Caption:

The Canadian Museum of Rail Travel is now the Cranbrook History Centre

While the revenue focus of the Centre - now an independent entity financed by venue room rentals, on site tours, retail gift shop and donations - has moved away from the passenger rail cars the stars of the Centre remain the rail cars.

Amazing how most of the vintage passenger cars, including the interior fixtures, managed to survive years of reconfiguration and out right neglect.

Rail car Omemee was rescued circa 1998 as a lakeside cottage in Wisconsin.

Omemee's entrance to the Men's smoking room and wash room is the through the archway shown, then to the left. A small brass plate above the archway reads in caps: “ INTERIOR VESTIBULE – PAT'D.DEC.25,1900. THE BARNEY & SMITH CAR CO. '. Apparently the patent office was open on December 25.

To the extreme right, the lower berth seating is removed – for restoration - the upper berth is closed for daytime travel and while so the upper and lower night time privacy curtains are stored withing the upper berth compartment. Each berth window seat has the luxury of an independently push switch electric light. Note the porter call button between the windows just above the window sill. And of course each window seat passenger has an operating independent window blind – and the luxury of full air conditioning – each window may be opened independently by the passenger(s) – unlike today's centrally controlled, inhibited travel. Unlikely the emerald velvet upholstery is original, however it likely authentic for the period.

In the partially restored interior of the Barney & Smith (Dayton, Ohio) 1906 built SOO Line 12-1 sleeper #1220 'Omemee' (12 berths, one Drawing Room (latter for 3 passengers)), the “Soo – Spokane Train De Luxe “ equipment.

At the CHC, Cranbrook, B.C., June 13, 2024 digital by S.Danko.