Canadian Railroads > Goodbye to the Shuswap and Okanagan Railway

Yesterday me and my daughter spent the day taking photos of what is left in the Okanagan. Removal of the former CPR Okanagan sub has reached Enderby and should not take long to remove the final 22.6 miles to Sicamous.

The following is from "HISTORY OF THE RAILWAY’S OF THE OKANAGAN" by Kylie Mason

The Shuswap and Okanagan Railway

Originally proposed in 1883 by Mr. Moses Lumby, with support of Mr. R.P. Rithet of Enderby, the Shuswap and Okanagan Railway (S&O) was incorporated by an act of the Dominion Government June 2, 1886. It was not until April 07,1887 that the Provincial Government passed the S&O Railway subsidy act granting the S&O $4000 per mile not to exceed $200,000. The S&O was to be built within three years from Sicamous to a point on Okanagan Lake. When the S&O Railway subsidy act put into effect November 15, 1887 it was cancelled shortly after and the act was extended for five years the following year. May 1889 saw the S&O granted $3200 per mile from the Federal Government (for a maximum $1,63,000). Finally on May 02, 1890 the S&O was paid the subsidy for $4000 per mile from the provincial government to begin construction of 51.25 miles of track.

Surveying and clearing began at Sicamous in April 1890 with Enderby being headquarters for construction. On April 14, 1890 laying of rails began at Sicamous and grading was completed to what would become Armstrong on May, 12, 1890. June 1891 brought right of way clearing just outside of city Vernon. Although construction was still underway on the south end of the line trains began operating over north end of S&O in July 1891. Rails reached Enderby on July 2. On July 10, 1891 the S&O entered an agreement where after completion the railway would be leased to the CPR for 25 years. CPR had to operate and supply rolling stock for the S&O during this period. CPR would pay 40% of gross earnings to S&O shareholders. Excitement in Vernon grew when in August 1891 rails reached Armstrong, 15 miles of Vernon. Finally on September 12, 1891 at 4pm the rails of the S&O reached Vernon. The S&O was inspected for use on October 1, 1891. In 1892 CPR built a shipyard at Okanagan landing.

The S&O followed Mara Lake from Sicamous to Mile 9.5 on a level grade, skirting the west shore Mara Lake for most of this section. From mile 9.5 to Enderby the line ascended on a gradual river grade following the Shuswap River. The line was relatively level from Enderby to Armstrong, following Stepney and Fortune creeks. From Armstrong to Realm the line acended a 1% grade reaching its highest point at mile 39. From here the line followed the open valley to Vernon passing Swan Lake between mile 41 and mile 44. From Vernon to 51.0 CP Okanagan Subdivision the line ran along the open valley generally following Vernon Creek.

October 15, 1891 saw the first passenger train run from Sicamous to Vernon, although the official last spike of the S&O was not driven until May 12, 1892 at Okanagan Landing. The S&O began full rail operations from Sicamous to Okanagan Landing the following month. On August 4 S&O was leased to the CPR for 25 years. In May 1893 S&O officially opened for traffic by the Dominion Government of Canada. S&O acquired the land included in the Okanagan Subdivision right of way with two land grants from the Dominion of Canada on December 14, 1894, with the exception of a 0.52-mile long section of land between mile 18.99 and 19.51, which was held privately under homestead rights. On July 1, 1915 CPR began operating on a renewed lease, this time for a period of 999 years for the S&O.

CPR transferred the Okanagan Sub to Okanagan Valley Railway in 1998 and OVR stopped operating in 2009 after the 2008 shut down of the Lavington glass plant, located on the CN Lumby Sub.

Photos show stacks of 85 and 100 pound rail stacked at Mara B.C. mile 12.6 of the CPR Okanagan/OVR Kalamalka Sub.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/22 19:46 by eminence_grise.

At Grindrod (Mile 17.3) we found a set of home built carts for hauling rails to dump sites in Mara and at Grindrod. North of Enderby (Mile 23.0) we came across a Brandt truck with two tie gons and two centerbeam bulkhead flat cars for ties. Cando Contracting of Brandon Manitoba is doing the deed of lifting the rails and ties.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/14 16:23 by eminence_grise.

Prior to lifting the rails three of the four track bolts are removed. The hirail ATV carries gases for use in the torch utilized to cut track bolts. Piles of rail anchors can be found along the right of way.

End of the main line at least for the weekend at mile 22.5, ironically the tracks end right at the late BC Rail engineer Don Generous' home CP and Okan crewS used to stop here occasionally to have coffee with Don before heading back up the track to SIcamous. The third photo shows the right of way after removal of the track. All that is left behind is piles of ties.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/08/14 16:24 by eminence_grise.

