WCRA NEWS DECEMBER 2014 POLAR EXPRESS 2014 NOV 29/30, DEC 6/7/13/14 ATRRM MEETS IN TEXAS WCRA News, Page 2 GENERAL MEETING Join us for a Bunkhouse Dinner before the General Meeting, at 1900k at the Rainbow Creek Station. Cost is just $20 (can be paid at the door) for a great bunkhouse style meal. Please let us know you are coming! The General Meeting of the WCRA will be held on Tuesday, November 25 at Rainbow Creek Station, Willingdon at Penzance in Burnaby, at 1930 hours. Entertainment will be a vintage slide show of railways in the 60’s and 70’s locally by Don— may even throw in a few slides from our time at Cloverdale in honour of Beans ’n Buns! ON THE COVER BC Electric Steeple cab locomotive 960 is really shaping up in the restoration over at the MP 2 shop. Cab paint is compete and window installation about to start. See update on page 6. (Mike McGaw photo) DECEMBER CALENDAR • West Coast Railway Heritage Park open daily 1000 through 1600k • Note that the Heritage Park will be closed this year between Christmas and New Years • Saturday, November 22—Polar Express Day at the Vancouver Giants hockey game— come out and support both the Giants and the WCRA, game time is 1900 hours • Friday, November 28—Deadline for items for the January 2015 WCRA News • Saturday, November 29 / Sunday, November 30—first weekend of Polar Express, trains at 1000, 1200, 1400 and 1600 each day—see page 10. • December 6 / 7 and December 13 / 14—Polar Express at the Heritage Park, four trips each day at 10, 12P, 2P and 4PM. • December 5 to Dec. 23—Mini Rail at 374 Pavilion in Yaletown, Vancouver • Tuesday, December 16 —Note the date! WCRA Annual Christmas Dinner & Awards Night—Accent Inn in Burnaby, 1730k, cost $42.50—see page 6 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 IT ALL STARTED WITH A TRAIN SET UNDER THE TREE Christmas can be a magical time for the whole family, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus in the Christian religion and enjoy many other things—much of them commercial—around it. But no matter what the focus you and your family take, this time of year is always a very special—indeed a somewhat magical—time. And it is a great time to spark a special interest. Probably the most frequently asked question I get is “how did you get interested in trains”? Here I typically respond with the story of my travels as a child with our family on the streamliners in the 1950’s and 1960’s on our annual summer vacations. For certain, it was these experiences that cemented the bug of railways in my blood—but there was an even earlier start. It was that magic of Christmas, and the discovery of a train set under the tree one early Christmas morning—likely 1953 I expect. It was a real exciting morning as we unpacked the Marx electric train set, put together the O27 track oval, and the little train started to move around the track. It was all metal (I still have some of the pieces), an 0-4-0 steam engine and tender, a box car, a flat car with a lighted searchlight!, a gondola and a caboose. That start led to a growing model railroad in the basement as we went on to accumulate several Lionel trains and built a large model train set in the former sawdust bin of our Vancouver home. The room layout ended up measuring 23 feet by 10 feet, with towns, mountains and the ability to run four trains at the same time on separate intersecting tracks. The railfanning interest also grew, and a short story on page 16 helps shed some light on that. Now fast forward to 2014—and here we are, still active and having fun with trains. The Christmas season brings WCRA many highlights, the largest being our fabulous Polar Express event which will host an estimated 7,000 or more guests over three weekends. Here we are—operating our own “streamliner” of FP7A and train to the delight of two generations after my own first experiences. I know that we will kindle the “train bug” in many and help assure the continued success and activities of our preservation organization. To all of you who participate as members, active volunteers, financial supporters and more, you are a big part of helping create that excitement for our young people. Your support enables our ability as an organization to preserve British Columbia’s railway heritage, to preserve Canada's second largest collection of heritage railway rolling stock, and more. Maybe there will be a “train set under the tree” in your family. If there is, I can tell you it’s a great ride. Thank you for all you do! Don WCRA News, Page 4 ASSOCIATION NEWS FROM THE OCTOBER GENERAL MEETING Chair Bill Johnston called the meeting to order at 19:33 with approx. 30 members and guests present: • The meeting started off with a moment of silence in memory of Jack Schaub who passed away recently • Gordon Bell reported on behalf of the activities at the Heritage Park, noting several items of interest…… • Operations has been preparing for winter and is placing as much of the collection as possible under cover for the season at both MP 2 and the PGE Carshop • The Bell Island sleeper has been returned to the exhibition line now that the roof work has been completed • The final disposing of the items de-accessioned from the collection has been completed • The BC Rail trailer has been relocated from the picnic area at the Heritage Park and is now out behind the PGE Carshop • The Mystery of the Magic Pumpkin event has been very successful, running at 92% occupancy and nicely profitable • The RCMP Regimental Ball was held at the CN Roundhouse & Conference Centre and they have said they will return. Coming in November will be the local Firefighters Ball. • Polar Express is selling well, volunteers are needed—contact Jeanene if you can. • The Collections Committee met recently and has approved the acquisition of both a GMD-1 and a GP-9 locomotive for preservation in our collection. • Don Evans provided a fundraising report, noting the successful recent events as well as the Ring of Support paver stones fundraiser. • Gordon Bell noted the new Ski Tour that is being promoted, WCRT was recently at two ski shows promoting this new venture. A Tours Committee meeting was held in October and the 2015 tours program is coming along well. • George Game gave a 374 Pavilion report, noting that the West Coast Mini Rail would operate there from December 1 through December 24. Volunteers are needed to help with both decoration and operation. • Dave Emmington promoted the Bunkhouse Dinner for November 25 • Bill Johnston reviewed the Events Calendar • Jeremy Davy noted the TRAINS 2014 Show which is coming up for November 8 and 9 and asked for volunteers to help with the WCRA table • Ryan Cruickshank provided a Trackside Report • Eric Anderson donated Canadian Tire Money • Bob Hunter provided an archives report and noted the remainder of the Peter Cox Collection is headed our way. He closed the evening with a slide show from the Bob WCRA News, Page 5 Gaevert collection. PLEASE RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP If your address label reads 10 31, you need to renew now. If your label reads 07 31, this is your last issue. We need you as members—please renew. (J.D.) NEW MEMBERS The WCRA welcomes to membership: • Olivia Bevan and family of Squamish; • Sarah Manwaring-Jones and family of Squamish; • Bruce Sholom and family of Surrey; • Luke & Andrea Zimmerman and family of Squamish (J.D.) MEMBER NEWS Congratulations to Don Evans on his election as Chair of the Canadian Council for Railway Heritage. In this role Don hopes to help strengthen the role of railway preservation in Canada, as well as create stronger linkages between CCRH and ATRRM to share railway preservation in ways to benefit all of us in both countries that work in this worthy endeavour. Our very best wishes to John Lighthall for his surgery that will take place this month. Lastly, our condolences to the family of Norm McIver who passed away recently. He was one of the members of the Canada Post Heritage Club that worked on the Railway Post Office car CPR 3704.