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.
File consists of research material regarding steam locomotives operated in British Columbia by owners other than CNR and CPR, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes information on steam locomotives used by Pacific Great Eastern (PGE), Great Northern Railway (GNR), and the White Pass & Yukon Route. Also includes the following articles: "The PGE's Steam Locomotive Fleet: 1912-1956" by Hind; "GNR Motive Power Used in Southwestern B.C." by Merilee; and "PGE and BCR Locomotive Roster" by Crozier Smith.
File consists of a 1977 publication by Steve Hauff and Jim Gertz entitled "The Willamette Locomotive".
File consists of a publication by Jim Hope and Donald Bain entitled "Memories of Canadian Pacific Steam Power in British Columbia".
File consists of a folder containing photo information sheets that describe types of locomotive power operated by the Canadian National Railways.
File consists of a publication by Donald C. Lewis entitled "Rail Canada: PGE/BC Rail Diesels 1948 to 1981".
Series consists of employee timetables for the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Canadian National Railway, the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, BC Rail, the Great Northern Railway, the Great Northern Railway, the Burlington Northern Railway, the BC Electric Railway, and the BC Harbours Board Railway. Also known as “working timetables”, these are a valuable research tool that include timings at every station or other significant location along the train's journey, the train's reporting number, its maximum speed, and any other information relevant to the operation of the train.
Series consists of research material regarding rail freight in British Columbia and in general. Includes information about freight statistics, freight customers in BC, freight revenue, less-than-carload service, types of freight loads, freight loading and discharging devices, and intermodal freight. Also includes information on the rail transport of coal, coke fuel, ore, lumber, pulp and paper, potash, sulfur, cement, gypsum, grain, fish, chemicals, petroleum, automobiles, and livestock.
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.
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 various glossaries and definitions of railway terms excerpted from books and periodicals.
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 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 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 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 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 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".
Series consists of articles, clippings, and other research material regarding railway bridges in British Columbia. Includes information about fixed span bridges, drawbridges, moveable span bridges, and trestles. Also includes details about specific bridges, such as the New Westminster Drawbridge, the Second Narrows Drawbridge, and the Cisco Bridge.
File consists of research material regarding railway trestles, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes pieces compiled by Davies on the trestle approaching New Westminster Bridge; CNR Kinsol trestle; the Cuisson Creek and Australian Creek PGE trestles; trestles on the KVR; and wooden railway trestles in B.C.
File consists of research material regarding railway water delivery structures, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes schematic drawings of water delivery structures; information on water crane standpipes, enclosed water tanks, and steel water tanks; and a 1993 Canadian Rail article by Heaman entitled "Water--A Railway Necessity: Western Lines Increase Supply".
File consists of research material regarding ice storage sheds and ice harvesting, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes the following pieces compiled by Davies: "Schematic Drawing of Ice Houses in B.C."; "Ice Houses"; and "Miscellaneous Examples of Icing Facilities in B.C.". Also includes the articles "Ice Harvesting--A Forgotten Industry" by Mohowski, "Ice and the railroad: Pt. III--Railroad Ice Houses" by Lambert, and "Operation of Car Icing Stations" by Inghram.
Series consists of material regarding railway stations in British Columbia. Includes information about station furnishing, architectural history, flagstops, and railway station gardens. Also contains details about specific stations and types of stations built by each railway in British Columbia, including stations built by the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Canadian National Railway, the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway, the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, and the Great Northern Railway.
File consists of research material regarding Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE) stations in British Columbia, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes information on various PGE stations and a listing by Davies entitled "Railway Stations in B.C. by Railway Company: PGE". Also includes an article by Patrick O. Hind entitled "Bridge River and the Pacific Great Eastern Railway".
File consists of the 1990 publication by Ian Baird entitled "Canadian Pacific Railway Stations in British Columbia".
File consists of research material regarding railway gardens (usually located next to railway stations), which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes information on railway gardens in Cranbrook, Vancouver, Kamloops, and Blue River. Also includes an article by Vallerand and Smith in Canadian Rail no. 530 entitled "Railway Gardens".
Series consists of material regarding the laying and maintenance of railway track and other trackside operations in British Columbia. Includes information about rails, track, turnouts, rail ties, gradients, telegraph lines, track signage, road crossings, and diamond crossings.
