Royal Metal:
The People, Times and Trains of New Westminster Bridge Barrie Sanford
Bc Chapter, National Railway Historical Society, 2004

Royal Metal is an engaging and evolving story of the New Westminster Bridge, the Fraser Valley, the trains that crossed the bridge and the people who made it all happen. Accounts of political and corporate conniving intermix with the firsthand accounts of common workers. Historical photos, many never before published, richly complement the text. In short, this book places the story of the New Westminster Bridge into the context of the history around it, revealing a saga of surprising variety and interest.

For more than a century the New Westminster Railroad Bridge has spanned the Fraser River serving th e people of the region, the province and the nation, as well as the rich and famous from around the world. When it opened in 1904, the bridge was hailed as an engineering marvel. Indeed, its technical credentials are impressive. But the bridge's greatest contribution was the change it brought to the Fraser Valley in the years immediately following its completeion.

The New Westminster Bridge in now amoung the oldest bridges in Canada still in daily use. Despite floods, earthquakes, fires, collisions, and other calamities the bridge has survived, an enduring testimony to the people who designed, build and maintained it. The story of the New Westminster Bridge - its people, times and trains - is part of the rich heritage of British Columbia. It truely is a royal metal. This is that story.

About the Author: For more than 40 years, Barrie Sanford has been capturing images of trains on film, writing and recording railway history. His first book, McCulloch's Wonder: the Story of the Kettle Valley has gone through more than eight printings and has earned critical acclaim as a "Canadian railway classic." He is also the author of the bestseller, Steel Rails and Iron Men.

ISBN: 0973560207
Price: $39.95
Binding: Paperback
Length: 256