Upcoming events: Sundays, 12:30 to 2:30 pm
May 18: our Food Bank Day, all rides by donation, all proceeds to the PR Food Bank
June 15: Fathers’ Day …. you guessed it – Dads ride free!!
Railroad Work Parties 2025

We plan to meet occasionally, through the spring/summer, either Tuesday evenings at 6:30 pm for the metal-work projects at Dan’s, or outdoors at the park on suitable weather days.
See recent work party details here
Continue reading “Railroad Work Parties 2025”Mini-shed for the wheelchair car

The wheelchair car is a nuisance in the shed. It is hard to walk past, and leaves no floor space for working at the workbench. We had considered storing the wheelchair car outside on a track with a fold-back cover over it, but now more of us like it in a mini-shed.
forestry museum opening
Paving stones for the station

We completed one of our four Infrastructure projects on April 9, 2025. We had begun last September, did more in January, and more in March
Eventually when the ties rot, we’ll do the whole thing as a poured surface, but this will do us fine for now.
Continue reading “Paving stones for the station”Gutters for the Station

The gutters were installed on March 18 by Joe Huetzelmann & Company.
G-Scale Garden Railroad

Our latest thinking, May 4, 2025, is to proceed with an outdoor loop in the grove next to our shed. We would clear the salal and other brush, cut no trees, and build up the ground with big boulders. We’d run power from our shed.
PV Rail … Looking back at 2024

A romp through our year
Work Parties 2024
To keep the file size manageable, we need to break it into annual or smaller sizes.
Work Completed Tues Dec 17 . Thanks to Dan, Bob, Russ and Dave for attending. Dan added the springs to the switch on Dec 21. The switch is ready to install near the shed!!

Work Party Monday Dec 9 from 10 am to 1 pm:
We got the decorations down with an efficient crew. Thanks to Allan, Karl, Russ, Leslie, Dan, Bob, Laura, Rob, and Dave for attending.

We stored the two picnic tables in the Quonset. Juhli moved them to the back of the Quonset rather than inside the front door where they would have interfered with Sunday winter markets.

The woodpile has the leftover bonfire wood; enough for next year, but more smaller stems or split-small wood is welcome from future windfalls

Bob/Laura brought rocks to pack around the switch post when modifications are complete. Dan will change the rod to a larger one and fix a sleeve so the rod runs easier. Then Rick will make 3 more switch posts.

Bob took the other truck from pax car #10 to Dan’s for wheel/bearing/axel refurbishment (the first truck was fixed last month; it was in steady use since before arrival from Nanaimo in 2011).

Looks well used!!

Dan took his green loco back home for around-the-farm duties, along with his pax car and his two hand cars. So the shed now has our pax cars #10, 11 and 12, the caboose, plus the loco and tender ready to go to Karl’s for the hydraulic mod being led by Russ.
Work Party Nov 27 from 10 am to 1 pm:
Go lots done from 10 to 1 pm; thanks to Dan, Bob, Laura, Russ, Karl, Allan, Dave:
Still to do:, date tba
– move the picnic tables out of the Station.- Bring split alder over for the bonfire woodpile
– install the remaining two fencepost repair bars on the broken fence posts
– install the footings for the shed lean-to, and review the planhttp://qathet.prfhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Shed-extension-NOT-as-RFP-Nov19-2024.pdf
Unadvertised specials:
1 After Dan and Bob installed the repaired truck to pax #10, Dan cut off parts of the awkward side bits that made loading difficult.

2 After digging out the hole location for the switch post and imagining which way to orient it, Dan concluded that how the post-switch is built inhibits connecting the necessary 5/16″ connecting rod to the track switch. Dan will make the necessary modifications, perhaps at the next Tuesday-evening metal-work session, and test it on-site so that Rick can make the follow-on switch posts to the same design.

