World Class Trains: The Royal Canadian Pacific

This is the cosmopolitan city of Calgary. Calgary hosted one of the most successful Winter Olympic Games ever held in 1988. The spectacular flags of the nations and the 90 metre ski tower are a very popular tourist attraction. An attractive and dynamic city, Calgary offers visitors the experience of two exciting worlds. Stimulating big city life and outstanding wilderness beauty. Not to be missed is the Calgary Tower, rising 191 metres above the city. A high speed elevator easily reaches the top. This tower held the well-known Olympic symbol of the burning flame, which when lit could be seen from miles around. And this still occurs on holidays and special occasions today. From the observation terrace, the panoramic views of the city and the Rockies are truly breathtaking. Downtown Calgary lies in a cluster of mirrored glass and polished granite facades. Glass skyscrapers towering over the city soared almost overnight during the oil boom back in the 1970s. Now a monument to oil money, the area is about as sleek as an urban centre can be. Virtually every building has been newly constructed. Directly opposite the Calgary Tower is the excellent eclectic collection of the Glenbow Museum. Evidence of the daily lives of Alberta's earliest inhabitants can be found at the museum, and the existence of its native people have been traced back to at least 11,000 years ago. Buffalo sites, hunting implements, teepees and numerous other historic displays can be seen here. Situated a short distance from Glenbow Museum is Fort Calgary. Calgary's history as a city began in 1875, when to deal with the lawlessness and unrest among the Indian tribes and the white settlers, a detachment of the Northwest Mounted Police arrived and established Fort Calgary. By 1882, many of the fort buildings were in poor condition, and with the promise that the Canadian Pacific Railway would pass through Calgary, a much larger police barracks became a necessity. It remained operative as a police post until 1914, when it was sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway. Officials of the Canadian Pacific Railway realised the profitability of bringing in tourists to view the wonders of the West, and throughout the years have purchased and established a series of urban hotels for commercial travellers. Adjacent to the Palliser Hotel is the Canadian Pacific Railway Pavilion, and this is the starting point for our journey on board the luxurious Royal Canadian Pacific. Its west wing now shelters a vintage fleet of eight cars and three diesel locomotives that make up the magnificent Royal Canadian Pacific. This enclave ensures that the train is protected from the elements for not travelling. The Royal Canadian Pacific staff are all busy at work making last-minute preparations for the journey. Food supplies, fresh linen and flowers are all being loaded onto the train. Technical staff ensure that the train is fully functional. The Canadian Pacific Railway built more than a railway, it built a nation, and its story has fascinated Canadians for over a hundred years. The Royal Canadian Pacific draws from an elite fleet of dedicated Canadian Pacific Railway business and parlour rail carriages that were built between 1916 and 1930. These 80-foot long steel constructed cars were beautifully crafted rolling rooms built to carry kings and queens across the Dominion, and allowed the rail barons of the Canadian Pacific Railway to view their empire in style. Luxurious private guest quarters evoke a gracious bygone era with beautifully restored fixtures and fittings. All of the cabins are furnished with beautifully restored furniture. With plush couches, the interiors of all the cabins are meticulous in detail with inlaid panelling and finely polished brass fixtures. As the hustle and bustle of preparations goes on over at the Palliser Hotel, passengers are checking in for an overnight stay. Welcome to the Palliser. I've got this for you, the Royal Canadian Pacific. This is all the information on the train and the tour that you're about to start. There's information inside here as well about dinner reservations this evening as well as an information sheet for you to fill out should you have any special dietary requirements for the rest of your tour on the train. Here we are, this is the room I have going here, and what I'll do is I'll take you to your room, as well as I'll tell you a bit about the floor that you'll be staying on. Passengers can relax and enjoy dinner and drinks at the Rimrock restaurant, or alternatively, take advantage of an early night before the next morning's adventure begins. As the dawn breaks, the gleaming train draws into the private siding, ready for the passengers to board. Passengers meet with the Canadian Pacific Railway's Managing Director, Mr. David Walker. Well, good morning everyone. My name is David Walker. I'm the Managing Director of the Royal Canadian Pacific, and I'd like to officially welcome everyone here today to launch our fifth trip for the season. This is actually our last trip, but we're still as excited as our first trip. A couple things, we're going to be leaving here in a few minutes, and we'll be doing three types of geographies over the next three days. First of all, we'll be going through the Rocky Mountains, and through the famous Spiral Tuttle at Field. Then we'll be carrying on through the Crow's Nest Pass, and then down through the Lethbridge-Okotoks area, which is more prairie land. So it's kind of an interesting geography over the next few days, and you'll be covering 640 miles of Canadian Pacific