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Box Car
Willie lives at Railroad Park near Mount Shasta,
California
by
Jerry W. Bird
 Railroad
Park is a mini resort that features an acre or more
of antique railway cabooses, gathered from across
the USA and restored with tender loving care by a
family that cares about preserving past glories.
Returning somewhat exhausted from a "Railfair" pre
event meeting at the California Railroad Museum in
Sacramento, we were stranded at Dunsmuir (near
Mount Shasta) in the midst of a raging snowstorm.
As
serendipity would have it, that brief overnight
interlude became a treasured experience. The
scenery was awesome, especially next morning, when
the blizzard was gone, and sun rays lit the
towering peaks. If
you drive to Railfair, you'll go right by their
door.
Box
Car Willie,
who appeared in our last edition, courtesy of
Delberta Murphy, is our fond souvenir of Railroad
Park, one of the most unique places to stay in all
of America. Located at the town of Dunsmuir in the
shadow of Mount Shasta, California, it became our
"shelter from the stormy blast" -- landing there in
the eye of a blizzard, not knowing whether we'd be
stranded on the highway or stuck with no
accommodation.
Well,
it turned into one of the most enjoyable episodes
in my career, complete with home cooked dinner,
karaoke, camaraderie and the most snug night's
sleep ever. Talk about stress relief -- each
individual unit in Railroad Park, is an authentic
boxcar rescued from one of America's railways,
great and small. The interior finish is in knotty
pine, and as cozy as you would ever imagine.
Delberta and family proved to be gracious hosts---
and we yearn to return. (Editor) For booking
details contact Air Highways Travel Club
(604) 681-0718 , E-Mail:
airhwy@dowco.com
Stop at Railroad
Park, California
Well,
what do you know the latest Railfair in Sacramento,
Ca has come and gone. But there's still plenty of
reason to visit the California Railroad Museum in
the old town village.
Railroad
Park Resort
100
Railroad Park Road
Dunsmuir
CA 96025 USA
Phone:
+1-530-235-4440
Okanagan
Valley Wine Train has Grape
Expectations
Like a
cruise ship on rails! From Mothers Day ( May 9)
through to Halloween (Oct. 31), Fun Trains Canada's
new Okanagan Wine Train will offer visitors a
scenic trip through the heart of Wine Country, from
Kelowna to Vernon and return. Tour operators Pat
and Bob Nagel, who own the new line, will provide
on board tastings served by their winery partners
Calona, Summerhill, Sumac Ridge ad Gray Monk. The
company has acquired 22 cars from the old Super
Continental, which ran across Canada for two
decades ending in the 60s. The six-hour excursion
will include dinner and a stage show. More
information and prices to come.
A
touch of San Francisco?
Return
to the interurban and street cars. Comeback
includes Vancouver, Richmond and other BC Centres
restore famous street cars. Watch for the story.
Railway
Castles
In my book of
fondest memories, a Christmas - New Years fortnight
at the Banff Springs Hotel, and a week at Chateau
Lake Louise rank high. Here in the Canadian Rockies
this pair of European style castles reek of
elegance from the grand old days, when the world's
rich and famous arrived by train, making these
grand resorts
their private playground. Much of that magnificent
aura still remains, and both resorts are included
in our Rocky Mountain high.
Other railway landmarks, such as Quebec's Chateau
Frontenac, Ottawa's Chateau Laurier and Toronto's
Royal York are also on the agenda. As a focus of
our "Adventure Rails" is a Grand Tour by Rail.
Originating from Vancouver and Seattle, it will
include Amtrak, Rocky Mountaineer, Vancouver
Island's Esquimalt-Nanaimo route, BC Rail's Cariboo
Express, Via
Rail from Prince Rupert to Jasper and Edmonton,
Alberta Prairie Steam Train, Ontario Northern's
Polar Bear Express. After visiting Niagara Falls,
we'll travel Via Rail's corridor route, from
Toronto's Union Station to Montreal, Quebec City
and the heart of French Canada.
See Canada's
Castles- Railway
Hotels
Greater
Vancouver, BC: For a great view of four cities,
get elevated with
SkyTrain
Remember
the grand department stores of yesteryear, where a
petite, uniformed elevator operator sang out the
stops as you rose at a stomach- churning rate?
"Third floor - lingerie - perfumes - toiletries
..."
Now imagine a shopping area with 19 stops, offering
a world of choice; snacking or fine dining,
sightseeing or business, sports events, education
or worship, photo opportunities or people
-watching, movies, live theater and shopping for
everything, from a cardigan to a Corvette. One of
our features on the return of Interurban Trains as
a 'pollution solution' in our cities.
Continued
Vancouver
is Riding a Railway
Renaissance
Vancouver,
Canada's "Cosmopolis" of the Pacific is blessed
with great connections. Home port for Alaska-bound
cruise ships, gateway to four continents by air,
and the top-of-the-world by highway, Vancouver is
again a hub of passenger rail activity. With
British Columbia's tourism industry topping 5.5
million, this rail travel revival provides a
double-whammy for enterprising tour operators. The
Canadian National Railway station, a landmark on
Main Street near Chinatown, holds many memories.
From this grand dowager of terminals, I took leave
for Montreal to begin a new life in the Royal
Canadian Air Force. Earlier as a 10-year old bound
for Saskatchewan, I boarded the train -- suitcase
under one arm, goldfish bowl cradled in the other.
Minutes later, the train lurched suddenly, spilling
the bowl's entire contents into the aisle. By some
miracle my finny friends survived. Today's
terminal, renamed Pacific Central Station, is an
inter-modal facility, serving The Rocky
Mountaineer, Via Rail's Blue & Gold service to
the Atlantic Coast, and major motor coach lines. An
eagerly awaited Amtrak link to Seattle will open
new avenues for rail-cruisers. Outside the
terminal, you can board an elevated SkyTrain to
historic New Westminster, and Surrey.
The
old White Pass & Yukon Railway; it's
cavernous dining hall at Lake
Bennett served
some 350 rail passengers at a single sitting,
according to my mother, who worked there during her
summer holidays. The food was served in heaping
bowls on long camp tables, resembling a legendary
Viking feast, as the ravenous horde of passengers
swarmed the wooden landing, with my 6-year old self
taking the lead.
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