Karl was having difficulty travelling through British Columbia due to railway construction and recent forest fires. Despite these challenges, his timing improved as the railway stations in Elko and Cranbrook had been established just the previous year, providing Karl with better riding conditions.
When the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) surveyed towns to determine the necessary type of station, Elko was designated a Class B station. These stations, built in remote areas at the turn of the century, included separate living quarters for the station agent and section workers. Designed for functionality, they catered to the needs of railway staff in isolated locations. Each piece of the station was numbered, sent out to the town, and then constructed, prioritizing practicality and efficiency over comfort.
The CPR expansion was critical for exporting minerals identified in British Columbia, but ironically, coal, the principal fuel for steam-powered trains, played a key role. During the 1860s and 1870s, coal became the preferred fuel for locomotives, leading major railroads to abandon wood. By 1880, more than 90% of railway fuel was coal, connecting mining towns with markets.
Leitch (Passburg) Collieries, located adjacent to the then ‘newly’ established CPR line, was one of Crowsnest Pass's most impressive and sophisticated early coal mines and the only company fully Canadian-owned and operated. The site had a full coal processing plant, with weigh scales and 101 coke ovens, However, the coal proved to be of poor quality for producing coke for smelting ores, and only a few of the coking ovens were ever used. The company ultimately failed in 1916 under a burden of debt and loss of markets, partly due to a 1911 general strike and the outbreak of the First World War.
Most buildings were moved, but the ruins of the tipple, powerhouse, coke ovens, and manager's house are examples of a mining operation from this period. Today, the Leitch Colliery is a Historical Site that represents the development of coal mining in Crowsnest Pass, one of Canada's major coal-producing areas at the turn of the twentieth century.
After visiting the colliery, I stopped briefly in Elko and then went to Karl’s next destination in Cranbrook.
Interestingly, dear reader, the Elko train station was moved to Cranbrook in 1987 and remains the only one of its kind left in North America, now located at the corner of Van Horne Street and King Street.
Do you remember Sir William Van Horne? We first met him in Karl Chronicles #19, "Horsepower and Megawatts," where Karl described a construction project at Grand Falls involving Van Horne, President of the Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.). In Karl Chronicles #21, "Sidetracked at Minister’s Island," we explored Van Horne's estate in New Brunswick, showcasing his experience in the design of Château Frontenac in Quebec City (Post #31, "Behind the Scenes at Château Frontenac"). In Post #67, "Portage La Prairie," we encountered Van Horne’s former railway car, "Le Rideau," which he used extensively while completing the railroad west of Winnipeg.
And now, I was travelling on the street with his namesake! Reflecting on this journey across North America, it's clear that Van Horne’s leadership in expanding the railway was pivotal not only for the development of Canada but also for travellers like Karl, who followed the route he helped create.
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