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Cranbrook Railway Museum 7/31/2024

We stayed at the Days Inn, checked out and drove to ABC Country Restaurant then stopped at the water tower and locomotive display near the museum.

Canadian Pacific Cranbrook water tower built in 1946 and moved here in 1994. Its original location was across the tracks and about 1,500 feet southwest closer to the railway's roundhouse.

Canadian Pacific station built in 1901, originally in Elko and moved 43 miles to Cranbrook in 1987. The building last saw use as a passenger depot in the 1960's then it was re-purposed as a railway office before closing in the mid-1980's. It is the only surviving Crowsnest Style "B" depot of the CPR, and is noted for its steeply pitched and well-proportioned roof with large front dormer.

The building served from 1988 to 2002 as the visitor reception centre for museum, with gift shop, ticket sales and public washrooms. The historic archives and reference library, with a specialty collection on railway travel, was also contained on the upper floor. It also included additional executive offices, and a large Board Room, facilities which were temporarily housed in some of the restored cars prior to 1987.

Elko station story board.

Canadian Pacific timetable board.

Canadian Pacific FB-2 4469, ex. Canadian Pacific Historical Collection 4469 1992, nee Canadian Pacific 4469, built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1953.

Canadian Pacific FA-2 4090, ex. Canadian Pacific Historical Collection 4090 1992, nee Canadian Pacific 4090, built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1953.

Engine numbers 4090 and 4469 story boards.

From start to finish restoration of the locomotives.

Canadian Pacific freight shed built in 1898, part of the Cranbrook Museum.

The railway freight shed sign. We paid our admission, learning that there are three main guided tours of the museum's collection, as well as a two-hour Grand Tour. We chose the Comparative Tour 1927-1970 but our guide showed us everything.

Formerly known as the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel, the Cranbrook History Centre preserves and displays a nationally designated railcar collection, internationally recognized paleontology specimens and serve as a repository for the history of Cranbrook and the East Kootenay region for all to explore and discover.

Since 1977 when the first car arrived in Cranbrook, the museum has steadily grown. In the early days of collection, development operations were ‘conducted’ out of the nearby Elko Station; however, as the collection grew larger, a permanent home was required. By 2004 the current facility was complete and the entirety of the collection was moved to this location. Without the dedication of Garry Anderson, OC, this collection would not exist. For over 30 years Garry scoured the continent to expand the collection and carefully restored these artifacts to their former beauty. With the support of the City of Cranbrook, the BC Arts Council, the Columbia Basin Trust, and many other organizations and individuals who recognized the importance of this preservation work, Garry created a unique legacy to capture this essential part of Canadian history.

The main tour offerings are the Comparative Tour: Experience the diversity of rail travel in the 20th century. On this tour, you will visit a variety of cars from the CPR’s invite-only executive British Columbia car to the small caboose where the freight train crew spent their days. With your guide, compare what rail life was like from the 1920s until the 1970s; The Trans-Canada Limited: The Trans-Canada Limited 1929 train carried first-class passengers from Montreal to Vancouver daily through its summer season. Explore our 7 restored cars to experience the life of passengers and train workers on the fastest and most luxurious way to cross the continent in the interwar period; the Soo Spokane 1907-1914 Visit our impressive set of wooden Soo-Spokane railcars. On this tour, you'll travel over a century into Cranbrook’s past by touring the train cars that stopped daily at the Cranbrook train station from 1907 to 1914 on their way to their final destinations.

The Canadian Pacific freight shed plaque.

Canadian Pacific's conductor's uniform.

Canadian Pacific Railway Lives Dedicated to the Railroad.

Canadian Pacific Railway Cranbrook's Ticket to Prosperity.

A Max Jacquiard painting "Crowsnest Mountain".

Canadian Pacific HO scale models of trains that operated in Cranbrook.

