The layout we're building is based on an actual railroad that was surveyed and chartered in central British Columbia in 1896, but never built. It was to link Vernon and Castlegar by way of the Monashee Mountains. The layout represents what the club feels the railroad would have looked like in 1959 had it actually been built. This provides the opportunity for a mixture of steam and diesel locomotives, as well as regular passenger service.
The "real" railroad has approximately 135 miles of mainline trackage and a ruling grade of 2.2% between Monashee Summit and Castlegar. The railroad connects with the Canadian Pacific at Castlegar and with the Great Northern at Columbia Gardens. There are also connections with the Canadian Pacific and Canadian National north of Vernon. This allows a variety of our members' favourite railroad equipment to appear, "passing through" on the Monashee Pacific.
