![]() Over a two-year period in the mid 1930s the line was only open for a total of two weeks.Ī series of washouts in 1959 brought the line to a standstill, and CPR officials in Montreal decided to close the line permanently.įreight was discontinued in 1961, and the last passenger train completed its run in 1964, although parts of the KVR in the Okanagan continued independently until 1989. Over its lifespan, the KVR was called upon, on numerous occasions, to act as “second mainline” when washouts, rock slides, or avalanches closed off the main CPR line through the Fraser Canyon.īut the KVR itself was especially prone to weather problems, with many mudslides and snow storms putting it out of commission for days at a time. The freight included ore from the Kootenays, forestry products and fruit from the Okanagan. Rail service on the KVR consisted of both passenger and freight trains. Much of the Coquihalla Highway is built upon the original railbed of the Kettle Valley Railway. Over the years, roads, lakes, bridges and creeks have taken on these names, and the five tunnels, because they are close to the old Othello Station, have become commonly known as the Othello Tunnels. Thus, the first 10 stations after Hope were Othello, Lear, Jessica, Aurum, Shylock, Portia, Iago, Romeo, Coquihalla, and Juliette. It turned out that McCulloch was an avid reader of Shakespeare.Īpril, 1916 was the 300th anniversary of the subdivision stations after characters in Shakespearian plays. The route was officially opened in April of that year. It was truly an engineering marvel, and the newspapers of the day referred to it as “McCulloch’s Wonder.” Difficult and dangerous jobs were given to Chinese labourers to do, several of whom were killed by falls or by explosives.Ĭonstruction of the Kettle Valley line was completed in 1916. With sheer, vertical walls, harsh rain and snow conditions, and questionable safety standards, the construction workers faced some daunting challenges.Ĭliff ladders, suspension bridges, and simple ropes were all used to provide access to almost impossible areas.ĭynamite was used to blow passages through the solid rock. In addition, two bridges had to be built between three of the tunnels.īecause there were five tunnels they were originally named the Quintette Tunnels. McCulloch decided that a straight section of track through this area was required, and in order to achieve this, five closely aligned tunnels had to be constructed. ![]() The roughest part by far was the Coquihalla Canyon. The route cut through three mountain ranges and had to deal with steep grades and deep gorges. It proved to be the most challenging project of his career. Rail’s Chief Engineer, Andrew McCulloch (1864-1945). The construction of the Kettle Valley main line began in 1910, under the direction of C.P. The route chosen hooked up with the CPR main line at Hope, and passed through Princeton, Summerland, Penticton, Beaverdell, and ended in Midway.Īn additional earlier constructed branch line connected to Spences Bridge and Merritt. would, in effect, become a commercial annex of the U.S., provincial and federal officials quickly agreed that a second “Coast to Kootenay” railroad within B.C. They quickly determined that it was quicker and cheaper to get their supplies and to ship the ore via the Northern Pacific Railroad that came through Spokane, Washington.įearing that this region of B.C. READ MORE: The interesting history of the Rose Lake Lodge Once silver was discovered in the Southern Interior in the spring of 1887, thousands of American miners flooded into the region. The answer, it turns out, harkens back to the early 1900s, when the Canadian pacific Railway was constructing the Kettle Valley line to connect B.C.’s southern coast with the Kootenay region. How did they come to be place names on a busy highway in the Interior of B.C.? Now, I am not an English major, but I know enough to recognize that these are all Shakespearian characters. There was the Juliette Bridge, Romeo Road, Shylock Road, Portia Creek, and the Othello Tunnels. I enjoyed the trip and the scenery, but just before descending into Hope, I came across some interesting place names. However, this past summer, I decided to do the Coquihalla highway (better to do it in the summer, rather than in the winter). Normally when I travel down to the coast I take the Fraser Canyon route.
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