Vancouver Island Railroads

Railway operations on Vancouver Island date from the 1860s. Turner covers mining, logging, the Esquimalt & Nanaimo and Canadian National Railways: the small, the large, and the obscure. Map, timetables, reproductions-over 250 photos and illustrations and information on everything from hastily built logging lines to the spotless Canadian Pacific Ten-Wheelers, from narrow gauge coal lines to Victoria's classic streetcar system. First Canadian edition, expanded and updated, of this long out-of-print classic.

The building of British Columbia's railroads called for men of ingenuity, strength, and endurance. This is the story of the PGE-BCR railway, a personal and commercial venture that is unique in the pages of Canadian history. Discover the history and people of the Pacific Great Eastern and British Columbia Railway, as well as the Royal Hudson, which today carries passengers on a nostalgic trip along the coast.This book is for the history buff and train enthusiast alike. For many years, and even today, isolated communities throughout BC have depended upon the railroad for their very survival. This vital link was pushed through some of the most difficult and rugged terrain in Canada by the Pacific Great Eastern (PGE) and its parent companies. This tradition of linking the hinterland with the rest of BC is carried on today by the modern British Columbia Railway (BCR). Train enthusiasts can still recapture the experience of traveling by steam locomotive on the Royal Hudson. This book chronicles the building of BC's own railway, tracing its roots from the PGE to the modern day Royal Hudson. A must for all train lovers!

Everybody has a train story. Whether it comes from a distant relative who worked on the railways or from a family train trip that formed a lasting impression of the Canadian landscape, trains inspire a sense of wonder and nostalgia. They are embedded in the history of Canada as a whole and western Canada in particular, and for generations they were how most people travelled and saw the country. Today, trains get the most attention in the context of tragedy, in the aftermath of rare but catastrophic derailments. However, train stories go beyond these modern-day disaster tales or romantic glimpses into the past. Whistle Posts West presents a compelling array of stories that illustrate how and why the railways continue to capture our imaginations. From the heartbreaking to the humorous, from the awe-inspiring to the absurd, this fascinating collection of railway tales from BC and Alberta is sure to please.

Journey through the engineering marvels, stations, and heritage sites of Canada’s western mountains. Ride the rails through Canada’s western mountains to explore the many vestiges of the region’s spectacular and surprising railway heritage. Here is where grand railway hotels were built to attract tourists to the West’s beautiful scenery and bring profit to the railway lines as well. Rustic stations added to the allure. The challenges of conquering the mountains resulted in some of Canada’s most ingenious feats of engineering, such as spiral tunnels and soaring trestles (one of which was featured in The Amazing Race Canada). Relive the days of rail on a steam train, the luxurious Rocky Mountaineer, or one of VIA Rail’s mountain journeys. Outdoor enthusiasts can follow the abandoned roadbeds of Canada’s more spectacular rail trails, like the legendary Kettle Valley Railway. Also included are some of Canada’s most extensive railway museums, which have helped to bring this vanished era back to life.

The untold history of the maritime branches of two giants of early-twentieth-century Canadian railroads. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and the Canadian Northern Railway, two giants of Canadian rail transportation, each operated maritime shipping ventures during the early twentieth century. Numerous vessels, including sidewheel, paddlewheel, and propeller steamers, tugboats, and barges, helped to build and serve these railways. Passenger and merchant ships sailed the West Coast, the Great Lakes, and St. Lawrence River, and served Canadian and European ports, in a time when groundings, shipwrecks, and sinkings often claimed lives. These same steamship lines played an important role in World War I, when Canadian vessels ferried men and war supplies. Many troopships and freighters were torpedoed, and Canadian Northern’s entire transatlantic fleet was virtually obliterated. Illustrated with contemporary photographs and drawings, this book pays tribute to the maritime enterprises of two trailblazing Canadian railway greats.