The tiny trains depicted here include Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway cars and engines as they traverse a landscape resembling BC's Kettle Valley. They trundle, chug, and hoot past sparkling lakes, along high mountain ledges, through dark tunnel’s, and over tall trestle bridges. You can hear the sound of the trains as they weave their way over five lines and four levels through a forests of 6000 cedar, hemlock and fir trees. Each branch of every tree has been individually glued into place, mounted on wooden struts overlaid by Styrofoam, and bound together by fast drying orthopedic bandages. This “O” gauge model railway is over 80 feet long consisting of floor to ceiling model diorama landscapes.

The layout of this model train was the brain child of Mr. John Keith-King, owner of the Granville Island Museum, who assembled a team of railroad modelers that included, Warren Jones, Bill Ballanger, Jack Johnson, Danny Kachur, Leslie Smith and John Tarvin. The model was assembled on Granville Island, Vancouver BC and took Warren Jones, a gifted diorama artist, and the crew, over a year to assemble. The Granville Island Museum held the distinction of housing the world’s largest collection of model and toy trains on public display.

When John Keith-King decided to close the Granville Island Museum he looked for a suitable home for this remarkable diorama and the Cranbrook Railway Museum/Cranbrook History Centre was selected as its new home. It was dismantled into sections, transported by truck and reassembled at the Centre over a period of 6 years.

The HO scale layout has been constructed by a dedicated group of modelers intent on recreating a section of the Canadian Pacific Railway's southern mainline through the Kootenays. Travelling westward in a clockwise direction, the model depicts scenes from Bull River through Isadore Canyon and Cranbrook to Kootenay Landing. At Kootenay Landing the rail ended and all freight and passengers had to be transferred for ongoing travel by barge or steamboat. Completion of the railway link to Nelson in 1931 brought an end to the steamboat era but sets the stage for the model railway which spans a period of more than two decades including the introduction of diesel locomotives in the mid-1950's. Major scenes include Kootenay Landing, Moyie Lake, the Cranbrook yard and roundhouse, and a partial view of the Bull River dam with its log flume and sawmill.

Access into BC's southern interior relied primarily on waterway connections from the south until the Canadian Pacific Railway pushed a new line westwards through the Crowsnest Pass from Lethbridge. Prompted by rich mineral discoveries in the West Kootenay and intense rivalry over control of the region by the American owned Great Northern Railway, the CPR entered into an agreement with the federal government to build the line in exchange for a construction subsidy. Work proceeded rapidly and the first train arrived in Cranbrook on August 23, 1898. The railway continues to play an important role in the city and the Cranbrook yard forms the centerpiece for the HO scale layout constructed by a dedicated group of railway modelers intent on recreating a section of Canadian Pacific's southern mainline.

Planning for the model dates back to the early days of the museum when a small team was formed to develop designs for an operating public display. At that time the museum consisted of several historic railcars located on the site where two preserved Alco diesel locomotives stand today. Space for the layout was made available in a vacant baggage car and work began in January 1991. The first milestone was reached in June when a real gold spike was driven home to officially open a basic loop of track approximately 125 feet in length. Further work on scenery and structures continued until 2002 when relocation of the museum’s railcar collection made it necessary to dismantle the layout and vacate the baggage car. Parts of the model were then stored in the basement of the freight shed where they remained largely forgotten.

After discovering stored pieces of the original model in 2010, a new group of volunteers was inspired to resurrect the project. Parts of the original railway have been incorporated into the current model along with upgraded structures, new custom painted backdrops, and hundreds of rejuvenated trees. In its present form, the layout depicts scenes from Bull River westwards through Cranbrook to Kootenay Landing where the rails once ended and all freight and passengers had to be transferred for ongoing travel by barge or steamboat. Completion of the railway link to Nelson in 1931 brought an end to the steamboat era but sets the stage for the model railway which spans a period of more than two decades including the introduction of diesel locomotives in the mid-1950's. In addition to Kootenay Landing, major scenes include Moyle Lake, the Cranbrook yard and roundhouse, and a partial view of the Bull River dam with its log flume and sawmill.

