Train Tracks

The bus yard pictured last week is alongside the tracks that run from Victoria up island. There isn't currently a train running on this route but hopefully in the future it will be restored.-Fern

In Search of Snow

This stretch of the E and N Railway line runs just south of Shawnigan Lake and we went up there looking for some white stuff. I know the rest of the continent gets more than they ever want but here on the wet west coast, we sometimes feel feel a certain lack. - Fern

Railroad Tracks

Until recently, Vancouver Island had train service running daily from Victoria to Courtenay. Sadly, we no longer hear the whistle blow on it's way through our neighborhood. There doesnt seem to be any good news on the web as to whether it will be restored either. On a positive note, they are beginning to build a commuter path along the line. The E&N Rail Trail Project will a wonderful addition to the city. -Fern

Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway Station

This the the final stop on the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railroad, the station in Victoria at one end of the Johnson Street Bridge. Built by coal baron, Sir Robert Dunsmuir, the railway has been in operation since 1886 though it has changed hands a number of times. Initially it did not run all the way to Victoria and the small station above is relatively modern. There is a good short history of the E & N that you can read by clicking HERE. A lot of Victoria's early history is tied up with the Dunsmuir family. Robert Dunsmuir also built Craigdarroch Castle, one of Victoria's most outstanding heritage buildings. His son, James Dunsmuir, became premier of the province of British Columbia and built Hatley Castle, another remarkable heritage building, as his personal residence. I earlier posted a picture of this station with the Dayliner train.

Swans Hotel

I've wanted to show you a picture of our train for some time and here it is, the E & N Dayliner, at its Southern Terminus and Station at the bottom of Pandora Avenue. The cream colored building just visible beyond the train is Swans Hotel, pictured below. Swans is one of my favorite downtown buildings. Built in 1913 as a granary and feed store it was transformed into a popular brewpub restaurant and hotel by the late Michael Williams, who lived in the top floor penthouse. He is immortalized in an interesting piece of public art nearby, which I will save for tomorrow's post.

Frosty Morning

Victoria has mild winters but for several months each year the temperature hovers around freezing. Here's a frosty morning in January of this year with my granddaughter walking the dog along the railway tracks. It's the E and N Railway - stands for Esquimalt and Nanaimo - that runs a dayliner service between Victoria, Courtenay and Port Alberni.