Robert Cameron Rose
Canadian Writer
Further Reading
Writing historical fiction requires extensive research into the real history prior to writing. Below is a list of some of the books I used during my writing that you may wish to read to further your knowledge of the history.
Canada's Great Highway: From the First Stake to the Last Spike
by J.H.E. Secretan
Published in 1924, it's a good account of planning and constructing the railway across the prairies. There's not much information regarding mountain construction. Secretan was a survey-engineer.
Canadian Pacific Railway Diagrams and Data: Steam Locomotives
Edited by Omar Lavallee
Published in 1985, it's a technical description of nearly every model of steam engine used by the Canadian Pacific Railway. It was edited by Omer Lavallee who was the CPR"s official archivist for some forty years.
Canadian Pacific The Golden Age of Travel
by Barry Lane
A very visual book recently published by Goose Lane and written by Barry Lane. It covers both the railway history and the associated hotels and ships. The photographs alone make the book worth a read.
Gravity, Steam and Steel
by Graeme Pole
Published in 2009 and written by Graeme Pole. It's a small paperback that focusses on the railway's experiences in the Rogers pass. It covers both the early days and later when the tunnels were build. Excellent maps and graphics are included.
Railway Nation: Tales of Canadian Pacific - the Worlds Greatest Travel System
by David Laurence Jones
Published in 2020 and written by David Laurence Jones. The captures many stories of the building of the railway and stories while operating the railway and associated hotels. Lots of photos are included.
Tales of a Pioneer Surveyor: Charles Æneas Shaw
Edited by Raymond Hull
Published in 1970 and edited by Raymond Hull. The book contains the memoirs of Charles Shaw during his time when he was a Locating Engineer for the CPR in the mountains. He was the man who found an alternate route for the line which eliminated the need to construct a tunnel through "Tunnel Mountain" beside present day Banff.
The Last Spike
by Pierre Berton
Published in 1971 and written by Pierre Berton. Considered by many to be the "de facto" historical authority on the building of the CPR. At 416 pages in length, it covers a massive amount of detail as well as providing an exhaustive bibliography of sources. It was a go-to resource for me on many occasions.
The Spiral Tunnels and the Big Hill on the Canadian Pacific Railway
by Graeme Pole
Published in 2009 in the 100th anniversary year of the building of the spiral tunnels in the Kicking Horse Pass. Written by Graeme Pole, it is a concise paperback which captures both the challenges faced by the CPR in the Kicking Horse Pass and the solutions the railway used. Lots of good photos and graphics are included.
Trail of Iron: The CPR and the Birth of The West
by Bill McKee & Georgeen Klassen
Published by the Glenbow Museum in Calgary in 1985. It was to commemorate the 100th year of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Lots of old photos taken from the Glenbow Museum Archives are included.
Van Horne's Road
by Omer Lavallee
Published in 1974 and written by Omer Lavallee. He was the CPR archivist for about forty years. It's the best resource available for learning about the building of the railway. Hundreds of photos from the CPR archives are included. It was my most used source. There have been "edited" subsequent versions printed since 1974. The original contains the most detail and photos.
When the Steel Went Through
by P. Turner Bone
Published in 1947 and written by Peter Turner-Bone. It is his autobiography. He tells of growing up in Scotland and coming to work for the CPR in the mountains. He loved Canada and later settled in Calgary for the rest of his life. He encouraged two of his cousins to emigrate as well. They established a ranch located southwest of Calgary. The town of Turner Valley is named after them. It's a great read with a personal touch.
Rails & Killer Snows
The Saga of Rogers Pass
by J.D. McDonald
