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Canadian Museum of Rail Travel
Monday, May 26th, 2008 by GetawayBC.com
Cranbrook is home to the renowned Canadian Museum of Rail Travel, one of the largest museums of its type in Canada, with a valuable national collection of luxurious trains from the golden age of railway travel. Open all year, and located at 57 Van Horne Street South (Highway 3/95 in downtown) it is a must-see for any visitor to the region.
The museum contains complete vintage passenger train sets representing various eras from the 1880s to the 1930s. The cars are luxuriously appointed with exotic inlaid woods, brass fixtures, plush upholstery, wool carpets, period furniture, stained glass and other displays such as railway china and silverware. The centrepiece of the train’s displays is the only complete surviving 7-car set of the famous 1929 Trans-Canada Limited – a vintage deluxe hotel-on-wheels. Other trains include the 1907 and ultra-luxurious Soo-Spokane Train Deluxe of 1907, royal cars and interpretive cars.
The centrepiece of the building complex is the spectacular Royal Alexandra Hall, the restored 3,000 sq. ft. and three-storey high Grand Cafe from the Canadian Pacific Railway’s former Royal Alexandra Hotel in Winnipeg. Demolished in 1971, the complete cafe was saved in hundreds of pieces and stored in a semi-trailer for 25 years before being purchased by the museum in 1999.;