Collection consists of photographs and plans relating to the construction of bridges, trestles, and stations of the Canadian Northern Pacific Railway, ca. 1913, collected or created by George W.H. Jackson, a surveyor who worked for the CNPR. The railway, incorporated in 1910, existed in name only as a subsidiary of the Canadian Northern Railway, and began construction around 1913. The materials include:
- 148 photographs showing surveying, worksites, and views along the route. Many of the images are captioned and/or dated, presumably by Jackson.
- 94 blueprint plans detailing work on bridges, trestles, station hours, etc. with elevations, details of construction, and materials; one larger blueprint shows the rail route over Kicking Horse Pass.