Our History

The Sullivan Mine & Railway Historical Society is a non-profit organization formed by the merger of the Sullivan Mine Interpretive Centre Society and the Bavarian City Mining Railway Society. The railway originated with the idea of having a commuter train route from downtown Kimberley to the ski hill. In 1978 the Kimberley Steam Railway and Navigation Society was formed by a few men of vision who went to an abandoned mine at Salmo B.C. to obtain rails for the new project. By July, 1984, the railway, named the Bavarian City Mining Railway, was operational and had a ridership of 4,681 passengers. The route consisted of a 2 kilometer track, which circled the Happy Hans Campground.

• In 1995 the railway line was extended by five kilometres winding down the mountainside and through the Mark Creek Valley to the Downtown Station.
• In 2004 the extension to the Kimberley Alpine Resort was completed.
• In October, 2005, the immense undertaking of drilling a 750-foot tunnel was begun. This tunnel is located in the Mark Creek Valley and  houses the Sullivan Mine Interpretive Centre. This project was jointly funded by the Canada/British Columbia Infrastructure Program and by Teck Cominco Ltd. The tunnel excavation was done by very experienced former Sullivan miners employed by Redding Mining of Kimberley.
• In 2006, the BCMR volunteers constructed a new locomotive and three new railcars. During the fall of 2006 the final preparation of the railbed, laying of the rails, and construction of the underground facilities were completed.

An official opening ceremony was held prior to the May 19 start of the 2007 tourist season. with many dignitaries from Teck and from all three levels of government in attendance as well as members of the media, our dedicated volunteers and interested Kimberley residents.

In 2009 the train could no longer go up to the resort as a Convention Centre was being built where our loading ramp had been. With a focus more on history, a loop route through the tunnel and circling back across from the original portal was constructed and a tour of the Powerhouse was included in the train tours. An Express train trip was added on Saturday and mornings at 10:00 a.m. for those who just like to ride the train. A new loci was purchased and our volunteers revamped it to meet our requirements. The track to the resort was rebuilt and a new Resort Station constructed.