Photo Gallery
Life at the station begins. Canadian Pacific station, Banff, 1948.
Photographer: Canadian Pacific Railway. Courtesy Exporail and Canadian Pacific Railway Archives, P170-NS-7932_ppp.
Donald Smith driving in the last spike at Craigellachie, November 7, 1885.
Photographer: Canadian Pacific. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Mary Schaffer Fonds, V527/ps-1-810.
William Cornelius Van Horne.
Photographer unknown. Courtesy David Fleming.
Original Banff Springs Hotel, ca. 1900 – 1910.
Photographer: Byron Harmon. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Byron Harmon Fonds, V263-ng-002.
F.L. “Frank” Gainer, agent, Cochrane, ca. 1918.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Enid Mary Maggs, Cochrane, 1917.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Gainer family in front of Banff station (sister Mavis missing from photo, teaching in Rocky Mountain House), 1948.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
My dad (front row, second from right) on his first day on the job in Banff, July 1948.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
A Banff bear on duty, ca. 1940 – 1948.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, V227-3289.
Identical American Flyer electric train to my Christmas raffle win, but wrong kid(!), 1948.
Photographer unknown. Courtesy Glenbow Archives, IP-13y-14b.
Fred and me on the balcony of Banff station residence, ca. 1949.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Canadian Pacific movie train on set; action shot at Canmore (Rundle Mountain in background), 1948.
Photographer unknown. Courtesy Glenbow Archives, PA-2453-378.
Diagram of a wye for turning trains.
Courtesy Wikipedia.
Banff Springs and the Bow Valley, ca. 1930.
Photographer: Byron Harmon. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Byron Harmon Fonds, V263/na-3737.
CPR timetable, showing Trains 1, 2, the Dominions and the Mountaineer, 1948.
Courtesy Steve Boyko.
Me in front of the original fireplace, Banff station waiting room, 2016.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Interior of a colonist class railcar. Although built in the 1890s and early 1900s, colonist cars were still in use through the 1950s, chartered by Fugazy Travel of New York for all-girl teen tours to the Rockies.
Courtesy Glenmore Archives, NA-978-4.
5931, a massive Selkirk 2-10-2 locomotive on display at Heritage Park in Calgary, 2017.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Palliser Hotel dining room, Calgary, ca. 1940s.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, V50-A5-Z-267.
The Dominion at Banff station, 1948.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy Exporail and Canadian Pacific Railway Archives, P170-M_4045_300ppp.
General Motors test diesel set leading the Dominion, 1949.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Diesel power on the Dominion at Castle Mountain, 1952.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Nicholas Morant Fonds, V500_62_3_pg129_ns_027.
Morning departure of the Mountaineer, with open-air observation car, 1952.
Photographer: Ron Duke. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Ron Duke Fonds, V180_i.d.a_131_na_179.
Rare photo of eastbound Mountaineer at Morant’s Curve, 1953.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Nicholas Morant Fonds, V50-A5-Z-245.tif.
Pacific Northwest Circle Tour brochure, 1954.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Cartan Tours of Chicago, Canadian Rockies brochure, 1953.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Vanderbilt Tours of New York, Canadian Rockies brochure, 1955.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Well-dressed passengers boarding their Pullman on the Mountaineer, ca. 1950.
Photographer: Ron Duke. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Ron Duke Fonds, V180_i.d.a._131_na_179_1.
Canadian Pacific’s Canadian Rockies brochure.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
A 1948 Chrysler Deluxe on the Banff Jasper Highway. Real luxury!
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, v227-787.
The Royal Train (King George and Queen Elizabeth) at Field, Engine 2850, 1939.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Nicholas Morant Fonds, V500/A3/57-339-1.
Princess Elizabeth and Philip square dancing in Calgary, 1951.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Fairholme ranch house, 1958.
Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, V337-PD-1.
“You want me to go where?” Princess Margaret goes to church, 1958.
Photographer: Bill Gibbons. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Bill Gibbons Fonds, V-190-1.H-3-NA-03.
Dad and Mom all decked out for Princess Margaret’s dinner at the Banff Springs Hotel.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Captain O’Brien-ffrench, Marquis de Castelthomond, ca. 1948 – 1953.
Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Moore Family Fonds, V439/na66-415.
Queen Elizabeth at the Cadet camp, 1959.
Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, V8-accn7237.
Interior shot, sleeping car of the Grey Cup train, 1948. Victorious return to Calgary with Grey Cup.
Courtesy Glenbow Archives, PA-2453-378.
