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Fraser Valley Heritage Railway 7/30/2017

We all got up early and after a good breakfast, took off up Interstate 5 to Blaine where we took the State Route 543 Truck Crossing into Canada. With only a less than five minute wait, we had one car in front of us before it was our turn and we continued north to the Surrey suburb of Cloverdale. First I had to photograph the depot.

The replica Cloverdale station, which is on the same location as the original station. From here, we parked and Elizabeth opened the station building as she was station master for the morning, and I helped her move benches outside.

Based on an idea by, and personal funding of $25,000 from Mr. Jim Wallace, a commissioner with the Surrey Heritage Advisory Commission, a feasibility study was undertaken between 1996 and 2000 to ascertain the feasibility of reactivating the old B.C. Electric Railway line in the Fraser Valley for passenger service.

Based on that study, a recommendation was made to Surrey City Mayor and Council at least two original interurbans could possibly be repatriated from their U.S. museum owners and that reactivating the interurban line through Surrey was feasible. Surrey Council requested that a not-for-profit group be formed to undertake the repatriation, rehabilitation and return of original BCER Interurban cars to the original Fraser Valley line for use in a heritage tourism initiative.

In 2001 the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society was formed to acquire, restore and operate the remaining BCER Interurban cars. The original Fraser Valley rail line still exists in the valley from New Westminster as far East as Chilliwack. Some adjustments to the tracks have been made in the past 50 years, but most of the original track is still there. The Fraser Valley interurban line last carried passengers in 1955, a special trip from Chilliwack for Miss J. E. Fowlie and her grade 3 class from Yarrow. The original BCER Fraser Valley line remains a forgotten jewel in the valley.

BC Electric Railway was incorporated on April 3, 1897, under English laws, with head office at Threadneedle Street in London, England, according to BCER Historian Henry W. Ewert.

It was not just an amalgamation of existing street car lines, but of an interurban line from Vancouver to New Westminster developed by the Westminster & Vancouver Tramway Co. on October 8, 1891, Ewert shows on pages 20-21 of his excellent book, "The Story of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company Limited" (Whitecap Books, July, 1986) Although the idea of servicing the Fraser Valley had been considered in the 1890s, it was not until the Fraser River Bridge was built and in operation until June 1904, that the BCER could attend to developing its Fraser Valley Line.

Fraser Valley Line was completed in 1910 and that passenger service was inaugurated on October 3, 1910.

When completed the BCER ran from downtown Vancouver out to Chilliwack. There were up to four complete round-trip runs each day. Carrying not only passengers, it also provided a fast method for moving freight, the mail and gossip.

Another goal of completing the rail line was to electrify the valley. Modern conveniences, such as electric light and telephones, came to the valley as the rail line spread up from the Fraser River and through settlements. Over time these settlements grew into the town centers and cities we find today: Whalley (Surrey City Center), Newton, Sullivan, Cloverdale, Langley, Abbotsford, Sumas, Yarrow and Chilliwack.

At 1:30 a.m. on July 16, 1954, the last interurban train operated from the Carrall Street Station on the Central Park line. Reaching Park Avenue at 2:10 a.m. it then proceeded to the New Westminster barn. Closing down sixty-three years of passenger service on the Central Park line was an interurban train consisting of cars 1316 and 1304. Car 1304 was saved from the scrap yard being declared the system's official stand by coach. This decision enabled the car to survive until to today. Following one last trip to Chilliwack in 1955, Car 1304 left Canada in 1955 and moved to Glenwood, Oregon to reside at the "Trolley Park" of the Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society. It was returned to Canada, to the FVHRS in 2009.

The original Fraser Valley rail line still exists in the valley from New Westminster as far east as Chilliwack.

The Society owns B.C. Electric Railway Car 1225 and Car 1304 plus operates speeders and a velocipede.

The next thing I did was walk with Bob to the car barn where I started taking my pictures for this story.

British Columbia Electric Railway 1304 "Connaught" built by the railway at the New Westminster shops in June 1911, as part of the three car Fraser Valley interurban work order, patterned after the existing set of 1300-1302.

