Train Wreck turns 70: Whistler's iconic graffiti-covered rail cars mark anniversary

On August 11, 1956, a train carrying logs derailed near Function Junction in Whistler, British Columbia, due to excessive speed. The Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE) was responsible, but its equipment couldn't clear the wreckage, so the Valleau family logging operation, based in Mons, was called in. Using D8 Cats, they dragged the boxcars into the forest, where they remain today as the Train Wreck, a popular attraction covered in graffiti. The story was largely unknown until 2013, when Whistler Museum executive director Sarah Drewery published an article in the Whistler Question, prompting the Valleau family to share their account. Rick Valleau recalled his father's stories, and his uncle Howard remembered the incident firsthand. According to Howard, the train, assembled in Lillooet by conductor John Millar, had four engines and was too heavy, requiring a split to climb the grade to Parkhurst. Running behind schedule, the crew exceeded the 15 mph speed limit, actually traveling at 35 mph, causing the fourth engine to turn a rail. The crew was fired after the investigation. To celebrate the 70th anniversary, the Whistler Museum is hosting its 30th annual Building with Lego Bricks Competition on August 16 in Florence Petersen Park, with the theme 'Build Your Best Rescue Machine' for children ages 3 to 12.