After a good lunch at Java Hut, we 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 BC Society of Model Engineers, who gave us a brief background on this "7 1/2"inch gauge railway here. They have been in operation 32 years at this location in Confederation Park. Joe would first show us around then give us a ride over their entire railroad.
The Car Barn.
The map of the Burnaby Central Railway.
The turntable.
The Rainbow Creek Station.
The steam up tracks.
Part of the Burnaby Central and privately owned engines.
The connection to the transfer table.
The only logging engine on the Burnaby Central is this Climax Locomotive.
This engine kids mistakenly believe is Thomas the Tank Engine.
This loco is 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.
Joel prepares the Canadian Pacific F40PH for our trip in the Car Barn.
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 in the Car Barn.
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 wouldn't 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 on the trip.
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 during the trip.
The train crossed the Rogers Bridge.
Another curve along with the wild flowers.
Our train passed another one of the junctions on this railroad.
The train came to the Twin Bridges.
The Rainbow Creek Station came into view.
The train ran behind the Rainbow Creek Station.
The display tracks behind the Rainbow Creek Station.
The train entered the Wisteria Tunnel.
The train ran by the Willingdon Hill.
Another curve on this unique railroad.
Our train went under the two bridges.
The train went by the Windmill and Short Tunnel.
The train ran by Car Barn Hill.
The train took this curve to reach Long Tunnel.
Long Tunnel.
Our train running along the back of their property.
Mt. Allen.
Back through this junction.
The train ran in front of the station.
The train took one of the many curves on this railroad.
Looking down at the other tracks.
Short BCIT Bridge.
Another curve to the left.
Mt. Fenton.
The train runs along the west side of their property.
Next we ran by the Wisteria Tunnel.
The train behind the Rainbow Creek Station.
Crossing gates protect the service road into the grounds.
We ran over the west bridge of the Twin Bridges.
The train ran through this junction again.
The Victoria Loop.
The train ran along the east side of the property.
Long Tunnel.
The train came back by Car Barn Hill again.
Joe presses the button to choose our route again.
The train crossed the Spiral Viaduct.
The train curved to the left.
Next we crossed the Long BCIT Bridge.
We came back to the west bridge of the Twin Bridges.
The train went under this bridge.
Joe pressed this to line us back to the station.
The train went into the Short Tunnel. The train then took us to the Rainbow Creek Station and we ended 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. Joe then took us on a tour of the steam shop.
A New York Central Hudson 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 was the second steam engine of the Burnaby Central Railway. The Henry Greenley designed northern, which the BCSME acquired in the 1970s, and re-built and modified to resemble a CNR northern.
There is one trolley here.
Here is a passenger car. 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 their railway today.
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