Glacier station

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Glacier station
New Glacier station post 1916 (cropped).jpg
Early view of the station
General information
LocationGlacier National Park
Canada
Coordinates51°16′00″N 117°31′06″W / 51.26676°N 117.51832°W / 51.26676; -117.51832Coordinates: 51°16′00″N 117°31′06″W / 51.26676°N 117.51832°W / 51.26676; -117.51832
Owned byCanadian Pacific Railway
Line(s)Mile 85.5 of the CPR Mountain Sub [1]
History
Opened1916
Official nameCanadian Pacific Railway Station
Designated1992
Reference no.4572

The Glacier station (located in Glacier National Park, Canada) was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The small, one-storey, log railway station was completed in 1916 and is located at the western end of the Connaught Tunnel.[2] The building was designated a Heritage Railway station in 1992.[2]

History[]

A first station using this name was built close to the Glacier House Hotel, near the Illecillewaet Glacier. With the opening of the Connaught Tunnel in 1916 and the relocation of the track, "Glacier station was also moved from the Glacier House location to a new site just west of the tunnel".[3]

Trains along the line were kept light to make the climb into the mountains easier. As such, dining stations were built along the line instead of running the trains with dining cars. "Special hotels with large dining rooms were built at Glacier, Field and North Bend" to serve hungry passengers.[3]

By 1994, the station was used as a temporary storehouse for the railway.[4] The structure was used by Maintenance of Way crews as the area can see up to 210 cm (7 ft) of snow in the winter.[1]

As of the 21st century, the CPR had little use for the station, which has fallen into disrepair. Rainwater entered the roof and by 2021 the station was near collapse. The railway took some measures to prevent collapse of the structure onto the mainline by June 2021, with little else in the way of preservation of the structure.[5]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "CPR Glacier Station". yourrailwaypictures.com. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Canadian Pacific Railway Station". HistoricPlaces.ca. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  3. ^ a b David A.A. Finch (1987). A HISTORY OF THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, BRITISH COLUMBIA 1884-1930 (PDF) (Report). Parks Canada. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  4. ^ "Item 2013.6.36.1.128.06 - CPR Glacier Station". Northern BC Archives and Special Collections. unbc.ca. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  5. ^ Jones, Ken A. (June 20, 2021). "LETTER: Historic but not preserved". Revelstoke Review. Revelstoke, BC. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
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