June 1994’s WCRA News was an issue to remember, as the headline announced the decision to name our new Squamish attraction the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, and the cover photo featured RSC-3 #561 breaking the banner as it pulled the first cars of the WCRA’s collection over the newly laid track and into the Heritage Park. Inside, the feature was, as you might expect, the story of the naming of the Heritage park and the coverage of the first train operated on our own tracks on our own site. It was an exciting time indeed for the WCRA!

But there were other highlights as well, Including:

• Photos of the Burlington Northern’s business train at Pacific Central Station alongside the WCRA’s business car British Columbia
• Reviews of the latest night at the IMAX Theatre (shows were Imagine and We Are Born of Stars) as well as our club auction which raised $2,000 (before our days of partnering with the Rotary Club of Vancouver)
• A pitch to support the final push to open the Heritage Park through the new WCRA debenture program
• A list of urgent site needs that included grass seed, gravel for the parking lot surface, lumber, tarps, gyproc, a sign painter and more
• Feature articles by Ron Murdock (On CP Rail in the Kootenays) and Dave Emmington (Verde River Canyon Excursion)
• Rail news covering the work to re-inaugurate Seattle—Vancouver passenger rail service on Amtrak (it happened!), the reassembly of steam locomotive #3716 and test runs
• Henry Reimer last run as a BC Rail conductor and our best wishes to him (he remains an active WCRA member in 2004 we’re delighted to report!)
• Coverage of CP Rails MLW M636 #4743 which made a rare and unexpected run to the west coast
• The donation of Jordan Spreader CP 402846 to the WCRA’s collection was announced.