Mile 22.85 shows the rails left in place at the Regent Street crossing in Enderby. At mile 27 we found two loaders that are being used to remove the ties and pile them beside the road bed, this is 0.2 miles from the former siding of Stepney. At the Highway 97A crossing at mile 28.66 evidence of pilfering is evident.

Steel has been left in from mile 30.75 to Armstrong, simply marked by a pile of gravel. CN has taken over maintenance and operation of the track from Armstrong (Mile 31.63) to Vernon (Mile 46.3) and mile markers and crossing data (Found on the back of cross bucks) have been changed to reflect CN ownership as the CN Okanagan Sub. We travelled to Kelowna on the CN Okanagan Sub to record the trackage down from Lumby Junction before CN removes it and found CP 450243 to be the last freight car in Kelowna, the reefer is owned by the Kelowna Historical Society and has sat neglected since 1994. The car used to be on a spur within packing houses but has been moved to the 2003 CN Kelowna yard.

While in Kelowna we had dinner at the Train Station Pub located in the former CNR 1927 Kelowna station, it was quite good and recommended besides the noise level inside during a Stanley Cup playoff game on TV.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/22 19:47 by eminence_grise.

Recall taking photographs of CN #4 a 44 tom GE switcher working
in Kelowna back in the mid 1960's and thinking, even then, how
much longer will this area continue to survive. Kelowna between then
and now has changed; a residential hotbed and retirement city.

Trains and their ilk are gone and rubber tires and said vehicles
now deliver and ship out product, often much more efficiently

Was this another case of 'use it or lose it' and they didn't ? Or simply that the needs of the area have unfortunately changed.

dcfbalcoS1 Wrote:
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> Was this another case of 'use it or lose it' and
> they didn't ? Or simply that the needs of the area
> have unfortunately changed.

Both CN and CP "de-marketed" shipping fruit by rail in the 1960's in the Okanagan valley by offering cheaper and more efficient refrigerator service by CP and CN trucks.

This station building was converted to a CN Transport office, with a truck loading dock grafted onto the north end.

Although shipping fruit by railway company trucks proved more efficient, the orchardists and packing houses found it even more efficient to use their own trucks and those of non rail trucking companies.

The Okanagan Valley also experienced a social change, from primarily farming and wood harvesting to residential development and wineries. The apple orchards were replaced by housing developments and service industries.

Later CP decided to give up the business of hauling woodchips, which CN took over but in the end, DCT , a Vernon based trucking company took over all the woodchip business carried on the railways of the Okanagan Valley.

The images show woodchip trucks outside the Tolko mill in Kelowna, traffic that until recently went by rail. Tolko Industries said they could live without rail service to their mill in Kelowna if CN continued to serve his other mills in the Okanagan Valley. This was the prime reason the Lumby Junction-Kelowna portion of the CN was OK'ed for abandonment.

The second image shows a railcar chip loader, and the third a truck chip loader at the Toklo Mill in Kelowna.

The packaged lumber produced at this mill is trucked to a "reload" centre elsewhere, and loaded onto railcars.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/22 19:47 by eminence_grise.

Thanks for the post ... very sad to see the demise of a once lucrative route, but also nice to see your documentation of things as they are ... much appreciated

Odyssey
Evergreen, CO

Any thoughts as to what will happen to the former Wine Train coaches still in Kelowna?

Posted from Android

CP9300 Wrote:
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> Any thoughts as to what will happen to the former
> Wine Train coaches still in Kelowna?
>
> Posted from Android

Good question. Someone is going to have to make them roadworthy very soon and get them off the portion of railway to be abandoned.
They have been picked over by other operators, and those that remain seem not to be wanted by anyone. The owner of the storage facility is going to want them of his property very soon, before the tracks are lifted.

The CP reefer is in very poor condition. It was saved in 1994 for a Kelowna museum that morphed into a wine shoppe. It has been offered to various other museums but is very rusted out where the brine has corroded the body.

The former Okanagan Valley Wine Train Coaches were towed out of Kelowna on Oct 11 & 12 by a Hi-rail truck and taken to Vernon for transportto Alberta. a new owner has taken posession of them.  The 11 coaches were for sale as a set on Sterling Rail for $800,000 for some time with no offers taken. Not sure what the final selling price was negotiated at.  See the article on my facebook page.  www.facebook.com/SavetheOkanaganRailwayCorridor
Mark



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/15 20:41 by Mark3583.