Whistler Train Wreck – Whistler, British Columbia - Atlas Obscura

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Whistler Train Wreck

The remains of a Canadian train crash are now mouldering beneath layers of rust and graffiti. 

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Located along a hiking trail south of Whistler, British Columbia are a handful of crushed train cars that derailed from some nearby tracks and were left to rot away among the lush Canadian greenery. 

It was in 1956 that the train was speeding down the tracks with a load too heavy, going over twice as fast as it was supposed to. Given these factors, one of the cars curled one of the tracks and the train partly derailed, grinding to a halt. The damaged cars were not flung from the tracks but had to be hauled off in a clean-up operation that moved the wrecks deeper into the forest. Since the surrounding wildlife was not majorly damaged or destroyed, the cars were nearly instantly buried and hidden in the overgrowth. 

Since the crash, the cars have become a favorite spot for graffiti artists and hikers looking to take in a bit of lovely ruination. 

In 2013, the site came to the attention of local authorities as access to the site trespassed on government land and required crossing the train tracks which is illegal. Visitors attempting to access the site were ticketed.

In response to the popularity of the site, an official trail and suspension bridge was built to access the wreck in 2016. 

Know Before You Go

A parking lot for the trail is located on Whistler Quarry Road. The hike is an easy two kilometers with a suspension bridge to cross the river.

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