The Crossbuck - Wainwright Rail Park

WRPS attends Jasper station
turnover
The Wainwright
Railway Preservation
Society attended the
turnover of the CN Jasper
station to Parks
Canada on October 26
and 27.
The feature attraction
for the event was
the arrival of CNR
steam locomotive
6060 with Jasper engineer
Harry Home at
the throttle.
A short ceremony
followed the arrival of
the train at the station
with the public invited
for tours of the completely
renovated station
and displays at
several venues around
Jasper.
Sherrill Meropoulis,
event organizer
for Parks Canada,
contacted Don Mc-
Guire to request displays
for the two-day
event. We agreed to
take our two model
dioramas and some artifacts.
Don put together a
display of Jasper photographs
from his personal
collection, enhanced
with CN public
timetables featuring
Jasper National Park
and the Jasper Park
Lodge on their covers.
Dennis and Ruth
Lever, Brad Wurtz and
Don McGuire attended
the event with our displays
set up in the Jas-
per Elementary
School, along with
LaBaJa, a model railroad
club from Edmonton.
A slide show
featuring CN steam locomotives
ran continuously
on a computer
monitor.
Many retired railroaders
from Jasper
talked at length with us
about their experiences
with the locomotives.
Retiree Avron Hilworth
presented us
with a video, featuring
trains around Jasper in
the 1970s and included
footage of 6060 arriving
in Jasper the previous
day.
We were also invited
to display items
at a Gala Dinner, Friday,
October 26 at the
Jasper Park Lodge for
invited dignitaries including
Federal and
Provincial Government
officials, Parks
Canada and CN management.
A ticket to
the event was provided,
Don McGuire
attended the Gala Dinner
and spoke with
many of the invited
guests including CN
Senior Vice President,
Jack McBain.
Tickets to a community
supper were
supplied for the Satur-
day night, where we
were seated with the
6060 locomotive crew.
A dinner Theatre group
from Vancouver provided
entertainment on
a railway theme following
the meal.
Everyone praised
our displays, stating
that they were among
the highlights of the
weekend.
Thanks to Parks
Canada for the invitation
to this spectacular
event, and Sherrill Meropoulis,
Kim Weir
and Laura Touy for
their assistance while
in Jasper, to The Jasper
Inn and The Royal Canadian
Lodge for donating
the accommodations
for the weekend.
Page 3 Volume 6, Number 2