1958 Grey Cup game, Hamilton vs. Winnipeg.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Charlie Beil ice carving for the Winter Carnival in front of the Mount Royal Hotel, ca. 1940 – 1948.
Photographer: Byron Harmon. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Byron Harmon Fonds, V263-na-3798.
Banff Winter Carnival ice palace on the Bow River, ca. 1950 – 1954.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, V227-4732.
The carnival’s toboggan slide, from St. Julien Road down Caribou Street to Beaver Street, 1956.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, V227-4818.
Banff Winter Carnival regatta at the Cave and Basin pool, one of the carnival’s most popular events, ca. 1948 – 1958.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, V227-4724.
Banff Children’s Choir awaits arrival of the carnival train, Banff station, 1950.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, V227-4593.
Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Band leads carnival parade from station, 1958.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, V227-4593.
Carnival train unloading at Banff station, 1958.
Courtesy Glenbow Archives, pa-1599-47-17.
A Brewster Tally-Ho carrying sightseers at the Buffalo Paddock, ca. 1900.
Photographer: Byron Harmon. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Byron Harmon Fonds, V263-na-3711.
Brewster fleet meets the Dominion at Banff station, ca. 1947 – 1950.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, V227-759.
Rocky Mountain Tours bus and garage, site of today’s Grizzly House, ca. 1952.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, V469-3028.
Brewster “Sky Views” at the Columbia Icefield, ca. 1950.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, V227-764.
The King Edward Hotel, ca. 1949.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, V227-2050.
Mount Royal Hotel rotunda, ca. 1920 – 1950.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, V469/2481.
The Cascade Hotel opens, 1948.
Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, v227-2159.
The Homestead Hotel, annex and Concord stagecoach, 1952.
Photographer: Don Harmon. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Byron Harmon Fonds, V263/na-3463.
The Gammon Motel, ca. 1956.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, V469-3387.
Western Electric telegraph key, ca. 1890 – 1920.
Courtesy Harold Kramer.
The “bug” semi-automatic telegraph key, ca. 1920 – 1950.
Courtesy Harold Kramer.
Selkirk 5926 “filling up” at the Banff water tower, 1949.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy Exporail and Canadian Pacific Railway Archives, P170-M_4045.
The Banff ice house, constructed in 1911 and moved to its present location in 2017, the future site of the Railway Heritage Village.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Large ice tongs used to grip ice blocks weighing up to 500 pounds.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Large ice chisel used to break up large ice blocks into manageable sizes for iceboxes.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
A speeder on display, Delburne, ca. 1940 – 1970.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Bull moose at Vermilion Lakes, ca. 1940s. Was this our dinner?
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, V227-3417.
Bob Campbell cutting ice at Lake Louise, ca. 1910 – 1914.
Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Paris Fonds, V484/na66-2057.
Engineer and fireman watering a Selkirk locomotive, 1948.
Photographer unknown. Courtesy David Fleming.
Banff’s first water tower. A speeder in the foreground, equipped with water pump and hose to put out fires along right-of-way caused by sparks from the steel wheels, ca. 1900 – 1920.
Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, V573-na-2180.
Moffatt’s farm today, site of the Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre, 2017.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
The sandhill today, 2017.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Yours truly all decked out for the Dominion Day Parade, complete with blazer, tie and slacks, 1950.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Warden Hubert “Beaver” Green, ca. 1940s.
Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, V245-10-pa2.
My monster fish, 1949.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Whiskey Creek from Marmot Street bridge, 2017. What happened to the water?
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Whiskey Creek at CPR culvert, ca. 1950s.
Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, V488-1-A-NA-118-1.
Whiskey Creek at the same CPR culvert, 2017. Where did you go?
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Forty Mile Creek, 2017. Once upon a time, a wetland, now a trench.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
One of many beaver lodges between the three Vermilion Lakes, ca. 1940s.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, V227-3293.
Moose feeding at Vermilion Lakes, when the Bow Valley was the moose kingdom, ca. 1940s.
Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, A500-A2-07.
Fishing the stream connecting First and Second lakes. Lots of water (and fish) in the day, ca. 1930s and 1940s.
Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, V454-ng5-402.
A Banff beaver.
Photographer: Byron Harmon. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Byron Harmon Fonds, V263/na-2898.
Remnants of the beaver ponds, 2017.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Here come the ’50s. Let the good times roll!
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
The Cave and Basin swimming pool, ca. 1950s.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, v263-na-3538.
The amazing Edmonton Grads, ca. 1930s.
Photographer unknown. Courtesy Jim Alexander.
