AVR VISIT TO THE MINI RAIL AND THE WEST COAST RAILWAY HERITAGE PARK IN SQUAMISH, B.C. #3001 WAS THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVE TO TRY OUT THEIR NEW UNLOADING DOLLY. VISIT DATE WAS MONDAY JULY 7TH, 2003. PICTURES TAKEN BY BILL TAYLOR OF WINNIPEG. CLICK ON SMALL PICTURE TO ENLARGE.
Squamish is the home of the Royal Hudson that once made regular trips from North Vancouver. The museum is planning to restore the locomotive to running condition.
AVR #3001 sits along side the Mini Rail's BC Rail diesel at Silver Fox station.
Silver Fox Station donated by Paul Roy and his wife is on the right. The back drops for this railway are grand.
The Mini Rail has an unusual feature at one end. Due to the large railway tracks taking up so much room there is no room for a loop back so a "Y" is used but is not long enough to change direction of a whole train so the passenger cars are dropped on the main while the locomotive and operator car are run through the "Y" and then back up and pick up the train. To ensure that only one train goes into the "Y" area a baton must be picked up prior to entering and no other train may enter without it. As a train leaves as is the case as Paul Roy heads out he drops the baton in the holder for the waiting train.
3001 must wait for another train load of museum guests.
Page new on Aug 17th, 2003 by Bill Taylor of Winnipeg.