Railway 100th Videos Collection

The 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.

This 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.