fulgêncio, where the engine cuts off, runs around the coaches and pulls them tender first back to . Passengers have a chance here to walk up to the under the spine of the Serra da Mantiqueira mountains. Trains used to run through all the way to Cruzeiro between 1997 and 2001 when a severe landslide cut the line south of the tunnel. It has never been repaired.

Term das Aguas at São Lourenço.

Otherwise known as the water train due to the many water spas in the area, this operation is on a somewhat grander scale than Passa Quatro. The show here is bigger, the products for sale on the platform more extensive, the horse drawn buggies are in full attendance in front of the station and there is even a tiny 19th century German steam engine, Manuela (Krauss 2902/1889), on display mounted on a plinth beside the station. Bus loads of passengers come to ride the train. There are several engines in use here, and on the day of our visit it was E. F. Central #1422, Baldwin 59712/1927. The train operates on weekends and goes as far as Soledade de Minas where there is a market for passengers to enjoy while the engine is being oiled and run around the coaches for the ten kilometre tender first run back to São Lourenço.

São Joao del Rei, Minas Gerais

Deeper into the state of Minas Gerais, the historic city of São Joao del Rei has a beautiful roundhouse filled to the brim with a large stable of 18 Baldwin locomotives, at least four of which are serviceable and in use for weekend excursions to the nearby town of Tiradentes where the locomotive in use that day is turned on a manual turntable. The 2'6" gauge line (EFOM) Estrada de Ferro Oeste de Minas is the remnant of a once much larger system.

Tubarão, Santa Catarina

In the southern part of Brazil lies the town of Tubarão. The town isn't much to look at and not really any kind of tourist destination but it is the home of what I think is perhaps the most significant railway museum in all of Brazil with São João del Rei a close second. It wasn't that many years ago that a number of Santa Fe type steam engines borrowed from the General Belgrano RR in Argentina were still busy hauling coal from the mines in the area. It was a steam worked railway until diesels took over in the early 90's. The steam engines have all been retired and most of them are quietly rusting away in a long dead line across the street from the museum.

But the museum is actively restoring some of these engines to working condition with the WCRA News, Page 21 promise of more to come, including a Baldwin 2-6-6-2 Mallet of the type that once worked the line to Lauro Müller. The sheds at the museum contain most of the 28 engines on display in Tubarão including one of the 2-10-4 Texas types that were the subject of much admiration by Colin Garrett when he visited here in the late seventies.

On rare occasions steam excursions are hosted by the museum with the most recent taking place on March 29 of this year. By special arrangement and appropriately long lead times steam hauled coal trains will work local lines using newly restored and/or repainted engines.

One of the Texas type 2-10-4's (Baldwin #62355/1940) has been cosmetically restored and is on display in the Tubarão engine shed.

The museum is closed weekends but operates Monday to Friday with restoration actively ongoing. The lady curator will give you the lowdown on all the equipment on display, show you the fine collection of clocks, number plates and other RR memorabilia in the office, and WCRA News, Page 22 then turn you loose with your cameras to wander among this magnificent collection, with a word of caution about watching your step. So you are free to climb up footplates, around cow catchers, past brass bells and boiler tubes waiting installation. You can talk to the guys up to their elbows in welders and cotton waste inside smoke boxes with hammers and brushes or somewhere in the drop pit below the engine. In Portuguese of course. There is no English spoken here. But the sights and smells and sounds of steam locomotives being rebuilt is a rare language that needs no translation for fans of railways and steam in particular. It fills you with wonder and admiration, and when it is time to go the family of five railway dogs yap their reluctance at letting you out of the yard.

Kriegslok 2-8-2 Jungenthal #5 F(abriknummer 11944, Baujahr 1954) has an odometer that reads 131,018. It is a coal fired machine with recent evidence of dropped fires in the form of ashes on the tracks below the firebox.

WCRA News, Page 23 Ouro Preto

Deeper into the state of Minas Gerais, the historic colonial town of Ouro Preto lies draped over the hills. There is an excursion train that runs from here to Mariana, about 18 kilometres away. The steam engine that normally operates here has been in the shop in Mariana for quite some time with no accurate or reliable word of when it will once more be operational. Meanwhile a diesel powers the train. It takes the better part of two hours to make the trip through some very beautiful countryside with waterfalls in deep canyons, blooming purple jacaranda trees, old gold mine sites and feral horses running down the tracks ahead of the train. The stop in Mariana is long enough for some exploration and a typical comida mineiro lunch before reboarding for the run back to Ouro Preto.

Curitiba

Although this is not a steam operation, there is a regular scheduled passenger train, the Serra Verde Express, that operates between Curitiba and Morretes in the state of Paraná. It is a daily event and very well attended, especially during summer holidays. Trains run down to Morretes in the morning, returning in the afternoon on a railway operated by ALL (America Latina Logística). Freight trains are frequent on this line and it is not unusual for the passenger train to go in the hole for a passing freight. It's a beautiful trip especially when passing through the steep descent to Morretes. There are jungle clad mountains, spidery trestles and midnight dark . At one time trains used to go through to Paranaguá on the coast but the station there has been closed and boarded up for a long time and it is unlikely to ever see another inbound grace the platform. Freights continue to run through to the container and bulk commodity port of Paranaguá.

There are other steam railways operating in Brazil, including a very interesting line of 19th century British design including an inside cylinder 0-6-0 dating from the 1860's in Paranapiacaba south of São Paulo and a broad gauge line called the Memorial do Imigrante in the city of São Paulo.

