See the Royal Hudson in Squamish, Plus Where to Ride Real Steam Trains in BC This Winter
The Royal Hudson is still in Squamish. You can walk right up to 2860 in the CN Roundhouse at the Railway Museum of British Columbia. That’s the place many people still call the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, its name until 2021. What you can’t do is ride behind it. The steam engines here are static displays, and the full-size passenger trains are diesels.
That still leaves plenty. The museum’s collection runs to 95 heritage locomotives and cars, and regular admission covers unlimited rides on its operating trains. The grounds are closed for the season now and reopen for the North Pole Express, which runs behind 1950s passenger diesels. The regular season is expected back in spring 2027, though the museum hasn’t posted a date yet.
This guide covers what you’ll see and ride in Squamish, the dates and prices that are posted, and the BC holiday trains that really are pulled by steam this December. Squamish is under an hour’s drive from Vancouver in normal conditions.
16. Henry Pickering open observation car, CP No. 598 (Squamish)
Where: Railway Museum of BC
When: Varies. Ask on the day which big train is running
Cost: Included with admission when operating
Getting there: On the museum grounds
This car was built in 1914 in the CPR’s first order of all-steel coaches and stayed in service until 1955. In 1956 it was rebuilt as an open observation car for the Mountaineer, a train that ran from Vancouver to St. Paul, Minnesota.
The local link is direct. In 1974 the BC Government leased it for the Royal Hudson train, where it ran as Mt. Garibaldi. So this car rode behind 2860 on the old North Van to Squamish trips.
Don’t count on riding it in Squamish. The museum’s exhibit page says the car was renamed Henry Pickering after a 2003 restoration and has operated with the Rocky Mountaineer since 2004. The museum lists its regular unlimited rides as the BC-21 Budd car, the Mini-Rail and the track speeders. Ask on the day whether No. 598 is on site.
15. Buddy & Friends Children’s Festival (Squamish)
Where: Railway Museum of BC
When: 2027 dates not yet announced. Past editions were in early May
Cost: 2027 not posted. previously listed at $20 plus GST and fees, all ages
Getting there: Highway 99 to Squamish
This kids’ festival replaced Day Out With Thomas and was held on the first weekend of May in 2026. Expect live performers and crafts. The BC-21 Budd car runs as well.
The 2026 edition ran May 2 and 3. 2027 dates aren’t posted yet, and neither is 2027 pricing. For reference, the festival’s page has previously listed tickets at $20 plus GST and fees for all ages.
Watch the festival page in early spring.
14. Track speeder rides (Squamish)
Where: Squamish Train Station platform, Railway Museum of BC
When: Regular operating days from spring 2027
Cost: Included with admission
Getting there: On the museum grounds
Speeders are the small maintenance-of-way cars railway crews once used to inspect track. The museum offers Maintenance-of-way Track Speeder rides.
It’s short and loud, which is the point. Regular admission includes unlimited rides. The museum’s train-show map shows boarding at the Squamish Train Station platform.
| Ride | Power | Where you board | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Pole Express | 1950s FP9A diesel | Squamish Station house | CA$48.76 to CA$75.26 per seat |
| BC-21 Budd car | Self-propelled diesel car | Squamish Station | Unlimited with admission ($15 at the model train show) |
| CP No. 598 observation car | Varies by day | Ask on the day | Included when operating |
| Mini-Rail | Miniature train | Silver Fox Station | Unlimited with admission ($5 at the model train show) |
| Track speeder | Maintenance-of-way speeder | Squamish Train Station platform | Unlimited with admission |
13. Burnaby Central Railway (Confederation Park, Burnaby)
Where: Confederation Park, Willingdon Ave and Penzance Dr, Burnaby
When: Reopens 11 am, Good Friday, March 26, 2027
Cost: 2027 fares not posted
Getting there: North Burnaby, Willingdon Ave and Penzance Dr
Volunteers from the BC Society of Model Engineers give rides behind scale replica live-steam locomotives. These miniature engines really do run on steam. That makes it the natural next step for kids who loved the Squamish Mini-Rail.
It’s closed for the season now. It reopens at 11 am on Good Friday, March 26, 2027, and the Society says 2026 was a record season. 2027 fares aren’t posted on the Society’s site yet. Find it in Confederation Park in North Burnaby, at 120 North Willingdon Avenue.