From "The Story of the B.C. Electric Railway Company" by the Society's historian-in-residence, Henry Ewert published by Whitecap Books in 1986 is the following: "How the B.C. Electric prepared for royalty! For the visit of their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught and their daughter, Princess Patricia (the Duke was then Canada’s Governor-General), the company decorated its head office building with a blaze of lights and royal motifs. (This was their second visit. What changes they must have observed since their first trip in 1890.) But the company outdid even itself. Selecting one of its New Westminster-built Fraser Valley branch interurban cars, the fifteen-month old 1304, the company sent it back into the car shops for an extraordinary transformation, and when it reappeared, it had been freshly painted; it also bore the royal coat of arms, twice on each side, the name “Connaught” and the company’s name in full, both delicately, but boldly, lettered in gold on each side."

"Its interior, with seats and partitions removed, resembled a well-appointed living room, with carpet, curtains, and upholstered chairs, mostly in cream and green. The orange glass of the upper arches of the windows was masked by the curtains, and red light bulbs were strategically installed elsewhere to resemble an open fire in a grate."

"… Car 1304 soon reverted to normal life and service, its transformation having been quite magical and certainly short-lived. It is the only Fraser Valley interurban still in existence today."

(September 16, 1945) "…interurban 1304, the former ‘Connaught car,’ caught fire near Cloverdale while making its way west from Chilliwack, the last car of an empty three-car train. Only a virtually destroyed shell was left by the time the train’s crew realized what was happening behind them and a brave, though futile, attempt was made to extinguish the blaze. It was not to languish long as a bizarre floor on wheels outside the company’s Kitsilano complex; since passenger vehicles were still in great demand, the shops, busy with street car refurbishing and rebuilding, got to work, constructing a beautiful, new interurban car, its exterior patterned after the 1309 – 1311 series. Dark leather, foam-filled, flip-over seats were installed; walls of dark varnished mahogany and a cream painted ceiling clinched its unique handsomeness. For the second time in its career, car 1304 was an attention-getter. Its return to action on December 29 was an unqualified triumph, denizens of Carrall Street viewing with some amazement and pleasure a prime example of the car builders’ art at its best, something the company’s shops might have turned out in 1910, and could still do thirty-five years later. ‘Built at Kits. Shops Jan. 1946’ proudly lettered over a vestibule door, 1304 quite possibly was the last wooden interurban car built in North America."

(Saturday, September 20, 1950) "… much special activity was occurring, adroitly stage-managed by interurban superintendent Mouat and chief dispatcher D. W. Stearman." Car 1311 left from Chilliwack in the morning heading west. Cars 1310 and 1307 departed New Westminster with a full load of officials, seniors and retired Chilliwack line employees. These trains met at Langley Prairie at noon, touched cowcatchers and then the passenger service on the Fraser Valley line ended. At the conclusion of these ceremonies the three cars of the two trains were joined together and deadheaded to the New Westminster yards; all officials and guests completed their journeys on the buses.

"Within a week … with a view to the possibility of their giving longer-term service on the Central Park line, should that be necessary, the two ‘newest’ interurban cars, 1304 and 1321, had their toilets removed in favour of seating space."

"At 1:30 a.m. on July 16, 1954 the last interurban train operated from the Carrall Street Station on the Central Park line. Reaching Park Avenue at 2:10 a.m. it then proceeded to the New Westminster barn. Closing down sixty-three years of passenger service on the Central Park line was an interurban train consisting of cars 1316 and 1304. Car 1304 was saved from the scrap yard being declared the system’s official standby coach. This decision enabled the car to survive until to today."

"Interurban car 1304 had not been out on the Chilliwack line for almost five years, but when Yarrow teacher Miss J.E. Fowlie wondered in a letter to president Grauer if her grade three students might not have a train ride to round off a study unit on transportation, it was as good as done. One of the diesels hauling a freight train brought 1304 to Chilliwack, where the thirty-eight students, with their teacher, boarded it for a forty-five minute ride to Yarrow. After the students had inspected the train’s caboose, the freight train continued on its way to New Westminster, leaving behind a class of bubbly, still side-eyed children."

A reunion was held in the summer of 2015 of the riders of this last run.

