The Rogers Pass
The Rogers Pass is a key link in the C.P.R. route across British Columbia. It was the only way that the railway could get through the Selkirk Mountain Range from east to West. The pass was
discovered by Major A.B. Rogers after the mainline had already been surveyed over the continental divide and through the Kicking Horse Pass. In 1881 Rogers surveyed from the West up the Illecillewaet River to the headwaters and was able to see a narrow pass through the Selkirk range. However his crew was out of supplies and had to return down the Columbia River. The next year he returned and approached from the east and confirmed the existence of the pass through the mountain range. For his efforts, Rogers was paid $5,000 and the pass was named after him by the C.P.R.
This is a map of the railway through the Rogers Pass before 1916 when the above ground route was abandoned following the construction of a tunnel to by pass the avalanche prone mountain route. Each of the black box areas along the line represents a snow shed that was constructed to protect the trains from snow slides. The bridges shown in the bridge page are located at the top of the map, except for the loop bridges which are located in the area of 28shed.
The station area shown below was in the area between 15shed and 16shed.
This is actually the last station
built at the Rogers Pass. The original station was built at the summit of the pass in 1885, however it was only temporary and a second station was built about two miles to the east. In January 1899 a snow slide came down the mountainside and destroyed the station and killed eight people, including the station master and his family. the third station was then built about one mile to the west on land that over the years had been found to be safe from the constant threat of avalanches. When the Connaught Tunnel opened in 1916 all the rails and buildings across the summit of the pass were torn apart, and salvaged for use in other areas of the C.P.R. system.
Today the Trans-Canada Highway runs along the main track area on the right of the station sidings, and a visitor information center stands where the engine house sat at the left of the photo.