Burnaby Central Railway opens for its 30th season
The Burnaby Central Railway held its 2023 season’s opening day Friday.
Train enthusiasts can get up close and personal with different types of trains such as miniature trains powered by steam, diesel and electronic locomotive.
Ken Lear, President of BC Society of Model Engineers says the trains are a “blast from the past.”
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“Our steam trains that we have running today was built in 1939 in England. So it’s a model of a real steam train. So it’s been around for a while.”
Doug Bach, a locomotive engineer explains how the trains are fired.
“The fire is in here and the fire boils the water, the heat and hot gases from the fire pass up through tubes running through the boiler. So that heats the water up to boiling temperature.”
Bach says the trains require a lot of maintenance.
“So we have a shop and with a crew that comes down frequently and works on the cars, and on the locomotives, another crew will work on the track,” Bach said.
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“But the payoff is the smiles on all the kids that we haul.”
The rides aren’t only limited to kids, but people of all ages can also take a ride through the 6-acre property.
“Our trains pull multiple cars carrying 20 or more passengers on a 2-mile, outdoor ride through the woods, with bridges, tunnels, crossovers, and spirals. A single ride takes approximately 10 minutes,” the society said.
The railway is open until Thanksgiving long weekend, including weekends and statutory holidays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m
