The David Davies Railway Collection encompasses all facets of railway history specifically in the province of British Columbia and the Yukon territory. The collection consists of research material accumulated over the course of more than fifty years, and includes monographs, periodicals, articles, clippings, railway timetables, photographs, maps and plans, and excerpts. Material covers public, tourist, and private (industrial) railways, including: CPR, KVR, E&N; CNR, CNoR, GTPR; and PGER, BCR. The collection excludes material regarding streetcar systems and rapid transit, but includes long distance electric interurbans.
Series consists of general histories, statistics, and sources for railway subjects, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions and clippings from periodicals. Most documents are Canada-wide in scope.
Subseries consists of sources for railway history research. Includes bibliographies, glossaries, research guides, and indexes.
File consists of general references for railway topics, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions and clippings from periodicals. Includes the following articles: "Come Ride the Train: The Story of the National Railway Historical Society" by Cooper; "Sources of Railway Information in the Public Archives of Canada" by Thompson; "Researching Railway History in the Greater Vancouver Area" by Meyer; "B.C. Rail Guide No. 1: Historical Summary of Railways in British Columbia" (1992) by Davies and Nicklason; "Postcards and Railways: How they complimented each other in British Columbia" by Davies; "The Centennial of the Railway and Marine World" by Angus; Also includes the bibliography of David Davies, correspondence with museums and archives, the December 1990 "NMRA Periodical Index", and book reviews of railway monographs.
File consists of an original copy of Ron Meyer's "Railroading in British Columbia: A Bibliography" (2nd edition, 1993). The publication is B.C. Rail Guide No. 12.
File consists of resources for undertaking railway history research. Includes tips from Davies on researching railway history, a 1971 draft of Davies' "Historical Summary - Railways in British Columbia", and perpetual calendars.
File consists of indexes to the Canadian Railroad Historical Association's periodical, "Canadian Rail". Includes indexes for 1962 issues, 1973 issues, and a complete index to issues #1 to #455 (1937-1996).
File consists of original copies of B.C. Rail Guides, published by the Canadian Railroad Historical Association Pacific Branch. Includes B.C. Rail Guide No. 6 "A Selected Bibliography on Railways in British Columbia: Part I" by Ron Meyer; B.C. Rail Guide No. 7 (Part II of the same); and an unnumbered B.C. Rail Guide "List of Railway Archival Material Held by Pacific Coast Branch, Canadian Railroad Historical Association" by A.J. Rimmington.
File consists of various glossaries and definitions of railway terms excerpted from books and periodicals.
Subseries consists of general histories and statistics of British Columbia and Canada. Includes monographs and periodicals that provide background information for British Columbia railway history research.
File consists of general railway histories of British Columbia or Canada, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions from books and clippings from periodicals. Includes the following articles: "The Changing Role of Railways in the Lower Fraser Valley, 1885-1965" by Roy; "Railroad Titans" by Parker; "Progressive Dates of Commencement of Passenger Service on the Pacific Great Eastern, 1914 to 1923" by Davies; "The Battle of the Gauges" by McDill; "Farewell to the Twentieth Century: Part 2" by Angus; "Railway Locations in B.C. with Military and Naval Names" by Davies and Green; "Railway Entrances to Vancouver, 1887-1969" by Cummings; "The Seton Portage Tramway: British Columbia's first 'railway'" by Davies; "The Later Transcontinental Railways" by Brook; "Some Pre-Canadian Pacific Promotions for a Canadian Transcontinental Railway" by Lester; and a geographic regional analysis of British Columbia by Putnam.
File consists of railway related statistics for British Columbia, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions from books and clippings from periodicals. Includes statistics for PGE, BC Rail, Vancouver Island logging railroads, CNR, short lines, and others. Also includes research by Davies on the chronology of BC railway history, railway statistics of BC, and rail distances in BC. Some of this research was produced in his B.C. Rail Guide No. 5, "Statistics for the B.C. Railway Historian", which is also included.
