West of the Great Divide: An Illustrated History of the Canadian Pacific Railway in British Columbia 1880-1986 [Hardcover]

Robert D. Turner (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0919203515 | ISBN-13: 978-0919203518 | Publication Date: February 1987

Updated edition. A complete and detailed history of the CPR in B.C., from the glorious days of huge steam locomotives and elegant dining, to the luxurious Canadian and modern diesels hauling coal and containers. Included are the personal stories of the men who built this railway, and the enormous construction problems, hazards, frustrations, tragedies and engineering triumphs. Detailed accounts of day-to-day operations, endless battles with winter snows and mountain grades. The steam era of the 1920s to 1950s receives particular attention. Over 400 dramatic vintage photos capture the CPR's first century in British Columbia. Winner of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association's Award.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert D. Turner is a multi-award-winning author of fifteen books, with several more in the works, and over 350 articles on railway and steamship history. He has had several thousand photographs published in books, magazines and journals as well as presented in exhibits. He is Curator Emeritus at the Royal British Columbia Museum, where he was Chief of Historical Collections for many years. Bob has travelled around the world photographing and documenting surviving early railways, the lives of workers and communities, and industrial history in South American, Africa, many parts of Asia and Europe. Among other projects, since 1988 he has been Project Historian at the SS Moyie National Historic Site at Kaslo, BC, where a major restoration is underway on the world's oldest passenger sternwheeler. For his work on Canadian railway history he received the Canadian Railroad Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. Bob was writer in residence at Pierre Berton House in Dawson City in the spring of 2009. He lives in Victoria, BC. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Sono Nis Pr (February 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0919203515
• ISBN-13: 978-0919203518
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #376,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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