Our Journey

Over the past 20 years the Western Vancouver Island Industrial Heritage Society has restored a number of pieces of railway rolling stock that operated in the Alberni Valley. These include the 2-Spot, a 1912 Shay logging locomotive, the 1928 Westminster Iron Works "Buda" a gas powered switching engine and the 1929 Baldwin 2-8-2T, the "No.7" which pulls the train to the McLean Mill.

The Society was originally formed to restore the Shay logging locomotive "2 - Spot" in 1980. They then turned their attention to the steam donkey from the McLean Mill. The Society has operated a steam and diesel train ride along the industrial waterfront in the City since 1984 operating out of the restored 1912 CPR Station at Argyle and Kingsway. They also took the 2-Spot and the steam donkey to "Steam Expo" in Vancouver in 1986. They love to pull wrenches and tell stories and maybe you'll meet some of them on the train.