File consists of an excerpted chapter from "British Columbia and the United States" by Howay, Sage and Angus (published 1942). Chapter is entitled "Railway Building in British Columbia, 1871-1915".
File consists of issue number 436 of "Canadian Rail", which has been pared down to the feature article "The Railway History of Kamloops, B.C.: A Century Old Story" by Davies.
File consists of an excerpt from "The Steam Chest" periodical, which contains a listing of every railway incorporated in British Columbia. The list does not include logging or other uncommon carrier lines unless they were incorporated as railways.
File consists of two pamphlet guides to stop of interest plaques in British Columbia.
File consists of a pamphlet published by the City of Vancouver Archives commemorating the arrival of the first trans-Canada train from Montreal to Vancouver.
File consists of Number 31 in the Sound Heritage Series, "Railroaders: Recollections from the Steam Era in British Columbia", by Robert D. Turner.
File consists of ten annual reports of the Railway Department of the Province of British Columbia for the years 1946-1950, 1953-1954, 1956-1958.
File consists of the 1930 edition of the British Columbia Manual of Province Information as well as a photocopied excerpt from the book.
File consists of the 1981 first edition of "The Pictorial History of Railroading in British Columbia" by Barrie Sanford.
File consists of a photocopied excerpt on "Railway and Electric Enterprise" from the 1911/1914 edition of the "Year Book of British Columbia and Manual of Provincial Information". Also includes the full 1911/1914 edition of the "Year Book of British Columbia and Manual of Provincial Information".
File consists of the 1904 edition of a textbook by N. Hawkins entitled "New Catechism of the Steam Engine with Chapters on Gas, Oil and Hot Air Engines".
File consists of the 1982 edition of a guidebook by Bill Coo entitled "Scenic Rail Guide to Western Canada with Connecting Road Routes".
File consists of the 2007 edition of the "Canadian Trackside Guide 2007" by Bytown Railway Society.
Series consists of province-wide and regional maps of British Columbia that show railway trackage or otherwise relate to railways. Includes plans of railway structures, trackage, and buildings built in British Columbia by railway companies. Contains maps that depict the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Canadian National Railway, the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, BC Rail, the Great Northern Railway, and various Vancouver Island railways.
File consists of provincial and regional maps of British Columbia relating to railways, which consist of photocopy reproductions from books and hand drawn works by Davies. Includes a series of articles by Davies published in The Sandhouse entitled: "An Interesting Tale: An Old Map is Discovered"; "Railways Around the Bottom End of Kootenay Lake"; "Railways in the Slocan Region"; "Nelson, Trail, and Thereabouts"; "Kettle Valley Railway Routing: The Theory"; "Competition, Then Compromise: The meshing of the V.V.E.R. and the K.V.R."; "Centenary of Crow's Nest Pass Railway"; and "E&N Developments on Vancouver Island".
File consists of maps of British Columbia lower mainland relating to railways, which consist of photocopy reproductions from books and hand drawn works by Davies. Includes maps of the BCER; historic railways of the Mission, Abbotsford and Huntingdon area; a 2002 Skytrain map; Lulu Island; CNR; and CPR.
File consists of an altered 1975 edition of the British Columbia Recreational Atlas, which is entitled "Railways of British Columbia". Davies notes that this atlas shows all functioning railways in British Columbia in 1970.
File consists of maps of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) trackage in British Columbia, which consist of photocopy reproductions and hand drawn works by Davies. Includes maps of CPR track in various B.C. cities (Armstrong, Cranbrook, Greenwood, Grand Forks, Penticton, Vancouver, Princeton, Kaslo, Creston, Kamloops, Salmon Arm, Summerland, Revelstoke, Enderby, Nelson, Trail, and Golden); maps of CPR track at various times (1909, 1985); maps of the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR); maps of the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (E&N); and a hand drawn map of the railways in south-eastern British Columbia.