12. BC Rail Budd car BC-21 (Squamish)
Where: Squamish Station, Railway Museum of BC
When: Regular operating days from spring 2027, plus March 20 and 21, 2027
Cost: Unlimited with regular admission. $15 at the March 2027 model train show
Getting there: Board at Squamish Station on the museum grounds
BC-21 is a self-propelled RDC-1, the rail diesel car most people just call a Budd car. It is one of two operational Budd cars at the museum. The other is BC-33. On operating days it carries visitors from Squamish Station to the MP2 Shops and back.
Tourism Squamish notes that this type of car once carried passengers from Vancouver to Prince George.
Regular admission includes unlimited rides. It is also expected to run during the March 20–21, 2027 model train show for a separate fare ($15 at the gift shop, with riders 4 and under free on an adult’s lap). Board at Squamish Station on the grounds.
11. Business cars ‘British Columbia’ and ‘Alberta’ (Squamish)
Where: CN Roundhouse (British Columbia) and museum grounds (Alberta)
When: Regular season, spring 2027. Alberta private coach by arrangement for the North Pole Express
Cost: Included with admission. Alberta private coach $1,500 + GST per North Pole Express ride (up to 15 people)
Getting there: On the museum grounds
The business car British Columbia sits in the roundhouse beside the Royal Hudson, and the museum lists both as featured exhibits. Business cars were rolling offices and homes for railway executives. The museum’s write-up on its Alberta car, which has a varnished mahogany interior and brass fittings, calls it similar to the British Columbia. The museum says the British Columbia was built in 1890 by Barney & Smith of Dayton, Ohio, as the CPR sleeper Sherbrooke, and rebuilt as a business car in 1912.
The CPR No. 8 Alberta has a well-documented history. It was built in 1929 for travelling railway executives and their staff, and it served as office, home and entertainment centre. National Steel Car built the body, and the CPR finished the interior at its Angus Shops in Montreal. After it retired in 1970 it was converted for restaurant use.
Today the Alberta has a lounge with an open observation platform, a large dining area and a galley. The North Pole Express page lists an Alberta Private Coach option. It costs $1,500 plus GST per ride for a group of up to 15. Availability is limited, so email [email protected] with the subject line “Alberta Ride”.
10. Pacific Great Eastern 2-6-2ST steam locomotive (Squamish)
Where: Railway Museum of BC
When: Regular season, spring 2027 (date not posted)
Cost: Included with admission
Getting there: On the museum grounds
This Prairie-type saddle-tank engine was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia in February 1910. Like the Royal Hudson, it is a static display.
It’s a useful contrast. Set beside 2860, it shows kids two very different kinds of steam: a compact 1910 tank engine and a 1940 express locomotive.
See it during the regular season, which reopens in spring 2027.
9. Sea to Sky Model Train and Hobby Show (Squamish)
Where: Railway Museum of BC
When: Sat March 20, 2027, 10 am to 5 pm. Sun March 21, 2027, 10 am to 4 pm
Cost: Budd car $15, Mini-Rail $5. Show admission: adult $15 online or $18 at the gate for one day ($22/$25 for the weekend); senior $12/$15; youth $8/$11; family $36/$39; children free. Free parking
Getting there: Highway 99, under an hour from Vancouver in normal conditions
This spring weekend fills the museum with model railway layouts and vendors. It’s also an early chance to ride before the regular season opens. The BC-21 Budd car runs north from the museum onto the connecting spur to the CN line and back.
Show rides are priced separately: $15 for the Budd car and $5 for the Mini-Rail. Riders 4 and under ride the Mini-Rail free and the Budd car free on an adult’s lap. Show admission is extra: one-day tickets are $15 adult, $12 senior, $8 youth and $36 family online, or $18, $15, $11 and $39 at the gate, and children are free. A weekend pass is $22 adult, $18 senior, $12 youth and $50 family online ($25, $21, $15 and $53 at the gate). Parking is free. Tickets are on the show page.
The museum suggests at least two to three hours.
8. Mini-Rail train (Squamish)
Where: Silver Fox Station, Railway Museum of BC
When: Regular season from spring 2027, and during the North Pole Express
Cost: Unlimited with regular admission. $5 at the model train show
Getting there: Board at Silver Fox Station on the museum grounds
This ride-on miniature railway is the kids’ favourite. The museum describes a 20-minute ride over more than 2 km of track, from one end of the grounds to the other. The District of Squamish puts the length at 2.5 km.
The route leaves Silver Fox Station, passes Twin Cedars and the Garden Railway, turns at Wilkie Station and returns via Mason Station. It’s a good way to get the layout of the grounds before you explore on foot.
Regular admission includes unlimited rides, and the museum’s North Pole Express FAQ says it also runs at the ‘North Pole’ during the holiday event (confirm on the day). At the model train show it costs $5 (tickets at the gift shop). Ride it first thing, then again before you leave.