HO Model Railway Canadian Pacific Southern mainline segment and G scale Fraser and Kettle Valley model railway information boards.

The Royal Alexandra Hall. The opulent experience of Canadian rail travel was not limited to the passenger cars represented in our collection. As luxurious as this journey may have been, the grand hotels built by the Canadian Pacific Railway across Canada between 1888 and 1930 were equally impressive and remain some of the greatest architecture ever built in this country.

With the notable exception of the Royal Alexandra Hotel, built in Winnipeg in 1906, these hotels remain in operation today. The Royal Alexandra, a rare example of Edwardian architecture amongst the CP hotels, was considered the social centerpiece of Winnipeg for nearly sixty years before its closure in 1967. Four years later it was demolished with only the Grand Café of the hotel, carefully disassembled into hundreds of pieces and stored in a semi- trailer, surviving.

For the next 25 years, these pieces remained in storage until acquired by the Cranbrook History Centre in 1999. After being moved to the current site in Cranbrook, restoration and construction of a new exterior shell began. By 2004, with the support of millennium grants and public contributions, the rebuilding of the Royal Alexandra Hall was complete and the facility was opened to the public for both public viewing and special events. Widely considered the most elegant public venue in southeastern British Columbia, the Royal Alexandra Hall seats over 200 people and features an adjacent catering kitchen.

Named after Royalty Queen Alexandra display board.

Designed to Impress The Royal Alexandra Hotel.

Location and Floor Plan The Royal Alexandra Hotel.

Interior Elegance The Royal Alexandra Hotel.

The Grand Café The Royal Alexandra Hotel.

End of an Era The Royal Alexandra Hotel.

Part of The Royal Alexandra Hotel.

Dining Car "Argyle" restoration display board.

Some examples of restoration you will see on your tour of the trains.

Interior photographs from the restored cars' heyday We were met by our guide, who led us outside.

Soo Line sleeper-library buffet observation 750 "Curzon", ex. Summer Cottage in Wisconsin 1992, nee Soo Line 750, built by Barney and Smith in 1907. This is part of the set of the 1907 "Soo-Spokane Train Deluxe", an international train operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway between Minneapolis and Spokane, but through Canada, the Crowsnest Pass route and Cranbrook.

Elizabeth standing on the open platform.

Canadian PaciFic buffet solarium lounge "River Rouge", ex. Canadian Pacific work car 411294 1980, exx. Canadian Pacific café-observation parlour 6591 1960, nee Canadian Pacific "River Rouge", built by National Steel Car and the railway in 1929. This car was built for the 1929 Trans Canada Limited, a Montreal-to-Vancouver train.

Interior of "River Rouge".

The beautifully-restored solarium area.

Canadian Pacific official car "Strathcona", ex. Conklin and Garrett Shows 002 1990, exx. Canadian Pacific 75 1974, nee Canadian Pacific "Strathcona" 1968, built by the railway in 1927 as an executive night car for the Board of Directors. This car has not yet been restored and shows visitors the pre-restoration condition.

Canadian Pacific 14 bedroom sleeper "Grand Pre", ex. National Museum of Science and Technology 411288 1989, exx. Canadian Pacific work car 411288 1985, nee Canadian Pacific "Grand Pre" 1960, built by Canadian Car and Foundry and the railway in 1930. It was used on the 1939 Royal Train.

Interior of "Grand Pre".

Canadian Pacific coach 1700, ex. Société de transport de Montréal 840 1990, exx. Canadian Pacific coach 840 1982, nee Canadian Pacific first class smoking coach 1700 1977, built by National Steel Car in 1938. It represents one of the only surviving set of four cars of the lightweight 1936 Chinook, a Canadian Pacific train that ran between Calgary and Edmonton from 1936 to 1955.

Canadian National baggage car 8029, ex. Alberta Railway Museum 8029 1992, exx. Canadian National Museum Train 8029 1969, exxx. Canadian National 8029 1953, exxxx. Canadian Government Railways 2736 1920, nee Intercolonial Railway 736 1916, built by Harris Car Company (Moncton, New Brunswick) and Intercolonial Railway in 1890.