File consists of maps of the Canadian National Railway (CNR) trackage in British Columbia, which consist of photocopy reproductions and hand drawn works by Davies. Includes maps of CNR track in various B.C. cities (Kamloops, Smithers, Lytton, Terrace, Hope, Kelowna, Prince George, Vernon, Prince Rupert); maps of CNR track at various times (1910, 1919, 1930, 1962, 2003); and maps of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR).
File consists of maps of the Pacific Great Eastern (PGE) and BC Rail (BCR) trackage in British Columbia, which consist of photocopy reproductions and hand drawn works by Davies. Includes maps of PGE/BCR track in various B.C. cities (Fort St. John, Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Squamish, 100 Mile House, Lillooet, Fort Nelson, Williams Lake, West Vancouver, Quesnel); maps of PGE/BCR track at various times (1973, 1986); and maps of the Dease Lake extension.
File consists of maps of railway trackage in Vancouver Island, which consist of photocopy reproductions and hand drawn works by Davies. Includes maps of track in various cities on Vancouver Island (Victoria, Nanaimo, Duncan, Parksville, Qualicum, Nanoose, Ladysmith, and Port Alberni); maps of the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (E&N); and maps of logging railways on Vancouver Island.
File consists of maps of the Great Northern Railway (GNR) trackage in British Columbia, which consist of photocopy reproductions and hand drawn works by Davies. Includes maps of GNR track in various B.C. cities (Grand Forks); maps of GNR track at various times (1914, 1928); and a map of railways in northern Washington in 1928.
Series consists of material regarding railway survey and construction in British Columbia. Includes information about construction statistics, surveying and tendering, construction methods, contractors, and equipment. Also includes details about the construction of specific railways, including the Canadian Northern Railway, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, the Kettle Valley Railway, the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, the Crow’s Nest Pass Railway, and others.
File consists of both parts of a two-part article by David Davies that appeared in 2008 issues of "The Sandhouse" journal, entitled "BC's 30 Boom Years of Railway Building: 1895-1925". Also includes correspondence related to the creation of the article.
File consists of documents relating to railway construction in general and railway construction statistics, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions from books and clippings from periodicals. Includes the following items, among others: "Historical Summary of Railways in British Columbia" (BC Rail Guide No. 1) by Davies and Nicklason; "Dismantling the GNR tracks within B.C." compiled by Davies; "Summary of Route Mileages built in B.C. in Decades to 1930" compiled by Davies; "Rail Distances in B.C." compiled by Davies; and "A Chronology of Railways of B.C." by Dave Wilkie.
File consists of documents relating to railway construction surveying and tendering, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes the following items, among others: an article from Trains magazine by R.M. Bailey entitled "On The Line" regarding CNR in BC; an article from Trains magazine by Fitsimons and Berns entitled "The Surveyor's Art"; and "Details about Survey Work, Cost Estimates, and Contract for Victoria & Sidney Railway" excerpted from book by Muralt.
File consists of documents relating to railway construction methods and workers, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes the following items, among others: "Size of Labour Force Employed by Railway Contractors in Period 1895-1925 in B.C." compiled by Davies; a "Report of the Commissioners in re: Crow's Nest Complaints" from Sessional Papers No. 90A; a table showing comparative "Length of Lines Constructed in BC: 1895-1925"; "Summary of Tunnels in B.C. 100 feet and greater" compiled by Davies; and "Fatalities in Railway Construction in British Columbia" compiled by Davies.
File consists of documents relating to railway construction contractors, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes the following pieces compiled by Davies: "George Chew: Railway Construction Sub-Contractor"; "List of Sub-Contractors Who Completed Squamish Sub-Division, PGE, 1914-1915"; "Magoffin Contracting: 1920-1950s"; notes on the railway contractors for many of the railways in British Columbia; and a list of railway contracting individuals and firms in British Columbia.
File consists of documents relating to railway construction contractors Jack Stewart and the Moran sisters, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes biographies of Jack Stewart (1862-1938), a copy of his death certificate, and a copy of the death certificate of his wife (Elizabeth Stewart nee Moran).
