McCulloch B.C.

CPR depot and passenger building at McCulloch

photo credit David Davies collection nbca.unbc.ca

McCulloch is situated at an elevation of 4300 feet above sea level and 220.0 miles from Hope on the Kettle Valley Railway. Originally referred to as Hydraulic Summit it was renamed for Andrew McCulloch.

This branch station was named for Andrew McCulloch, the accountant turned railway engineer. McCulloch was responsible for overseeing much of the surveying for the KVR and determining where the route would run. He worked closely with the crews and quickly became known for overcoming extremely difficult engineering challenges between Midway and Penticton.

Andrew McCulloch

Born in Ontario in 1864, he trained as an accountant but came west to see the west coast and Vancouver. That trip on the CPR left a huge impression and he soon took a job with the Great Northern Railway so he could remain in the west. The Great Northern were in the midst of building over the Cascade Mountains into Washington State. McCulloch’s skill with numbers helped him progress, along with engineering mentorship provided by Great Northern’s chief engineer John Stevens. McCulloch’s next role was assisting in the repair and replacement of CPR lines and routes in British Columbia. He continued to rise in the organization due to his skill, briefly returning to Montreal to oversee the CPR’s eastern lines. During this time he came to the attention of CPR president Thomas Shaughnessy, who recognized that Andrew McCulloch preferred the field work and challenges of building new lines and had no hesitation appointing him Chief Engineer of the Kettle Valley Railway project.

In 1910 he left his position and Montreal and headed back to Vancouver. Soon McCulloch met James Warren, the president of the KVR, and a fast friendship was formed. The two men had the same level of dedication and vision needed to build this railway that is still known as an engineering marvel for its time.