BC Rail ex CPR 2860 Royal Hudson and ex CPR 3716 Consolidation are both out of service un-serviceable due to need for major firebox and boiler work.

It has just been announced by Mark Mudie Pres. & CEO of BCRail that the promised $4million for both overhauls will NOT be forthcoming from the newly elected BC government.

This near-sighted move will affect tourism in BC as many come to British Columbia and Canada just to ride the famed Royal Hudson.

This is not the first time the tourism dept. had to revisit the matter of doing repairs to the steam engines.

If a diesel tourism train is to be kept operating there will be major expense to overhaul or replace exisiting equipment. Same is true of the standard passenger service as the RDC's are near the end of their life cycle as well.

Even if diesel is used for tour train there is a cost to maintaining and overhauling a diesel. Any piece of machinery wears out.

Unless there is a compelled change, one can only hope that perhaps the CPR will rescue its old assets. Their interest in heritage is evident by the complete rebuilding of 2816.


http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains
oldtimetrains@rrmail.com

> BC Rail ex CPR 2860 Royal Hudson and ex CPR
> 3716 Consolidation are both out of service
> un-serviceable due to need for major firebox
> and boiler work.

> It has just been announced by Mark Mudie
> Pres. & CEO of BCRail that the promised
> $4million for both overhauls will NOT be
> forthcoming from the newly elected BC
> government.

> This near-sighted move will affect tourism
> in BC as many come to British Columbia and
> Canada just to ride the famed Royal Hudson.

Whoa... deja vue all over again. I'm suddenly flashing on a recent thread concerning the EBT...

I have an acquaintance in Surrey BC that occaisonally drops me a note on activities in BC. I'm not even trying to speak with authority here, but this is what I understand about the situation.

The two locomotives in question are owned by the province of British Columbia, not BC Rail. BC Rail owns the train sets and tracks as well as operates the trains.

As it has been conveyed to me, that the economic performance of BC has lagged all the other provinces. This has been of deep concern to the residents of BC. That is why they threw the previous administration out, pretty much lock stock and barrel.

BC is also saddled with several brand new (and very expensive) super ferries which I understand are un-usable.

A provincial government, with a declining budget, sagging infrastructure and tax base, needs to cut costs somewhere. The trains still run using BC Rail diesels. That reduces the immediate need to repair the two steam locomotives. It also elminates (until they are returned to service) their maintenance budgets.

As any rail museum or tourist RR can tell you... you're lucky when you can get railfans to pay their way, let alone help out with the real expenses.

I suspect the government of BC is fully aware that the majority of the patrons of the trains are visitors who are there to enjoy the spectacular ride along Howe Sound to Squamish. They are unlikely to change their plans, if they even care, if the train is pulled by a diesel instead of a steam locomotive.

The residents of BC that I am acquainted with are proud of their heritage. I'm sure that when other political and economic priorities have been addressed, the locomotives will be restored to service.


Washington Steam Railroads and Locomotives
brianfr@speakeasy.org

> BC is also saddled with several brand new
> (and very expensive) super ferries which I
> understand are un-usable.

What's wrong with the ferries?

Railway Preservation News
hkading@rypn.org

You are wrong in this supposition. A great many tourists come to BC to ride behind the Royal Hudson. It has been promoted as such for over 20 years, not just a train ride. When word got out about no steam people demanded refunds... then word spread to the UK and people CANCELLED vacations to Canada! They WANT the Royal Hudson.
This train attracts large numbers of tourists to spend their money in BC. Tourism Dept. knows this and this is why they stepped in the last time and put up $800,000 (?) to repair 2860.

The same thinking is used by govt. types who believe people will ride buses instead of trains. WRONG, they simply won;t travel.

>
> I suspect the government of BC is fully
> aware that the majority of the patrons of
> the trains are visitors who are there to
> enjoy the spectacular ride along Howe Sound
> to Squamish. They are unlikely to change
> their plans, if they even care, if the train
> is pulled by a diesel instead of a steam
> locomotive.

> The residents of BC that I am acquainted
> with are proud of their heritage. I'm sure
> that when other political and economic
> priorities have been addressed, the
> locomotives will be restored to service.


http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains
oldtimetrains@rrmail.com

> What's wrong with the ferries?

Besides being involved in railroads I follow a number of current and historical marine items.

As I understand it there are a number of problems: The new ferries are high-speed catamarans that cost million$ over the original estimated costs. The construction took longer than expected. The ferries were designed for high-speed service, but they cannot utilize the speed for part of the trip because of the shoreline erosion caused by the large wake. All of this taken by the citizens as signs of governmental misplaced planning and money.

bnorden@gateway.net

For what it's worth, don't forget that BC Rail is owned by the BC Provincial Government. Saying that the locomotives are owned by the province but the cars and track are owned by the railroad is just splitting hairs.

I wonder if they will privatize BC Rail?

Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society
tstuy@eldcps.org