File consists of documents relating to railway construction equipment, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes mentions of mechanical and compressed air drills for tunnel boring in B.C., steam shovels, Vulcan shovels, narrow-gauge Shay locomotives, and Mussens grading equipment. Also includes an article entitled "Products of the Marion Steam Shovel Company" by Paul Moon; "Production of Explosives in B.C. in the first quarter of the 20th century" by Davies; a "List of Narrow Gauge Locomotives used by Contractors Building Railways in B.C. in the period 1905-1925"; postcards; and a list of construction companies and equipment dealers in British Columbia.
File consists of photocopies of photographs and other graphical depictions of railway construction, many of which are reproductions from monographs, periodicals, and archives. Also includes postcards.
File consists of documents relating to railway construction equipment, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes articles entitled "Great Strike of 1912: The Early CNR Camps Proved Fertile Breeding Ground for a Union"; "[Construction of the Canadian Northern] Railway in Kamloops"; "The 1913 & 1914 Fraser River Slides"; "Port Mann, B.C. [as envisaged by Canadian Northern Railway, 1910-1920"; "Construction of Canadian Northern Railway in area between Valemount and Blue River between 1913-1915: Personal recollections of Mrs. Clemina Buckle"; and "The Best Route Through the Rockies" by Douglas Smith in Canadian Rail magazine. Also includes the following pieces compiled by Davies: "Construction of the Canadian Northern [Pacific] Railway within B.C."; "Colin Ewart Bolton (c. 1888 - c. 1960s): An early self-processing photographer of the Upper Thompson Valley"; "Canadian Northern Railway Construction Miles"; "The 'Lost City' of Peavine on the North Thompson River"; "Construction of Canadian Northern Railway North of Kamloops between Little Fort and McClure"; and "Bridges of Canadian Northern Railway".
File consists of documents relating to the construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR), which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes an article entitled "The Construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in British Columbia" by J.A. Lower and a transcript of a Prince George history talk given by Ted Williams. Also includes the following pieces compiled by Davies: "Building the G.T.P.R. in B.C., 1908-1914"; "Major Bridges on the GTPR"; "Construction of Grand Trunk Pacific Railway between Tete Jaune Cache and Prince George"; "Narrow Gauge Contractors Locomotives used in the Building of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in British Columbia"; and "Early Days of Fraser Sub of G.T.P.R.".
File consists of research material on the progressive opening dates of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (G.T.P.R.) for both freight and passenger trains between Edmonton-Prince George and Prince Rupert-Prince George circa 1914-1915. Material predominantly consists of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals.
File consists of documents relating to the construction of the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR), which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes a piece compiled by Davies entitled "Bread Ovens of Construction Works on the KVR c. 1913-1914".
File consists of documents relating to the construction of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE), which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes a chronology of the history of PGE, a list of sub-contractors who completed the Squamish sub-division, "PGE/BCR: Dease Lake Extension First 25 Years, 1968 to 1993", and "P.G.E.R. 1914 to 1923: Progressive Dates of Commencement of Passenger Service".
File consists of documents relating to the construction of the BC Southern Railway/Crow's Nest Pass Railway (CPR), which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes excerpts entitled "Building the C.P.R. through Crow's Nest Pass" by Wolf; "Working on the Railway Gang Over Crow's Nest Pass" by Compton; and "Building the Crow's Nest Pass Railway, 1897-1899" by Eagle.
File consists of research material relating to the construction of other railway lines in British Columbia, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes mention of the Columbia & Western Railway; the CPR connector between Kootenay Landing and Procter; construction of logging railways; the Kootenay Central Railway (CPR); sternwheelers in railway construction; the CPR south Slocan branch line; the Port Alberni branch line of the E&N Railway (CPR); the Oroville to Princeton GNR branch; the BCER Fraser Valley Interurban; and the Nelson and Fort Sheppard Railway. Also includes an article by Sanford entitled "Building CP Rail's Fording River Railway".