Railway track, a combination of mainline and branch line. The train's immaculately attired service team serves champagne and orange juice in finely cut glasses from a silver platter, and the sound of regal bagpipes sets the tone for what promises to be an adventure of a lifetime. Among the luminaries who have graced the Royal Canadian Pacific's fleet are Sir Winston Churchill, Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, also King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Few people are able to travel more than a hundred years in a few days, yet for the privileged few, this journey into the past will unfold aboard this splendid time machine. Over the next few days, we will travel 1,045 kilometres on the Golden Crow's Nest Loop. Passengers are individually escorted to their cabins, where an attentive, finely attired steward guides each passenger through the amenities on board. The first part of our journey takes us west along the main line through the Bow River Valley towards the glorious Rocky Mountains. In 1996, 110 years after the arrival of the first transcontinental passenger train, the Canadian Pacific Railway moved to Calgary and the revival of the luxury and romance of those early days got underway. The result being the Royal Canadian Pacific, which carries just 22 passengers and made its inaugural journey out of Calgary in June 2000. All of the food served by the Royal Canadian Pacific is prepared on board by master chefs using local Canadian ingredients. Leaving Calgary, the Royal Canadian Pacific travels on Canada's original transcontinental line, completed in 1885. Linking east with west, the Canadian Pacific Railway unified Canada and made real what until then was only a political dream. Canadian Pacific Railway's first chairman, William Van Horn, said, if we can't export the scenery, we will have to import the tourists. As our journey continues along the river through Kicking Horse Pass, lunch is served in the Mount Stephen dining room. This is a beautiful day car with Art Deco interior, complete with Circassian walnut panelling and veneer imported from Russia. A full-size rosewood dinner table seats the full complement of guests. This is the ultimate world-class dining experience with stunning and constantly changing scenery and the highest quality food. The Kicking Horse Pass got its name from Sir James Hector, a noted naturalist and explorer. On discovering the pass, he was kicked by one of his pack horses, hence the unusual name. After lunch, passengers have the chance to return to the observation deck at the rear of the train. Here they can experience the thrilling and exciting journey through the world-famous spiral tunnels. This part of the journey is an amazing experience, but it is the history of the tunnels themselves that particularly interest the passengers. The construction of the unique spiral tunnels began in 1907 to eradicate the problem of the Big Hill. The winter snow was such an impediment to safe rail travel for the Canadian Pacific Railway that the tunnels were built to allow the railway to be open for business all year round. They were based on the Baixina Gorge tunnels in Switzerland. It took 1,000 men 20 months to complete and involved the excavation of 750,000 cubic yards of rock and cost over 1 million dollars to build. The lower spiral is tunneled through Mount Ogden and is approximately one kilometre long, turning approximately 230 degrees, the exit emerging 17 metres higher than its entrance. The upper spiral travels through Cathedral Mountain. This is another 100 metres longer than the lower one and turns approximately 250 degrees, its exit emerging 15 metres higher than its entrance. Winding through the mountains, the railway doubles back on itself twice. Tunnelling through the massive rock formation, it also crosses the river twice in order to cut down the steep gradient. Shortly after this, the train pours into Field, named after American promoter and industrialist Cyrus Field. Field became the home for crews and locomotives working on the Big Hill. It is also the point where the railway crosses between the Mountain and Pacific time zones. Here we depart the train and board the Brewster's motor coach, a sight that will become familiar to the passengers over the next few days. Our first excursion is to Emerald Lake. Despite the rain, the lake is truly spectacular and the peaceful stillness is immediately evident. The stunning Emerald Green Lake, set against the backdrop of green pines with the snow peaks on the surrounding mountains, is a truly magnificent sight. The area was previously used by the Cree Indians to hide their women and children while the men crossed the mountains into Alberta to trade and hunt buffalo. This tradition passed with the eradication of the buffalo herds and the arrival of the railways. Today, this is one of the Rockies' most important backpacking zones. Returning to the train, passengers are greeted once more by the crew, who are waiting with coffee, hot chocolate and liqueurs and freshly baked biscuits. Served in the lounge, the passengers relax and enjoy the journey and spectacular scenery as the train continues its journey towards Golden. From Field, the railway follows the Kicking Horse River in its westward descent of the Rocky Mountains, first through broad valleys between the mountains and finally within a deep and narrow canyon before emerging at Golden. Along the way, we travel through the country's largest natural wetland, called the Rocky Mountain Trench, marvelling at the plentiful and diverse wildlife around. The chef is already busy preparing the