Category Archives: Museums

Baguio Museum (Benguet)

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Baguio Museum

The Baguio Museum is a great introduction to the Igorot (“mountain people”) of the Cordillera. Its collections date back as far as 1947 when then first woman councilor, Vice-Mayor and acting Mayor Virginia Oteyza de Guia collected them from friends in the Cordilleras.

The author at the museum entrance

First named the Baguio- Mountain Province Museum, the collections were first displayed at the City Hall and, later, transferred to the University of the Philippines before finding its home at its present site.

Commemorative plaques

Here’s the historical timeline of the museum:

  • In 1916, a small exhibit was installed in a small public school to serve as a teaching tool for the students.
  • In 1934, the museum was moved to its current location in the Civic Center and was expanded and renovated several times over the years.
  • In 1940, the Baguio Museum was established by American archaeologist Henry Otley Beyer.
  • In 1975, the museum was built by the Philippine Tourism Authority (under the chairmanship of Minister of Tourism Jose Aspiras) and Mayor Luis Lardizabal.
  • On May 1977, the museum was opened to the public.
  • On August 4, 1977, the museum was incorporated by government leaders, leaders and concerned citizens of Baguio City, and the provinces of Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao and Mountain Province.
  • On July 16, 1990, a major earthquake heavily damaged the old structure and the collection travelled from the old Camp John Hay Library to the basement of the Baguio Convention Center.
  • In 1998, the rebuilding of the museum was started.
  • In 2010, it was renamed as the Baguio Museum.
  • On October 2021, the museum was partially opened.
  • On July 4, 2022, after three years of improvements via a grant of the United States Embassy Manila, the renovated Baguio Museum was inaugurated.

Abra Gallery

Apayao Gallery

Benguet Gallery

Inspired by Ifugao architecture, this time-honored museum was designed by Architect Ignacio Estipona and built with of stone and wood and features a striking pyramidal roof and two huge concrete poles, at the stair entrance, that resembles a traditional Ifugao home with an elevated floor supported by posts.

Ifugao Gallery

Kalinga Gallery

Mountain Province Gallery.  In the foreground is a kulog (food container)

At the entrance are artworks donated by Joey Divina Bautista and Virginia Oteyza De Guia.

Conservation Room

Museum Shop

The museum has four floors.  The first floor houses the Conservation Room, Museum Shop and the NCCA Gallery which is used for training and lectures and exhibits.

So Above, So Below (Maela Liwanag Jose)

During our visit, the captivating “As Above, So Below” Exhibit (opened last February 16, 2024), a celebration of Baguio-based artist Maela Liwanag Jose’s Tinatik Arts, which extends to a total of 96 ft., was ongoing.  The fourth floor houses the library and research center.

Third Floor (Baguio City Gallery).  On the floor are the three miniature architectural models

Fourth Floor (Library and Research Area)

The second floor, the main floor of the building, houses the permanent Ethnological Exhibit.

Scaled models of the traditional houses of Apayao, Abra and Ifugao

Scaled models of the traditional houses of Kalinga, Mountain Province and Benguet

It has an extensive display of various tribal artifacts from the six provinces of the Cordillera region: Abra, Apayao, Benguet (of which Baguio City is a part), Kalinga, Ifugao and Mountain Province.

Botit (locust baskets)

Kubo (fish baskets)

Focusing on an indigenous group, here you’ll see spears, bolos (machetes), shields of Kalinga headhunters; gongs; bags; baskets; fish traps; wood sculptures depicting life in the mountains; colorful traditional clothes (ba-ag or g-string for men and tapis for the women); accounts of Ibaloi mummification practices; furniture and other artifacts.

Pasiking (hunting baskets)

An array of spears

The most unique collection in this museum – the real-life Kabayan mummy, glass encased in its wooden casket a mummy in its coffin, which visitors are not allowed to take a photo of in respect of the dead.

Tupil (storage baskets for cooked rice)

Ulbong (storage for rice crop)

The Benguet Exhibit features the following artifacts:

  • Bango– A rain gear made by woven rattan, nito fiber, and pine needles.
  • Bangew– a bag made of the same material as bango.
  • Kuval– a red-colored G-string that symbolizes power.
  • Latok– a set of serving plates.
  • Kayabang– baskets carried by Ibaloi women over their heads.
  • Duli– a necklace made of a snake’s vertebrae, which women wore during childbirth to ensure safe delivery.

Hagabi (rich man’s bench)

The Abra Exhibit features the following artifacts:

  • Kalugong– cone-shaped, bamboo hat worn by men.
  • Badu– white jacket made of cotton.
  • Ukken/Kimona– blouse made of Rengue textile.
  • Piningitan– wrap-around skirt.

Imbayah Diorama

Bodong Diorama

There are also two miniature dioramas that give you a better picture of their communities. An offshoot of the tourism field offices being regionalized in 1988, they were donated by DOT Undersecretary Narzalina Lim.  The first diorama, the “Bodong Diorama,” was donated in 1988 through DOT-CAR and Region I Director Stella Ma. De Guia, and the second, the “Imbayah Diorama,” was donated through DOT-CAR Director Carmelita Mondiguing.

Baguio: A Melting Pot Exhibit

The Colonial Hillstation Exhibit

The third floor, the Baguio City Gallery, features a compelling exhibition on the historical development of Baguio, from the 1900s to the present.  The exhibits include:

  • Baguio: A Melting Pot – features Baguio’s two National Artists (Benedicto “Bencab”” Cabrera, National Artist for the Visual Arts in 2006; and Kidlat Tahimik, National Artist for Film in 2018) and Baguio’s art scene.
  • Baguio: A Miniature Early History – features three architectural models, one of which shows Baguio as an untouched green land, a stark contrast to its current state. Here, you can see and read, in detail, the discovery of Baguio as a land of pine trees and its development into a civilized land.
  • Mayors of the Century: 1909 to the Present – a tribute to the 31 (including one woman mayor) mayors of the city, honoring their numerous achievements and contributions to Baguio’s growth.
  • The Old Versus the New – then and now photos of Baguio landmarks.
  • The Colonial Hillstation: From Health Resort to City of Pines – a timeline showcasing photographs and information on how the City of Pines started as a colonial hill station.
  • War Occupation and Liberation – features Japanese Occupation and American Liberation photos and war relics.

The Old Versus the New

War Occupation and Liberation

War Relics Display

Outside the museum are a bale (ifugao traditional house), a dap-ayan (a gathering place of village leaders) and totem poles.