7. CN 6520 and CP 4069, the 1950s streamliner diesels (Squamish)
Where: Outdoor yard, Railway Museum of BC
When: Regular season displays. FP9A power leads the North Pole Express, Nov 28 to Dec 21, 2026
Cost: Included with admission or a North Pole Express ticket
Getting there: On the museum grounds
These two 1950s passenger diesels are still operational, and both are regular outdoor displays in the museum yard. They’re the rounded, streamlined engines that look like a postwar travel poster. CN 6520 is an FP9A, and CP 4069 is an FP7A delivered to the CPR in January 1952.
They matter because this is the kind of power that leads the North Pole Express. The museum’s 1950s FP9A locomotives pull the holiday train. If your kids are expecting a movie prop, the real thing is better: a working diesel that hauled passengers decades before they were born.
Look for them outside during the regular season. In December, the diesel on the front of your train, CN 6520 (an FP9A) and/or CP 4069 (an FP7A), is the one to point out.
6. Royal Hudson 2860 (CN Roundhouse, Squamish)
Where: CN Roundhouse, Railway Museum of BC
When: Regular season, spring 2027 (date not posted). Ask about viewing during the North Pole Express
Cost: Included with admission
Getting there: Highway 99, under an hour from Vancouver in normal conditions
The museum calls 2860 the crown jewel of its collection. It’s one of 65 Hudson-type 4-6-4 steam locomotives built for the CPR by Montreal Locomotive Works. This one was finished in June 1940. Up close in the roundhouse, the size of it is the first thing you notice.
Its local story is the reason people make the drive. The Province bought it in 1974 to pull a summer excursion train between North Vancouver and Squamish along Howe Sound. 2860 stopped hauling that summer run in 1999. The excursion carried on behind other locomotives until 2001. In 2000 the Province leased the engine to the District of Squamish for display and restoration. Today it is a static display, so you see it but don’t ride behind it.
You can see it during regular museum hours, which return in spring 2027. The museum hasn’t posted a 2027 date yet (the May 8 date still shown on its homepage was the 2026 opening), so check wcra.org closer to the time. If you go for the North Pole Express, ask the museum whether 2860 is viewable that day.
Bring the grandparents who rode those summer trips out of North Van. This is the actual locomotive, not a sister engine.
5. Engine 374 Pavilion (Yaletown, Vancouver)
Where: Roundhouse Community Centre, Davie St and Pacific Blvd
When: Daily 10 am to 4 pm until Oct 31; winter hours 11 am to 3 pm daily from Nov 1 to March 31. Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day
Cost: Free
Getting there: Canada Line to Yaletown-Roundhouse, 200 m
CPR 374 pulled the first passenger train into Vancouver in 1887. It sits in the Engine 374 Pavilion at the Roundhouse Community Centre, at Davie Street and Pacific Boulevard. It is static.
It’s the no-drive steam fix for city families. It’s open daily 10 am to 4 pm through Oct 31, then on winter hours, 11 am to 3 pm daily, from Nov 1 (closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day; the museum also lists Boxing Day as closed, so call ahead that day), according to the Roundhouse and the museum. The Yaletown-Roundhouse Canada Line station is 200 m away. Admission is free, according to the Roundhouse.
4. North Pole Express (Railway Museum of BC, Squamish)
Where: 39645 Government Road, Squamish
When: 2026: Nov 28 and 29, Dec 5 and 6, Dec 12 and 13, Dec 19, 20 and 21. Departures 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm, 5 pm
Cost: CA$48.76 (Bronze) to CA$75.26 (Platinum) per seat, free parking included
Getting there: Highway 99 to Squamish. Winter tires required on the Sea to Sky
This is the museum’s big holiday event and the only full-size train ride it runs this winter. Set your expectations first. The train is pulled by the museum’s 1950s FP9A diesel passenger locomotives, not steam. The ride lasts about 50 minutes, out and back from the museum station. Depending on the run, it heads north toward the Squamish River or south toward the shipping port.
The train is only part of the visit. Afterward you head to the North Pole for Santa, activities and live entertainment, and the Mini-Rail runs as well. The museum suggests planning two to three hours in total. It also asks you to arrive 45 minutes before departure.
Leave time for the walk. From the parking area it’s about 250 m to the front gate, then about 200 m more to the Squamish Station house, where you pick up tickets and board. Those distances come from the museum’s North Pole Express FAQ. A stroller helps with small kids.
