This morning the old interurban rail car ‘1304’ returned to Surrey – the wheels were on one truck, the coach was on an other. After being on display in the US for many years, she’s back home now, thanks to the dedication of the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society and many generous donors.

They use a crane to sling the pieces off the trucks. The parts were fit together on some waiting railway tracks, where it will be moved into the Sullivan Station barn in Cloverdale.

The 1304 is one of the last remaining cars from the old interurban line, operated by BC Electric on the commuter track from Chilliwhack to New Westminster. Apparently the 1304 underwent a re-fit a couple of times, once to spruce it up for a visit by the Duke of Connaught and once to effect repairs after a fire.

If you’re lucky enough to score a ride on the Royal Hudson when it travels from New Westminster to Cloverdale on May 2/3 this year, you can stop in and see the new addition to the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society collection. The Society has been restoring a sister car, the 1225, for a few years now. It’s looking sharp after all the hours of volunteer work.

Plans are that the 1304 and its sister will shuttle tourists between Cloverdale and Sullivan Station in the not too distant future. It would be nice if it shared the track with a light rail commuter train south of the Fraser.