Stanley Park Train

C.P. Huntington: Replica at Stanley Park - Photographed May 04, 2008.

In 1964, following the havoc created by Typhoon Frieda, which packed winds up to 129 km per hour, a clearing created by fallen trees in the forest was transformed into a horseshoe-shaped circuit by Deputy Superintendent Bill Livingstone, just right for the creation of the Stanley Park Miniature Railway. The Miniature Train has become one of Vancouver's most popular attractions and carries over 200,000 passengers per year.

Winding along a mile and a quarter of 20" gauge track, the train travels over trestles and through tunnels in a picturesque journey through the forest. There are three sets of cars and four engines, one of which is a replica of Canadian Pacific Railway #374, famous for pulling Canada's first transcontinental passenger train into Vancouver in the late 1880s. The real Engine #374 is on display in a special pavilion located adjacent to the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre.

The major distinction between a miniature railway and a narrow gauge railway is that miniature lines use models of full-sized prototypes. There are miniature railways that run on gauges as wide as 2 ft (610 mm), for example the Wicksteed Park railway. There are also narrow gauge railways running on extremely narrow track as small as 15 inch gauge or less, for example the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway, Perrygrove Railway and the Eaton Hall Railway: these are known as minimum gauge railways.

C.P. Huntington Train - Our miniature train is one-third size, near exact replica of the original unnamed locomotive that was built in 1863 at the Danforth-Cook Locomotive works in Patterson, New Jeresy. The Civil War was raging and locomotives were hard to come by. Having been built for someone unable to pay, it would eventually play an important part in building the first Transcontinental Railroad.

In 1864, the Central Pacific Railroad, now part of the Great Southern Pacific System, started the unbelievable task of building a railroad from the Pacific eastward over the mountains. Collis P. Huntington, the dynamic Vice-President of Central Pacific, located the little locomotive in New Jersey. It was too small for Federal use, bought it, dismantled it and shipped it to San Francisco by the way of Cape Horn.

After arriving in San Francisco , the locomotive was reassembled and painted It ran on April 9, 1864. It was christened the “C.P Huntington C.P. #3”. The Huntington was twenty nine feet long, weighed thirty nine thousand pounds, when loaded, had traction power of thirty one hundred and fifty pounds and developed two hundred thirty-five horsepower at fifty miles per hour. This locomotive was assigned to construction work where it was used to pull wooded flat cars on rails as new track was constructed.

In 1871, this locomotive was used to pull a private car of Leland Stanford, who was both President of Central Pacific Railroad and Governor of California. Because is could not compete with the heavier locomotives, in 1897 the C.P. Huntington was laid aside. In 1900 it was considered obsolete and ordered demolished. About 1904, the C.P. Huntington was repaired and repainted by a shop man named Joel Osgood Wilder, who loved the little engine.

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Ever since Captain Vancouver first sailed into the Burrard Inlet in 1792, he had assumed Stanley Park was an island. The truth was, the massive site was part of the mainland, mushrooming out into the Burard Inlet. In 1865, Edward Stamp arrived in Burard Inlet to established a sawmill. He chose the Squamish settlement of Khwaykhway as its prime location. When the Squamish assured Stamp that his log booms would not survive the heavy tides in the First Narrows, his mill provided the motivation for the rise of the city of Vancouver. It owes much to this ambitious captain’s success but also to his failure.

As a result, the park was left alone due to the logging industry problem thus giving rise to what is known as Stanley Park.

Be sure to visit Lord Stanley Monument as you proceed through the magnificent grove of trees and hills. In 1889, Lord Stanley, the then Governor General of Canada, publicly dedicated the park ‘to the use of all colors, creeds, and customs for all time." The statue is commissioned by local donors from English sculptor Sydney March. It was unveiled in 1960.

As you wander down the slop from the monument, watch out for the celebrated statue of Robert Burns Monument. The statue of the famous Scottish poet was erected in the year 1928 by the Vancouver Burns Fellowship.

Turning left from the Lord Stanley Monument, you will find the beautiful and enchanting Rose Garden. Summer is the best season to visit as you will be assailed by a sensuous array of colors and smell. The garden holds a magnificent display of about 275 varieties of roses and more than 3,000 individual bushes.

If you walk along the Stanley Park Drive you will eventually arrive at the Lost Lagoon which is located at the park's southeast edge and is a good place to watch out for wildlife animals. In the year 1938, the lagoon was declared a wildlife sanctuary and the Parks Board began to scatter seeds to encourage birds.

If you wish to feed the birds, it is important that you get them proper wild bird seeds. Feeding birds human food (e.g. bread, cakes etc) can threatened the birds especially birds which are migrating as they require the complex energy of unprocessed food for the long distance flight.

If you are interested in putt golf then the park also has the Pitch 'n Putt Golf Course which is a great place to bring children along. You can always try the Children's Farmyard where an amazing variety of domesticated animals including many rare and endangered species, are free to roam and greet visitors if you're not into golf.

If you come during the months of May right through to September, there is a free operated shuttle service that runs from 9.30am to 6pm. It will pick you up at the entrance of the park and stops along various spots so you can get off and take pictures. If you are driving to the park, be aware that you will need to pay park.