Welcome to the Central BC Railway & Forestry Industry Museum Society

The Central British Columbia Railway & Forestry Museum is pleased to announce its first publication, “Switching On: Creating the Electrified Sub-Division of British Columbia Railway” by BC Rail engineer Peter Bridge. This book tells the untold story of rail line electrification and the construction of the fleet of electric locomotives in the 1980s which made BC a world leader in freight railway technology.                                                                        

The booklet is aimed at the general public as well as engineering students and anyone of a technical frame of mind, particularly those who examine the BC Rail electric locomotive now preserved at the Railway and Forestry Museum in Prince George.

Roughly half the booklet explains how and why all the key players came together, the range of decisions that had to be made – many operational - and what they achieved on the Tumbler Ridge Branch Line. The second half is a Technical Appendix  which fills in more historical background as well as the bases for technical decisions that had to be made in designing a cost-effective electrification. Some photographs and selected technical references are included.

Taken as a whole, the booklet records an extraordinary feat of co-operative effort and its contribution to railway development. It also provides pointers for anyone starting to promote or design new heavy haul railway electrification. Collectors of railroad memorabilia will glean some new facts and photos.

"Switching On: Creating the Electrified Sub-Division of British Columbia Railway” is available through the Railway & Forestry Museum, the Exploration Place, the West Coast Railway Heritage Park and Books & Company.

For more information, please contact Julianna at (250) 563-7351 or curator@pgrfm.bc.ca