The Canadian Museum of Rail Travel

A hundred years ago, the railroad could make or break a city. Luckily for Cranbrook, British Columbia, the Canadian Pacific Railway opted to run rail lines through their community, rather than the nearby town of Fort Steele.

As expected, the railroad became an important element in shaping the city, with ramifications even in this new millennium.

Fort Steele on the other hand, did not fare well. Without the commerce and movement of people on the train, it became all but a ghost town.

The glory days of train travel may be over, but Cranbrook won't let them be forgotten. The Canadian Museum of Rail Travel (CMRT) is located in the city and has one of the largest collections of vintage train cars in Canada. A highlight is the entire 7-car set of the 1929 Trans Canada Limited and the 4-car set of the 1936 Chinook. Rare cars from the 1907 Soo-Spokane Train Deluxe are also now at the museum.

"We have a non-mechanical, non-technical approach, therefore we deal with the social history and lifestyle of the railways." said Garry Anderson, executive director. "This gives us a much broader interest, beyond the normal male audience. Another difference; we deal with complete train sets, instead of individual and unrelated cars."

Unlike typical rail museums, the CMRT doesn't focus on the locomotive, but on the details of train architecture and the concept (now virtually lost) of trains as grand, moving hotels. Their goal is to replicate, or when possible, restore the beautiful flooring, walls and upholstery of the historic cars. For passengers who could afford it, these trains offered all the luxuries of the day.

CMRT looks to the future, as well as to the past. The museum is in the midst of several phases of construction. Much is planned, which includes transforming the museum into a multi-purpose venue and a vital component of Cranbrook life.

They recently acquired two parts of the Royal Alexandra Hotel in Winnipeg, which exemplify the lavish railway architecture of the Edwardian age. The Royal Alex, as it was nicknamed had 450 rooms, quite substantial for that time period.