BCR 1971 Public Timetable (Pacific Great Eastern)

Including a detailed system map, this attractive and informative little document is well-designed and fits a lot of information into its 8 x 9.5 inch sheets. 

The last image shows both sides of a fare supplement sheet included with the timetable.

Two previous posts on the BCR/PGE are linked below:

PGE 1958 Official Guide ... and Other Items

BCR 1984: 2860 from North Vancouver to Squamish

CPR 1972 in the Official Guide. Includes from Algoma Central to White Pass & Yukon

In this post, many of the railways are illustrated with published photos from this era, or earlier. 

... Some of the large format 'trains of Canada' books which sold in bookstores (such as Coles or WH Smith) for $10-20 in the 1980s offer interesting views of some of the more obscure railways. 

... Known in our household as 'Books by the Pound' these 10 x 12 inch books were about an inch or more thick and often contained public relations department photos which must have been incredibly cheap to use. Photos were often enlarged to span the gutter ... to help pad the book up to the necessary one inch thickness. 

... Often they were printed in Hong Kong or other exotic locations. A little bit of text written by a generalist who knew something about railways was added. Thus you had an affordable book which was suitable as a gift to 'someone who likes trains'. Laypersons understandably believed that train books were train books. 

Not included: Single-railway books (which included rosters or timetables) and which were written by authors who had researched the history of a particular railway in depth would rise above this broad class. Mika, Railfare and Boston Mills-type books would definitely not be defined as 'Books by the Pound'.

To be unusually reasonable with this post, I stopped before illustrating ALL of the Canadian railways listed in the Official Guide pages. I did think that the inclusion of photos might make this post less dry. Hopefully some of the photos will make some readers curious about railway companies (and there are many) which they never saw in operation.

As an example of extinct operations, the Canadian Pacific entry lists many railway and transportation subsidiaries, and facilities, which have since been spun off or shut down. As in the case with the previous CNR 1972 Official Guide post, CPR lists their 10 hotels (and 2 'motor hotels'). 

from: Encyclopedia of North American Railroads; Aaron E Klein; 1985; Bison.

The Canadian at Morant's Curve, undated, but probably late-1950s.

Notice the three stop-gap coaches with clerestories.

from: Great Trains of the World; PB Whitehouse; 1975; Hamlyn.

Dominion Atlantic Railway at Kentville, Nova Scotia, September 1972.

from: Canadian Pacific Railway; Patrick C Dorin; 1974; Superior Publishing.

Undated photo of Esquimalt & Nanaimo Train 1 at Nanaimo.

from: Ribbons of Steel; Ena Schneider; 1989; Detselig Enterprises.

Undated view of Northern Alberta Railways Train 76 near Venice on the Lac la Biche Sub.

In the early days, I believe the NAR was essential in the delivery of the dimensional loads needed to begin bitumen sands mining and upgrading. I think three of those loads are visible in this consist. 

If you sometimes enjoy virtual visits to locations via Google maps, you will find that the Venice Heritage Park has a really interesting school photo from Halloween 1932. Their Heritage Park website (accessible from the map side panel) outlines the development of Venice and neighbouring Hylo.

Going along the tracks to Lac la Biche, you'll find their museum has a 1:48 model of the two-stack Empress of France on display.

from: Algoma Central Railway; OS Nock; 1975; A&C Black.

Undated view of the Algoma Central yard at Sault Ste Marie, with the steel mill in the background.

British professional engineer OS Nock (1905-1994) created quite a number of high-quality books on railway subjects.

He seemed to have a special interest in the railways of Canada.

from: Great Trains of the World; PB Whitehouse; 1975; Hamlyn.

Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo eastbound freight at Niagara Falls, September 1972.

(This photo has an 'odd presentation' in the book.)

[Page 431 displays US railroads.]

from: The Ontario Northland Railway; Patrick C Dorin; 1987; Superior.