It was repainted and renumbered Canadian Pacific 345 for the CBC film "National Dreams" in 1973.

Canadian Pacific wooden caboose 436965, built by the railway in 1928. After many years bringing up the rear of regular freight trains out of Cranbrook, it was retired in 1977 and scheduled for scrapping. The Cranbrook Foundation rescued the car for $500 and started to refurbish it. Many of the items inside were assembled and placed there as permanent display material by the Railway and its Cranbrook employees to mark Canadian Pacific's centennial of incorporation in 1981.

Interior of the caboose.

Canadian Pacific 8-1-2 sleeper" Redvers" ex. Alberta Railway Museum "Redvers" 1992, nee Canadian Pacific "Redvers" built by Canadian Car and Foundry and the railway in 1929. This first class car was on the Canadian and the Dominion trains. It was modernized in the late 1950's and is a direct comparison to restored sister "Rutherlglen".

Canadian Pacific tender 2860B, ex. British Columbia Railway auxiliary tender 2860B 1996, exx. Canadian Pacific 415797, exxx. Canadian Pacific 995130, nee tender for Canadian Pacific 4-8-4 3100, built by the railway in 1928.

Canadian Pacific FP9A 1409, ex. Via Rail 6557 1994, exx. Via Rail 1409 1982, nee Canadian Pacific 1409, built by General Motors Diesel Division in 1954.

Canadian Pacific F9B 1901, ex. Via Rail 6651 1994, exx. Via Rail 1962 1983, exxx. Via Rail 4474 1979, exxxx. Canadian Pacific 4474 1978, nee Canadian Pacific 1901, built by General Motors Diesel Division in 1954.

The engine compartment of F9B 1901.

Canadian National café-lounge 759, ex. Via Rail 759 1996, exx. Canadian National 759 1978, exxx. Canadian National coach lounge 3020 1069, nee Canadian National coach 5451, built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1954.

Interior of 759.

Canadian Pacific work car 411327 2006, nee Canadian Pacific dining car "Wingfield", built by Canadian Car and Foundry and the railway in 1921.

Canadian Pacific baggage car 4481, ex. Canadian Pacific service car 272030 1978, exx. Canadian Pacific baggage 2500, exxxx. Canadian Pacific horse express 4555 1973, exxxxx. Canadian Pacific baggage express 4423 1958, nee Canadian Pacific combination baggage/sleeper 4481, built by Canadian Car and Foundry and the railway in 1929.

Built for the Trans Canada Limited, it was modified to full baggage service with the removal of the sleeping section, washroom and smoking room. When it was a horse express car, it was used to transport the RCMP Musical Ride. It was then put into storage at Quebec City where it was found by the museum foundation, then in July 1979, was donated by CP Rail to the museum and delivered free. It was part of the 1929 Trans Canada Limited lineup appearing at Expo 86.

Canadian Pacific combination baggage/sleeper 4489, ex. Dofasco Employees' Model Railway Club 4489 1986, nee Canadian Pacific 4489, built by Canadian Car and Foundry and the railway in 1929.

Interior of 4489 with in-service pictures and schematics of some of the museum's collection.

Canadian Pacific parlour car 6751, ex. Ontario Rail Association coach 561 "Terra Cotta" 1989, exx. Canadian Pacific coach 1360 1972, nee Canadian Pacific 6751 1959, built by Canadian Car and Foundry and the railway in 1930.

Interior of 6751.

Canadian Pacific dining car "Argyle", ex. Canadian Pacific work car 411257 1977, nee Canadian Pacific dining car Argyle 1959, built by National Steel Car and the railway in 1929. It was one of fifteen heavyweight dining cars ordered by CPR named after British Castles. It run on the inaugural run of the Trans Canada Limited with a consist of brand new cars specially built for that train. It was withdrawn from service in 1959 and remained in work train service until 1976 when it was retired then purchased by the Cranbrok Archives, Museum and Landmark Foundation. Restoration started in 1977 and was finished in 1978. This car appeared at Expo 86 in Vancouver then further reconstruction occurred in 1985 when the interior was returned to its original configuration.