3 Broken brake lever on #1 loco. The wrap-around headlight wire fiasco did some previously undetected additional damage: the brake connector rod was broken. Dan went home and made one; he, Russ and Bob installed it.
4 Russ and Bob built a hook for the blower so it’s easily accessible near the entrance to encourage frequent track-blowing.
cheers, Dave Florence
Done:
.. blew the track,
.. Lights:
– – re-installed the 336′ string,
– – installed lights over the ghost hoops and steam donkey,
– – added a string over the two horse crossings to avoid disconnecting;
– – tested the whole set.
.. re-installed the truck under pax car #10,
.. put up some Xmas decorations; Laura went and got some more at the Dollar store
.. tested the new loco #2
.. brought Rick’s switch-post on-site and finalized the design of the connecting bits (more below)
Some metal work at Dan’s shop in late September at 6:30 pm
Ad-hoc work party Thursday, Sep 12
Dan has been busy modifying the out-of-service bench eLoco with the new trucks and controller. Dave and Russ joined him at 10 am Thursday to bring it to the shed and test it. The photo-story is here
We drove the new Bench eLoco most of the way around the track. It works fine: Fast, great regenerative braking.
Dave blew the track of leaves in preparation for fall fair.
In-park Work Party Sep 10 from 10 am to 2 with Pizza
- Russ, Bob, Dan and Dave installed some of the 24×24′ pavers: story here
- done last Sunday: we drilled 1/2″ holes and installed two pencil posts to replace rotted/fallen pair
- Russ reviewed the paint that was stored near the Willingdon beach trail, now in the shed; we saved some and took the rest to Augusta
- deferred: Select, mark, and note the location of the worst danger trees and advise FAI

We had a great work party on Tuesday, Aug 13, from 10 am to 2:30 pm. Thanks to Russ, Karl, Mary, Bob, Dan, Leslie and Dave for attending. We got lots done and enjoyed a pizza lunch with the Farmers Market folks. Completed Tasks:
- we walked the track to collect windfalls and cleaned up windfalls from the loop/trestle areas. Chainsawed and stacked burnable wood for Ghost/Santa fires, and put the remainder in the fall-burn pile.
- we admired and reviewed the new switch-stand that Rick made. Minor adjustments are needed. Dan will make the required parts to install it on a track
- The electrician dropped off the 200′ of cable. Karl has his trench team ready for installation next week
- Dan, Russ and Bob reviewed the cone and planned the next steps
- Leslie and Mary did some weed removal
We had a great work party on Tuesday, July 23, from 10 am to 2:30 pm. Thanks to Karl, Mary, Bob, Aldo, Dan and Dave for attending.
A major task was to dig in the 3/4″ black poly pipe, connect it to a garden tap, and leave the other end to connect to the Water Tower. When we add gutters to the Station, this will collect rainwater for the garden








The above was the fun part. Then, when moving the windfalls, Dan’s eLoco quit working; no battery, but then mysteriously started working later.

While attempting to get the non-working eLoco home with the gas loco, the brakes failed. While looking at those Bob and Karl realized a weld job was needed so Karl took that home.

While looking a the brakes, Bob/Karl realized the rubber drive with chunks out of it wouldn’t make it next Sunday, so tried to install the new white cone. But it doesn’t fit. So they put in a new rubber one. We tested it, and it works fine. Yea!!

By now it was 2:30. We had worked past lunchtime; not a Pizza work party, so Mary’s blueberry muffins saved the day!! Thanks, Mary.
Read more for work done at previous work parties
Tuesday July 9 – at the park, joining the Farmers Market folks at lunch for pizza. Thanks to Dan, Bob, Rob, Karl, Mary, Russ, Dave, and new member Aldo Conti . Photos by Karl and Dave

