We left the Best Western Barclay Inn and drove to the Canadian Pacific staton and waited for David Hooper to arrive. Elizabeth had been in contact with him because while the Alberni Pacific Railway operates on weekends on a short excursion, we could not be in Port Alberni on the weekend as we were going to be in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. As such, David offered to give us a tour of the shops this evening.
HistoryThe Vancouver Island Railway, first known as the Esquimalt and Nanaimo (E&N) Railway, was incorporated on the 27th of September 1883 by Victoria coal baron Robert Dunsmuir, to support the coal and lumber industry and the Royal Navy Base at Esquimalt Harbour. Construction began on April 30th, 1884, and on the 13th of August 1886, Prime Minister Sir John A. MacDonald drove home the last railway spike at Cliffside near Shawnigan Lake. The initial rail bed extended for 115 kilometres from Esquimalt to Nanaimo; hence the original name of the company. In 1888 the line was extended to the City of Victoria.
In 1905, Robert Dunsmuir's son James sold the railway company to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) who extended it to Lake Cowichan, Port Alberni, Parksville, Qualicum Beach and, finally, Courtenay. At its peak, the E&N Railway ' had 45 stations on the main line and 8 on the Port Alberni line. Today, about 25 stations remain with the majority unused and in a state of disrepair. Under CPR ownership, the Port Alberni subdivision was completed in 1912, and the Victoria sub-extension from Parksville to Courtenay was completed and opened in 1914. The total lengths of subdivisions on the E&N at its peak are as follows ~ Victoria subdivision 139.7 miles, Port Alberni subdivision 37.9 miles, Lake Cowichan subdivision 18.6 miles, Great Central Lake subdivision 10.3 miles, and Osborne Bay subdivision (later called the Crofton Spur) 2.6 miles – total miles of all tracks ever identified as a subdivision of the E&N Railway: 209.1 miles. This would be the all time high and remained until circa 1952 when the Great Central Lake subdivision was first removed from service and abandoned in 1953. The exact mileage the Great Central Lake subdivision came off the Port Alberni subdivision was at Mile Post 35.6 at a location called Solly Junction.
The E&N Railway was to have fulfilled the agreement which brought British Columbia into confederation, to become a Province of Canada. Although it was never completed, it was still considered a small piece of the trans-continental rail system. In 1905, Robert Dunsmuir’s son James sold the railway company to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) who extended it to Lake Cowichan, Port Alberni, Parksville, Qualicum Beach and, finally, Courtenay. At its peak, the E&N Railway had 45 stations on the main line and 8 on the Port Alberni line. Today, about 25 stations remain with the majority unused and in a state of disrepair.
In 1953, CPR discontinued passenger train operations into Port Alberni. In 1979, VIA Rail assumed operational responsibility for the remaining passenger service between Victoria and Courtenay, but CPR retained ownership. VIA provided the rolling stock, passenger subsidy and ticket sales. Advertising was minimal so the railway was operating in isolation to the rest of Canada and North America. In 1998, CPR sold the east-west corridor between Parksvillle and Port Alberni to Rail America, and entered into an agreement to carry freight, which was taken to the barge facility at Nanaimo. At that time, approximately 8,500 carloads of forest and paper products, minerals and chemicals were transported by rail on the island each year.
More changes occurred in 2001 when Norske company, which owned the paper mills in Port Alberni, discontinued the use of rail service, opting for truck freight instead. With the loss of this significant revenue stream Rail America announced its intention to cease operations and leave Vancouver Island. The railway on Vancouver Island had been operating in uncertain conditions for a number of years. Only a few freight customers remained and the trend that saw a general downturn of railways in North America was reflected in this part of the Trans Canada Railway System. Vancouver Island citizens and communities were strong proponents of keeping the railway running and improving maintenance. Many groups tried to influence those who were responsible, but the decline continued. Finally, when Rail America announced that they would no longer provide freight or passenger service, communities on the island rebelled. The people of Vancouver Island now own the E&N right-of-way, it is managed by non-profit Island Corridor Foundation and operator Southern Rail is under contract for the Victoria to Courtenay portion only. The Cowichan sub no longer exists and a section of the Port Alberni subdivision is used for a tourist operation; with the remaining portion out of service.
As of March 2011, passenger service has been discontinued on the island due to track and bridge conditions, however limited freight operations continued. In 2020 the provincial government released a study on the costs to re-establish freight and passenger service on the island. The citizens await a decision. The Alberni Pacific Railway was approved under the B.C. Railway Act on April 29, 1983, to be operated by the Western Vancouver Island Industrial Heritage Society. They have successfully operated the railway from Port Alberni Train Station since 1984 along the city’s waterfront tracks and then to the McLean Mill National Historical Site beginning 1999. The purpose of the society is to acquire and maintain a rail museum, to reflect all aspects of railway transportation on Vancouver Island of: E&N, CPR, CNR and industrial/logging railways; to acquire and maintain artifacts for the Alberni Valley museum, to operate an excursion train, record the history of the railways on Vancouver Island, publish and disseminate information and collaborate with other groups of similar interest.
Canadian Pacific Railway Port Alberni station built in 1911, from drawings by R.A Bainbridge. It evokes the sense of importance that was associated with rail travel in Port Alberni in the first half of the twentieth century. The 1950's additions to the train station are significant as reflections of the changing nature of transport and business in the community, as truck freight traffic took the place of rail. Because this building has played such an important role in the development of this community, the City of Port Alberni purchased the property and a group of volunteers, lead by the Western Vancouver Island Industrial Heritage Society, restored the station to its original appearance in 1990.
