March 27, 2010 train trip event

**Flugel Horn** · 02-19-2010 07:59 AM

Here's a fun and historic opportunity....

For Immediate Release: February 19, 2010

Wild West Express – A Dinner Delegation to Save the Train Station

The Wild West Express is in Nanaimo for one night only… and tickets are going fast.

On Saturday, March 27th the Young Professionals of Nanaimo will take 250 passengers on a special journey back to the 1880’s. The event is part of the ongoing efforts of the YPN to raise $391,000 for the restoration of the historic Nanaimo Train Station.

SRY Rail Link, Seaspan Coastal Intermodal and the West Coast Railway Association have teamed up to barge 4 vintage passenger cars to Nanaimo for what is being billed at ‘a dinner delegation to save the train station.’
“We are extremely excited by what the Young Professionals are doing,” said Ken Doiron of SRY. “Promotion of green transportation and historic preservation are both so important to our Vancouver Island Communities and we are proud to be able to help the YPN in their efforts.”

Nanaimo’s train station was gutted by fire in the summer of 2007 and since that time has sat empty at 321 Selby Street. The extent of the damage requires that the building be lifted up and the foundation replaced before the exterior walls and roof can be completed. The total cost of the restoration is estimated at $2.4 million with a total of $1.3 million to be raised for phase 1 and the remainder for phase 2 to be covered by a commercial mortgage.

To date for phase 1 $896,000 has come from VIA Rail, $40,000 from the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association and over $32,000 from the YPN fundraising efforts.

“Interest in this project has been phenomenal,” says YPN President Andre Sullivan. “The community of Nanaimo has really gotten behind what we are trying to do and it is exciting to see how close we are coming to our goal.”

The Wild West Express will leave Nanaimo at 4:30pm on Saturday, March 27th and head south to the Cowichan Valley where the dinner delegation will enjoy a special feast at the Quw’utsun’ Cultural Centre. /A\ TV’s Bruce Williams will host the evening which will include food and beverage service, live auction, period entertainment and, of course, an unforgettable ride on the train. Tickets are $200 of which $100 is a charitable donation.

Wild West Express tickets are available for the event by emailing President@YPNanaimo.com or calling Andre at 250-616-1111. On March 1st tickets can also be purchased online or in person at the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvements Association (A10 Victoria Crescent), Fox & Hounds (247 Milton Street), Herold Engineering (3701 Shenton Road) or Integral Wealth Securities (450 Wentworth Street). For more information visit www.nanaimotrainstation.org.

**All Ages Music Concerts** · 02-19-2010 08:30 AM

Originally Posted by Flugel Horn

Here's a fun and historic opportunity....

Sounds like an awesome event!!

**Nostradama** · 02-19-2010 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by Flugel Horn

Here's a fun and historic opportunity....

I'd love to go, having done a heritage rail, winery and dinner train trip in Washington state and having friends in Oregon who are heavily involved in a rail museum there.

But: the usual problem of the single woman: it's inconvenient and sometimes a $ loss for the organizers to seat someone like me for dinner. Same thing in some fine dining restaurants: the least they can give you is a two-person table, which means one empty seat, one less meal sold. Learned the hard way.

I can only think of one guy who's available whom I could invite to join me, but I suspect the invitation would be interpreted as more than an invitation to dinner.

Rats. And my female friends are either too cheap

or wouldn't be interested anyway.

Sometimes being a "getting on in age" single female who still wants to enjoy life and attend things like this ain't easy.

**kickidee** · 03-01-2010 04:39 PM

Ditto for many of us I think. I am not saying it is so easy to come up with 200 dollars to spend only on me me me lolbut this trip and the train station would be well worth it.
Probably need a charge card or something.
I am O.K. sitting by myself or if they put me with only one other strange diner, I could handle that.
Hope I am finished sitting on the fence before this happens.
Er they take you back to the train station too dont they?

**kickidee** · 03-01-2010 04:41 PM

Read more Carefully, tickets available now at a few places and this will take debit....hmmmm.

**BigMac** · 03-01-2010 06:03 PM

[QUOTE=Flugel Horn;51752]Here's a fun and historic opportunity....[/QUOT

Do they bring you back to town on the train??????

**Flugel Horn** · 03-01-2010 06:39 PM

[quote=BigMac;52027]

Originally Posted by Flugel Horn

Here's a fun and historic opportunity....[/QUOT

Do they bring you back to town on the train??????

I'm pretty sure that the implied itinerary is a return trip: starting and ending at Nanaimo. To be double-sure, you could contact one of the spokespeople that are listed in the press release.

I'm not involved with the event, otherwise I'd just give you an answer.

**Flugel Horn** · 03-19-2010 07:16 PM

The vintage cars from West Coast Railway Association arrived in Nanaimo today, from the mainland. Here they are this evening, at the Wellcox yards.

WCRA cars, Nanaimo BC