The Association of Railway Museums started its annual conference today (Thursday) at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park operted by West Coast Railway Association (WCRA) located at Squamish, B.C. The opening remarks were the first formal activity within the new roundhouse/display hall/conference center under construction at the Heritage Park.

Actually activities at the Heritage Park started Wednesday evening with an entrance to the site using the museum's former BC Rail (PGE) RDC cars. Then an opening reception in the former PGE car shop building relocated to the museum site. Earlier in the day a variety of pre-conference tours were operated.

Today's sessions included:
Strategic Planning to Drive Museum Development
Your Railway Museum as a Learning Destination
Railway Museums as Sustainable Attractions
Naming Sponsorships
Expanding Recommended Practices
Your Archives and Railway Photography's Looming Crisis
[Electric Car] Parts Committee
Converting a former troop sleeper to an exhibit at the Ry Heritage Park
The opportunities for WCRA resulting from the acquisition of the former BC Rail locomotive shop adjacent to the museum.

I hear that approximately 110 are in attendance from the USA, Canada and Mexico.

I am curious how things are going in Fraser, BC. There seems to be much activity going on for the old BC Electric line there, having acquired BCE 1304 in April this year from the group in Brooks, OR.
http://www.insulators.info/pictures/?id=246810945

I did not take the electric pre-conference tour that visited the Fraser operation. But I believe all the former British Columbia Electric RR interurban cars have now returned to the Vancouver, B.C., area. Maybe someone else can provide infomration.

Friday sessions included:
Fundrasing
Keeping Mainline Steam Going
Passenger Car Restoration
After than two of the Museum's coaches were added to the Whistler Mountaineer train to Whistler. There the attendees had the opportunity to ride cable gondola operations and esplore both Whistler Mountain and Whistler Village.

Because of a possible work stoppage by CN engineers the proposed use of the Royal Hudson #2860 to take a train to Vancouver did not occur instead motor coaches were used. While in Vancouver the downtown display of CN 4-4-0 #374 operated by WCRA was visited and the 4-4-0 had one of its occasional pull-outs from the pavilion. Then there was a visit to the depot facility of Rocky Mountaineer, a conference sponsor. Then a trip on the "SkyTrain" was made followed by a trip across the Vacnouver Harbor on the "SeaBus."

Banquet this evening.
Annual General Meeting Sunday morning.

For pictures of the restoration of BC Electric 1225, see the Fraser Valley Railway Historical Society website. They have a link to a photo display website with a "slide show" of the project. The volunteers have made splendid progress with this car since bringing it back from "south of the border" (i.e. Perris, CA) about four years ago.