Great Northern Railway crew at Hall’s Prairie in Surrey (Langley Centennial Museum photo)
We recently received an intriguing question from Joan who lives in Langley: “We live on 40 Ave and believe a train used to cross through or next to our property. We have some ancient pillars in the creek at the back that probably held up the trestles. Would you have any photos or information on this train? Thanks!”
Joan lives just south of the Five Corners near Murrayville. (We’ll refrain from giving the exact street address.)
The map below is from 1911 and covers much the same area, highlighting various railway lines in the Fraser Valley (City of Vancouver Archives)
The red line in the upper left marks the BC Electric Railway on its way to Chilliwack. Zoom out (below) and the black rail line is identified as the V.V. & E. Railway (Vancouver, Victoria and Eastern Railway) as it zig-zags across the Old Yale Wagon Road. It was a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railway and was eventually abandoned in the late 1920s. Find a description of the V.V. & E. HERE.
Below is another view — the red line highlights the BC Electric Railway and its stops in the Langley area. The BCE transported milk, produce and people; small communities like Milner, Sperling, Coghlan and the unusually named Warwhoop sprang up wherever the rails went. The Great Northern (V.V. & E. Railway) can be seen to the south, snaking its way through the valley.
We asked Langley Heritage Society volunteer Gerry Landsman who has expertise in railway history what he thinks of Joan’s description: “The remains of a trestle on 40th was probably for the V.V. &E. as it crossed the Murray Creek several times. At the same time as the V.V. & E. there were several logging operations in the area as well. “
The track looped its way through the 40th Avenue area. Gerry explains why: “It was mainly to build the railway on a reasonable gradient. You can tell the steepness of the hill when driving the current Fraser Highway from 216 street to 221 street. The same with 216 street, 48 ave to 40th ave. These grades were much too steep for a railway. The railway followed Murray Creek south, then looped east somewhere south of 40th went underneath 216 and curved back north at about 220 St.
In that loop there were about 3 different sawmill operations — “Fern Ridge Lumber co” just west of 216, “McNair & Nicol” east of 216 and “Maddough &Haggard/Langley Timber” further north.
The railways always build where current or future business was possible, as the old saying goes, “Build it and they will come”. The V.V. & E was no different unfortunately or fortunately depending on your preference, the V.V. & E did not last long in part due to its nickname, “Molasses Limited”….it was a slow ride from Port Guichon, current day Ladner to Abbotsford, Sumas and beyond.”
There’s more research to be done, and if you have further information to help us solve this railway mystery, send a note to info@langleyheritage.ca