We moved the fence to save a volunteer fir tree.
In discussions,
- we decided to expand the station pour to the south post line, making 15×37 rather than 12×37′
- We came up with ideas for a portable G-Scale display box for railroad logging rolling stock that Goeff may donate. e.g., make it 2′ x 8′ x 1′ deep with lexan or plexi viewing window that serves as a fold-back door to access the display. it could be locked in the shed in the summer, displayed on the 10′ trestle, and stored in a warm-dry location in the winter. Rolling stock would have to be clipped securely to enable moving the box without removing and packing the rolling stock. Interpretive photos of local railroad logging could complete.
Next outdoor work party Aug 8, 10 am to 2 pm, pizza lunch with the Market folks.
.. add Carb cleaner to the loco gas if not already done
.. Clean up windfalls from the loop/trestle areas and chainsaw and stack burnable wood for Ghost/Santa fires
.. move three 4x6x8′ boards from the Donkey to Dan’s; available for benches or whatever
… do the Ghost/Santa lights repair
Next indoor work party for Climax, right-hand switch and 80′ track for the shed TBA

July 5 – Dan made 6 new pucks from hockey pucks
Tuesday, June 18 , 6:30 at Dan’s shop:

July 6, Dan replaced the battery in #1 loco with this one that came out of Dan’s eloco
Shop tasks:
- Climax frame – continue welding the 3″ supports for the frame; drilling the side-frame with pins for the bolster
- continue on some switch-posts to replace some that we now kick
- make more rope-post steel supports: 30″ with 3 holes
See all our projects here
Upcoming Park tasks
- add carb-cleaner additive to the loco
- do any needed track levelling, and some hand-weeding
- Repair the Ghost/Santa Train light strings
- review signage and plan any new signs
Previous work below.
Tues June 11, from 10 am to 2 pm. Allen, Karl and Mary, Dan and Lynda, Russ and Dave met to complete park tasks and enjoyed pizza lunch with the Farmers Market folks.
- Dan adjusted the gas loco and easy access car brakes. A bigger job than realized; several members learned the process
- Oiled the track switches (actually done last Sunday)
- brought the five boxes of ties and a few laths from Dan’s, and installed them in the old shed rafters
- We all walked around the track and removed some windfalls; Mary drove the elloco with handicap car to move windfalls to the burn pile
- etched “PVR” on hidden spots under the picnic tables
- Russ did some major waterwheel maintenance; added a screen around the intake, balanced the wheel, etc. A new pump is in the shed but is not needed yet.
- Karl made and brought a good lever with bolt for derrails; its in a rack on a car. Russ made and brought a step-on 2×4 with roller to help the door closing on the old shed.
- Some ideas for a throttle extension were discussed with Dan
- Members agreed we need to have a unique place for many tools; Russ will add some tool holders and add silhouettes.
- We tested the brakes and provided engineer experience for Russ and Allen
- We installed a post support; only one remains.
Monday June 3: Thanks to Karl and Allen who installed the picnic tables on Monday afternoon with me. Welding and drilling the anchor parts was done at Karl’s place. The Market’s picnic table is now west of the loading ramp. The padlocks are slightly underground, the tables could be moved or stored inside for winter. Keys are in the sheds on the same ring as other locks.
On Tuesday evening, May 14, Dan, Karl and Dave:
- made more wood ties; remaining 2x2s will be stored for future
- Dan made some hockey-puck drive cones from hard pucks donated by Karl
- Rope-post repair: cut and drilled 30″ rail pieces and installed them
- April 16
- Apr 16, 9 am to 2 pm We got ready to open the railroad.! Seven members came out on April 16. We had a terrific work party; thanks to Dan, Lynda, Bob, Laura, Stephen, Geoff and Dave for being there…. and Juhli/Farmers Market for the Pizza lunch Done Apr 16:
… Stephen took the lead on the drive repair. Shortened the cone and used shorter bolts. A test run confirmed his re-design is right, but a new shortened rubber cone is needed
… Using Dan’s ATV and tailor, Moved the event-location woodpile and clean up partially burned wood to the main burn pile
… collected windfalls and had a fire in the main burn pile (but still have many windfalls to collect around the track)
… blew track, lopped low branches and cleaned gutters
… didn’t identify any track levelling problems on our one test run, but more testing is needed
… Laura tidied the garden in the Y and changed decorations on the station ropes
.. Dan brought the tractor down and moved some of the mulch from the tree grove area and other tasksRolling stock tasks
.. service loco oil … complete essential repairs on the loco drive (Stephen did this May 3)
Other tasks.. saw deck boards on Donkey (Mark Mathews did that another day)

