WCRA NEWS JUNE 2008 SQUAMISH to CELEBRATE at “STEAMIN’ TO BC 150” JUNE 28 WCRA News, Page 2 GENERAL MEETING NOTICE The General Meeting of the WCRA will be held on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 1930 hours at the Rainbow Creek Station in Burnaby. Entertainment will be announced at the meeting. ON THE COVER An historic photo that celebrates WCRA’s 50 years since the start of our organization as the Hi-Ballers in 1958. In this Gary Oliver photo we see members Brian Biddlecomb, Keith Anderson, Bill Brown (top) and Martin Jergens (bottom) at CPR Drake Street on January 3, 1959 on the occasion of the last steam locomotive, CPR 4-6-2 #2709, being steamed up. #2709 was retained after the end of steam operations and used to supply shop and coach yard steam occasionally when needs required it. More on page 4-5. JUNE CALENDAR • West Coast Railway Heritage Park open daily 1000 through 1700k • Wednesday, June 4—Deadline for items to be included in the July 2008 WCRA News • June 14 & 15—Interchange 2008 Model Railroad Conference at Chilliwack • Sunday, June 15—Father’s Day at the Heritage Park, • Tuesday, June 17—WCRT Coastal Circle Tour departs. • Tuesday, June 17—Tours Committee Meeting, call Bernie at 604-325-0923 • Tuesday, June 24 —WCRA General Meeting, 1930 hours, Rainbow Creek Station in Burnaby, BC • Saturday, June 28—”Steamin’ to BC 150” - BC 150 Community Celebration at West Coast Railway Heritage Park, Squamish 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. Individual membership in the WCRA is $50.00 per year, family membership is $60.00. E Members (electronic newsletter, $15 savings) are $35 individual and $45 family. (Outside Canada, please remit US $) Other categories are: - Junior Member (age 18 and under ) $ 25 - Sustaining Member $100 (tax receipt) plus membership type regular fee - Life Member (one time fee) $700 individual life / $1,200 family life All memberships include the monthly newsletter, Heritage Park admission, 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 ALL ABOARD FOR BC 150 CELEBRATION EVENTS 2008 is a very special year for the Province of British Columbia, as we celebrate 150 years since the Province was named and the capital established. Throughout the year, special events will occur around the Province celebrating our history and our heritage. While railways weren’t here 150 years ago, it was the promise of a railway connection that was key in the decision for British Columbia becoming a part of the Confederation of Canada. It took many more years before that became a reality, but on May 23, 1887 the job was complete and the first train rolled into Vancouver, pulled by Canadian Pacific Railway steam locomotive #374. (see it today at the 374 Pavilion, at the Roundhouse Community Centre) Caring for and celebrating that history is our core mission as members of the West Coast Railway Association. We celebrated the anniversary of the arrival of locomotive #374 at the 374 Pavilion on May 18, 2008, as we do each year. Thankfully this historic locomotive did survive, was turned over to the City of Vancouver, was restored by WCRA and CRHA for exhibit and display at Expo ‘86, then got a new permanent home in Vancouver thanks to the Central Lions Club and others, and now is exhibited and cared for as an attraction by WCRA’s volunteers. Everyone should come by and see this important piece of BC history, open daily for your viewing to learn about how the railway connected us to our country. Up at Squamish, there was no official celebration for the BC 150 on the books, so WCRA has taken the initiative to create an event for the community, which will be held on June 28th. Everyone is being invited to Steamin’ To BC 150, which will be open to all community groups in Squamish, have a First Nations component, present great entertainment and celebrate our history. For WCRA’s part, this will be the next steam up for the Royal Hudson, so expect a great day and a great show. Mark June 28 on your calendars now. Celebrating our heritage is what we are all about. We invite all members to join us as we do this in a visual and exciting way. Don ASSOCIATION NEWS FROM THE APRIL GENERAL MEETING The General Meeting of the West Coast Railway Association was held at 1930 hours on April 29, 2008 with Colin Dathan chairing the meeting and 45+ in attendance: • Don Evans provided the President’s Report, commenting