The Surrey neighbourhood of Cloverdale boasts the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway on 56 Avenue. This local railway of interest, unlike commercial ones transporting passengers and cargo over long routes, operate its locomotives on shorter distances.
The Cloverdale-based railway provides historical learnings, as well as recreation and entertainment, in the trip itineraries that it operates on safely restored historic trains.
The local attraction’s eponymous Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society, a charity organization formed in 2001, began offering the unique service in June 2013 as one of just two in British Columbia. For its offering, the society acquired and restored the streetcars of the B.C. Electric Railway, which operated from 1897 to 1979.
The fun in the Cloverdale railway begins in its 56 Avenue station, a faithful replica of the original constructed in 1910. Traces of its historic past can be seen in restorations like “Bill’s Corner Store” offering items exclusively available on its shelves.
The charming station also hosts special events, such as evening musical concerts and special holiday celebrations like during Halloween and the Christmas season. Special train runs are also scheduled during these holiday festivities.
The heritage railway’s regular season runs typically starts from May to October. The trips are scheduled on weekends only, with four runs on Saturdays and three on Sundays, both days typically starting the trips at 10 a.m. with the last run in the early afternoon. In the 2023 season, the tickets per head is $25 for adults, $18 for senior citizens and students, and $12 for children age 3 to 11. Kids under 3 years old ride free with guardians or parents.
For each trip, the passengers will ride on a fully restored B.C. Electric Interurban Railcar for a short trip. During the ride, one of the heritage society’s volunteers will narrate interesting trivia about BCER and the development of the Fraser Valley rail system.
On a ride, you’ll learn many fascinating historical details, like the over 20,000 volunteer hours devoted to the restoration of the BCER Car 1225 used in the trip.
The Fraser Valley Heritage Railway adventure takes about 55 minutes, and along the route, the train passengers will stop by the society’s interactive Discovery Centre where a film showing will entertain them in the #1207 theatre. Aside from informative graphics on story boards, the centre provides fun gadgets, which include some train bells you can ring and horns to toot for entertainment.
The heritage trip also features optional rides on the Honey Bee Express, the Family Quad Car, and the Velocipede offering the rare chance to earn a distinguished button for daring the experience.
During the tour, you will also have the opportunity for a glimpse of the heritage society’s Community Bee Garden Project and wildflower meadows. These fields replicate the meadows once common in the United Kingdom but disappeared because intense agriculture development.
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Next in this series of points of interest in Surrey BC, you can learn about Newton Cultural Centrel.