second meal of the journey for passengers. Dinner is served in the dining room and the passengers begin to get to know each other a more as they discuss the events of the first day on board the Canadian Pacific Railway. Regional wines accompany superb cuisine. The train pulls into a siding in Invermere, our destination for the night. From Invermere, the train continues south through the valley to Fort Steele. Early the next morning, the train pulls out of Invermere and the small town and lake are still Breakfast is served in the dining room as the train continues its journey south through the valley. We are now in the wetlands of the broad valley that divide the Rockies and Purcell Mountains. Fort Steele is our first destination of the day and here we will visit the area's heritage site. The origin of Fort Steele is closely linked to the discovery of gold in 1860 on nearby Wild Horse Creek. In 1864, an enterprising Irishman by the name of John Galbraith recognized the need for a crossing over the Kootenai River and so started a ferry service and the Frontier Town was born. In 1898, the fateful decision was made that the railroad would bypass this booming town and be routed through Cranbrook, leaving it to fall into obscurity and decay. After languishing as a ghost town for more than half a century, Fort Steele was brought back to life in 1961 when it was established as a British Columbia heritage site. As the train pulls into the station, the motor coach is once again waiting to transfer passengers to the heritage town. A personal guide is waiting to greet and escort them around this unique site. Over 60 buildings were restored and reconstructed to bring Fort Steele back to life. Passengers enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride around the town with their own personal guide. It was like taking a step back in time to a real western frontier, walking the streets where the early pioneers actually once lived. The bakery sells marvellous breads and confectionaries to make your mouth water. The real old-fashioned general store sells late 19th and early 20th century goods, as well as souvenir items. While just a short distance away, the blacksmiths hammer and forge not only tools of the last century, but also beautiful wrought iron garden and household items that are available for sale. Our tour concludes with a visit to Mrs Pugh's house for lunch. Here, actors recreate the family life of the time and welcome us into the house for entertainment and a hearty bite to eat. Leaving Fort Steele, the motor coach transfers us to our next destination, the town of Cranbrook, where we visit the Canadian Museum of Rail. Cranbrook is a relatively small community with just 20,000 people. The fact that a very specialised railway heritage collection is to be found here may seem surprising, but it shows what just one person with vision and dedication can do when that person is able to inspire those around him. Gary Anderson was the initiator of the museum and our guide on the tour. In 1976, Anderson had gathered together a group of interested citizens who created the Cranbrook Archive Museum and Landmark Foundation, of which he was president from 1976 to 1979 and has been executive director ever since. One of the Foundation's responsibilities is to the dedication to research, preservation and restoration of the railway. The Foundation had purchased a dining car, Argyle, and under its many coats of paint stood a survivor from Canada's most luxurious train, the Trans-Canada Limited, also known as Millionaire's Special. 12 sets of new heavyweight cars were specially built for the Trans-Canada Limited in 1929, and the A-series dining car, Argyle, was amongst these cars. Through research and travel, Anderson learned that other cars from these sets had also survived, and realising the unfolding before him was the potential for not only a unique attraction, but an unequal collection of North American railway heritage, he began to make plans for the revival of the entire train. Using his own background in restoration and architecture, Anderson dedicated himself to overseeing the whole process of turning the fleet of well-worn work trains into the classic railway carriages that they had once been. Plans are now underway for a new museum building, and luckily for the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel, they've acquired the dining room from the Royal Alexandra Hotel, which was built in 1906 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, by the Canadian Pacific Railway. The museum is now in the process of recreating the entire original room, and it'll be incorporated into the new expanded museum as the Royal Alexandra Hall. Leaving the museum, the passengers board the motor coach for a short journey back to the train which is waiting for them at Old Fort Steele. They reboard the train to continue their journey eastbound to Crow's Nest Lake, situated at the height of the Crow's Nest Pass. It's time once again to relax and enjoy the ever-changing scenery, and the approaching sunset, whilst enjoying a pre-dinner over the lake is quite stunning. Inside, passengers enjoy cocktails in the lounge. After dinner, it's time to retire to the lounge for coffee and drinks, and to crown the evening with entertainment from a Calgary Philharmonic violinist and classical guitarist. The train will depart Crow's Nest Pass and continues its journey through Frank's Slide towards Fort McLeod. Leaving behind the mountains of Crow's Nest, we pass through an area called Frank's Slide. In 1903, the town of Frank was home to approximately 600 people, and was an