Myra Canyon

Myra Canyon Explorer

CD ROM

Available

ISBN 0-920264-29-8

In 1978 Jack Smith walked much of the CPR Carmi subdivision camera in hand, his particular interest was the area between Myra and Lorna. While trains had ceased to run, the rail was still on the ties, and Mother nature was still held a bay.

In addition to the sixteen trestles, two steel bridges and two tunnels in Myra canyon Jack continued west bound beyond Lorna, past Sawmill (Bellevue) Creek to include a steel bridge and an abandoned trestle.

Photos taken later show how; many of the trestles were erected on foundations of timbers, concrete and portions of mortar-less fitted rock foundations.

Early B&W photos were supplied by Gordon Kennedy from his late fathers collection. In particular there are photos of the three trestles that were replaced by steel half deck girder bridges and the long trestle at West Sawmill Creek prior to it's being bypassed by a fill and the top decks removed. Other Historic photographs were provided Brian Wilson, Penticton Museum and the Revelstoke Railway Museum.

The most recent photos show the railway roadbed without rails and with the decked over and hand railed trestles and bridges that are now part of the Trans-Canada trail.

During late August, 2003 a forest fire began near Okanogan Lake, south of Kelowna and by early September had consumed 12 of the 16 trestles and portions the wooden decks of the two steel bridges.

The structures at Lorna were spared, but a major rebuild is underway to replace this beautiful piece of Canadian railway history.

Back to Top