Car 1304 left Canada in 1955 and moved to Glenwood, Oregon to reside at the "Trolley Park" of the Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society. It was returned to Canada, to the FVHRS in 2009.

For several years, 1304 sat six feet in the air for ease of crew to work under the car. Finally, the area was cleared and the trucks (wheels and motor assemblies) were moved into place and lined up with the king pin to connect the car to the wheels. Hydraulic jacks were inserted at critical points, and activated with precision to allow for the removal of the wooden support piles until the steel I-beams could be removed and the car settled back onto its trucks, an operation of several hours.

BC Electric Railway Interurban 1225 was built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1913 and served the BCER in Vancouver, Steveston and Burnaby until the end of operations, making the last run on the line on February 28, 1958. In early 1950’s, as the BCER was being wound down, many of the cars were decommissioned. Most ended up being burnt at the rail yard under the Burrard Street bridge. Some were purchased and moved to museums south of the border. 1225 was sold to the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California and travelled south to California on its own wheels in a freight consist, making some operating appearances en route.

In August 2005, BCER 1225 returned home to Canada. After a 50 year absence, the car came back on two flat bed transports from PCC. The trucks came on the other flatbed trailer. There was some excitement when loading the car at the Orange Empire Railway Museum. In an email from Perris on August 7th, Bob Ashton (former FVHRS chairman) told us that: "BCER 1225 left Perris at noon today. We suffered through a small Tornado yesterday, which caused havoc here. Tore the roof off one building that housed all OREM old blueprints and other paper goods. This might have been OK but the rains were something I have never experienced. Then the hail. At the end trees were down and major flooding. What about 1225: Stood up well got a good soaking. Length of time we sat out of harm’s way was about 2 hours. Amazingly, after it was all over the sun was back out and the temperature back to 104 degrees."

The car arrived at the border and was helped through the formalities with the assistance of Dave Bucholtz from Pacific Custom Brokers. With the paperwork out of the way, the car crossed the border and officially returned home. We celebrated the return home with a big party on September 17th. The official ribbon cutting in the Carbarn brought many smiles to the officials and to members of FVHRS.

Over the course of five years and 20,000 volunteer hours 125 was completely restored and refurbished.

B.C. Electric interurban 1207 built by the railway in the New Westminster shops in 1905 to inaugurate service from Marpole to Steveston. Originally named the "Steveston", it was destined, along with three other cars, to close out the same line on February 28, 1958, bringing to an end all electric rail passenger service in British Columbia until the introduction of SkyTrain in 1986.

1207 languished in storage for more than four years in the barn of the Downtown Historic Railway in Vancouver after 13 years of service on that line. It was donated to the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society by the car's owners, Byron and Diane Cole of Seattle, who had stored it at the Snoqualmie Falls Railway Museum, and arrived at our Cloverdale facility on January 28th, 2016.

BCER 1207 is unique among the remaining BCER interurbans, as it has a raised roof known as a clerestory, where the middle section of the roof is raised 18 inches. Along with increased headroom down the centre of the car, a row of narrow windows set on each side, along both, more light into the car, and greater ventilation as they can be opened.

An end view of 1207.

Pictures from inside the car barn giving the history of each interurban car.

The generator car that provides the power for BCER 1225.

Fraser Valley Heritage Railway speeder FVR-1 built by Woodings, which has an 18 horsepower Tecumseh engine and a variable speed drive, similar to a snowmobile. The speeder was originally used as an inspection or foreman's ride and was donated by PNR Railworks. The speeder and its cars that gives rides down the museum's track when the interurban car is out on its run and is part of the barn tour. From here, I went back into the station.

BCER timetable board.

Pictures and map of the Fraser Valley interurban line.

Pictures around the window.

B.C. Electric Railway memorabelia and models on display.

New Westminster car barns.

Museum room scene with conductor's hats, B.C. Electric Railway china and other memorabelia. There are chairs here and showing on the screen, on a loop, is the "Last Run of the Chilliwack Line", which anyone can sit and watch and is also available in the gift shop.

Pot belly stove and other historical BCER pictures. I was then taken outside to be shown something special.

