DMU on Rocky Mountaineer PR Trip

On Dec. 1, 2003, Rocky Mountaineer Railtours announced that they were bidding for the rights to run passenger trains on the former BCRail line from North Vancouver, BC to Prince George, and held a gala press conference to unveil their ambitious plans. As part of that event, Colorado Railcar's DMU was invited to serve as a visual representation of the vehicle that RMR intends to use on the new service, dubbed the Whistler Mountaineer after the famous resort town located midway along the line.

After the conference, the DMU was run from Vancouver to Prince George on Canadian National tracks via Kamloops and Tete Jaune. Reports are that it performed flawlessly.

A conceptual look at what Rocky Mountaineer's DMU might look like. Photo illustration courtesy Rocky Mountaineer Railtours.

For the event, the DMU prototype was dolled up with several Rocky Mountaineer logos. This photo also shows the DMU's new doors, which were in the process of being applied when I toured the plant in Nov., 2003. Photo courtesy Rocky Mountaineer Railtours.

This map gives a clearer picture of RMR's ambitious expansion service plan. Keep in mind that RMR has not been chosen as the passenger service carrier for the route. At least one other operator — Whistler Railtours — has expressed an interest in the line, reportedly also operating with CRM DMUs. Map courtesy Rocky Mountaineer Railtours.

Some of the RMR staffers involved in the DMU's visit. My apologies to those pictured, but I don't have their names anymore. (So if you or a friend are shown here, let me me know!) Photo courtesy Rocky Mountaineer Railtours.

Click here to take a photo tour of the inside of the DMU demonstrator, which I caught up with at Portland Union Station in July, 2003.