Train Beyond the Mountains

This book by travel writer and historian Rick Antonson tells the story of his journey through the Rockies aboard the Rocky Mountaineer train with his grandson, sharing adventure and history along the way. Scattered throughout the book are maps of railway routes across Canada, as well as both historic and contemporary photos.

The author was vice-president of the Vancouver-based rail-tour company Rocky Mountaineer during its start-up years in the 1990s and has travelled by train in countries around the world. His love of rail travel is evident in this book, which is part history, part geography, and part memoir. His descriptions of the scenery and history of the passing landscape bring readers along for the ride.

Some tales are recounted through conversations with fellow passengers, while others include little-known aspects of well-known events, such as the driving home of the last spike of the CPR. Apparently, there were five “last spikes,” and the stories around them range from amusing to sad. The famous last spike was a photo op for the money men, while the real railway workers had their own last-spike ceremony further up the track.

Amusing anecdotes include guesses of “moose,” “elk,” and “bighorn sheep” from Antonson’s fellow travellers regarding an animal that the tour guide gently advises is a white-tailed deer. Descriptions of the spiral tunnels inside both Cathedral Mountain and Mount Ogden in British Columbia conjure iconic images of trains entering these marvels of engineering.

Train Beyond the Mountains is an engaging read, with each turn in the track bringing a new scene and a new story to tell. After reading this book, I want to ride the Rocky Mountaineer to experience it myself.