Dad’s nomination night (left to right: Earl Gammon, Jimmy Simpson Sr., Frank Gainer, Bill Bryant), 1955.
From Banff Crag & Canyon. Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Dad’s pink Rambler, 1958.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Train 5, express and mail train, ca. 1950s.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
The Canadian at Castle Mountain, 1955.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Nicholas Morant Fonds, v500-55-56.
The westbound Canadian arrives in Banff, 1956. Station master kiosk right foreground, Garden Tracks right background, ice house left background.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy Exporail and Canadian Pacific Railway Archives, P170-M_7446_300ppp.
The classic Canadian photo at Morant’s Curve, ca. 1956.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Nicholas Morant Fonds, V500-54.
A look-alike to Banff’s switch engine, ca. 1948 – 1952.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Nicholas Morant Fonds, v500_bl_69_pg75_ns_004.
The newsstand and corridor to the baggage room, ca. 1950s.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, V263-na-3447.
Doug Young, Paddy and me, 1950. Note the CP executive car parked on the Willow Tracks in the background.
Photographer: Fred Gainer. Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Operator Alex Leeb preparing train orders, ca. 1958 – 1960.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Nicholas Morant Fonds, V500-A2-R-85-1.
Eastbound Mountaineer labours up Kicking Horse Pass, 1952.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Nicholas Morant Fonds, V500-A2-R-50.
Early season Mountaineer prepares to depart Banff. Note the small baggage car followed by Pullman sleepers.
Photographer: Ron Duke. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Ron Duke Fonds, V180_i.d.a_131_na_179_3.
CP Express reefer, ca. 1940s and 1950s.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Full-throttle 5900 leading freight steams into Banff, ca. 1950.
Photographer unknown. Courtesy Glenbow Archives, pa-4013-1538.
Way freight works, Banff yard, ca. 1940s.
Photographer unknown. Courtesy Glenbow Archives, pa-4103-179.
Dad at his desk, 1954.
Photographer: Fred Gainer. Courtesy Gainer family collection.
1948 Lincoln Continental.
Photographer unknown. Courtesy Jackson-Barrett Auctions, Scottsdale, AZ.
Nicholas Morant, ca. 1950s.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Nicholas Morant Fonds, V500-B3-3.
Group photo in front of the rock garden, east end of the station, ca. 1950.
Photographer: George Noble. Courtesy Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, George Noble Fonds, v227-1277.
John and Muriel Owen’s log home on Glen Avenue, Banff, 2018.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
John and Muriel Owen.
Photographer: John Owen. Courtesy Owen family personal collection.
Summer staff in baggage room office (left to right: Claude Grandbois, Ralph Smith, Ron Thompson, Fred Gainer). Note: rack on left holds destination stamps for checked luggage.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
A busy photo of the arrival of the eastbound Canadian, 1956. On track 2, to the right, sleepers awaiting the Mountaineer; on the left, the information kiosk and awaiting buses; in the background, express reefers parked for unloading on the Willow Tracks.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy Exporail and Canadian Pacific Railway Archives, P170-M_6407_300ppp.
Baggage boys and redcaps in front of baggage room doors and site of “the quarters game” (left to right: Fred Gainer, John Stuckert, Claude Grandbois, unknown and Spud).
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Curly’s company, Happiness Tours’, brochure, 1948.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Redcap working the Canadian.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy David Fleming.
Me as redcap, sorting luggage off the Canadian.
Photographer: Nicholas Morant. Courtesy David Fleming.
Location of switch torn out by boxcar.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Home sweet home: identical to Jim and Bob’s caboose, Heritage Park, Calgary.
Photographer: Terry Gainer. Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Inside a caboose (left to right: Fred Gainer, John Stuckert, Ralph Smith). Note the Heinz box full of Carling’s Black Label beer!
Photographer: Claude Grandbois. Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Space Needle, Seattle, on the site of the Seattle World’s Fair, 1962.
Courtesy SmugMug.
Great Northern Railroad’s Seattle World’s Fair advertisement.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Canadian Pacific poster. Train, ship and Bristol Britannia airplane, ca. 1956 – 1964.
Courtesy Glenmore Archives, Poster 5.
HMS Canberra, my home for two weeks, 1962.
Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Victor Sugg’s rock garden in 2017.
Photographer: Terry Gainer. Courtesy Gainer family collection.
Willow Tracks, ca. 1940 – 1962, to be restored as part of Railway Heritage Village.
Courtesy Exporail and Canadian Pacific Railway Archives, P170-B_5533_1A_300ppp.