Totem poles

Bale and dap-ayan

Baguio Museum: Dot-PTA Complex, cor. Governor Pack Rd. and Harrison Rd., Baguio City, 2600 Benguet.  Tel: (074) 248-1147 and (063) 444 7451.  E-mail: baguio_museum@yahoo.com.  Open daily (except Mondays), 9 AM to 5 PM. Admission:  Php100 (adults), Php70 (college students), Php60 (high school students), Php40 (elementary students) and Php50 (senior citizens and PWD).

Museo de San Luis (Cauayan City, Isabela)

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Museo de San Luis

The Museo de San Luis, inaugurated last October 9, 2022, is housed in a one-storey, wooden structure with a wrap-around porch, within the Hacienda San Luis Eco-Tourism Park.  It showcases how tobaccos were made for the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade.

 Check out “Hacienda San Luis Eco-Tourism Park” 

Museum porch

Museum interior. At the center is a manual, iron tobacco bale press used in 1970

On display here is a huge sculpture of St. Louis Bertrand (San Luis  Bertran), a photo gallery of Cauayan’s 27 mayors, from 1900 to the present; a traditional wooden press for cigar making (people use the apparatus to flatten the dried tobacco leaves); wooden relief carvings of Cauayan’s indigenous people, male and female (Gaddangs, Ibanags, Yogads and Itaois) mounted on easels; a manual tobacco bale press used in 1970; a butaka (a chair with long armrests); a tobacco hogshead (a large wooden barrel used to store and transport tobacco); and framed La Flor de la Isabela posters mounted on the walls.

Statue of St. Louis Bertrand (1526-1581; Luis Beltrán). He was a Spanish Dominican priest who preached in South America during the 16th century, and is known as the “Apostle of the Americas.”

Traditional wooden press for cigar making and a tobacco hogshead

Diorama of Cauayan – The Ideal City of the North in the New Millenium

Also mounted on two glass display cases are the different kinds of cigars produced – Coronas, Corona Large, Double Robusto, Panatelas, Half Coronas, Native Coronas with Head, Higantes Double Head Small, Triple Rebusto Long, Imperiales, Higantes Double Head Long, Cortados, Higantes and Panatelas Largas.

The handcrafted butaka, usually measuring 70 cms. x 57 cms. x 118 cms. and made of narra hardwood, has long armrests that weren’t really meant for arms; they were used for legs. During the Spanish era, it was commonly called the “lazy chair” of rich families. After a day’s work in the fields, hacienderos sat on the butaka as their resting chair. It was also used as a home style birthing bed, the rests passing for the more modern stirrups we have now at birthing hospitals. The chair’s style is Luis Quince-style sillon peresoza, common among lounging chairs found in Spanish Colonial Era in the Philippines. The seat is double caned ovate-shaped back with scroll arms with extended armrest on slightly curved stumps.

Different kinds of cigars produced

Wooden relief carving of an Itaois male and female

At the center of the rooms are five dioramas, in glass showcases, depicting the history and growth of Cauayan – Calanusian – Ang Unang Cauayan, Cauayan – Isang Bayan sa Lalawigan ng Isabela, La Flor de Isabela, Cauayan sa Panahon ng Commonwealth and Cauayan – The Ideal City of the North in the New Millenium.

 

La Flor de Isabela posters

Museo San Luis: Hacienda de San Luis Eco-Tourism Park,  Brgy. San Luis, Cauayan City.  Tel: (078) 652-2017.  Mobile numbers: (0905) 390-1255 and (0926) 204-4429.  Open daily, 7 AM – 8 PM.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com. 

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com. 

How to Get There: Cauayan City is located 394.8 kms. (a 7.5-hour drive) from Manila and 35.5 kms. (a 45-min. drive) from the City of Ilagan.

Hacienda de San Luis Eco-Tourism Park (Cauayan City, Isabela)

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Hacienda de San Luis Eco-Tourism Park

Hacienda de San Luis Eco-Tourism Park, the first eco-tourism park in Cauayan City, gives a flashback of what Cauayan City was in 1740 as well as the city’s indigenous people’s (Gaddang, Ibanag, Itaois and Yogad) culture.

La Flor de Isabela Function Hall (forner tabacalera warehouse)

 

Function hall interior

The park is home to the Museo de San Luis, the Cagayan Valley Regional Science Centrum, the La Flor de Isabela Function Hall and the Gawa-Gawayan Museum.

 

Here is the historical timeline of the hacienda:

  • In 1887, a portion of Barrio Mabantad, of about 3,940 hectares, was acquired, for 22,000 pesos, by the Compaña Casal owned by Mr. Antonio Casal. Mr. Federico Corea was appointed as the first administrator of the hacienda. Mr. Corea, named the locality as San Luis, after Saint Louis Bertrand, O.P.(1526-1581; Luis Beltrán), a Spanish Dominican who preached in South America during the 16th century, and is known as the “Apostle of the Americas.” The population of the hacienda grew and the area was converted into a formal barrio of Cauayan.
  • In 1909, the compaña expanded the area of the hacienda with the purchase of 19 hectares from Mrs. Engracia Maragun de Lacaste.
  • In 1910, another 540 hectares were bought from the government (Friar Lands Estate).
  • In 1913, the first administration building stood in the Cabeceria Especial (the poblacion of San Luis) was razed to the ground by fire. In its place, a more spacious building was constructed. In time, when the compañaacquired enormous business footing, other big buildings were constructed.
  • In 1923, the Catholic Church was erected. A school building was also constructed to provide the farmers’ children their elementary education with Mr. Pio Tominez as the first teacher.
  • During the Japanese Occupation, the headquarters of the 1st Batallion, 7th Infantry of the 34th Division Guerilla Unit, Isabela Area, was established here. Houses in Cabeceria No. 3 were burned, in punitive actions, by the Japanese.
  • On October 9, 2015, Hacienda San Luis was inaugurated as the first eco-tourism park in Cauayan City. 

Museo de San Luis

The Museo de San Luis, open last October 9, 2022, showcases how tobaccos were made for the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade. The one-storey, former tabacalera (tobacco warehouse) is now the La Flor de Isabela Function Hall, an events place. 

Check out “Museo de San Luis”

Gawa-Gawayan Museum

The one-storey Gawa-Gawayan Museum exhibits Gawa-Gawayan Festival memorabilia such as the Festival King Queen costumes, designed by Bonsai Cielo, of John Paul Domingo and Sue Francesca Galingana; headdresses; hats and the 4 x 8 ft. Bamboo de Cauayan, the Bambanti Festival 20019 grand champion  in the agricultural booth category.