If you go, the normal entry point into Brazil is either Guarulhos International A/P in São Paulo or Galeão International A/P in Rio de Janeiro. There are daily overnight flights from Toronto with Air Canada or from various cities in the USA including Chicago (United), Dallas Fort Worth (American Airlines), Charlotte (USAirways). Canadians need a visa for entry into Brazil. The current exchange rate is about two to one. One hundred Canadian dollars is worth about two hundred Brazilian Reals.

Internal transportation systems are excellent for getting around the country. This includes domestic airlines, local and long distance buses and car rentals. Or you can take the train if you happen to be in Curitiba or Belo Horizonte. Boa viagem, Abe Van Oeveren, Rio de Janeiro

WCRA News, Page 24 RAILWAY NEWS

“CP” IT IS

The company name remains Canadian Pacific, but the brand will be CP. A CP announcement to employees states, “The CP you work for today is not the same CP as in earlier years. That’s why it made sense that, with changes to the heart of the company, our brand and logo better reflect CP’s fresh, responsible way of doing business. Our company’s name remains Canadian Pacific, however our brand going forward will be a simple CP.” (TJ)

BUSINESS TRAIN IN THE WEST

CP’s business car train was observed at Vancouver’s Waterfront Yard on July 22 and 23, with classic Canadian Pacific F units in A—B—A leading ten cars. It must have stayed out this way, as it headed out of Vancouver eastbound around 0930 August 7th, reportedly with Hunter Harrison and Warren Buffet aboard. When the photo below was taken by Mike Mastin around 2100, the business was done and the train was deadheading east through Ashcroft, BC at dusk. WCRA News, Page 25

INTERESTING CONSISTS

CP is putting on a veritable museum show, many coal and grain trains have an SD40-2 as second unit, in some cases the old cowl units, 9004 and 9014 are frequent sightings. There are also three of the newer SD30C units (5000, 5002 and 5015) in coal service. The first train on CP that I saw this morning was a westbound grain with a UP Dash9 GE as second unit. Some other examples: Train J 89652 16, Time 2014-07-16 14.45. LOCOMOTIVES CP 9765, CP 5000, CP 9614 mid train, CP 9826 tail end Train J 34751 19, Time 2014-07-19 14.21 LOCOMOTIVES CP 9779, UP 5541, CP 8505 tail end remote (J.M.)

VIA CELEBRATES 110 YEARS OF THE OCEAN

VIA Rail Canada celebrated the 110th anniversary of The Ocean, with the July 2 departure of the train from Montreal. Several cars were added to the consist…. following the Renaissance fleet cars were a Skyline dome, two Chateau series sleepers, lounge car 1750 Glen Fraser (ex BC Rail) and a Park dome observation car. VIA’s President entertained dignitaries in this consist along the route to Halifax. (TJ)

OTHER NEWS

WHITE PASS DERAILMENT

The White Pass &Yukon tourist line suffered a derailment on Wednesday, July 24th in Alaska. Nineteen people suffered minor injuries when both locomotives and four coaches of the train went off the tracks around 2PM. Most of the injuries were scratches and bruises it was reported. One car ended up in the lake but without disastrous consequences.

An investigation into the incident is underway, with a switch near the border a suspected cause. Service resumed on the railway Friday, after 3,000 cruise passengers lost their shore excursion while the railway was closed on the Thursday.

The incident occurred just a few days after the WCRA’s White Pass tour had enjoyed the tour of the line. Tour leader Keith Anderson led our group, who had rave reviews of the tour that included steam up the Pass to Fraser and then the full operable line from Skagway, Alaska to Carcross, BC. Watch for a Feature Article on this tour in our next issue.

WCRA News, Page 26

Kyle Harris working on the railway—clearing brush along the tracks at the Heritage Park

WCRA News, Page 27

CREDIT LINES ISSN 1204-072X Vol. 54 Issue 9 Editor Don Evans Distribution Jeremy Davy & Donna Simon

Contributors: J.D. Jeremy Davy D.F. Donna Fourchalk G.H. Gordon Hall B.J. Bill Johnston J. Mi. Jennifer Mitchell J.M. Jim McPherson R. MacB. Robert MacBeth M.McG. Mile LcGaw J.N. Jeanene Nelson

TJ Tempo Jr.

Send contributions to the WCRA PO Box, direct to the editor at #28 - 2133 St. Georges Ave., North Vancouver, B.C. V7L 3K5, on the Internet to < [email protected]> , phone news to (604)988-3435(res) or fax to (604) 986-7660. Check us out on the Internet at < www.wcra.org>

Contact us: Tours 604-524-1011 / 800-722-1233 Heritage Park 604-898-9336 Office 604-681-4403 CN Roundhouse & Conference Centre 604-898-1082 www.wcra.org REAR COVER

The front entry to the West Coast Railway Heritage Park has had a makeover as noted on page 7 of this issue. Photos by Don Evans show the newly located and landscaped street number as well as the floral CN garden.

TRIVIA ANSWER

These two schools are both named after prominent CPR people. 1 - Sir William Van Horne is located at 5855 Ontario St and was opened in 1911 2 - Sir Sandford Fleming is at 1401 E. 49th Ave and was opened in 1913 the latter actually started as South Vancouver High School and later changed to an elemen- tary when districts merged

CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR RAILWAY HERITAGE

WCRA News acknowledges the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia Published monthly by West Coast Railway Association ISSN 1204-072X PO Box 2790 Stn. Term., Vancouver, B.C., V6B 3X2 Vol. 54 Issue 9 www.wcra.org http://twitter.com/WCRailway Canada Post, Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #40007853