area famous for its coal mining. This is now the new menu of today, so people have an idea what the menu looks like today, and also the itinerary here, and of course you have the names here of the guests, and other explanation of the cars. Early next morning, en route to Fort McLeod, the kitchen staff are already busy preparing this morning's breakfast, and as the sun begins to rise, so do the passengers who meet in the dining room. The five cars that we use on the Royal Canadian Pacific, the Mount Stephen, the Royal Wentworth, the Van Horn, the Killarney, and our APU car, all cars are actually built by Canadian Pacific Railway. They were all built in the early 1920s in our shops, in Angus shops in Montreal, and we've had them since the early 1920s, and they were, but they were always allocated to senior officers of the company, and over the years, money was budgeted to maintain these fleet of luxurious cars, and we're very fortunate that today, because investment was put into the cars, and also the passion of keeping these cars in our fleet, we have available now to market to clients that are interested in doing the Golden Crow's Nest excursion, or a private charter, or a stationary dinner on these cars, so they've been in Canadian Pacific Railway's fleet since the 1920s. We've been very fortunate that all the vintage cars we use on the Royal Canadian Pacific have a historical significance in terms of Canadian history. On the cars have had the King and Queen in 1939, and in 1951, King George VI and the Queen traveled across Canada on the Royal Canadian Pacific. We have also had Winston Churchill that's been on these cars. Many prime ministers and politicians over the years have been entertained on these cars, and in recent times, even Bill Gates from the United States had traveled on the Royal Canadian Pacific. The product line that the Royal Canadian Pacific offers to our clients is the Golden Crow's Nest excursion, which is our six-day, five-night program. We also offer private charters to clients, and since we've invested a significant amount of money in the Canadian Pacific Railway pavilion in Calgary, we offer stationary dinners to corporate groups who would like to use any of these cars for a stationary dinner, or to hold a boardroom meeting on. Our fourth product line is our dinner trains. We offer dinner trains between Calgary and Banff, and Calgary and High River, to sum up the Royal Canadian Pacific. The Royal Canadian Pacific is a luxurious train service that truly offers a first-class experience. Once a client has been on the Royal Canadian Pacific, they have been totally wowed, so it's truly a first-class experience that's a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. On arrival at Fort McLeod, our familiar motor coach is on standby to take us to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the uniquely named Head Smashed In at Buffalo Jump. The 5,000-year-old story of Head Smashed In is based on rich oral traditions of the Blackfoot Nation. Long before horses or guns, or even the bow and arrow were used, the Plains Indians hunted for buffalo. Herds of buffalo at the time were huge, anything from 30,000 to 60,000 in a herd, and the Indians had to split the herds and drive the animals over the cliff edge to their deaths. According to legend, a young boy eager to witness the countless buffalo as his people drove them to their death over the cliff edge, waited underneath the cliff sheltered by the ledge. That day was a particularly good day for the hunt, and as the buffalo bodies mounted, the boy became trapped and was later found with his head smashed in from the weight of the buffalo carcasses, hence the name Head Smashed In at Buffalo Jump. The varying displays document the buffalo hunting culture of the Plains people from ancient times to the arrival of the Europeans. Leaving the centre behind, the motor coach transfers the passengers back to the waiting train in Lethbridge. Once boarded, the train departs and crosses one of the most spectacular bridges in Canada, Lethbridge Bridge. This construction is also the highest rail bridge in Canada. Continuing its journey through the prairie grasslands towards Okotoks, the passengers sit down for lunch in the dining car before reaching our next destination. Our final excursion of the tour after lunch is to Spruce Meadows. Spruce Meadows is a dream come true. It is an Albertan success story of one family and a community who embraced the family's dream as their very own. Ladies and gentlemen, we'll get underway with your Spruce Meadows portion of the tour starting about now. First of all, welcome back to the Calgary area. My name is Jack Hugill and I'm part of the special features department here at Spruce Meadows. Spruce Meadows is a show jumping facility. It is ranked in the top three since 1992, top three in the world. We get somewhere in the range of $350,000 a year visiting Spruce Meadows. We are so delighted that we have nice weather for you again. David and I were just saying that we've done it, this is our fifth tour this year and we certainly hope that you will enjoy the visit. Husband and wife team Ron and Marge Southern, with thoughtfulness, leadership and the pursuit of excellence, developed Spruce Meadows into the internationally acclaimed facility that it is today. Construction of Spruce Meadows began in 1973 and the official opening took place in 1975 with the first tournament being held in 1976. The venue covers 300 acres and the complex now comprises over 20 buildings. Over 85 people are employed on a full-time basis, 30 part-time and over 500 volunteers to help