Riding the rails in ’69
There is something nostalgic about riding the rails.
The sound of the train running along the tracks, the swaying of the car and the worry-free ride through breath-taking scenery combine for a unique experience.
There was a time when rail travel was common in BC, sort of like a land-based cruise, and Vernon videographer and historian Francois Arseneault has footage of such a voyage from the late 1960s.
Filmed in 1969, the clip of CP Rail’s famous Vancouver to Calgary “Canadian” run shows the memorable domed passenger cars, the Stoney Creek Bridge in Rogers Pass, views of churning rivers and cloud-shrouded mountains.
“How many of us admired the engineering marvel of the 295-foot-tall Stoney Creek Bridge in Rogers Pass or the spiral tunnels at Kicking Horse Pass, the brief stop at Banff, the waterfalls, glaciers and towering mountains all viewed from the comfort of your seat,” said Arseneault.
The train served delicious meals on fine china with silverware on fresh linen tablecloths in the diner cars.
Passengers could fall asleep to the train’s gentle swaying in the sleeper cars.
Today the only such trip is the Rocky Mountaineer Rainforest to Gold Rush trip from Vancouver to Jasper.
Arseneault is always looking for more information on the vintage footage he digs up, and he encourages people to add their input in the comments section on his YouTube page.
Arseneault has an extensive collection of vintage footage, and he is looking for more.
Anyone who may have old 16 mm or 8 mm film footage of the Vernon and Okanagan area is invited to email Arseneault at [email protected].