Ontario Northland work extra departing south from Temagami, June 1980.

from: Illustrated Treasury of MLW-Alco to Bombardier Locomotives; James W Kerr; 1983; DPA-LTA.

Builder's photo, 1950, RS2.

from: 150 Years of Canadian Railroads; Bernard Fitzsimons; 1984; Royce.

Undated photo of Cartier Railway unit ore train for Port Cartier.

from: Railways of Canada; OS Nock; 1973; A&C Black.

PGE freight descending 2% grade in Fraser River canyon between Kelly Lake and Lillooet, undated.

[Mexican railways and various US shortlines occupy the intervening pages.]

from: Trains; November 1964; Kalmbach.

Undated photo at Skagway, Alaska.

PGE 1958 Official Guide ... and Other Items

Here are a few photos and original references to show the PGE/BCR in the late 1950s and 1960s. 

At the end of this piece are a few photos taken from the moving 2860 excursion train which we took to Squamish in 1984.

*  *  *

The new Crown Colony of British Columbia was proclaimed at Fort Langley on November 19, 1858. 

... So in 1958 the province published a lavish 'history' book in colour announcing "A Century to Celebrate". This hi-lited aspects of the province's economic and cultural history - and featured one-page articles about the companies active in BC at that point. Cultural events for the year were listed and 'history caravans' - transport trucks with history displays inside - toured the province as part of the celebrations. 

An election was subsequently held in September 1960 which maintained WAC Bennett (Social Credit Party) as Premier with a five-seat majority - receiving 39% of the popular vote. In 1956, he had received a twelve-seat majority with 46% of the popular vote. 

It was a good thing they celebrated in 1958 or Bennett might have lost to the NDP.

from: British Columbia Official Centennial Record, 1858-1958; Evergreen Press; 1958.

The sponsoring advertisement, above, was the only 'celebration' of the government-owned Pacific Great Eastern in the 1958 book.

For those with an interest in the history of Canadian National Railways - back when the CNR promoted its heritage - you might be interested in the 1958 tour made by its Museum Train. This rolling stock was stored at Montreal in the early 1960s.

from: British Columbia Official Centennial Record, 1858-1958; Evergreen Press; 1958.

*  *  *

The followed extracts from the Official Guide and its Canadian cousin show some of the development of the PGE/BCR.

1958

from: Official Guide of the Railways; November 1958; National Railway Publication Co. Collection of LC Gagnon.

1969

from: Official Guide of the Railways; June 1969; National Railway Publication Co.

1972

from: Canadian Guide; October 1972; International Railway Publishing Co.

*  *  *

The handy map below helps to illustrate the benefits of finally finishing the PGE/BCR. It facilitated the development of the mineral and forest resources of the interior. 

As indicated, the following images appeared in a book written by Oswald Stevens Nock, the prolific British railway author.

from: Railways of Canada; OS Nock; 1973; A & C Black Ltd, London.

from: Railways of Canada; OS Nock; 1973; A & C Black Ltd, London.

701 is an M-630, built in 1969.

from: Railways of Canada; OS Nock; 1973; A & C Black Ltd, London.

In contrast to the North Vancouver to Squamish segment, much of the PGE/BCR line is in the dry rain shadow of the mountains of the coast.

*  *  *

The following film (for as long as the link works) illustrates some of the rustic charm of the old PGE.

Rails to Romance - a film from about 1946 about the PGE made by the BC government

*  *  *

Photos taken from the 2860 excursion train in 1984 ...

I believe the first photos were all taken at North Vancouver.

An ex-Lehigh and Hudson River C-420 (built 1966) and its ex- RS-3 slug (rebuilt 1983).

585, 582: RS-10s units built 1956.

The tailend of the train from the photo above.
Notice the carman's flag at the right margin.
The tire is a mystery, but it would slow you down if there was a slack runout.

1003, 1002: S-13 built 1959.

*  *  *

I believe the last two photos were taken at Squamish.