Bamboo de Cauayan

2019 Bambanti Festival King and Queen Costumes

Also within the grounds is the two-storey Cagayan Valley Regional Science Centrum (CVRSC), which children will find enjoyable.  Inaugurated last January 28, 2020,

Cagayan Valley Regional Science Centrum

It aims to promote awareness and appreciation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).  It houses four interactive science exhibits – Science Adventure, Science at Work, Science Sparks and Health Science.  Its exhibits include an Anti-Gravity Mirror and a Van de Graff Static Ball.

Zipline Towe

The park also has a picnic area, a rappelling and climbing wall plus a 250 m. long and 9.15 m. (30 ft.) high zipline where you can get a majestic view of Cagayan River.  Other activities offered here are biking and horseback riding.

Horseriding Stables

Hacienda de San Luis Eco-Tourism Park:  Brgy. San Luis, Cauayan City.  Tel: (078) 652-2017.  Mobile numbers: (0905) 390-1255 and (0926) 204-4429.  Open daily, 7 AM – 8 PM.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com. 

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com. 

How to Get There: Cauayan City is located 394.8 kms. (a 7.5-hour drive) from Manila and 35.5 kms. (a 45-min. drive) from the City of Ilagan.

National Museum of Korea (Seoul, South Korea)

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National Museum of Korea

Part of Cebu Blue Ocean Academy-sponsored South Korea tour

After lunch at Korea House Restaurant at Lotte Tower Mall, we all boarded our van for the 10.6-km. (20-min.) drive to the 295,551 sq.m. (3,180,000 sq. ft.). National Museum of Korea, the flagship museum of Korean history and art in South Korea.  The largest museum in the country and the sixth largest museum in the world in terms of floor space, the museum has been committed to various studies and research activities in the fields of archaeology, history, and art, continuously developing a variety of exhibitions and education programs.

Here’s the historical timeline of the museum:

  • In 1909, Emperor Sunjong established Imperial Household Museum, Korea’s first museum, at Changgyeonggung Palace.
  • In 1945, when South Korea regained independence, the collections of the Imperial Household Museum and the Japanese Government General Museum (administered during Japanese rule of Korea) became the nucleus of the National Museum’s collection.
  • During the Korean War, to avoid destruction, the museum’s 20,000 pieces were safely moved to Busan.
  • After the war, when the museum returned to Seoul, it was housed at both Gyeongbokgung Palace and Deoksugung Palace.
  • On July 19, 1972, the museum moved again to a new building on the grounds of the Gyeonbokgung Palace.
  • In 1986, the museum was moved again to the Jungangcheong, the former Japanese General Government Building, where it was housed (with some controversy and criticism) until the building’s demolition in 1995.
  • In December 1996, the museum was opened to the public in temporary accommodations in the renovated Social Education Hall.
  • On October 28, 2005, the museum was officially reopened in its grand new building in Yongsan Family Park in the Yongsan Districtin Seoul.
  • On June 24, 2021, in celebration of the museum’s 20th anniversary, the National Museum of Korea opened a new branch in the boarding area of Incheon International Airport, in front of Gate No.22.

The museum is situated on what used to be a golf course that was part of the Yongsan Garrison, the central command of the United States Forces stationed in Korea. In 1992, the US Army returned a part of the land to the Korean government, which went on to become the Yongsan Family Park. In, 1993, the plans for the museum inside the park but its opening was delayed repeatedly by a helipad, which was eventually relocated in 2005 by agreement.

Special Exhibition Gallery

Designed by Chang-Il Kim of Junglim Architects, this museum is divided into three floors with the left part symbolically supposed to represent the past, while the right side represents the future. The museum contains over 310,000 pieces in its collection with about 15,000 pieces on display at one time. It displays relics and artifacts throughout six permanent exhibition galleries such as Prehistory and Ancient History Gallery, Medieval and Early Modern History Gallery, Donation Gallery, Calligraphy and Painting Gallery, Asian Art Gallery, and Sculpture and Crafts Gallery.

Main Auditorium

As of June 2012, the museum houses 67 national treasures, 131 general treasures and four folklore assets.

The museum is made from fire-resistant materials and, in order to protect the artifacts inside, the main building was built to withstand a magnitude 6.0 Richter Scale earthquake and the display cases are equipped with shock-absorbent platforms. There is also an imported natural lighting system which utilizes sunlight instead of artificial lights and a specially designed air-conditioning system.

Open plaza

The vast steel frame and reinforced concrete building has a fine stone interior that interacts with the water element in front (Mirror Pond and the scenery of Namsan Mountain behind.  The ground floor also contains parks; an outdoor stone garden with indigenous plants; waterfalls and pools; and traditional dye botanical garden are harmoniously arranged in the green space of the museum to create an elegant cultural space.  There’s also a collection of pagodas, stupas, lanterns, and steles including National Treasure of Korea No. 2, the Great Bell of Bosingak, the exemplar of Korean bells of the Joseon period.

The museum also has special exhibition halls, education facilities, a children’s museum, huge outdoor exhibition areas, restaurants, cafes, and shops. The Open Plaza, designed to evoke the image of a maru (wooden floor), an architectural element unique to Korea, serves as a gateway to every point in the museum, including the exhibition halls and performance facilities. It also naturally connects with the neighboring Yongsan Family Park through Mirror Pond, Mir Falls, and Barong Tree Pond.

 

Prominently displayed at the lobby is the “Gyeongcheonsa Ten-Story Pagoda” from Gyeongcheonsa Temple (National Treasure of Korea No. 86), the first known Korean stone pagoda to be made of marble (most were made from granite).  Originally erected at the monastery Gyeongcheonsa (at the foot of Mt. Buso in Gwangdeok-myeon, Gaepung-gun, Gyenggi-do Province) in the fourth year (1348) of King Chungmok of Goryeo, it was illegally smuggled, from its original site, to Japan in 1907 by by Tanaka Mitsuaki, the Japanese Minister of Imperial Household Affairs but, in 1918, was eventually recovered with the help of two Western journalists, Ernest T. Bethell from England and Homer Hulbert from America, who launched an international press campaign denouncing the theft.

Grace and the author

L-R: Frank, Grace, Oca, the author and Kim

In 1960, it was reconstructed and restored at Gyoengbokgung Palace but, because of acid rain and weathering, proved difficult to conserve. So, in 1995, it was dismantled again to repair serious damage. After an exhaustive conservation treatment project that took ten years, the restored pagoda was reconstructed at its current location inside in the National Museum of Korea’s ‘Path to History’ when the museum reopened in 2005.

