100th Anniversary of the Railway
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The Pacific Great Eastern Railway (P.G.E.) arrived in Pemberton October 29th, 1914. This is a collection of videos to celebrate this important anniversary for Pemberton and District.
  | PGE Arrives in Pemberton 1957This clip from the documentary film from 1957 by Allan King shows the arrival of the PGE passenger train in downtown Pemberton. To see the whole documentary "Pemberton Valley 1957" check our General Videos Gallery.Watch Video |
 | Trip to Lillooet 1958This video link was sent to us by Myson Effa. It documents a trip by rail from North Vancouver to Lillooet on a beautiful summer day in 1958 and was published by British Pathé. The world's finest news and entertainment video film archive. Since the invention of the moving image in the 1890's, British Pathé began recording every aspect of global culture and news, for the cinema. With their unique combination of information and entertainment, British Pathé's documentaries, newsreels, serials and films changed the way the world saw itself forever.Watch Video |
 | Inaugural Run of the PGE 1956The Pacific Great Eastern Railway - Inaugural run on the North Vancouver to Squamish section, August 1956 The Pacific Great Eastern was a north south rail line in BC that was supposed to go from Vancouver to Prince George. The initial construction 100 years ago managed to complete a line from Squamish to Quesnel and then the company went belly up and the government took it over. For years this was an isolated line not connected to the North American rail network. PGE was said to stand for Prince George Eventually. After Social Credit became government WAC Bennett decided the government would complete the line. This is the opening of the Vancouver to Squamish section This 8mm film by Dave Wilkie has it all! PGE orange Alcos, marching bands, a rock slide, leased Milwaukee Rd equipment, and a very young looking Premier WAC Bennett.Watch Video |
 | History of the PGEThis video was produced by the Royal BC Museum and provides some official history on the development of the P.G.E. railway.Watch Video |
 | Budd Cars 1969This film comes from Mike Dunham-Wilkie's father Dave and was found on You Tube. Mike says: "It is a mixture of short clips from along the BC Rail (formerly PGE) route from Squamish to Pavilion. I do not have the date for the trip, but when I get it narrowed down, I will post it. It has to be before 1972 because it is still the PGE. We first see the Cheekamus Canyon 0:31 is a siding 0:41 is the tunnel along Seton Lake 0:54 a derailed box car almost in Seton Lake 1:20 The Fraser River near Fountain 2:03 another siding, this time to allow the south bound Budd Cars to pass 2:23 headed southwards 2:29 tunnel north of Pavilion 2:40 bridge over Fraser River at Lillooet, I think 2:55 southbound along Seton Lake"Watch Video |
 | Twilight on the Rail - TrailerThis powerful documentary from White River Productions covers the controversy surrounding the end of passenger service on BC Rail in October 2002. Mike O'Neill, museum member shared the link with us and we have made it available on our website. Enjoy.Watch Video |
 | The RailrodderThis movie stars Buster Keaton who rides a speeder from coast to coast. We are celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Railroad in Pemberton and thought this was an appropriate movie to kick things off. We are linking to this movie via You Tube and it is also available through the National Film Board of Canada (nfb.ca) online.Watch Video |
 | Idiots and Trains Don't MixHere's a much more serious video than my others... As the title says, this is what NOT to do in front of a 25,000 HP, 10,000 ton train, or any other train for that matter. I've always been an advocate of rail-safety. I've seen way too many people take chances around trains. Thankfully, this guy didn't hit a bump, or something like that, otherwise something much more horrific could have unfolded before my eyes... Look, Listen, Live! Filmed in Pemberton, BC near Whistler and Vancouver, Canada. From the DDLP CollectionWatch Video |
 | End of the LineThis documentary short offers a nostalgic look at the steam locomotive as it passes from reality to history. In its heyday, the big smoke-belching steam engine seemed immortal. Now, powerful and efficient diesels are pushing the old coal-burning locomotives to the sidelines, and the lonely echo of their whistles may soon be a thing of the past.Watch Video |
 | RailroadersThis is a short documentary about winter railroading in the Canadian Rockies and the men who keep the lines clear. The stretch between Revelstoke and Field, British Columbia, is a snow-choked threat to communications. The film shows the work of section hands, maintenance men, train crews and telegraph operators.Watch Video |
 | Trans-Canada ExpressThis short documentary from the Canada Carries On series celebrates the contribution of Canada’s railroads to the war effort. The film includes a sequence from Buster Keaton's 1926 silent comedy The General, as well as a re-enactment of Lord Strathcona driving the final spike into the Canadian Pacific Railway Line.Watch Video |
 | Railroad TownThis short documentary is a delightful trip back to an era in which railroad was king. The small community of Melville, Saskatchewan, is a railroad town. Long-time CBC host Fred Davis visits with various railway workers and learns about the operation of one of the vital service stations which keep the Canadian National Railway running smoothly.Watch Video |
 | Train 406This short documentary offers a step-by-step account of a fast freight train on a run from Toronto to Halifax, with glimpses of the vast amount of organization necessary in the operation of a country-wide transportation network.Watch Video |
 | Royal Hudson Steam Locomotive # 2860Made back in 1992 when the old train would run daily from North Vancouver to Squamish British Columbia. The guys running the train in this documentary are the last generation of men to run locomotives on the Canadian Pacific Railroad in the 1950'sWatch Video |
 | BC Rail in August 1985A look at the British Columbia Railway in August 1985Watch Video |
 | BC Rail Sea to Sky 1990Step back to the late 1990s and climb aboard one of BC Rails brutish C40-8 diesels for a fantastic cab ride from sea level at Squamish up through the rugged coastal mountain range to the big sky country at Lilooet. Youll see the line from the crews vantage points and witness the challenge of operating trains over this awesome stretch of railroad.Watch Video |
 | 100th Anniversary of the Railway Celebratory SpeechesCelebratory speeches for the 100th Anniversary of the Railway in Pemberton. This is an enactment of the inaugural speeches of the welcoming of the train in 1956.Watch Video |
Join us on Saturday August 23rd at the museum in Pemberton B.C. for our 100th Railway Celebration Event. Check our Events page for more info.
We are open for the 2024 season!
We will be open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am to 5pm until October!
The Pemberton Museum recognizes and respects that it operates within the traditional unceded territory of Lil'wat Nation.
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Location
We are located in the downtown area of Pemberton at 7455 Prospect St.
Hours of Operation
The Pemberton Museum will be open June 3rd to October 26th,
Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm.
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Did you know?
Port Pemberton was founded as a stopping point on the historic Harrison-Lillooet gold rush trail over 160 years ago.
30,000 gold-rushers passed through this region from 1858 to 1865 and Port Pemberton was an important stopping point for travelers making their way to Lillooet and the gold-fields beyond!