Every ticket includes free parking and reserved seating, and you can choose seats when you book. The 15% early-bird discount ended Oct 1. Buy only on the museum’s own booking page. The museum says it is the only authorized seller and warns about reseller scams.
3. Alberni Pacific Railway Santa’s Steam Express (Port Alberni)
Where: 3100 Kingsway Ave, Port Alberni
When: 2026: Dec 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20
Cost: Adults CA$16.05, ages 2–17 CA$5.35, under 2 free on a lap
Getting there: Ferry to the Island, then Highway 4
This 40-minute festive ride is pulled by the No. 7 steam locomotive, with lights along the way and a visit from Santa. Day and night trains run over three December weekends.
It’s also the cheapest real steam ride here, at CA$16.05 for adults and CA$5.35 for ages 2 to 17. Pets aren’t allowed on the train for this event. Trains run Dec 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 and 20. A wheelchair lift is available. The railway asks you to email ahead if someone in your party needs it, and to tell a ticket agent when you check in. Book through Alberni Pacific Railway.
Take the ferry to Vancouver Island, then Highway 4 to Port Alberni. It pairs well with a weekend on the Island.
2. BC Forest Discovery Centre Christmas Express (Duncan)
Where: 2892 Drinkwater Road, Duncan
When: 2026: Nov 27 to Dec 23 on set dates (3:30 to 9:30 pm)
Cost: $20 adults, seniors, youth. $18 children 3 to 12. Free 2 and under
Getting there: Ferry to the Island. 35 minutes south of Nanaimo
A narrow-gauge steam train runs through Christmas lights across the centre’s 100-acre site, including a trestle over Somenos Lake. The centre’s train page lists the 2026 Christmas Express as steam-hauled.
The centre’s two pages disagree on one week. One lists Dec 3 to 7 and the train schedule lists Dec 4 to 7, so check before booking. The other dates are Nov 27 to 30, Dec 10 to 14, 17 to 20 and 22 to 23.
Tickets go on sale Nov 2, 2026, on the centre’s events page. The centre is a not-for-profit and its event trains are among its major fundraisers; its Halloween tickets sell out quickly, so expect the same here. The train, main entrance and paths are wheelchair accessible. Leave pets at home for this event, though certified guide and service dogs are welcome.
Getting there means a ferry to Vancouver Island. The centre is one hour north of Victoria and 35 minutes south of Nanaimo.
1. Kettle Valley Steam Railway Christmas Express (Summerland)
Where: 18404 Bathville Road, Summerland
When: 2026: Dec 3 to 6, 10 to 13, 17 to 22, at 4:30 and 6:30 pm
Cost: $37 adult, $34 senior, $32 youth, $26 child, plus GST and fee
Getting there: Okanagan road trip. Check DriveBC for pass conditions
If the goal is riding behind real steam, this is the closest thing to the old Royal Hudson trips. The Christmas Express is a one-hour ride behind the lit-up 3716, a restored 1912 steam locomotive. There’s music, a visit from Santa, hot drinks and carols.
The regular scenic season is over for 2026, so the Christmas Express is the public ride left this year. Trains run at 4:30 and 6:30 pm on Dec 3 to 6, 10 to 13 and 17 to 22.
Fares are $37 adult, $34 senior, $32 youth and $26 child, plus 5% GST and a booking fee. Infants ride free on a lap. Tickets are non-refundable, but you can rebook up to 48 hours before departure, subject to availability. Book on the Kettle Valley Christmas Express page.
It’s a December drive over mountain passes. Check DriveBC before you leave.
| Ride | Power | 2026 dates | From (adult/seat) | Ride length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Pole Express, Squamish | 1950s FP9A diesel | Nov 28–Dec 21 (9 days) | CA$48.76 | ~50 min |
| Christmas Express, Kettle Valley (Summerland) | Steam (3716, 1912) | Dec 3–22 (14 days) | $37 + GST & fee | 1 hr |
| Christmas Express, BC Forest Discovery Centre (Duncan) | Steam | Nov 27–Dec 23 (19–20 days) | $20 | not stated |
| Santa’s Steam Express, Alberni Pacific (Port Alberni) | Steam (No. 7) | Dec 4–20 (9 days) | CA$16.05 | 40 min |
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1940 | Finished in June for the CPR (Montreal Locomotive Works) |
| 1974 | Bought by the Province of BC for an excursion train, North Vancouver–Squamish |
| 1999 | 2860’s summer sightseer service ends |
| 2000 | Leased to the District of Squamish for display and restoration at the heritage park |
| Today | Static display in the CN Roundhouse, Railway Museum of BC |
Steam or diesel: set expectations
At the Squamish museum, the steam engines are static displays. That includes Royal Hudson 2860 and the Pacific Great Eastern saddle-tank. The rides are a vintage Budd diesel car, the Mini-Rail, speeders and the FP9A-hauled North Pole Express.