Exploring the museum….

This pagoda, extraordinary in terms of its form, is much more complex than most other pagodas. Its shape is very unusual, with a three-tier base, a complex polygonal shape for the lower part (from the first to the third tier), and a square upper part.

The Ten-Storey Stone Pagoda

The base and the main body are elaborately decorated with carvings of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and floral designs.  On the body of the first storey is an engraved inscriptio, stating that the pagoda was built in 1348 (4th year of Goryeo King Chungmok). The eaves of the roof stones reflect the influence of Goryeo wooden architecture.

L-R: Injun, James, Kim, Engr. Ganzon, the author, Mamel, Grace, Frank and Oca

National Museum of Korea: 137, Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 04383, South Korea. Tel : +82-2-2077-9000.  Open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, 10 AM – 6 PM., Wednesdays and Saturdays, 10 AM – 9 PM. Entry closes 30 minutes before the closing time.  Closed on New Year’s Day, Seollal (Lunar New Year’s Day and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day. Admission free but charges apply for special exhibitions. Website: www.museum.go.kr. Coordinates: 37°31′26″N 126°58′49″E.

How to Get There: By subway, take Line 4 or the Gyeongui-Joungang Line (Munsan-Yongmun) to Ichon Station. Go out Exit 2 and walk 150 m. toward Yongsan Family Park. Information on elevator: An elevator is located in the direction of Exit 1 and Exit 2 of Ichon Station.

Cebu Blue Ocean Academy: Building 5, EGI Hotel and Resort, M.L. Quezon National Highway, Looc, Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu 6015, Philippines.  Tel: (032) 888-9868.  E-mail: pinesbaguio@gmail.com.  Website: www.cebublueocean.com.  Baguio City (Benguet) Sister School: Pines International Academy, Romel Mansion, 3 Ignacio Villamor St., Brgy. Lualhati, Baguio City, Benguet, Philippines. Tel: 1 754-255-9818. E-mail: pinesbaguio@gmail.com. Website: www.pinesacademy.com.

Casa Real (Lingayen, Pangasinan)

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Casa Real (Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum) of Lingayen

The historic Casa Real (Royal House), located beside the town hall in the heart of Lingayen, Pangasinan, served as the provincial seat of government (where the Alcalde Mayor held office as the Provincial Governor and the Judge of the Court of First Instance) and is one of the oldest public buildings in Pangasinan.

The portico facade

Built in the 1840s, it once served as the seat of the provincial government, from the Spanish Colonial era up to 1918 when the seat of the provincial government was eventually transferred to what is now the Pangasinan Provincial Capitol Building.

2019 National Historical Commission Plaque

On February 16, 1901, after the Taft Commission organized Pangasinan as a civil province,  Judge William Howard Taft and his commissioners went to Lingayen, Pangasinan and were given a grand reception at Casa Real.  In 1919, the building was used as a school and later as offices of the Judge of the Court of First Instance.

In 2002, it was declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), noted it as “an outstanding and unique example of civil architecture from the Spanish and American colonial periods.”

Casa Real survived the damages brought by World War II. However, the May 2008 Tropical Storm Cosme (international name: Halong) damaged the building, blowing away its heavy roof.

Later, the provincial government of Pangasinan  allotted funds for its renovation and the building was converted into the Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum which was formally inaugurated on September 8, 2023.

Check out “Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum”

 

AUTHOR’S COMMENTS

The two-storey, 1,480 square meter building has a portico façade, with square Doric columns that support a balcony, and topped by a triangular pediment with an oval keystone window (with spider web grilles) at the center.  Dentils frame the sides of the pediment. The lower storey has circular arched main entrance flanked by large rectangular windows with segmental arches.  Wooden French doors open out to the balcony.

The granite stairway leading to the second floor

The stairway leading to the second floor still retains its original piedra china, granite stones used as ballast for galleons and Chinese junks.  However, the original balusters are gone as they did not survive looting after Typhoon Cosme.  What you see are replacements. The original tin ceiling from Belgium has been replaced with fiberglass reproductions.

Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum: Poblacion, Lingayen, Pangasinan.  Coordinates: 16.019805°N 120.230341°E.

Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum (Lingayen)

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Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum

The two-storey, 1,480 sq. m. Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum, rightfully housed in the historic Casa Real (built in the 1840s) beside the town hall in the heart of Lingayen, the capital town of the province, is a collaborative effort between the Provincial Government of Pangasinan and various cultural institutions, with the primary goal of preserving and promoting the province’s cultural legacy.

Check out “Casa Real (Lingayen)“

Formal opening of the museum on September 8, 2023

Formally inaugurated on September 8, 2023, the name Banaan is derived from the Pangasinense word meaning “meeting place” or “convergence.”  It serves as a storehouse of diverse collection of Pangasinan’s history, heritage, ethnographic as well as contemporary art.

Ancient pottery

Among the collections to be presented in the museum include an assortment of artifacts from Pre-Colonial times such as ancient pottery, tools and ceremonial objects; traditional clothing and accessories, some crafts that will showcase the peculiar identity and customs of local villages; and also some contemporary masterpieces of modern Pangasinan artists.

A bull-drawn cart

The museum features eleven (11) galleries (three in the ground floor) that showcase the story of Pangasinan as a convergence point for culture, history, arts, education and innovation.  Knowledgeable guides lead us through the museum’s collections, providing insights into the region’s history and culture.

“Where the Asin and Bolo Embrace” Gallery at the museum lobby

Our hour-long guided tour of the museum began at the “Where the Asin and Bolo Embrace” Gallery at the Casa Real lobby where Pangasinan’s two major landscapes are featured -a salt farm in Dasol and verdant rice fields with bolo bamboo in the central part.

“Shape of Our Homeland” Gallery

From there, we were led to the “Shape of Our Homeland” Gallery, an orientation room where there are chairs and a huge screen for video showing. It also has maps of the province’s congressional districts and a chart showing the founding dates of the Pangasinan towns and cities.

Contemporary art at the Asin Gallery

The Asin Gallery, the third gallery at the ground floor dedicated for changing exhibits, is an opportune platform to feature local artists and artisans, as well as notable personalities and their contributions in Pangasinan.

Dancing Rings (Joe Datuin, 2008, stainless steel)

Depending on the theme and season, it will feature different art, culture, and history. During our visit, the Kaluyagan (meaning “province mates”) Art Exhibit, featuring works (some of it for sale) by 33 Pangasinense artists, based here and abroad, was ongoing.