The original B.C. Electric track in front of the depot here.

The Fraser Valley Heritage Railway carbarn with the recently-completed extension to house B.C. Electric interurban 1231, which is coming to the property later this year. Next I met Bob in the car barn and then boarded the trolley 1225 for the safety run. I sat on a stool for my trip down the museum's trackage. Here is the trip.

Exiting the car barn.

Leaving the museum's property.

The switch to the depot trackage.

Running down the old B.C. Electric main line.

Rolling down the museum's privately-owned spur.

There is an industrial switcher at the Parrish and Heimbecker grain transfer facility.

That picture was taken while the derail was unlocked so that the museum's runs could gain access to the Southern Railway of British Columbia tracks.

As we returned to the depot, a picture of the interior of Car 1225.

Once we returned, I walked over to the barn for an unobstructed view of Car 1207. I went into the museum room of the depot and sat in the chairs to watch the video. Elizabeth brought me my first ride ticket and a few minutes before the trip started, I walked out to the platform and waited to board the trolley. On today's rides, Bob would be the motorman for two trips and the conductor for the other two trips. I talked to the crew about how I wanted to take my pictures and they agreed to let me kneel on the return trip to get the trip back down the line.

A quick picture while we were stopped at the switch to the Southern Railway of B.C. main line switch. From here, we would head west to Sullivan. Now I will share views on the way to Sullivan.

The line to Roberts Bank is behind these bushes.

Blueberry bushes, some ready to be harvested, others that have been harvested.

Our route crossed the Serpentine River.

Interesting view along our route with a variety of trees.

The replica Sullivan station.

The car barn that the group was in when I last visited here in 2011.

This is as far as our trip went. Once the crew had moved to the other end of the car, I knelt to shoot the pictures back down the line.

Back by the Sullivan station.

Interesting clouds above our route.

The view was so good we could see all the way to the high rise buildings in New Westminster.

Crossing one of the farm crossings along our route.

Running along the Serpentine River's levee.

Crossing the Serpentine River.

Crossing Highway 10.

Running along Highway 10.

Crossing 168 Street, originally known as the Coast Meridian Road.

One last view of the original right-of-way.

Curving on to the newly-laid welded rail trackage that was put in to run underneath the new bridge that replaced the two grade crossings.

Rolling east down the welded rail.

An approach signal to the Canadian Pacific crossing east of the junction to the museum's trackage.

Curving down the approach to the Highway 15 bridge, named for the late Royal Canadian Mounted Police Constable Roger Pierlet.

Views of the Highway 15 bridge.

We rolled down the welded rail past milepost 14.

We came back to the switch to the museum's trackage. I relaxed the rest of the way back to the depot. Once there, I got off the trolley and walked back to the ticket office, picked up my complimentary ticket and got in line for my next trip. I made my second trip and after that, I checked with Elizabeth to see when we were going for lunch and then walked on top of the Highway 15 bridge and waited for the 12:30 train.

Mount Baker on a clear day.

Car 1225 from the bridge. I returned toward the museum and found Elizabeth waiting for me and we went to A&W where I had a Mama Burger and a root beer, which really hit the spot. After that, we returned to the depot where I picked up my final complimentary ticket and took the next train which I took some pictures of.

Car 1225 at rest at the Cloverdale depot.

Parrish and Heimbecker TP56 5601 built in 2013 from Canadian Pacific SD40-2 5805.

Views of the mountains to the north. After my third trip I bought my fourth and Elizabeth joined me on her first run of the day. Once we returned I had just a few more pictures to take.

After all the trips, Car 1225 finally headed to the car barn. We waited for Bob to finish his duties before we left and headed to the Save-On Foods store. Once that was done, we drove back to the border where it said there would be a twenty minute wait. We did it in twelve minutes and once we were across and back in my homeland, my Verizon phone worked again complete with the correct time, so I made a few phone calls as we travelled down Interstate 5. We stopped for petrol in Bellingham before stopping in Burlington for dinner at the Outback Steakhouse. Once that was done, we returned to the Alkire's house in Lynnwood for the night. It had been a great day and I highly recommend you come to Surrey to visit the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway.

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