To ride behind steam this winter, your options are the Kettle Valley Christmas Express in Summerland, the BC Forest Discovery Centre in Duncan and Alberni Pacific in Port Alberni. The BC holiday train comparison table in this article lays out power, dates and prices.
When to go
- Now through late November: the museum is closed.
- Nov 28 to Dec 21, 2026: North Pole Express, ticketed.
- March 20 and 21, 2027: Sea to Sky Model Train and Hobby Show.
- Spring 2027: the regular season reopens. The date isn’t posted yet. In 2026 the museum’s calendar listed the regular season as May 8 to October 11.
- The 2026 pattern was Saturdays plus long-weekend Sundays until Thanksgiving, with Fridays (10 am to 3 pm) and Saturdays (9 am to 3 pm) through the season and Thursdays added in July and August.
- Early May: Buddy & Friends. 2027 dates aren’t posted yet.
Admission and what it covers
Regular admission includes unlimited rides on the Budd car, Mini-Rail and speeders. That doesn’t apply at special events, which are priced separately. In 2026, seniors got half-price admission on Fridays. Access2 support persons get in free. Current rates are on the museum’s Plan Your Visit page, and the latest posted prices are in the admission table in this article.
Getting there and winter driving
Drive north on Highway 99. The museum puts the trip at under an hour from Vancouver in normal conditions. During the North Pole Express season, the Sea to Sky is a mandatory winter-tire zone starting just north of Horseshoe Bay. You need M+S or mountain-snowflake tires with at least 3.5 mm of tread. The Squamish RCMP has the details. Every North Pole Express ticket includes free parking, in the lot across the street from the museum.
Go prepared. December weather on the Sea to Sky can change between the Shore and Squamish, so check conditions before you leave.
What to bring and etiquette
- Your booking confirmation. The museum’s FAQ says you pick up your tickets at the Squamish Station house before boarding. Arrive 45 minutes early for the North Pole Express.
- Comfortable shoes. It’s about 450 m in total from parking to the station house.
- Layers for December in Squamish.
- A stroller for little ones.
- Buy North Pole Express tickets only from wcra.org. The museum’s FAQ directs buyers to its own North Pole Express page to book.
| Ticket | Gate | Season pass |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (19 to 59) | $35 | $70 |
| Senior (60+) | $30 | $60 |
| Student (12 to 19, or current student ID up to 25) | $27 | $40 |
| Child (5 to 11) | $20 | $40 |
| Under 5 | Free | Free |
| Family (same household) | $100 | $200 |
In Squamish, the honest answer is that the steam stands still. It’s still worth the drive. Royal Hudson 2860 is the real engine from the North Van summer trips, and the yard around it is full of trains you can ride. Book the North Pole Express for December, or wait for spring and use unlimited rides. If someone in your car needs to hear a working steam whistle this year, pick Summerland, Duncan or Port Alberni and book early.
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Photo credits
- Royal Hudson 2860 train.jpg by Slammer111, CC BY-SA 3.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Canadian Pacific’s Royal Hudson 2850 (32714095206).jpg by Marty Bernard from U.S.A., Public domain (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Vancouver Hudson No.2860 09.06.96R.jpg by No machine-readable author provided. RuthAS assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 3.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Canadian Pacific Railway No 2860 2011.JPG by Nils Öberg, CC BY-SA 3.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- CP 1920 miniature train at Burnaby Central Railway, 13 October 2013.jpg by Mike W., CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized; cropped for the featured image). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Squamish old railway station 2011.jpg by Nils Öberg, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- The Royal Hudson engine at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, Squamish.jpg by (WT-shared) Shaund, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- West Coast Railway Heritage Park 07.jpg by Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- BC Rail RDC railcar.JPG by Alasdair McLellan, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Canadian Pacific Covered Wagons – 3 Photos (26415526200).jpg by railfan 44, Public domain (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- West Coast Railway Heritage Park 05.jpg by Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- West Coast Railway Heritage Park 17.jpg by Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- CPR Steam engine No 374 2011.jpg by Nils Öberg, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- The highest steel trestle bridge of its type in North America.JPG by Accuruss, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Hillcrest Lumber Company steam locomotive 1 Shay at Forest Museum Duncan BC 16-Jul-1995.jpg by SoftwareSimian, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Alberni Pacific Railway passenger-car 2011.JPG by Nils Öberg, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
