Train Beyond the Mountains

Rick Antonson has travelled on trains in thirty-five countries and is co-author of a book of railway stories, Whistle Posts West: Railway Tales from British Columbia, Alberta and Yukon. He and his two sons, Brent and Sean, circumnavigated the Northern Hemisphere by train over the course of five trips, travelling through countries as varied as Belarus, Mongolia, and North Korea. Rick and his wife, Janice, became engaged on a train in Alabama en route to New Orleans. Rick is the former president and CEO of Tourism Vancouver, and served as chair of the board for Destinations International, based in Washington, D.C., and vice chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, based in Bangkok, Thailand. He was vice-president of Rocky Mountaineer during its start-up years in the early 1990s. Train Beyond the Mountains is his fifth travel narrative.

"[Antonson]... demonstrates the benefits of the slow speed of train travel... As a personal account of a trip on one of Canada’s remaining passenger trains and as a history of rail travel in Canada, there’s much to enjoy here."—Winnipeg Free Press“Antonson’s travels with grandson Riley remind me of John Steinbeck’s classic Travels With Charley, this time exchanging the open road of America for steel rails rolling through Canada’s vast geography and history.”—Michael McCarthy, author of The Snow Leopard Return“Rick Antonson is an unconventionally skilled writer; an extraordinary wordsmith and storyteller with an imagination off the chart. Rick’s latest book, Train Beyond The Mountains, transcends any travelogue I’ve ever read, unfolding as a mystic journey with his grandson through time and the mountains. His prose is magical, transporting me from my living room onto the train, back into history and to a participant in his conversations with other onboard guests. I savored the experience as if I was there. It is a wondrous journey!”—Terry Gainer, author of When Trains Ruled The Rockies"A delightful account that will surprise even those well-versed in the rich lore of the region. Antonson's latest chronicle presents the kind of historical, geographic, and character anecdotes that are both expressive and illuminating."—David Laurence Jones, author of Railway Nation

• List of MapsAuthor’s NotePrologue Before the Rockies became the Rockies . . .I. JUNCTIONS1 On a 1920s summer day at Chicago’s Grand Central Station2 One recent summer morning at the Banff train stationII. WESTERING3 A westering trail of iron lay ahead4 Happenstance is a traveller’s best friend5 We were in mountains once thought to be impenetrable6 Our train travelled over an imaginary line in the wilderness7 Every trip begins with dreams8 This is train country9 Purpose and beauty are not always matched10 The first gold strike on the Fraser River happened over lunchIII. ROUNDHOUSE11 Mid-morning at the Roundhouse in Vancouver12 Chinese workers on the railwayIV. NORTH BY NORTHEAST13 With a one-track mind, our train rolled out14 A morning mountain dew glittered15 One of the delights of train travel in the Cariboo16 Whistle posts are reminders to train engineers to blow their hornsV. THE NUGGET ROUTE17 Not all trains that pass one another do so concurrently18 All travels endAcknowledgementsNotesSources and Recommended ReadingCredits and PermissionsIndex