to run the tournaments during the summer months. In addition to over half a million spectators who attend tournaments at Spruce Meadows, a television audience of over 700 million are reached through Spruce Meadows programming. Escorted inside the equestrian ring, we are given a private demonstration of equestrian eventing. It is quite obvious the quest for excellence in every aspect of Spruce Meadows has brought this facility to the pinnacle of the sport of show jumping. Back on board the train, the passengers just have time to change for the final cocktails and a dinner to enjoy among traveling acquaintances and friends. I think our guests, when they get off the train, should feel something very unique, also something they have touched some history. These cars have been around for many years and getting off with something that, you know, with the feeling of just a wonderful great trip, having met some wonderful people, great people and probably have, you know, made some very wonderful contacts too. And it's, I think it's a great tool for, you know, getting to know people from different countries and backgrounds and cultures. You open your mind, you learn more, of course. It's all an education at the same time. And I think guests should just walk off that train totally, how you call the word, blasted. The 40th anniversary was coming up and we didn't really do anything special on the 30th and it's been a long time. And we thought, well, let's do something a little bit special. And I opted for taking a look on the internet to see what was available. And I found various options on what to do. And we've traveled quite a bit. We've been to Europe, we've been throughout the country, U.S. and a little bit of Canada, but nothing up here in the northwest part of Canada. And the CP site came up and that CP site was very well done. And having been well done, kind of sucked me into reading it. So I read it and it sounded like a very nice trip through the Rockies and in about four or five days and that would be a very nice trip. But we had never gone anywhere just to relax and visit one site. We always would go on a vacation and travel from city to city and never really stopped and smelled the roses, so to speak. And so this one looked like it would do it. We've been trips where we've been pampered a little bit, but this one looked like it was very special. The trip is fantastic. It really is. And I can't say enough about the staff, the facility, the food, all of the stops that we've taken. It's just outstanding. If I tried to find something to change, it would be very difficult. Joseph and his helpers have done an outstanding job for us. I knew it would really be first class, but I didn't realize that it would be probably as first class as it actually is. And you wondered who you would meet on the train. It is a bit of close quarters, how are you going to like it to be confined with, we didn't know whether it was going to be 15 or 30 people. And so I found it to be quite wonderful. I thought it was about the right size group and it was certainly very, I think, very prestigious having had the opportunity to take the train ride. I love the Rocky Mountains. I love the Kootenays. And every time you go through the Rockies or any of the Columbias or the Kootenays, I mean, just hour to hour they change. The scenery changes, the weather changes. They're an experience that I think everyone should have. You know, it's a vintage experience. It's a learning experience. And it's something that it provides you an opportunity to relax and see scenery that you would not see any other way. You know, I have driven it myself. I didn't see the same scenery I've seen going by the train. Driving, I didn't have an opportunity to enjoy it. This certainly gives you an opportunity to completes the final short leg of the journey, which will return us to Calgary. One of the most unique aspects of the Royal Canadian Pacific has been the amount we have learned about the history of the Canadian West. Stops at the selected historic destinations have provided myself and fellow passengers with a rare taste of what life was like at the turn of the past century, as well as entertaining dinner conversation. The final leg of the journey returned us back to Calgary. And I cannot help but think what a truly unique, luxurious and memorable adventure these past few days have been. Our historic fleet of handsome carriages have traversed Canada's most majestic mountain scenery in a style befitting the rulers and royalty who once travelled in the very same rail cars. Passengers depart the train and transfer inside the pavilion. Here, they are presented with souvenirs from their trip. And so I would like to present you with a nice little photo from the west of your land. And another thing that you probably have enjoyed during dinner, I know you were always sort of wondering why we take them off so quickly, like at the table, you know, color up the table a little bit. And what we like to do is present you with a plate, a smaller version. They are collector's item and they are actually numbered from one to a thousand. So it's something nice as a little souvenir for yourself. So thank you again for having such a wonderful trip and helping us out a lot in many ways. And I thank you very much again and have a safe trip back home. Thank you. This was truly one of the world's great journeys by rail and one of the world's finest trains. The time-honored tradition of luxury rail travel, fine cuisine, impeccable surroundings, magnificent and spellbinding scenery are yours to enjoy on board the Royal Canadian Pacific.