Kettle Valley Railway Trip, Summerland, BC
Kettle Valley Railway Trip, Summerland, BC

Kettle Valley Railway Trip, Summerland, BC

After my visit to the sternwheeler SS Sicamous in the morning I headed over to my next stop, the Kettle Valley Steam Train experience near the town of Summerland, about which I have written previously. It lies 50km south of Kelowna and around 400kms east of Vancouver. As I explained in my post about SS Sicamous, trade was growing in the Okanagan region in the early years of 1900s and also mining of resources was also taking off in big numbers along the southern side of the province. The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) wanted to make the most of it. So in addition to deploying sternwheelers in the Okanagan Lake they also started a subsidiary railway line called the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR). Another reason was that a line was needed in this region to offer a sort of buffer against American expansion into Canada. KVR operated between Midway, BC (near Grand Forks, BC) and Hope, BC. Opened in 1915 with much expectations it covered around 500 kms. Unfortunately KVR did not perform as well as was expected and by 1961, portions of it were abandoned. The last train ran in 1989 and that ended an ambitious railway line. These days most of the railway tracks have been removed and the line is used as a multi use recreational trail known as the KVR Trail. It includes the Myra canyon section which I visited last year.

Source: https://kettlevalleyexpress.com/resources/maps/

A portion of this railway line near Summerland has been preserved by the Kettle Valley Railway Society and they operate the Kettle Valley Steam Railway here. A steam train takes passengers on a ride on the line. There are many different experiences with different durations. They also run specials as per occasion. I took the basic one which is a 90 minute ride through the only preserved section of the KVR. It covers a distance of 16kms. The locomotive no. 3716 is a 1912 make and the passenger coaches are also vintage.

I arrived at the station almost 40 mins early and had plenty of time to take a look at the station itself and the locomotive which was standing there. The station itself was quite deserted with not many people around which is how I like things but soon people started coming in slowly and by the time of departure was near the station was packed. The boarding started on the dot and I made my way over to my seat. There are two options for seating. One is open air coach which was my first preference but unfortunately by the time I made the booking they were sold out so I settled for the second option which were in the more traditional coach. The inside of the coach wore a dark pink look. Unfortunately for me the window beside me was under repair and I couldn’t open it. Nevertheless it was a big window and offered good views.

Soon the whistle shrieked and off we were. Starting slowly the train picked up speed and it was wonderful to hear the chugging of the train as we sailed past some stunning scenery. It was August and the weather was pleasant. Not too hot and not too cold. There were green lush fields on one side and mostly a wall like hill on the other side. My neighbors were an Indian family and I chatted with them for a while while looking at the beautiful landscapes around. At around the half way mark the train stopped at a station. The conductor announced that this is where the train stops for a while and passengers can get down, stretch our legs and look around. I got off and walked the length of the train to check it out. I wanted to take a good pic of the locomotive but saw the people were taking their pics with the conductor with the locomotive as the background. There was no way this was going to clear up soon as I saw a line up of people with their excited kids in tow, so I just strolled around a bit and then went back to my seat.

Soon, people boarded back up and the conductor suggested the passengers that we switch seats so that the people who were not on the scenic side of the train can now get their chance. Many people followed this and switched seats. We started our return retracing the same route and were back in the originating statin in around 40 mins. Thus ended a delightful ride through the Okanagan countryside. Being a fan of railways and history it thrilled me to have retraced a line which people 100 years ago must have taken.

Overall its a fun experience for families who are looking for a nice relaxing activity on a Sunday. And of course for railway fans its a must do.

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