After a good lunch at Java Hut, Bob, Elizabeth and I left Surrey and drove to Burnaby to our second and final stop of this brief visit to British Columbia, the Burnaby Central Railway. There we met our engineer for our trip, Joe Holman, followed by Tom Carr, Vice President of the British Columbia Society of Model Engineers, who gave us a brief background on this 7 1/2" inch gauge railway.
Operated by the British Columbia Society of Model Engineers, the group's history goes back to 1929 when several miniature railway enthusiasts came together to form a model engineering club. Many of them had home workshops, and in their spare time lovingly created miniature locomotives. At that time the club did not have a track of its own and members met from time-to-time at tracks that existed on someone's private property to run their trains. Naturally, these members wanted to share the fruits of their labours with other enthusiasts and the public, and to re-kindle the memories of that bygone era when most people travelled long distances by train. The search was on for a property of their own, and finally on July 1st, 1975, the club opened its doors to the public at the track which was located at the Burnaby Village Museum. Over time it was found that the site was not large enough to meet their needs and there was no room for expansion. Burnaby Parks assisted in relocating to their present seven-acre site, which had been used as a municipal works yard. In late 1991, the BCSME closed their original track, and after almost two years of back-breaking work, opened at our current location in Confederation Park on Dominion Day 1993. Landscaping of the current site included 8,500 loads of fill from the Cassiar Connector highway project with which four hills were created. They have been in operation 32 years at this location in Confederation Park.
Joe first showed us around then gave us a ride over their entire railroad.
The car barn.
The map of the Burnaby Central Railway.
The turntable.
Rainbow Creek station.
The steam-up tracks.
Some of Burnaby Central's locomotives, as well as privately-owned engines.
The connection to the transfer table.
The only logging engine on the Burnaby Central is this Climax Locomotive.
Children mistakenly believe this is Thomas the Tank Engine.
Canadian Pacific 4-4-0 374, a 1/8 size model of the first locomotive to arrive on the west coast of Canada in 1886. It is privately-owned and was built by one of the BCSME's founding members.
In the car barn, Joel prepares Canadian Pacific F40PH 1920 for our ride.
Other engines in the lower level of the car barn.
Car barn scene.
Joe brings out the train for the ride.
Every good train has a caboose.
Joe checks all the brakes on the train.
The other diesels here.
The water tower.
We left the car barn and started the trip on the Burnaby Central Railway.
We all spread out to balance the weight on the cars so we would not derail.
The train came to the first junction and Joe had to press a switch to select our route.
We would be crossing this bridge and go back by the windmill later.
A station and water tank.
Sylvester and Tweety Pie plus the watch dog which not only chased the train but also got in our way at several times.
The train crossed Rogers Bridge.
Another curve along with the wild flowers.
Our train passed another junction on this railroad.
We came upon the Twin Bridges.
Rainbow Creek station came into view.
Running behind the station.
The display tracks.
The train entered the Wisteria Tunnel.
Passing Willingdon Hill.
Another curve on this unique railroad.
Passing underneath the two bridges.
Going by the windmill and Short Tunnel.
Car Barn Hill.
Rounding the curve to reach Long Tunnel.
Long Tunnel.
Our train running along the back of their property.
Mt. Allen.
Back through this junction.
Passing in front of the station.
Taking one of the many curves.
Looking down at the other tracks.
Short BCIT bridge.
Another curve to the left.
Mt. Fenton.
Running along the west side of the property.
Passing by Wisteria Tunnel.
Our second journey behind Rainbow Creek station.
Crossing gates protect the service road into the grounds.
Traversing the west bridge of the Twin Bridges.
Going through this junction again.
The Victoria Loop.
The train ran along the east side of the property.
About to enter Long Tunnel.
We came back by Car Barn Hill again.
Joe pressed the button to choose our route again.
Our crossing of the Spiral Viaduct.
Curving to the left.
Next we crossed the Long BCIT Bridge.
We came back to the west bridge of the Twin Bridges.
Underneath this bridge we go.
Joe pressed this to line us back to the station.
The train went into the Short Tunnel then took us back to the Rainbow Creek station, ending our trip on the Burnaby Central Railway. A special thank you to Joe not only for the excellent trip, but for taking us over every possible route on their railroad. He then took us on a tour of the steam shop.
New York Central Hudson 5279 was steaming up on a steam bay track.
This engine can operate on the smaller elevated gauge track.
A Canadian Pacific Jubilee steam engine.
Steam engine 73.
This Canadian National steam engine was the second engine of the Burnaby Central Railway. The Henry Greenley-designed Northern, which the BCSME acquired in the 1970's was re-built and modified to resemble a CNR northern.
There is one trolley here.
A passenger car in the shop. We thanked Joe for the excellent ride and tour then said goodbye to Tom Carr as we left their property. A special thank you to the Burnaby Central Railway for letting us visit today.
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