File consists of research material regarding rails and track, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes information on tie plates and track fastenings, guard rails, KVR roadbeds and rails, descriptions of rail failures, track upgrades on the CNR North Line, concrete ties, grantlet track, track curvature, steel rail manufacture, and rail specifications. Also includes original reporting forms for rail failures.
File consists of research material regarding turnouts, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes information on switch stands, turnout configurations, and targets.
File consists of research material regarding trackside operations, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals (mainly model railroading magazines). Includes information on track fitments, rail bumpers, train order boxes, hose houses, swinging gate crossings, stock guards, telephone boxes, rail and flange lubricators, snow fences, and section houses. Also includes "Recollections of an E&N Railway Trackman, 1945-1955" by Bill Batchelor (recorded by Davies) and "Wyes in Southwestern B.C. and Vancouver Island" by Mike Green.
File consists of research material regarding gradients, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes an article by Donald Purdy entitled "Memories of CPR's Kootenay Switchbacks"; various examples of B.C. switchbacks and gradients; and information on altitudes, grades, and elevations.
File consists of research material regarding railway signs, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes information on "tell-tales" that mark restricted clearances, blue flags, mileposts, metal crossing signs, culvert markers, speed signs, whistle posts, flanger signs, and other trackside signs.
File consists of research material regarding railway road crossings, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes information on grade crossings, flashers, and wig-wags.
File consists of research material regarding railway diamond crossings, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes examples of various diamond crossings in British Columbia.
File consists of research material regarding railway snow removal, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes information on the Rogers Pass Avalanche of 1910, CPR snow slide accidents, snow removal on the Coquihalla subdivision of the Kettle Valley Railway, snow plowing the GNR in southeastern B.C., and general railway operation conditions in Canadian winters. Also includes two issues (nos. 324 and 361) of Canadian Rail magazine that feature articles about snow removal.
File consists of research material regarding railway snow removal equipment, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes information on ice cutter spreaders, snow plows, wedge plows, wing plows, steel plows, and wood plows. Contains a piece by Davies entitled "Snowplows in B.C. and elsewhere in Canada at 2007". Also includes issue no. 475 of Canadian Rail magazine, which features an article by W.H. Winterrowd entitled "Snow Fighting Equipment".
File consists of research material regarding Budd cars (rail diesel cars) and earlier self-propelled coaches, which predominantly consist of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Includes information on car schematics; the operating history of CNR Railiners; CPR Dayliners; GNR RDC-3 Budd car; CNR 15820; the CPR 'Motor Car' of 1906; the first use of diesel traction in British Columbia; GTW Doodlebugs; KVR Budd cars; and Kamloops rail jitneys. Also includes issue no. 491 of Canadian Rail, which features articles on Budd cars in Canada.
File consists of research material regarding various topics related to freight cars, including reporting marks, car design, weight, and consolidated stencils. Predominantly consists of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals. Also includes issue no. 244 of Canadian Rail magazine, which features an article by Wilkinson entitled "A Quarter-Century of Freight Car Design", and a 2010 issue of the Sterling Rail classifieds.
File consists of research material regarding boxcar design progression over the decades, including profiles for 36-footer, 40-footer, 50-footer, and 60-footer boxcars. Predominantly consists of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals.
File consists of research material regarding stock cars, including double-deck stock cars, the end of stock car service, and depictions of stock car types. Predominantly consists of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals.
File consists of research material regarding freight car service cars, work trains, and other miscellaneous non-revenue cars. Predominantly consists of photocopy reproductions, excerpts from books, and clippings from periodicals.
Subseries consists of Canadian Pacific Railway employee timetables and schedules. Also includes employee timetables for the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway.
File consists of original Canadian Pacific Railway Pacific Region Timetables 102 (27 Sept. 1953) and 108 (30 Sept. 1956).
File consists of an original Canadian Pacific Railway Pacific Region Timetable 95 (24 Apr. 1966)
File consists of original CPR Pacific Region timetables 97 (30 Oct. 1983) and 100 (7 Nov. 1985).
File consists of an original CPR West timetable 92 (7 June 1987).
File consists of an original CPR Alberta, Revelstoke, and Vancouver Divisions timetable 87 (26 Apr. 1992). Also includes Supplement No. 1 to Time Table No. 87.
File consists of an original and complete CNR BC timetable 46 (30 Apr. 1972).
File consists of original BC Rail timetables 5 (3 Apr. 1994), 6 (1 Apr. 1995), 10 (14 June 1998) and 12 (3 July 2003).