qathet Regional District, Powell River, BC
We welcome new crew members to help keep us going, for Fall Fair 2023 and our 2024 season.
Tasks: Be a track switcher, assistant stationmaster or assistant ticket seller and after some experience, learn to be a train engineer.
Commitment: an hour or more at our events. Learn on the job.
Can be a Family Activity: adults do the work, family members ride free.
Interested? *Ask any crew-member, or *email info@prfhs.org
or *call Dave at 604-413-1224 or *check out http://qathet.prfhs.org/whats-new/
Mark Mathews finished the sled chainsaw work on Aug 10, 2023. Next step: six more rods will hold it firmly together, then we’ll assemble the donkey here for final work before the move to the display site.
More photos and information is located here: http://qathet.prfhs.org/steam-donkey-1619-display/
We needed to change the location of our outdoor-stored Anderson Sawmill Collection material.
While we had the moving equipment, took one of the Steam Donkeys to its new home at the Farmer’s Market.
Photos of the move are in “continue reading”
Continue reading “Anderson Storage Location moved”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?”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.
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.
Extra Train should reduce wait times from 2021.
Planning ahead? Mark calendars Santa Train 4 days this year! Dec 9, 10, 16 and 17
Up McLeod Road from Paradise Valley Road
Admission by Donation for Railroad equipment upgrades.
From previous years:
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.
More July 10 photos here https://photos.app.goo.gl/SWbizJzuUKDgyYma6
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.
| PRFHS Projects | ||
| RAILROAD | ||
| Task | The Work | Status, next steps, |
| Top Priority | Organize the donkey skids, Electrical parts for the shed | Dan Dave |
| Operations – Events | Sundays 12:30 – 2:30, Apr 24 through Sep 25 Next work party: Tues April 26, 6:30 Fathers Day June 19 with Car Club; Fall Fair Sep 23-25 Ghost train Oct 29, 30; Santa train 2 weekends | On track for opening. Semi-handicap car, shed shelving, look at Controller Geoff leading June 19 event Market/car club supportive Fall Fair date decided Santa Dec 10, 11, 17, 18? |
| Top-priority Maintenance | Track: more test and level; adjust some switch springs Repair: Water wheel balance. Loco: Fix headlight wiring (erratic ground return), Tender: Install switch with led glow light to disconnect battery to avoid accidental discharge All car wheels: Inspect for status, repair or replace as needed (some can be smoothed on the lathe, some by machining/replacing the “Tire” Handicap car: consider larger wheels to improve stability Visible Numbers on the rolling stock | Loco oil was changed, drive puck ok, Dan replaced the Tender compressor switch RMI in Ventura CA has wheels frequent derails, particularly when not fully loaded House numbers on loco and cars |
| Donkey #1619 project | Build the sled, plan frame/sled integration, plan move, get siting approval, paint/restore as needed, arrange transport equipment, move/install it, make interpretive signs | Siting: FAI/PEPS have approved: site near track Sled: Dan contacting potential chainsaw crew (hoping either Russ Parsons or Julian Welp will lead |
| Shed; Electricity (lighting, wall plugs, eLoco charging) Wall shelves 3/4 ply;12” x 25’, white 12×16 L-brackets | From Juhli: FAI is bringing power to one plug in the shed. Our job: Ditch digging plus Interior shed work only. | Plan prepared. LED lights nearly $300; Flourescent half that. Which way? Shelving material on site |
| New semi-handicap car | Build frame and superstructure, install braking-trucks, extend the air-compressor lines, make Kiwanis recognition signs. | Next work: Tues April 26, 6:30 |
| Backup Locomotive: Interim – going electric, so shed electricity a priority Final – our own electric loco | borrowing Dan’s ride-on powered ride-car. Using 4qd Pro-D160 Controller Need two new big batteries – Need two powered trucks, then – Build an 8’ powered flatcar that can eventually become a steam-outline Climax locomotive. – Will use 4qd controller and batteries from the interim; then need a soundcard; and build superstructure | Controller Arrived April 18 https://www.4qd.co.uk/product/pro-160/ Pair of Interstates approx $400 RMI: TRUCK-486, Equalized Truck, 12″ Wheel Base, 5.7″ sprocket Wheels, 1 Hydraulic Motor 2x$1700= $3,400 |
| Add passenger car for when using two locos | Low priority – finish semi-handicap braking car and 2nd loco projects – would need to do Lean-to project | |
| More Plastic Ties for track repairs and later expansion | Order and have shipped to Blaine pickup point and then get volunteer to pick up and deliver to PR. | Have quote $995US for 864 ties from Allen Models of Nevada and $620US from www.edgelogisticsinc.com for shipping to Blaine. (pallet holds 9 @48 tie boxes per layer. Dan may buy part of order) |
| Solid surface in station to avoid gravel kicked onto rails. 30’ long’ 3’ between tracks, 12-18’ ouside tracks | Could be a pour, or patio stones, or patio pvc product Stones: 150 sq.ft. X $5/sqft = $750 | Discussed Arpil 12 decided too big a project to do it right; will await to when ties need replacing |
| Add to Model environment, eg water tower | Any models welcome to enhance visual aspect of our ride. | Leif planning to continue water tower development to make it functional. |
| Narrow Lean-to on the north side of the old shed, for a loco and cars. | New shed becoming full, and need more room when we have more rolling stock. Would connect to the hand-car track near the station. | Only when needed |
| Gutters for the Station, funnel the water into Leif’s water tower | Do a Plan, procure gutters, install | Nead a Lead |
| Extended track | The “Gisborne loop” – from our oldest loop over to near Myrtle Road, through the trees, then back through the grove to our oldest loop. | Low priority |
| Garden railroad for hobbyists and public to enjoy | Full project from scratch; Develop a plan; get permission to use proposed site (grove NW of the Banks shed); procure track, prepare the ground | Need a Lead. Should buy some track now for the diplays in the Quanset at Santa train |
| TRAIL | ||
| Task | The Work | Status, next steps, |
| Repair Donkey Sign | Restore the 3rd panel to the Donkey info. Assess damage, weld as needed, replace lexan?, install | Broken sign is at Dan Parson’s shop. Assess/plan. Need access to the trail (Sewer project) |
| Replace rotten deck boards on the Donkey | Measure, plan, Get 3” lumber and fasteners, install | |
| Repair a few interpretive signs. | Artifact signs only; leaving the nature ones for the city to take the lead | Have a list of the signs |
| Painting and sign repairs. | Choose an artifact and clean/paint it. Repair the worst of the artiifact signs | Need a lead for a painting project and Sign repair |
| DONE | ||
| Restore passenger car by Apr 24 | Get bearings, re-assemble trucks, move to park | Done April 12; moved back to park |
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”was held December 10, 11, 2021: Friday, Saturday, 5-7 pm
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!!”
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
More than 200 smiling faces for our re-opening day.
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.
Saturday April 17, 10am-2 pm
11 April, 2021 at 1 pm. 2021 AGM and regular meeting.
Minutes AGM Minutes Regular Meeting. Presidents report
Christmas drive-by the lights Dec 11-12, 2020