Interior of "Argyle".

Canadian Pacific 12-1 sleeper "Somerset", ex. Ontario Rail Association 12-1 sleeper "Travers" 1989, exx. Canadian Pacific 12-1 sleeper "Travers" 1980, nee Canadian Pacfic "Somerset" 1948, built by Canadian Car and Foundry and the railway in 1930.

Interior of "Somerset".

Canadian Pacific 8-2-1 sleeper "Rutherglen" ex. CP Hotels "Rutherglen" 1980, nee Canadian Pacific "Rutherglen" 1979, built by Canadian Car and Foundry and the railway in 1929. Air conditioning was fitted in the late 1930's and to keep up-to-date for use on transcontinental rains, it and others in its class were modernized in the 1950's.

The R class sleepers last saw revenue passenger service on the 1967 "Expo Express" before retirement. "Rutherglen" was purchased by CP Hotels with the intent to use it as a railway themed restaurant in Toronto. Never used as such, it was stored in the Toronto Harbour yards by Canadian Pacific until CP Hotels donated the car and shipping charges to the Cranbrook Railway Museum. Restoration occurred to return the car to how it was built and the car was also at Expo 86 in Vancouver.

Interior of "Rutherglen".

Canadian Pacific first class coach 52, ex. Mine Assay Office (Blairmore, Alberta) 1986, exx. Province of Alberta Mine Rescue Car 1 1930, exxx. Canadian Pacific second class coach 1816 1913, exxxx. Canadian Pacific second class coach 843 1911, nee Canadian Pacifc first class coach 52 1906, built by Harlan and Hollingsworth in 1882. It is the oldest known extant car built for Canadian Pacific.

Canadian Pacific coach 621, ex. summer cottage at Priddis, Alberta 1990, exx. Canadian Pacific first class coach 1221 1939, nee Canadian Pacific 621, built by the railway in 1901.

Interior of 621.

Soo Line 12-1 sleeper 1220 "Omemee", ex. lakeside cottage in Wisconsin 1998, nee Soo Line 1220 "Omemee", built by Barney and Smith in 1906.

Interior of "Omemee".

Canadian Pacific sleeper "Glencastle", ex. Canadian Pacific work car 411660 1989, nee Canadian Pacific 10 compartment/sleeper "Glencastle" 1961 built by Canadian Car and Foundry and the railway in 1928.

Canadian Pacific official car "British Columbia", ex. Canadian Pacific 19 1983, ex. Canadian Pacific "British Columbia" 1952, exx. Canadian Pacific "Champlain" 1947, exxxx. Canadian Pacific "Rupertsland" 1946, nee Canadian Pacific "British Columbia" 1946, built by the railway in 1928.

This car saw active service form 1928 up until presentation to the museum in 1983 via the BC Heritage Trust. Regularly assigned to Nelson at the time of its demobilization, it served the Cranbrook area in an official capacity. It travelled to Vancouver with the Trans Canada Limited in 1986 and served as supervisory staff living quarters for the duration of Expo 86.

Canadian Pacific baggage-express 4144, ex. Prairie Dog Central 100 1989, exx. Canadian Pacific work car 404904 1980, exxx. Canadian Pacific baggage 4164 1960, nee Canadian Pacific 4144 1918, built by the railway in 1913.

Canadian Pacific coach 2104, ex. Museum of the Highwood 353 1995, Greater Winnipeg Water District 353:2 1930, nee Canadian Pacific 2104, built National Steel Car and the railway in 1936.

Very impressed with everything we saw, we returned inside a purchased a couple of souvenirs before leaving. On the way out of town, we stopped at Tim Horton's for a doughnut each and also at the Real Canadian Superstore for a small tray of Nanaimo Bars, which we kept refrigerated each night for when our friends Greg and Marty Smith from California visited us in early September.