Santa Train – Fri-Sat Dec 6 and 7
It was rainy Friday, but perfect weather Saturday. A bit of a lineup Saturday

PV Rail Locomotive #2

In November 2024 we upgraded our four-foot “bench loco” to look more like a locomotive, with decoration reminiscent of children’s toy trains.
Pumpkin Patch

A photo story of our 2024 gardening experiment! (We’re switching to a no-watering garden this year, except for our new rain barrel
Ghost Train 2024
Sealhead Raffle 2024

Raffle: Ralph Merkosky of Powell River won our raffled Sealhead carved by Debra Bevaart at Tug Ghum Gallery in Lund. Net proceeds of approximately $2000 will be directed 50-50 to the Forestry Museum and the PVRailroad insurance expense. Photo is with Nancy Merkosky.
PV Rail at Fall Fair 2024

We had a good time at the Fall Fair on Sat/Sun Sep 14/15, 2024, from noon to 5 pm.
1400 to 1500 riders!
We’ve enjoyed having the Pipe Band ride the train for several years. (65 seconds)
Thank you, sponsors
We’ve updated our sponsor’s page

Donated or Garage sale-priced items needed
Things we need, ideally donated or at Garage Sale prices
- Garden tools: – wheelbarrow, watering can
- Shop tools: small screwdrivers with all tip styles, small wrenches,
- Garden Scale Project: track, rail cars, models
- Climax Project: 36″ x 9″ steel pipe for the Boiler
Model Building
Railroad Wood Ties
Plastic ties became too expensive, so, we are back to wood ties for now. Bob cut and donated some 2x2s, and Dan cut up leftover log ends from the Anderson sled project into 2x2s. Then we re-sawed into ties. Dan and Scott cut 120 more a few days later. About 300 now stored in the old shed rafters. More to go – Dan needs his ATV Trailor back, and 2x2s for another few hundred are stored there.
Ghost Train 2023, Oct 28 and 29

Up McLeod Road from Paradise Valley Road

Admission by Donation for Railroad equipment upgrades.

From previous years:

Clansman Pipe Band – Fall Fair Sept 23
Steam Donkey #1619 is now on display

More photos and information is located here: http://qathet.prfhs.org/steam-donkey-1619-display/
The fairlead and pulley are part of the Anderson Display.
“Bear Creek” photo near Powell River?
Andrew Martin scanned this lantern slide photo, marked “Edward Bros., Bear Creek”, along with a Sliammon photo (shown below the “continue reading”) and wondered if there is a closer “Bear Creek” to Powell River than the ones north of Comox, near Port Alberni, northeast of Port Renfrew, or north of Sprout Lake. Does anyone recognize which “Bear Creek” logging show this photo of a Baldwin locomotive might have come from?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/423298261169886/permalink/2514709755362049
Continue reading ““Bear Creek” photo near Powell River?”2023 Season Opening May 7
We’re glad the spring weather is here, and the Paradise Valley Railroad looks forward to resuming regular Sunday operations beginning May 7 from 12:30 to 2:30 pm beside the Farmers Market at 4365 McLeod Road.
Come for a ride on the train or on hand cars! Prices are the same as last year, $2 per ride, except May 14 when Mothers ride free!
Anyone considering joining the volunteer railroad crew is invited to an information session to be held at the train station at 2:15 pm Sunday, May 7.

WILLINGDON BEACH TRAIL MANAGEMENT TRANSITION – 2022
After 100 years of involvement by volunteers maintaining the historic Willingdon Beach Trail, the Forestry Heritage Society, the maintainer for the past 37 years, turned over its few remaining trail maintenance tasks to the City shortly before the trail re-opened late in 2022, following the installation of the wastewater treatment pipe down the centre of the trail.
Fall Fair, Sep 24-25, 2022

We introduced a new car at the Fall Fair; an easy-access car for folks having trouble mounting the ride-astride cars. Thanks to Kiwanis Powell River for sponsoring our fabrication of this car.