“Watered by the Hands of Ama-Gaolay” Gallery

Going up the granite staircase to the second floor, we entered the “Watered by the Hands of Ama-Gaolay” Gallery, the Natural Heritage Room where paintings of Pangasinan’s flora and fauna are displayed.

. The province’s river systems

The province’s river systems are also highlighted.  The Natural History Exhibit, a section dedicated to the region’s biodiversity, features preserved specimens (civet cat, giant clam, etc.), informative displays, and interactive learning stations.

Princess Urduja (Margaret Estelle Blas

The Descendants of Apolaqui Gallery feature myths and legends, such as the Legend of the Hundred Islands plus an painting of Princess Urduja by Margaret Estelle Blas.

World War II artifacts and photo of a war-damaged Provincial Capitol Building

The “Beachhead of Valor” Gallery displays World War II artifacts (helmet, canteen, military patches, etc.), a reproduction of the war-damaged façade of the Provincial Capitol Building and a model of a Japanese Mitsubishi A6M “Zero” fighter hanging on the ceiling. Mounted on the wall is an old photo of the damaged Provincial Capitol Building and wartime newspaper clippings.

Model of a Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighter hanging under the ceiling

The “Festivals by the Sea and the Fields” Gallery features traditional life and the festivals held by the towns in Pangasinan.

“Pilgrims Who Responded to the Call” Gallery

The “Pilgrims Who Responded to the Call” Gallery delves on the Pangasinense’s religiosity, Our Lady of Manaoag and the religious movement in the 20th century. Here, churches and faith healers are highlighted.

“Patriots and Nation Builders” Gallery

The “Patriots and Nation Builders” Gallery delves on the history and development of the province and the provincial contributions to the national identity of the country.

Salvador Bernal and Fernando Poe Jr.

Featured here are outstanding Pangasinenses such the late President Fidel V. Ramos (from Lingayen); writer and novelist Maria P. Magsano; educator, suffraguette and social worker Geronima T. Pecson (from Lingayen) and Speaker of the House of Representatives Eugenio P. Perez (from San Carlos City).

Victorio Edades and Francisco Sionil Jose

Also given a place of honor are actor, director, producer and National Artist (2006) Fernando Poe Jr. (from San Carlos City); National Artist for Theater and Design (2003) Salvador Bernal (from Dagupan City); painter and National Artist (1976) Victorio C. Edades (from Dagupan City) and writer and National Artist for Literature (2001) Francisco Sionil Jose (from Rosales).

Pantranco Bus

Replica of Manila-Dagupan railway locomotive

The Heritage Exhibits features rich displays of traditional clothing, accessories, and crafts that reflect the unique identity and customs of the local communities.

Replica of Bolinao Skull

Scaled Model of the Casa Real

The other galleries feature hand-embroidered veils; a replica of the Bolinao Skull (with its gold dental ornamentation); scaled models of the Casa Real and Provincial Capitol Building; small replicas of a bahay kubo, a Chinese junk, a Pangasinan Transport Co. (Pantranco) bus, the 0-6-2 side tank locomotive of the Manila-Dagupan Railway and even a bull-drawn cart full of baskets that were sold in a caravan.

Replica of a Chinese junk

To enhance the visitor experience, Banáan also has a carefully curated Gift Shop that offers unique souvenirs, local crafts, books, and artwork.

Gift Shop

Aside from guided tours, Banaan also offers special programs and activities, such as workshops, lecture series and cultural festivals. There are dedicated spaces for educational interactive workshops on traditional crafts, painting, music, and dance, which allow visitors to experience Pangasinan’s living cultural heritage firsthand, as well as for lecture series where invited speakers and experts will share their expertise on various aspects of Pangasinan’s history, archaeology, and culture.

Scaled model of Provincial Capitol Building

Banaan also hosts regular cultural events and festivals showcasing the vibrant traditions and celebrations of the region.

 

Bahay Kubo

Banaan Pangasinan Provincial Museum: Poblacion, Lingayen, Pangasinan.  Coordinates: 16.019805°N 120.230341°E. Entrance to the museum is via an online reservation system (launched last September 4) incorporated in the “See Pangasinan” website.  The link is promoted through the PTCAO/See Pangasinan Facebook page. Walk-ins are not allowed yet.

Steveston Tram Museum (Richmond, British Columbia, Canada)

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Steveston Tram Museum

The Steveston Tram Museum, housing the beautifully restored Tram Car 1220, one of the original trams that ran on Richmond’s interurban rail system and the largest artifact in the Richmond Museum Collection, allows visitors to experience authentic Interurban rail travel and learn about early 20th century transportation.

The left side of the museum

The bright red, 2,370 sq. ft.  museum, opened in May 2013 across the street from where the Steveston Station (which burned down in 1928 and replaced by a simple tram stop shelter in 1929) once stood, was designed by Birmingham & Wood Architects and built by Scott Special Projects Ltd., around the original tracks of the BC Electric Railway (BCER) Interurban Network.

The large windows at the right side of the museum

For 55 years, it provided an important economic and social connection between Richmond and the rest of the Lower Mainland. Today, you can still spot the original railroad path and power poles around the tram.

the Heritage Train Tracks at the rear of the museum

The building has 27-ft. high windows, a winch system to allow the tram  to be pulled out of the building for special events, and public art created by artist Mia Weinberg, a 1994 graduate of Emily Carr University of Art and Design, which will be integrated into the floor of the outdoor platform at the main entrance of the building.  It also has a community meeting room and had a restoration space (now converted into a programming space after the restoration was completed).

Heritage Train Tracks

Here’s the historical timeline of the BC Electric Railway Interurban Network:

  • In 1902, rail connection in Steveston started when the Lulu Island railway, owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), ran freight and passenger steam trains to the area.
  • In 1905, the CPR leased the rail line to the BC Electric Railway Company (BCER), who electrified it for tram use. This was part of the BCER’s establishment of an Interurban railway network that would connect different communities throughout the Lower Mainland, otherwise difficult to reach.
  • In 1913, BCER added 28 1200-class tram cars bought from the St. Louis Car Company in Missouri (USA). Among them was Tram Car 1220.
  • By the 1940s, it had grown to 72 cars and 140,000 annual passengers

Tram Car 1220

Tram Car 1220, nicknamed the “Sockeye Special,” was discovered in a Mitchell Island warehouse in 1992.  Serving the local residents of Steveston to Marpole (located in south Vancouver), it was made of sturdy steel and wood, it was painted bright red.