The Canadian Pacific Railway System spans North America.

Elizabeth drove us to Fort Steele, a National Heritage Site, about twenty minutes away. While we knew the train was not operating, neither of us had ever been here before but we explored the train-related items only. On the pathway to the parking area is Elk River Colliery 36 inch gauge 0-4-0A 1, ex. Crowsnest Pass Coal 5, nee Hosmer Coal Mines 6, built by H.K. Porter in 1910.

Compressed Air Locomotive display board.

42 inch gauge coal car.

36 inch gauge ore car. We walked over to their station.

The Kootenay Central Railway (subsidiary of Canadian Pacific) Martin station built in 1914.

A passenger car; this was as close as we could get.

The water tower.

The compressed air engine display on the way back to the car.

Elizabeth drove us south to Kingsgate and on the way, we passed the community of Yahk and spotted the caboose that was not visible from our eastbound trip.

Canadian Pacific caboose 436663, ex. Rocky Mountain freight train museum 436663 2006, nee Canadian Pacific 436663, built by the railway in 1917.

We found a surprise at Kingsgate, as we joined the line for the border. This is where Canadian Pacific interchanges with Union Pacific.

Canadian Pacific 8009 West.

Canadian Pacific AC4400CWM 8009:2, built by General Electric in 2018.

Kansas City Southern ES44AC 4787, built by General Electric in 2011.

A wrapped Siemens passenger car, identity unknown.

The International Border between the United States and Canada. At the border, the Customs agent asked us if we were bringing any fruit in the country and we responded no!

Welcome to the United States and Welcome to Idaho. I was back in my home country.

We drove to Bonners Ferry specifically for the Spokane International station built circa 1907.

The two of us continued our journey south, as I drove to Sandpoint.

Northern Pacific Sandpoint station built in 1916. In 1882 the Northern Pacific Railroad rumbled to a stop here. The arrival opened a trade route for timber from North Idaho to the east coast and freight to the west coast. Passengers arrived and small communities sprung up along the tracks. The railroad was a driving force behind the settling of North Idaho.

The original station sufficiently handled the needs of the growing community. The wood frame combination freight house and passenger depot was built on the east side of the tracks between the railroad grade and Pend Oreille Lake. Sandpoint had sprung up along both sides of the Northern Pacific tracks. The town was built from the plentiful timber supplies of North Idaho, and it burned to the ground in 1892, again in 1894 and yet again in 1900. In each fire, many of the businesses were destroyed. By 1914 the majority of the town moved to the west side of Sand Creek leaving only the depot, a few businesses and the “Restricted District” or Red Light area on the east side of the creek. The depot was moved to the west side of the railroad tracks at the base of Cedar Street Bridge.

In 1915 a prosperous and growing Sandpoint decided a fancier depot was needed, so as to impress arriving travellers. Rounds Construction Company of Seattle designed the current one-story brick building, the only gothic-style railroad depot in Idaho. The brick gables at the ends of the roof are accented by arched, pointed windows and topped with stone spheres. The dormers and bay window are off center, adding to the character of the building. The depot contained a waiting room, ladies restroom, a smoking compartment for men and several offices. The outside was lighted by cluster lights and 8 posts with large candle power along the brick platform.

The depot has served the community for a century and is the last standing structure of the original town of Sandpoint. With the Sand Creek Bypass, Amtrak felt the depot would be compromised and considered abandoning this depot and building a new one outside of town. Instead, Amtrak and Idaho Transportation Department reached an agreement to refurbish the depot and keep it open. The depot was restored in 2014 and reopened on May 29, 2015. The Amtrak's Empire Builder passenger train stops daily at the Sandpoint depot at 11:49 pm, departing at 2:37 am. The building is not open to the public; however, a covered platform is provided for passengers.

We went to Sweet Lou's for dinner then checked into the Days Inn for the night. After an excellent visit to Canada, it was good to be home in my country.

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