The Kettle Valley Railway
Oh, what an adventure it was to ride on the Kettle Valley Railway,
or the KVR as it was called. Completed in 1916, it carried freight and
passengers in comfort and safety for over 40 years. It took six years of
backbreaking and sometimes dangerous work to build the 330-mile line
(530 kilometres). Labourers tunnelled through high mountain passes,
skirted around deep canyons, and crossed churning rivers. The rail line
was always being repaired or being rescued from natural disasters like
snowdrifts, avalanches, landslides, and forest fires. The KVR has been
described as the most difficult and expensive of all railway projects in
Canada. But for the passenger, riding the train provided spectacular
scenery, classy surroundings, and relaxed travel.
3 окт 2024
