Kimberley Underground Mining Railway

Sullivan Mine


Useful Information

Location: Kimberley, BC
Open: 21-MAY to JUN Sat, Sun 11, 13, 15.
JUL to Labour Day daily 11, 13, 15.
Express Train Ride Sundays at 10.
[2011]
Fee: Adults CAD 20, Children (13-18) CAD 15, Children (4-12) CAD 8, Children (0-3) free.
Groups (20+): Adults CAD 15, Regional Students CAD 7.
[2011]
Classification: SubterraneaMuseum SubterraneaReplica Underground Mine
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension: L=50 km
Guided tours:  
Photography:  
Accessibility:  
Bibliography:  
Address: Sullivan Mine and Railway Historical Society, 115 Gerry Sorensen Way, PO Box 94, Kimberley, BC V1A 2Y5, Tel: +1-250-427-0022. E-mail: contact
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1978 train built as a commuter train from downtown Kimberley to the ski hill.
JUL-1984 Bavarian City Mining Railway opened to the public with 2.5 km of tracks.
1995 extension to the Downtown Station completed.
2004 extension to the Kimberley Alpine Resort completed.
2005 construction of tunnel for mining museum started.
2007 mining museum opened to the public.

Geology


Description

The Kimberley Underground Mining Railway is a rather weird tourist attraction, it is a train ride in a kitschy red train which is neither a mine train nor a normal historic train. However, it ends at the Sullivan Mine where an underground tour into the mine follows. What they call the Underground Interpretive Centre is obviously a classical show mine with displays and the demonstration of machinery. The mine visit is completed by the Sullivan Mine Powerhouse where the generators and compressors of the mine can be seen.

This is a tourist attraction in the classical way, which means there was tourism and then the attraction was built to satisfy the demand. The train is mainly for show, only a few parts have to do with mining. Even the mine is artificial, which sounds weird as any mine is artificial. However, the 250 m long tunnel, where the show mine is located in, was created for the only purpose to install the museum. There was never any mining activity in this tunnel.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, its just important to remember, that this is not a mine tour, it's a mining museum with a mine replica. The original Sullivan Mine at least existed. Miners from this former mine created the tunnel and the mine entrance can be seen on the train ride. The surface structures are from the original mine site.