Vancouver Regional Group Chasing Billy Miner Tour video

[pfindlay]

Here is a short video done by the local TV station on our recent tour in Quilchena, British Columbia. The tour traced the story of Bill Miner, a notorious train robber, after his 1906 robbery.



Peter Findlay
HCCA Vancouver Regional Group

[oldcarfudd]

Looks like you had a great tour. Thanks for posting!

Gil Fitzhugh the Elder

[oakland12]

This tour was tons of fun, very challenging at times and really HOT! The tour was based at the 107 year old Quilchena Hotel and was open to cars built up to 1927.

About 20 cars toured through the forest fire smoke that was in the air to the City of Kamloops BC for the night. The next day we toured back to the Quilchena.

Here's some pictures of the cars on registration day Monday. The touring started Tuesday.

I'll post Tuesday pictures tomorrow
Ken

[oakland12]

Tuesday morning we had a lovely drive in to Kamloops on a secondary highway with little traffic.

It was 37C so you get water where you can find it!

We took in the museum

and had time for a group picture

The Fowlers finally arrived after driving the 27 McLaughlin roadster 200 miles from where their tow vehicle broke down!

Lunch stop at the Eagle point Golf Resort. It was good to go inside and get out of the heat for a bit. The food was good too.

To be continued...

[oakland12]

A few more pics of the cars making there way to the South Thompson Inn.

We checked in and then immediately left to go to Harper's Trail Winery for some tasting and a BBQ dinner.

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Billy Miner was famous for robbing stage coaches, about 19, until he was caught and sent to San Quentin prison for 25 years. He was released after 20 years but by then the trains were carrying the valuables he wanted. So he robbed trains, about 18 in all. He held up some trains in BC until he was caught and held in the Quilchena Hotel where our tour had stayed. He was tried and put in the penitentiary in New Westminster, BC. He escaped and continued robbing trains in the US.
Next post More Billy Miner look a likes....

[oakland12]

Because this tour was about seeing where Billy Miner had robbed the train we decided to have a Billy Miner look a like theme on Tuesday night. Here's a few desperado's that I wouldn't want to mess with!

Of course the cops aren't far behind!

The VCCC Kamloops chapter put on the bbq for us.

[oakland12]

Wednesday morning it was up early as we had a short drive to our breakfast.

Our breakfast was at the very site of the train robbery in 1906.

Leaving Denny's breakfast.

Heading into the hills for a very interesting and challenging day! It was going to be another hot, hot day. At least the forest fire smoke was gone for the moment.

[oakland12]

Our morning stop was at Pringle's Steam Farm. Lots of steam, mill and farm equipment to see and experience.

Tired out already!

Heading out to lunch

Does this sign refer to us??

[oakland12]

After lunch we started out on the most challenging part of the tour. The temperature was 38C (100F) and we were heading for the Douglas Lake Ranch. The "Douglas Lake Cattle Company" was founded June 30, 1886 and has been operating continuously since. In response to booming demand for beef in rapidly-growing Vancouver, the Interior stock industry went into high gear in the wake of the Canadian Pacific Railway's opening in 1885, spurring on something of a golden age in BC ranching. Today the Ranch houses not only a large number of resident employees, it also accommodates the many tourists and fly fishing enthusiasts each year to enjoy the beauty of the lakes that are scattered within. The ranch consists of 145,000 acres making it the largest working cattle ranch in Canada. There is a private road the ranch maintains to get across their property. This was our route now. Did I mention it was 25 miles of gravel with lots of hills and turns along the way?

Here we are in the tourabout

After 20 miles of gravel we made it to our rest stop, the Douglas Lake General Store. Only 5 more miles of gravel left!

We made it!

[oakland12]

Pavement!! Almost back to the Quilchena Hotel. One last fill should do it.

Our trouble truck team arrived back with the 27 McLaughlin on board. Fuel delivery problems took it out.

We got pretty dusty today.

Dave Dickinson from the local VCCC club was a huge help in setting up this tour and taking pictures all along the way.

Our banquet was held here at the hotel

People dressed up for dinner.

Along for the whole tour was noted Billy Miner historian Alex Forbes and his wife.

From the start Alex gave us all kinds of background information. Along the way he showed us spots where Billy Miner had been. At the banquet he talked about where Billy Miner had been held after he was captured. His speculation is that Miner was held in the wine celler of the Quilchena Hotel as it was the most secure place around. After the banquet we went down into the basement to see the wine cellar. Could this have been the very spot??

Thursday morning some had to leave for home but a few of us went on a 40 km drive to Monck Provincial Park

Greg's Model T picked up a few grasshoppers on the tour

We headed back to the hotel and another great tour was over. This tour had been tough with the heat, dust, gravel, hills up and down, but it was tremendously enjoyable. I'd do it again in a heart beat...

See you down the road.

Ken

[oldcarfudd]

What a superb set of pictures! They should make anyone want to have been there. On eastern tours, we often take a bit of dirt road, known euphemistically as a country lane. But I suspect 25 miles of mountain dirt road would provoke an open rebellion. Some of us would love it, and some would go home. Personally, I think I'd be in the love group.

Gil Fitzhugh the Elder

[jeff deringer]

Regarding Gil's comment about the gravel road "country lane" touring. I think if it's advertised up front in the tour description then people can decide if they want to participate or not. What rankles many folks is when there is little or no mention of it, even in the morning drivers meeting, when it's too late to decide against it. We were on a tour in NE Washington that took us down one of the worst roads I've ever been on in an old car, or modern car for that matter! Zero mention of it. People were hot, and I don't blame them. I had the old unrestored fire truck so luckily for me it didn't much matter. I love that thing!

[FullerMetz]

Thank you to all that shared pictures and tour reports for this! It looks like it was a wonderful tour and a great selection of cars. I could identify most of the cars by make, and get within a year or two for most of them also. Except for one. What is that big beautiful beige and black thing in the second and third photos? (not counting the video) Just curious, it looks quite impressive.
Again, thank you for sharing the fun!
Drive carefully, and enjoy!

[pfindlay]

What is that big beautiful beige and black thing in the second and third photos? (not counting the video) Just curious, it looks quite impressive.

The car you refer to is a 1913 Peerless and it is a very impressive car with a great history. Just tonight I (finally) uploaded a 1965 movie of this car and three others being pulled from the garage they'd been stored in since 1933. The current owner is the third owner and the car hasn't been restored, just repainted.

The video can be seen at this link:

http://youtu.be/36p3y5ALOl8

Peter

[oakland12]

Jeff
We were very aware that not everybody is very keen about driving gravel roads. This was discussed at our meetings and it was in the tour information. Nobody was surprised.
The beautiful big cream and black car is a 6 cylinder 1913 Peerless.

It's mainly an original car that was repainted about 40 years ago. The first day of the tour it suffered an engine fire do to a broken gas line. luckily the owner had 2 fire extinguishers with him. He needed them both. The insurance is paying to repaint the hood and some burnt wiring. No serious damage but it does point out the importance of a good fire extinguisher. I offered to trade him my beautiful T for the damaged Peerless but.....
Ken

[oakland12]

Looks like Peter and I were posting at the same time!

[mjbarnes]

Many of these pics were taken on the infamous climb towards Kamloops, first day of driving.

[mjbarnes]

Many of these pics were taken on the infamous climb towards Kamloops, first day of driving.

[john88]

Thank you to all that shared pictures and tour reports for this!
Gclub Royal