The tram car could carry up to 64 seated passengers at a time.  They ran from the BC Electric Building at the southwest corner of Carol and Hastings Street to Steveston Village.

Tram entrance

On February 28, 1958, Tram Car 1220 made its final voyage between Marpole and Steveston, marking the end of an era for the Richmond community and for transportation history in BC.

Tram interior which looks like a glowing, wood and glass jewelry box. Beyond is the smoking area

After decades of being off the tracks, the City of Richmond acquired Tram Car 1220 and, on May 3, 2013, opened the Steveston Tram Museum which was inspired by the architecture of the first Steveston Tram Station.

A mini display.  On Saturday, the last train of the night (12 AM) leaving Vancouver carried Steveston revelers who strewed peanut shells from the snacks they’d bought from the station. Not surprisingly, this last-nigh service was locally known as the “Peanut Special.”

Five years later, after a painstaking, three-year, $400,000 restoration starting in 2016, the tram made an exciting return to its former glory.

Another mini display showing chickens, a milk churn and crates of vegetables that sometimes rode alongside passengers

Tram Car 1220 is one of only seven remaining BC Electric Railway cars, five of them in BC in various states of functionality (most of the interurbans ended up being burnt at the railyard under the Burrard Street Bridge).  Several “sister” trams are located in Metro Vancouver, as well as one in Ottawa (Car 1235 at the Canada Science and Technology).

Vintage advertisements, lining the tram;s interior, of products such as Eaton’s Tea, Dri-Glo, Barq’s and even Goodwin’s “corn dodger” shoes

In Metro Vancouver, you can visit the other surviving BCER cars at the Burnaby Village Museum (Tram 1223) or the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society  in Surrey where they offer hour-long rides around Cloverdale aboard Car 1225. 

Check out “Burnaby Village Museum” 

The author donning an motorman’s costume and cap

Jandy

When we entered the tram, a male costumed Heritage Interpreter dressed as a tram conductor immediately greeted us and walked us through, pointing out things that we would never have noticed – the smoking half of the tram with no ashtrays, the screws on the outside that are all aligned, etc.

The mechanical controls and the tiny motorman’s stool

The restoration inside was exceptional – from the rattan seats, graffiti to the match striker plates (where you can strike up a light) at the smoking section.

Vancouver Fares

Exhibits and child-friendly interactive displays also showcase this piece of Richmond history. One exhibit highlights the impact that trams had on Richmond and the Lower Mainland. It includes an extensive timeline on the history of trams which is complimented with footage of trams travelling through Richmond.

Interactive Tram Map

There is also a huge interactive map of all the tram routes that ran through Metro Vancouver.  Push buttons light up the five main lines and the stations that operate on them.

Brake lever, bell cord and conductor’s coin changer

Another interactive aspect of the exhibit is a display explaining how conductors would operate the trams with the ability to use the bell and handbrake that were onboard trams.

Main Station Clock

Another display on the tram car’s restoration process highlights the efforts of volunteers and paid professionals to bring the car to its past glory. Visitors can also dress up as a conductor.

Tickets of the Tram

Evocative artifacts on display include rail spikes, tram tokens, a 1950 employee badge, a 1914 tram whistle and a handsome clock of the type that would have hung on the wall of every station along the network.

1953 motorman’s cap, BCER employee badge, reverse key

Also on display are faded signs from several old stations (Steveston, Trucks and Woodward’s); a 1950s hat worn by a motorman (AKA tram driver); a fare poster from the line’s final years (an adult one-zone fare was just 13c), a brake lever, bell cord and conductor’s coin changer.

Restoring the Rare

Adjacent to the museum is the Steveson Nikkei Memorial, a public art and contemplative garden space unveiled on June 22, 2019, that honors the 75th anniversary of the evacuation, relocation, and internment of 2,500 Japanese Canadians from Steveston during World War II.  It further celebrates the rebuilding of the Steveston community following their return from internment in following the war. 

Steveson Nikkei Memorial

Steveston Tram Museum: 4011 Moncton St., Richmond, British Columbia V7E 3A8.  Tel: 604-238-8081.  E-mail: interurban1220@richmond.ca. Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 12 to 4 PM (Spring, January 3 to May 19); daily, 10 AM to 5 PM (Summer, May 20 to September 4)  and Tuesdays to Sundays, 12 to 4 PM (Fall/Winter, September 5 to December 31). Closed on statutory holidays.  Admission is free.

 

BC Farm Machinery Museum (Langley, British Columbia, Canada)

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The BC Farm Machinery Museum, housing British Columbia’s largest collection of pioneer and agricultural artifacts, acquires, collects, restores, preserves, and provides a means for displaying, for students and the general public, those articles of farm machinery and pioneer life of a historical nature which demonstrate the trend of agricultural development in the province of British Columbia.

High Cut Plow

1910 Rumely – Ideal Separator

The museum had its beginnings on May 23, 1953 when Bruce Coleman, on behalf of his family, presented his late father Robert Alfred J. Coleman’s donation of an award-winning, single high-cut walking hand plow (its mold board, share and the angle of its beam shaped on the anvil of the late Alex Ross of Bruce County, Ontario, in 1900) to the University of British Columbia (UBC), with Dr. Norman McKenzie, president of UBC accepting the acquisition on behalf of the university.

1915 J.I. CASE Traction Engine Model

1918 J.I. Case Threshing Machine

It started a planning process to establish an Agricultural Museum in the Fraser Valley. In February 1958, a meeting with a group of industry leaders was held in the hospitality room of the Fraser Valley Milk Producers Association (FVMPA) Fifth Avenue plant.

Corn Binder

Chinese Water Elevator

That evening, a British Columbia Farm Machinery Association was being formed (it received a Certificate of Incorporation on  June 24,1958) with a goal of funding and operating a museum to be located on the Endowment Land on Point Grey. After the Association was formed, the location was switched to Fort Langley instead of UBC.

Iron Age Early Potato Planter

Felins Tying Machine

On November 19, 1966, the museum was officially opened, in an 8,000 sq. ft. building (it included display space, an archives room, and a work shop for repair and restoration of exhibits), by Sir Robert Bellinger, Lord Mayor of London and, within a very short time, a second building had to be erected to house a growing collection of agricultural artifacts.

Victor Potato Digger

Water Wagon and Pump

On September 23, 1978, Phase Two and Three (the Steam Room) were officially opened by R.H. McClelland, the Minister of Health and Welfare.

