iN VIDEO: Summerland's iconic Kettle Valley Steam Train subject of documentary series
The antique Kettle Valley Steam Train is featured in a recently released documentary series, and the bandits in the Garnett Valley Gang also make an appearance.
The series called A Magical Place Called Summerland launched last week.
Filmed by Stephanie Seaton and supported by Telus STORYHIVE, the ninth episode is a fun, informative and often comical look into the characters who make the popular passenger train experience “magical.”
The video shows the steam locomotive hissing, chugging and blowing its horn as it carries passengers through a lush, picturesque Summerland landscape.
Viewers can watch the conductor in action surrounded by old fashioned knobs and levers and learn about the vast differences between operating a steam engine and a modern diesel engine.
“Even some present-day diesel locomotive engineers would have trouble operating a steam engine,” Eric Cooper, Kettle Valley Railway engineer, said in the video.
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The 3716 steam engine was built in Montreal in 1912.
“There’s a million things you have to know about (a steam engine) and you have to be able to fix them,” said John Shaske, former diesel engineer and author, in the video.
The conductors are having fun as they make their way along the 16-kilometre stretch of track and the passengers appear to be too.
“Everyone who works here loves what they are doing,” Cooper said. “They are ultimately friendly people.”
The train chugs past orchards and farmhouses before “train robbers” suddenly appear galloping on horseback, shouting and shooting their pistols. They climb aboard the train and loudly demand passengers give them money.
The Garnett Valley gang is a group of actors dressed in era garb that enhance the rider’s experience and connect them even more closely to the Canadian heritage era. Any money they collect is donated to charity.
The Kettle Valley Steam Railway, headquartered at 18404 Bathville Road in Summerland, operates excursion trains on the only remaining section of the historic Kettle Valley Railway.
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As seen in the video, the train crosses over the impressive 73-metre-tall Trout Creek Trestle bridge.
The steam locomotive operates at various times throughout the year.
Go here for more information on the Kettle Valley Steam Train.
— This article was corrected at 3:09 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, to correct name of the person who filmed the video.
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