on a rather difficult start to the year and a series of significant cost reductions that have had to be taken. He also updated WCRA News, Page 4 the financial situation we were faced with and actions taken to get things back on track. • Susan Steen gave the Heritage Park report, noting a successful Clean Up Weekend in April, and asking members to continue to come as there is still lots of things to be done. She noted work being done in the Archives (Bill & Bob) and showed a new Archival Manual put together by Trevor Mills to support archival work done by our volunteers. • Colin Smith reported on progress on the Roundhouse project, noting the pouring of the track pads and work underway at Canron on the steel • Don Evans noted that a track realignment project was scheduled to be done in May to ease the curves on the access tracks to the station for the Royal Hudson • Susan Steen advised members of two upcoming events at the Heritage Park, the Mother’s Day Tea May 11 and the BC 150 Community event set for June 28th • Eric Anderson presented us with Canadian Tire Coupons • Jim Brown invited members to come out to the Locomotive 374 Anniversary event, set for May 18th at the Roundhouse Community Centre in Vancouver. He also noted that we have hired a summer student for this summer season to staff the 374 Pavilion. • Bernie Tully reported on the upcoming Interchange 2008 model railroad conference and show set for Chilliwack on June 14 and 15. WCRA and West Coast Mini Rail will both be there. • Don Evans gave a collection update, noting the Henry Pickering being back in service on the Whistler Mountaineer, locomotive 4069 and 561 being inspected by Transport Canada, and continuing improvements on the Royal Hudson. • Bill Johnston gave a tours update, noting that the plans for #2141 from Kamloops to Armstrong have been changed, but our tour date was still a go as scheduled. • Jeremy Davy presented a cheque from Western Rails 2007 towards both Mini Rail and the Troop Sleeper project. • Ryan Cruickshank presented his Trackside Report • Books and videos were available for sale at the break • The 50 / 50 draw was held • Entertainment was a Video—Scenic Railways of the World 50 YEARS AGO—HI-BALLERS As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, the predecessor to the WCRA, the original group called the Hi-Ballers, first met and decided to form as a group in April 1958. They went on to be incorporated officially in 1961, and named the West Coast Railfan Association (which became the West Coast Railway Association of today). We managed to find a few photos of the early group in our archives, they are from the camera of Gary Oliver and were taken in 1958 / 1959, as near as we can get photographically of the young group and some of their early activities. We are delighted that several of the original Hi-Ballers remain members of WCRA today, 47 years later. WCRA News, Page 5 Above, Meet the Hi-Ballers, (L-R) Brian Biddlecomb, Martin Jergens, Glen McGregor, John Morton, Keith Anderson, Larry Russell, Doug Cummings, Roger Burrows, Hugh Little photo by Gary Oliver, CPR Drake Street club tour, February 7, 1959. Left, the Hi-Ballers Railfan Club has a display at an indentified location. Gary Oliver photo. WCRA News, Page 6 WCRA TRIVIA # 233 - by Ryan D. Cruickshank What is the oldest railway roundhouse still standing in North America? (for answer, see Credit Lines) MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS Memberships dated 04/30/2008 have now expired, and if your membership expired 02/28/2008, this will be your last issue. Please check the label on your newsletter and renew today. Remember that renewals are being accepted for memberships with the E–Newsletter—check page 2 for current membership rates. Is your email address current???? It is particularly important that those of you who have registered for access to the Members Only area keep your email address current in the Server. Each time a new issue is posted the Server sends a notice to the email address you supplied when you requested access. Because the undeliverable messages from a Server do not bounce back to it I have no way to be proactive. If you have changed your email address, or think the one we have is out of date because you do not receive notices, please send your current email address to Jeremy at [email protected] and the server will be updated as required.