Textiles

Old Cameras

Since 1990, when federal funding dried up, the BC Farm Museum Association has been run entirely by volunteers and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Loom

A 1920s rope making machine

The exterior of the museum was quiet and nondescript but, once we entered the rustic building, we were truly amazed at the size of the facility as well as the mind boggling amount of farm machinery, agricultural hardware and early farm living contraptions.

Drum Carder and Wool Batts

Casting Forms

The very broad collection of over 6,100 historical artifacts and farm-related implements (from field to kitchen items), in several different rooms, two buildings and an outdoor exhibit area, is devoted to the development of farm machinery in British Columbia.

Hand Crank Sewing Machine

Vickers Sewing Machine

They have wonderful exhibits of early farming equipment  such as tractors,  a a hand-wrought plow, a threshing machine, tomato separator by sizes, corn binder, early windmills (that pump water and produce light), a 1910 Rumely-Ideal separator, steam and gas tractors,  a sail reaper, threshers, a potato digger, and others. .

Maytag Washing Machine and Mangle

Singer Sewing Machine

Articles of pioneer life of a historical nature include a 1920s rope making machine,horse buggies, a train exhibit, an old wringer wash machine, a milk delivery truck (the last one to deliver milk in Vancouver), carriages and buckboards, an egg sorting machine, several wooden ice boxes (the early refrigerators), blacksmith making hooks, sewing machines, looms, a Bullard’s carpet stretcher, old cameras, 

Bullard’s Carpet Stretcher

Rowlett Carriage

The Antique Firearms Collection displays shotguns (W.H. Pollard 12-gauge shotgun; Belgian 12-gauge, double barrel shotgun; Hopkins & Allen 12-gauge, double barrel shotgun; etc.), rifles (Winchester Model 1895, Mauser Model 1878, single shot rifle; Stevens single shot rifle; Westley Richards improved Martini-Henry rifle; Vetterli rifle; Remington cal. 22 rifle; 1883 Martini-Henry rifle; etc.), revolvers (British Bulldog revolver; etc.), a ca. 1895 pistol owned by George Turnbull (North Beresford, Saskatchewan) and a flintlock pistol.

Antique Firearms Collection

Gun Display Parts and Pieces

Also on display here are a clay pigeon trap, a World War I helmet, bullets, a tobacco can, powder flask, bullet molds, shot pouch, awls and a display of parts and pieces of a gun.

Ford Model T with Tractor Kit and Snowplow

World War 1 Military Saddle

Hanging from the ceiling is a vintage Skyway Tiger Moth crop sprayer plane, BC’s first crop duster, which was converted by Art Seller.

The Skyway Tiger Moth Sprayer

In 2017, five new murals by local artists were unveiled. Hay’s Room was built in memory of Dr. Ken Hay, a founding member of the BC Farm Machinery Museum Association in 1958.   A research library, with over 10,000 books, pamphlets and manuals of historical information, is also available.

Hay’s Room

The Farm Parlor

The BC Farm Machinery Museum, a great place to spend the afternoon, was definitely worth a visit.  The friendly volunteers were knowledgeable and willing to share stories related to the items on display.  Though there wasn’t much in the form of interpretative displays, the sheer volume of items was still a sight to behold.

Milk Delivery Wagon

Two Headed Calf born in Brooks, Alberta (southeast of Calgary).  It lived for three weeks in 1980

BC Farm Machinery Museum: 9131 King St., Langley, British Columbia V1M 2R6. E-mail: bcfm@telus.net.  Website: www.wcra.org and www.bcfma.com.  Tel: (604) 888-2273.  Open Open daily from April 1, 2023 until September 30, 2023 (closed for the winter season), 10 AM to 4:30 PM.  Admission is free.  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farmmuseumbc/

Engine No. 374 (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

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CPR Engine 374

After buying shoes at  MacArthur Glen Designer Outlet, Grace, Jandy, Kyle and I again boarded the SkyTrain from Templeton Station to Yaletown-Roundhouse.  Upon arrival at the station, we just walked about 250 m. to get the Engine 374 Pavilion, along the shores of False Creek in Yaletown.

CPR Engine 374 Pavilion

It houses a static display of historic Engine No. 374, a Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) steam locomotive that pulled the first transcontinental train (carrying 150 passengers) that arrived in Vancouver on May 23, 1887, finally joining Canada from the East Coast to Vancouver on the West Coast.

CPR Engine 374 Pavilion interior

This ten months after sister Engine No. 371 brought the first train to cross Canada into Port Moody on July 4, 1886, roughly 32 kms. (20 mi.) to the east.

CPR Engine 374 Tender

Portrait of Queen Victoria at the rear of the tender

It was renumbered three times – 374 until 1907, 92 until 1909, 245 until 1913, 158 until 1945.  Originally, it was equipped with a “diamond” smokestack but, when it got to British Columbia, it was swapped for a familiar “sunflower” stack.

Sunflower smoke stack

Engine No. 374 was built in May 1886 by the Montreal shops of CPR, one of eight (371 to 378) similar steam locomotives (with 4-4-0 wheel arrangement and having 69-in. driving wheels) built that year.  In the 1890s, the 69” drive wheels were replaced with 62” ones for better traction.

Driver’s Compartment

While No. 371 was scrapped in October 1915, No. 374 was completely rebuilt in September 1914 and continued in service until July 1945.

Because of its historical significance, upon its retirement, it was donated to the City of Vancouver on August 22, 1945.  It was placed  on display on a section of track in Kitsilano Beach Park, remaining there until 1983.

Due to exposure to the salt air and a lack of upkeep, it suffered greatly. In 1963, a vain attempt was made to move it into the former aircraft hangar (now the Community Music School) in Vanier Park.

Cowcatcher and headlight

In 1981, the West Coast Railway Association (WCRA), a group of railway enthusiasts, launched an effort to restore the engine.

Locomotive Whistle

The locomotive was moved from Kitsilano and placed in a warehouse in Granville Island where dedicated volunteers restored it to its former glory.   In 1985, the engine was transported North Vancouver’s Versatile Shipyards for final restoration in time for Expo 86.

Running Gear

On February 13, 1986, the refurbished Engine No. 374 was transported to the renovated former CPR Drake Street Roundhouse  where it was put on display on the turntable and became a prime attraction.

Coupler

After the Expo, the engine was placed inside the Roundhouse.  In May 1988, volunteers were allowed access to examine, clean and polish the engine and set up arrangements for a public opening.

