[BCMA] For Immediate Release - Port Moody and 1886 trainarrival event

Tue Jun 7 15:26:26 PDT 2011

Hi Colin

Thanks for the good wishes

Just to clarify for others incase they get confused with your reference to the first train to Vancouver and engine 374:

There were 3 'first trains' to the West Coast

1-      November 8, 1885, the day after the Last Spike was driven in Craigellachie, a work train from the east arrived in Port Moody without much fanfare.  A Canada Monuments plaque in Port Moody marks this event. 

2-      July 4, 1886,  The  'First Scheduled Passenger Train' pulled by engine 371, arrived in Port Moody, some reports say on time, others one minute late.  (yes, it may have been the only train ever on time)

3-      May 23, 1887 First Train to Vancouver, A branch line had been constructed from Port Moody to Coal Harbour; Engine 374 pulled that train.

Other facts of interest:

Engine 371 was rebuilt in 1912 and written off the books in 1914 without any indication of what happened to it.

In 1936, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the First Scheduled Passenger train, (Port Moody) Engine 374 which was still in active service, was renumbered to 371 to do a re-enactment. (We have photos)

Engine 374 was restored from Kits Beach for Expo 86 which was the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the First Scheduled Passenger Train and the 99th of the First Train to Vancouver.

First train to the Pacific Ocean in Canada - all depends on whether one considers Coal Harbour more on the Pacific Ocean than Port Moody.

The Terminus Station was built in Port Moody in 1882 and the railway was built heading east from there to meet the section headed west at Craigellachie on Nov 7, 1885.  There were also 3 Last Spikes. 

The 1882 Terminus Station was torn down in 1962.

The Port Moody Station Museum is the 2nd  Port Moody CPR station, completed in 1908. 

Regards

Jim Millar

Manager

Port Moody Station Museum

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv. 
  To: bcma at lists.vvv.com ; undisclosed-recipients 
  Sent: Monday, June 06, 2011 3:35 PM
  Subject: Re: [BCMA] For Immediate Release - Port Moody and 1886 trainarrival event

  Best wishes on the event.

  I do find it hard to believe that the train was on time. Yesterday my Archivist, Barry Dykes, showed me a telegram from Sir John A. MacDonald in 1886 saying he could not be sure what time he would arrive. He came West on a later train in 1886 and visited New Westminster (and other places as well I expect). 

  For those who do not know, the last surviving passengers on the first train which went onto Port Moody's later terminal (aka Vancouver ;-) were the children of Jesse and Martha Love as the whole family was on the train. As a result, these "children" as old-timers were often interviewed by the press. We moved the c.1893 Jesse Love Farm house from Cumberland Street in Burnaby to the Burnaby Village Museum while I was Curator there. Also, Engine 374 which pulled that train is preserved in Vancouver at the Eastern end of Davie Street, adjacent to the old roundhouse - having been rescued for a slow death at Kitsilano Beach.  

  Colin MacGregor Stevens,

  Manager,

  New Westminster Museum and Archives,

  302 Royal Avenue,

  New Westminster, BC,

  V3L 1H7, Canada

  Phone Office:    604-527-4639

  Work Cellular :  604-830-6965

  Fax:                    604-527-4641

  E-mail: cstevens at newwestcity.ca 

  Web Site: www.newwestminster.ca 

  Normal work week: Sun-Thurs 9-5, OFF Fri-Sat.

  The New Westminster Museum and Archives (NWMA) consists of:

     * City's Museum (est. 1950)

     * City's Archives

     * Irving House (built 1865)

     * Maintenance of the Samson V Maritime Museum (paddlewheel ship built 1937; museum since 1984) 

  From: Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv. [mailto:bcma at lists.vvv.com] 
  Sent: Friday, June 03, 2011 6:03 PM
  To: undisclosed-recipients
  Subject: [BCMA] For Immediate Release

  Summary of Press Release

  Who: Port Moody Station Museum (604) 939-1648

  What: Museum celebrates the 125th anniversary of CPR train  

  When: Beginning July 1, 2011 

  Where: 2734 Murray Street, Port Moody 

  Contact: Rebecca Clarke

  Museum Coordinator

  Port Moody Station Museum

  Tel: (604) 939-1648

  www.portmoodymuseum.org

  Email: rebecca at portmoodymuseum.com

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

  Port Moody Station Museum Celebrates the 125th Anniversary of the 1st Trans-Canada Passenger Train

  Port Moody, BC, June 3, 2011 - This year marks a significant day in Port Moody and BC history. On July 4th, 1886, with much celebration, the first train carrying passengers from Montreal pulled into Port Moody station.  

  Jim Millar, Manager of the Port Moody Station Museum recounts some of the history of the event, "It was amazing that the train arrived only 1 minute late after a 139 hour journey. It was the longest scheduled passenger train ride in the world at that time.  People from around the province came to witness the historic event which marked the fulfillment of Prime Minister Macdonald's promise to unite BC with eastern Canada." 

  To celebrate this occasion there are a variety of things planned at the Port Moody Station Museum.  The Greater Vancouver Garden Railway Club will display their G Scale model trains and Artist J Peachy will be doing live painting on July 1st. On July 2nd and 3rd, the Vancouver Lego Club will set up a Lego train display. Costumed heritage actors will be roving the site all three days to delight visitors with stories from 1886. Other activities include the popular Golden Spike Scavenger Hunt, a dress up photo station and railway crafts.  

  The event is also a celebration of the funding received from Heritage Canada to build a cover for the 1921 rail car displayed in the Museum's parking lot.  According to Millar, "We've been thinking about erecting this cover for a number of years and we finally have the opportunity to do so. This will allow the rail car to remain a part of the community for years to come." 

  For the real train lovers, the Museum is putting together a CPR display beginning July 1st until the end of October. Museum Coordinator, Rebecca Clarke is excited to see the best of the Museum's CPR collection on display. According to Clarke, "We're thrilled to bring out our velocipede as well as some of the great passenger services items like china and uniforms. In particular we have a large collection of rail communication items including telegraphs, bells and whistles."  If you love CPR history, this is the display for you. Visit the Museum website portmoodymuseum.org for more details.

  -- 
  Rebecca Clarke, Museum Coordinator

  Port Moody Station Museum

  2734 Murray St.

  Port Moody, BC V3H 1X2

  604-939-1648

  www.portmoodymuseum.org

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