As I type this, I am listening to a CBC radio program during the last day of the Caribou Prospector (BC Rail) running from Vancouver to Prince George - RDC's. They are interviewing mayor's of small towns, citizens, anyone affected by the loss of the rail service, and what it has meant to them. To the credit of CBC radio One, they devoted two hours to this last day of service. A buddy of mine forwarded a picture of the Royal Hudson from the year 2000 when it was still running. Now it sits in a museum in Squamish BC waiting for money I think it may never see to refurbish it. And even if it is refurbished, the excursion train that BC Rail will never be. The passenger cars have and are being sold off. The Consolidation (3716) still sits in the BC Rail steam shop, who knows its fate. It had been just refurbished two years prior to its closure. It was built in 1912 at the Montreal Locomotive works, a subsidiary of Alco. Sad when folks without knowledge are the decision makers. Our transportation Minister said people could take the Grey Hound from Prince George to Lilloette, until some one pointed that there was no bus service between these two towns.
Well, Dane and I attended the arrival of the last run of the Caribou Prospector. Lots of tears, railfans as far away as New Mexico, the media, protestors (protesting its closure), old staff who showed up to say farewell. Dane and I were both a little teary. It arrived very late, not until 00:45 hours, when it was suppose to arrive at 22:00 hours. Protestors had slowed its progress down. When the RDC's showed up, there were papers with protest slogans all over the units. I don't think Gordon Campbell would win an election based on BC Rail employees. The really sad addendum to this whole affair is the awareness that public in general don't have a clue as to what has been lost. They don't know how unique BC Rail was in the railroading community throughout North America. It was the only RR to have regularly schedule steam runs on it. The Caribou Prospector ran through country that many feel was even more spectacular than the Rockies ride that Via takes. One of the protest slogans that touched me said - "Caribou Prospector, the poor man's Rocky Mountaineer!" People came from all over the world, but predominantly Americans, to ride the Prospector and the Steam Excursion. So if you calculate costing based on RR figures alone - money into the RR vs costing, then the passenger service didn't break even. But when you realize that the government owns BC Rail, then the economic picture widens. The tax dollars, economic stream that these same tourists provided to BC paid more than its revenue to BC Rail. And so dollars into the province more than made up for revenue short fall to BC Rail. And so another sad chapter added to the history of rail roading in North America!
Am not at all surprised to read his statement. Have been involved, and witnessed this far too often here in the US. Boxcab E50