Telegraph Set

In 1988, the Expo 86 site, including the Drake Street Roundhouse, was sold to Concord Pacific, and, in the course of the False Creek North Development Plan, the developer agreed to convert and expand the buildings to comprise the Roundhouse Community Centre (designed by Baker McGarva Hart and completed in 1997).

AAR knuckle coupler or Janney are semi-automatic form of  railway coupling that allows rail cars and locomotives to be securely linked together without rail workers having to get between the vehicles

Before the Roundhouse was converted, successful fundraising efforts were undertaken by the Vancouver Parks Board and the Lions Club, among others, to build a new building adjacent to the Roundhouse house Engine No. 374. The new building was inaugurated on August 22, 1997.

Old telephones and signages

Part of the floor of the building consists of 20,000 “Heritage” bricks which are engraved with the names of individuals who bought one brick (for $19.86 each), which raised funds (totaling $400,000) through the unique Heritage Brick Program sponsored by Imperial Oil Limited.  You can climb on board the cab and ring the bell.

Heritage bricks with names of donors

Here are the engines’ specifications:

Arbutus Corridor railroad spikes

The pavilion, now a central feature of the Yaletown area redevelopment, is staffed entirely by volunteers from the West Coast Railway Association and, on average, sees roughly 41,000 visitors per year as of 2015.

Plate used in CPR Engine 374

An anniversary celebration is held annually on the Sunday before Victoria Day.   The WCRA also runs the Railway Museum of British Columbia up in Squamish.

Check out “Railway Museum of British Columbia:  CN Roundhouse and Conference Center,” “Railway Museum of British Columbia: Pacific Great Eastern Car Shop” and “Railway Museum of British Columbia: Railyard”

 

Miniature railway village

Also on display old CPR Engine 374 photos and posters; a miniature railway village; model trains; old telegraph set, signages; old telephones, fine china used on the train; Arbutus Corridor railroad spikes; AAR Knuckle Coupler; etc.

Old photos

Canadian Pacific Poster

There’s also a gift shop selling souvenir Tshirts, mugs, plates and caps; train whistles; postcards; etc.

Gift Shop

The “Chinese Legacies: Building the Canadian Pacific Railway” Exhibit, circulated by the Revelstoke Railway Museum, explores the story of the Chinese laborers during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway’s transcontinental line, in the 1880s, the lasting impact it had on their lives, as well as their contribution to Canadian national development.

Chinese Legacies: Building the Canadian Pacific Railway

Engine 374 Pavilion: 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver, British Columbia V6Z 2W3. E-mail: info@wcra.org. Website: www.wcra.org. Tel: (604) 713-1800.  Open Wednesdays to Sundays, 10 AM to 4 PM during the summer and 11 AM to 3 PM in the winter.  Admission is free.

Railway Museum of British Columbia: Pacific Great Eastern Car Shop (Squamish, Canada)

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Pacific Great Eastern Car Shop

From the CN Roundhouse and Conference Center, I walked over to the historic Pacific Great Eastern Car Shop.

Check out “Railway Museum of British Columbia:  CN Roundhouse and Conference Center“

Interior of Car Shop

Built in 1914, it was moved to the RMBC in 1994, the largest building ever moved in one piece in Western Canada.

Speeder Ride

Pump Car

Today, it is home to a 15-ton overhead crane.  You can view restoration work in progress as well as some exhibits.

Luggage Wagon

Mail Delivery Van

Housed within is a CP 2514 Colonist Car (one of a few still around today), CPR Baggage Mail Car 3704 and Pacific Great Eastern RS3 Diesel 561 locomotive.

Railway Scaled Model

HQ Scaled Modular Model

Also on display here are a pump car, a railway scaled model, a luggage wagon, a mail delivery van, a scale HQ modular model and a speeder car (once used as motorized maintenance vehicles to transport crews to their worksites along the tracks).

CPR Baggage Mail Car 3704

The CPR Baggage Mail Car 3704, built in 1949, has a 50’ baggage compartment and a 30’ mail compartment. BC Rail bought the car from CPR for work train service but never converted it. In 1998, the WCRA acquired the car for preservation and it was restored by a team of Canada Post volunteers.

Mail sorting area

Now representing a typical working mail car, No. 3704 was part of a group of 10 cars rebuilt from standard Baggage mail cars in the 3600 series.

Exhibit area

 

The CP 2514 Colonist Car, built in 1905, is one of a very few Colonist sleeper cars still around today. Built to carry settlers, mostly European, to settle in Western Canada, passengers spent 4 to 5 days in the car travelling across Canada.

CP 2514 Colonist Car

The last mainline services these cars saw was carrying troops during World War 2. Very uncomfortable and often overcrowded, it had hard wooden slat seats for 50 passengers, but they would, at times, carry 100 passengers, with people often having to sit on the floor or stand.

Passenger seating area

At each end of the car were coal stoves for heat and to allow passengers to cook meals (passengers would have to bring their own food and cooking utensils).

Cooking stove

There were also some pull down sleeping berths (passengers had to supply their own bedding) and washing facilities at each end of the car, one for women and the other for men.

The Pacific Great Eastern RS3 Diesel 561, built in 1951 by Montreal Locomotive Works, putting out 1600 HP, is a freight workhorse frequently seen in service at the park, switching trains in and out of the round house and turntable. This locomotive, representing the first “road” diesels operated by the PGE, was in service for over 35 years before being retired and acquired by the museum.

Pacific Great Eastern RS3 Diesel 561 Locomotive

Railway Museum of British Columbia: 39645 Government Road, Squamish, British Columbia V8B 0B6.  Tel:  604-898-9336.  E-mail: Info@wcra.org. Website: www.wcra.org. Open every Saturday and long weekends, Sundays all summer, 10 AM – 5 PM, select Thursdays, 10 AM – 3 PM. Group Tour events Special Access.  Admission (plus taxes): ($25 (adults, 19–59 years), $20 (seniors, 60+ years), $18 (students ages 12+), $10 (children, 6-11 years), $75 (family, where members must reside at the same address). Toddlers, under 5 years of age, are free admission.  Admission tickets usually include all rides and activities.

How to Get There: the museum isn’t so easy to find unless you have a good map or GPS. Driving past the main intersection with Petro-Canada, 7-Eleven & McDonalds, turn left at either of the next two exits (Industrial Way or Commercial Way) then turn right on Queens Way and follow that a short distance until it merges with Government Road at the stop sign. Proceed across the BC Railway Crossing (after looking both ways). The entrance to the museum will be on your right.