We are pleased to announce Doug Mayer’s latest volume in his popular series on Canadian Pacific Railway’s Revelstoke Division!
“Volume Six: The Connaught Tunnel” chronicles the planning, construction, and remarkable life of what was North America’s longest railway tunnel. Completed in 1916, the Connaught Tunnel was a “game-changer” for the CPR, bypassing the worst sections of the Rogers Pass and providing dramatically improving its operating conditions. At 106 years old, the Tunnel continues to be an important part of the Revelstoke Division.
Like all of his books, Doug has researched far and wide for archival and photographic content about the Tunnel, putting together a story which Doug is uniquely qualified to tell. He explores topics as diverse as the Tunnel’s innovative design and construction, abandonment of the former Rogers Pass right-of-way, the massive 1931 flood, the Tunnel’s portals and infrastructure, and even the legendary incident of the stalled Selkirk locomotive. Richly illustrated with photographs and archival information, some of which has not been published, this book is sure to please historians, railway buffs, industrial engineering enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the CPR’s Revelstoke Division.
Doug Mayer is a local historian and author. He is passionate about the railway, and and is a long-term member of the Revelstoke Model Railway Club. He began this series as a fundraising venture for the Revelstoke Heritage Railway Society in 2018.