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Interurban Again: a photo timeline

With the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society set to welcome aboard passengers on June 23 we look back at some highlights.
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Restored B.C. Electric Railway Car 1225 pulls into Cloverdale Station


The following is a timeline of recent milestones along the journey to the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society's launch of the heritage rail demonstration project.

The interurban rides again on June 22, when there's a ceremonial inaugural launch at replica Cloverdale Station, at 176A Street, south of Hwy 10. The ribbon-cutting is at noon.

The public is invited to come for a ride on Sunday, June 23, the first full day of operations.

Volunteers have spent thousands of hours and have shared years of expertise restoring B.C. Electric Railway car 1225, and its mate, car 1304.

Passenger runs to Sullivan Station and back to Cloverdale will operate on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays to Thanksgiving.

As with restoration efforts, the operational side of the project will be entirely run by volunteers, from the ticket sellers and conductors to the railcar operators.

The project is in concert with the City of Surrey, Southern Railway, and B.C. Hydro, along with more than two dozen sponsors for the new replica Cloverdale Station.

April 2009

BCER 1304, the Royal car "Connaught," returned to Canada in April, 2009, landing at Sullivan Station. BCER 1304 was built in New Westminster in 1911, and caught fire near Cloverdale in 1945, and was nearly completely rebuilt in '46. She returned to service, making one last run to Chilliwack in 1955. Restoration efforts are still underway in 2013.

June 2011

Work is underway at the new home in Cloverdale of the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society, in anticipation of a move from Sullivan in the fall. The project suffers a delay when unexpected organics are discovered on the site, resulting in soil remediation before it can go ahead.

 

August 2011

Surface drainage is installed on the site, a job that requires extensive infrastructure.

 

March 2012

The City of Surrey issues a building permit, allowing The Lark Group and RDM to begin construction on the Cloverdale Car Barn.

http://raven.b-it.ca/portals/uploads/cloverdale/.DIR288/PouringFoundationForms.jpg

May 2012

The walls go up at the car barn.

 

July 2012

The addition of green vinyl siding means the exterior is mostly complete, while work continues inside.

[Left, pouring concrete forms for the foundation for Cloverdale Station, with the car barn visible in the background]

August 2012

BCER cars 1225 and 1304, plus the Clover Belle trolly, are lifted, and loaded onto transport trucks for the move to Cloverdale.

 

October 2012

FVHRS hosts its first open house at the Cloverdale car barn, welcoming hundreds of visitors to its new digs.

 

November 2012

Construction begins on the replica Cloverdale Station at the foot of 176A Street, just south of Hwy 10, and only steps from where the original B.C. Electric Railway station stood. It's wet work for crews who work under dark, rainy skies to pour foundation forms in early December.

 

http://raven.b-it.ca/portals/uploads/cloverdale/.DIR288/FVHRSVols.jpgDecember 2012

The walls go up on the heritage rail station, and the roof trusses are in place by the end of the year. Meanwhile, a campaign for sponsors to contribute material, labour and cash for Cloverdale Station is in full swing.

[At right, volunteers pose for a photo during a lunch break at the Cloverdale Car Barn in December 2012]

January 2013

Roofing is completed, shingles are installed, and concrete flooring is poured indoors.

 

February 2013

Fraser Valley Heritage Rail Society BC Electric Railway Car #1225 takes its maiden trip out of the Cloverdale car barn.

 

March 2013

Paint, siding and other trimmings spruce up Cloverdale Station, nearing completion. The historical accuracy is in keeping with the original station, down to the little details, such as the non-functioning woodstove and chimneys.

 

April 2013

Car 1225 pulls into Cloverdale Station for the first time during a run during the rigorous Transport Canada certification process.

 

June 2013

BCER 1225 makes its first trip to Sullivan Station on the original Interurban line through Surrey on June 9 as part of training for the volunteers who will operate weekend passenger service, launching June 22-23.