The Port Alberni Train Station is the only registered Port Alberni building designated as a heritage building and is valued as a key early entry and departure point in the city. It represents a connection with other Vancouver Island communities and is associated with travel by both rail and road between 1911 and 1970. The building continued to function in its original capacity after rail travel diminished and automobile traffic increased. Its current use for the tourist railroad reflects the historic value of rail travel within the community.
The water tower, which was not historically at this site. Members of the Industrial Heritage Society scavenged parts of two water towers that used to be on the logging railway from Nanaimo Lakes (there was a MacMillan-Bloedel rail logging operation there, as well as a Crown Zellerbach rail operation). It was the last steam rail logging operation on the South Island. Steam ended there in 1969 and diesel locomotives continued to work until the 1980's, when the logging railway shut down completely. At that time, our members picked up the pieces of the water towers and brought them to Port Alberni.
In 1990, volunteers restored the station to its two-storey original look and the water tower was erected around the same time, just to make more of a railroad display beside the station.
The actual water tower for the E&N Rail steam operations was in the railyard area but was moved a couple of times. Latterly, it was located on the shop lead, out to the main line.
The Station Board. Long-time volunteer David Hooper then arrived and we followed him to the railway's shops.
Canfor Beaver Cove 2-6-2 T 112, ex. Canadian Forest Products 122 1968, exx. Weyerhauser 6 1948, nee Snoqualmie Falls Lumber Company 1947, built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1923.
Indformation about Canfor Beaver Cove 112.
A water car acquired from the Ladysmith Railway Historical Society, where it was used as a sprinkler car on the Comox logging trains out of their Nanaimo Lakes operations during fire season. We used it on our steam train runs out to the McLean Mill National Historic Site during fire season.
MacMiillan-Bloedel 14 ton switcher 11, ex. Alberni Pacific 11, exx. United States Navy 65 1975, nee United States Army 7089 1942, built by General Electric in 1942.
The cab of MacMiillan Bloedel 11.
Alberni Pacific 2-8-2ST 7, ex. MacMillan-Bloedel 5 1973, exx. Comox Logging and Railway 18 1962, exxx. Alberni Pacific Lumber 1007 1959, exxxx. Alberni Pacific Lumber 7 1952, nee Campbell River Lumber 2 1941, built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1929.
The cab of Alberni Pacific 7.
Left photograph: Going down 6% to 9% grade have water line at gauge cock number one. Going up 6% to a 9% grade do not have water line below gauge cock number three. Right photograph: Baldwin class 1230 1/4 E112 Steam Test 220 pounds, water test 300 pounds, allowed pressure 200 pounds, safety valves set to 185 pounds.
The tool shop.
The boiler door of number 7.
Whistles and horns from number 7.
MacMillan-Bloedel 2 truck Shay 2, ex. Alberni Pacific Lumber 2 1954, nee Wiest Logging 1, built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1912. This was in a very difficult area to photograph.
Canadian Pacific RS3 8427, ex. Ladysmith Railway Historical Society 8427 1984, exx. Crown Forest Industries 8427 1968, nee Canadian Pacific 8427, built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1954.
Alberni Pacifc Railway track speeder.
Canadian National wooden caboose 77742, nee Canadian National l77732, built by Canadian Car Company in 1909.
David Hooper on the rear of the caboose.
Next we went inside Victoria Lumber and Manufacturing Company wooden crew car 1402 built by the company in 1898.
The lettering on the outside of this crew car.
The exterior.
The interior.
Stay seated until Crummie Stops. By order of V.L. Co.
Do not spit on the floor.
Alberni-Pacific four-wheel crew car 102, ex. Crown Forest Industries, exx. Crown Zellerbach, nee Comox Logging and Railway 104, built by Comox Logging and Railway.
Flue sheets.
A piece of a snowplow.
Speeder 138, ex. MacMillan-Bloedel 138, exx. MacMillan-Bloedel 410, nee Alberni Pacific Lumber 102, builder and year unknown.
Alberni Pacific coach 76529 "Richard H. Grandy", nee Canadian National caboose 76529:2, built by the railway in 1977.
Alberni-Pacific coach 76617 "K.D. "Doug" Wilson", nee Canadian National caboose 76617:2, built by the railway in 1979.
Alberni-Pacific coach 76666 "W.(Bill) McNichol", nee Canadian National caboose 76666:2, built by the railway in 1980.
Alberni-Pacific coach 76656 "Edward H. Sharpe", nee Canadian National caboose 76656:2, built by the railway in 1979.
Interior of Alberni Pacific coach 76666. The seats are from BC Transit buses that ran throughout Victoria.
Interior of Alberni-Pacific coach 76656 "Edward H. Sharpe".
Canadian Pacific log car 395584, nee Canadian Pacific 305584, built by National Steel Car in 1968.
Canadian National maintenance-of-way 619-17, builder and year unknown.
An crane of unknown origin and builder.
Canadian Pacific log car 395584, nee Canadian Pacific 305584, built by National Steel Car in 1968.
Canadian Pacific box car 404503, ex. Canadian Pacific work car, nee Canadian Pacific 24633, used as a storage car, built by National Steel Car in 1959.
Steam engine boiler covering.
BB McLean Lumber 1987 four wheel crew car 1 Buda gas mechinical, built by Westminster Iron Works in 1928.
Unknown speeder number 2. We then went inside the crew building.
For several years, the Alberni Pacific Railway partnered with the British Columbia Institute of Technology in conductor training and these are from those sessions.
We thanked David for spending an hour of his evening with us and he asked if we would like any souvenirs. When we responded in the affirmative, he offered to bring some to our hotel. So about half an hour later, he came by the hotel and we bought two T-shirts and two pins and he gave us some recent newsletters. We thanked David again for his kindness and returned to our room, very satisfied. We then called it a night.
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