A British Columbia excursion railroad has reopened after escaping a devastating wildfire that killed at least one person and destroyed an unknown number of structures over the summer. 

The Bald Range Fire began on Aug. 7 near Summerland, B.C., home to the Kettle Valley Steam Railway. The fire has burned more than 50,000 acres and came concerningly close to the railroad’s station and shops. When the fire broke out on the afternoon of Aug. 7, railroad crews began moving equipment down the line and out of harm’s way, including its primary motive power, Canadian Pacific N2b 2-8-0 3716. The fire also forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents, so railroad employees were unable to access the shops and station area for a week. Finally, on Aug. 15, the railroad shared an update stating that its buildings and track had survived. 

At the end of August, the railroad announced that regular excursion service would resume on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays beginning on September 5. 

The Kettle Valley Steam Railway was founded in 1995 to provide excursions along the historic Kettle Valley Railway, a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific that ran from 1915 until 1989. Locomotive 3716 was built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1912 and worked in southeastern British Columbia for much of its career, including on the Kettle Valley. From 1975 until 2001, the engine was part of the BC Rail steam fleet, along with “Royal Hudson” H1e 4-6-4 2860.

—Railfan & Railroad Staff