Whistle Posts West

Everybody has a train story. Whether it comes from a distant relative who worked on the railways or from a family train trip that formed a lasting impression of the Canadian landscape, trains inspire a sense of wonder and nostalgia. They are embedded in the history of Canada as a whole and western Canada in particular, and for generations they were how most people travelled and saw the country. Today, trains get the most attention in the context of tragedy, in the aftermath of rare but catastrophic derailments. However, train stories go beyond these modern-day disaster tales or romantic glimpses into the past. Whistle Posts West presents a compelling array of stories that illustrate how and why the railways continue to capture our imaginations. From the heartbreaking to the humorous, from the awe-inspiring to the absurd, this fascinating collection of railway tales from BC and Alberta is sure to please.

Table of contents
Whistle Posts West	1
Authors’ Note	10
Contents	11
Foreword	13
Introduction	15
Time Tunnel	20
Whistle Post One: Routes and Rails	27
Pathways to the West	28
From China to the Rails of Gold Mountain	33
The Craigellachie Kid and the Four “Last Spikes”	37
Promises, Promises	44
As Smooth as Silk	50
Poetry in Locomotion	54
Whistle Post Two: Desperation and Disasters	65
“This is a Holdup. Give Us Your Coal!”	66
Terrorism on the Tracks	72
Caboose on the Loose	82
Eighteen Seconds to Hell	88
Bridges and Barges Don’t Mix Well	95
Whistle Post Three: Working on the Railroad	101
Building the Kettle Valley Railroad	102
Whistling Up a Warning	111
Leaving Town	117
A Day Out ofthe Ordinary	129
Which Piece Goes Where?	137
Whistle Post Four: Trackside Bedtime Stories	147
Billy Miner’s Missing Loot	148
Sunken Engine Creek	157
A Royal Locomotive Rides the Rails	161
The Train With No Name	167
Women at Work—and Play—on the Railroad	179
Whistle Post Five: Riding the Rails into the Future	189
The Mountaineer	190
Interurbanation	196
Afterword	203
Western Canada Rail Experiences	205
Sources	207
Acknowledgements	211
Index	213
About the Authors	222

About Mary Trainer

Mary Trainer, Brian Antonson, and Rick Antonson founded Nunaga Publishing in 1972, and together they published more than twenty-five books, including In Search of a Legend: Slumach’s Gold, which was re-released by Heritage House in 2007. Mary Trainer has been writing about British Columbia for four decades and was a communications coordinator with Metro Vancouver for twenty years. Brian Antonson is associate dean of Broadcast and Media Communications at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. In the 1980s, Rick Antonson became vice president of the Great Canadian Railtour Company Ltd., which led to his role as president and CEO of Tourism Vancouver, a post he held until 2013.

About Brian Antonson

Brian Antonson was born and raised in British Columbia. He is associate dean of Broadcast and Media Communications at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. In his early 20s, Brian collaborated with Rick Antonson and Mary Trainer to write and publish In Search of a Legend: Slumach's Gold in 1972. The incentive to create the book actually originated two years earlier as a way to celebrate the centennial of B.C.'s entry into Confederation in 1971. Inspired by the afterglow of Canada's centennial and Expo 67, the trio was part of a new generation that was passionate about being Canadian—and about all things Canadian. The trio created a publishing house, Nunaga (the Inuit word for "my land, my country") Publishing, and between 1972 and 1979 they published more than 25 books under this imprint and Antonson Publishing.

About Rick Antonson

Born in Vancouver in 1949, Rick Antonson attended Simon Fraser University and started Antonson Publishing and Nunaga Publishing in the early 1970s. In the mid-1980s Rick worked as vice-president and general manager of Douglas & McIntyre, also serving as president of the Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia. He left publishing to become vice president of the Great Canadian Railtour Company Ltd., operating a train service between Vancouver and the Canadian Rockies. This led to his role as president and CEO of Tourism Vancouver. Rick has also served as chairman of the Oceans Blue Foundation, a group that works to encourage a more environmentally responsible approach to tourism in the Pacific Northwest. Rick was on the Board of Directors for Vancouver/Whistler 2010 Olympic Winter Games Bid Corporation and has served as co-chairman for the BC Special Olympics.

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