Our Raffle winner for 2022 drawn was Suzanne Goulet of Montreal. The $2,000 funds generated paid for our insurance bill!
Tickets were $5 each, or 5 for $20, and could be purchased at Tug Ghum Gallery in Lund or at the Railroad on Sundays.
What fun to have the Pipe Band on board!
Some other photos of the railroad during the Fall Fair 2022.
We updated our website that shows all our current rolling stock.
We are lucky to have our chief engineer Dan Parsons bring his various steam trains to the PVR. For Fall Fair 2022 he brought his 1/8 scale Shay steam train “ALBERNI PACIFIC #8”, seen in this 8-minute video.
Some July 10 photos







More July 10 photos here https://photos.app.goo.gl/SWbizJzuUKDgyYma6
Fathers Day June 19. Dads rode the train free! The Vintage Car club and a Steam Train visited!
Photos from Father’s Day June 19, 2022
More model Shay photos (2019) .. … … … … More Vintage car 2021 photos
The poster we used to advertise the event is below.

Raffle tickets are available at the Tug Ghum Gallery in Lund, or at the Railroad on Sundays
Opening Day April 24- a good start to the season!






New members welcome

Forest History Presentation at the Museum
Dave Florence presented “qathet Region Forest History, an overview” at the qathet Museum and Archives’ Spring 2022 Speakers Series on Thursday, March 10, 2022, at 6:30 pm.
It consisted of a heavily illustrated set of 118 slides, and took about 70 minutes followed by a question and answer session.
A Youtube zoom recording of the session is here (1 hour 23 minutes)
A .pdf version of the slides is here.
A few of the slides follow below.
Continue reading “Forest History Presentation at the Museum”Santa train
was held December 10, 11, 2021: Friday, Saturday, 5-7 pm

FREE TRAIN AND HANDCAR RIDES SUNDAY SEPT 26!!
Nice turnout today! We appreciate all the support to the railroad this year!! It was our final Sunday this year at the Outdoor Farmers Market. See you at Ghost Train Oct 30 and 31.
Photos by Phil Kemp – click on More.
Continue reading “FREE TRAIN AND HANDCAR RIDES SUNDAY SEPT 26!!”10th Anniversary – Sunday – Sep 19, 2021

We introduced this photo display of our first ten years. See each panel here.

We were delighted to enjoy viewing fourteen cars from the Vintage Car Club who visited. Photos here.

We did the Raffle draw: the winner of the Debra Bevaart Sealhead carving was Lynne Andrews of Surrey
Thank you to everyone who participated. More details here.
Photos of the day by Phil Kemp below
PVR Facebook Page
Successful Reopening July 18
More than 200 smiling faces for our re-opening day.
Railroad Opened July 18th!!

Seal Head Raffle

We did the Raffle draw Sep 19: the winner of the Debra Bevaart Sealhead carving was Lynne Andrews of Surrey.

To help cover our insurance costs in a no-revenue Covid year, we did a raffle.
For 2021 we were pleased to continue our partnership with Debra Bevaart at Tug Ghum Gallery in Lund.
Tickets were $5 each, or 5 for $20, at Tug Ghum Gallery or from members.
Thank you to everyone who participated. More details here.
Work Parties
Saturday April 17, 10am-2 pm
- at the track;
- Leif, Geoff, Hans, Bob, Rob, DaveM, Dan and Davef attended.
- We cleared the track and nearby areas of debris and built burn piles for a future work party.
Meetings
11 April, 2021 at 1 pm. 2021 AGM and regular meeting.
Minutes AGM Minutes Regular Meeting. Presidents report

Events
Christmas drive-by the lights Dec 11-12, 2020