We are a regional chapter (BC) of the National Railway Historical Society established in 1935.
Our mission is to establish and operate a railroad museum that houses the restored carriages representing the peak of rail travel of the 1940's to 60's and to operate excursions using suitable selections from these rail carriages.
The museum would also serve as: a working railway restoration site; host rail related demonstrations; provide for 'Dining Amongst the Big Iron' and inside our dining cars; provide for meetings in our boardroom car and the building's conference room; have a model train layout; and be a site for movie shoots.
The NRHS has its own website for further information on that organization - www.nrhs.com and accepts email at nrhsbc.info@gmail.com
We currently have a business plan to construct and operate this museum on a rail spur in Port Coquitlam, just east of the City of New Westminster BC. Unfortunately, we cannot convince either the railroad spur owners nor the municipality in which it is located that our museum is worth the involvement of donating/acquiring the land grant.
We continue to propose events at which a selection of our carriages (a consist in railroad terminology) would provide a thrill to the general public, for not only viewing the exquisitely restored interiors, but also to enjoy a ride in them. You may event want to hold a wedding or a business meeting in our fine carriages.
Most recently, the City of New Westminster has a property development alongside the BNSF RR called the Sapperton-Green project. There may be an opportunity to place us along the edge facing the BNSF and towards a green-space. Such a placement adds towards community pride, heritage and tourism.
Saturday April 19 2014, another milestone in the improvements to the 1957 built GM passenger engine number 6300.
Train rides, on-board entertainment, dining (stationary or travelling), movie making and special events are a few of the possibilities of our railway equipment. However, there is no magic to keeping these wonderful carriages; it takes public action!
You, the public, must want them to be easily accessible and best if close to your community. In that placement you could easily enjoy them all year around. (just as that family in the photo above is at our 'Christmas Magic Show on the Train')
You have to let your Council and MLA know of this desire to preserve our RR heritage, else the equipment can go into remote storage due to no home to exhibit it nor restore it. The time to act is now. That means you need to phone, email or write your political representatives expressing your support of railway heritage in your community.
Contact us if you have any ideas or leads (use the Contact Us section of this website). Thanks for taking an interest in trying to preserve the joy and smiles that our equipment can bring to all generations. Don't let our pleasurable railroading past disappear into books or videos on the web.