7 July 2008
Historic Rail Tour Makes Final Stop
Vancouver British Columbia - After traversing 1,200
kilometres across the province and visiting 34 communities, a historic steam train tour made its final stop in Vancouver on Sunday.
The CP Spirit of 150 Rail Tour, which included a vintage steam engine, was launched 12 Jun 2008 in the town of Sparwood to
help celebrate 150 years of heritage and diversity in British Columbia.
Families, tourists, and train aficionados were on hand at the Rocky Mountaineer station to inspect the Empress 2816 steam locomotive
and its two support cars, two vintage passenger coaches, a vintage business car, and a 1952 baggage car converted into a travelling
museum, said Mike LoVecchio, a spokesman for Canadian Pacific.
CP co-sponsored the tour, and operated, staffed, and maintained the train on its journey.
The old baggage car was transformed into a museum with new lighting, air conditioning, and an exhibit from the Royal B.C. Museum in
Victoria about B.C.'s history, LoVecchio said.
Costumed performers were on hand to tell stories about how B.C. evolved into the province it is today.
"We've had a tremendous number of... rail fans, who are retired employees of CP, and our sister railways," he said.
Rail travel has a long history in British Columbia. CP itself is 127 years old, LoVecchio said, and it first served the Port of
Vancouver in 1886.
"The extension of the CP main line to the [West] Coast was actually a condition of B.C'.s entry into confederation," he said.
"We're celebrating our province's aboriginal people, cultural diversity, community strength, innovation, and countless
achievements," said Bill Bennett, minister of tourism, culture and arts, in a press release. "The rail tour was an integral
part of those celebrations."
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