The Revelstoke Railway Museum sits at 719 Track Street West, alongside the Canadian Pacific (now CPKC) main line in Revelstoke, British Columbia, a divisional point where the railway crosses the Selkirk and Monashee mountains. The museum collects, preserves and interprets the history of the Canadian Pacific Railway through the mountains of western Canada, a story of avalanches, grade-fighting locomotives and the engineering of the Connaught Tunnel beneath Rogers Pass. The Revelstoke Heritage Railway Society was formed in 1988, construction of the purpose-built museum began in 1992, and it opened to the public on June 16, 1993.

The centrepiece is Canadian Pacific 2-8-2 "Mikado" steam locomotive No. 5468, built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1948; its boiler was first pressured up that September, near the very end of CPR steam. One of a 12-engine Class P2k batch (road numbers 5462 to 5473) and one of only three of CPR's 334 Mikados to survive, No. 5468 worked in British Columbia until retirement in 1954, was stored at Delson, Quebec, and was donated to the museum in 1993. The building is effectively wrapped around the locomotive, with a second-floor balcony that lets visitors view it from every angle, alongside CPR business car No. 4.

The museum's two floors of galleries combine restored equipment, artifacts and photographs from the Revelstoke Division. Outside, a seasonal rolling-stock yard displays heritage CPR cars, including SD40 diesel-electric No. 5500, the first SD40 the Canadian Pacific bought, built by General Motors in London, Ontario in 1966.

The indoor setting around No. 5468 is the prime shot: the balcony gives an elevated three-quarter view of the locomotive that is hard to get with engines displayed outdoors, and the controlled lighting avoids harsh shadows. Cab access allows detail shots of the backhead and controls. Outdoors, the seasonal rolling-stock yard with Mount Begbie and the surrounding peaks behind the heritage cars is the classic Revelstoke frame. Active railfans should note the museum overlooks the CPKC main line, so passing freights, and the live Virtual Railfan camera feed the museum partners on, are part of the scene.

For railfans, No. 5468 is the draw: a complete, restored mainline Mikado with cab access, displayed indoors and climate-protected rather than weathering in a park. With only three of CPR's 334 Mikados extant, the chance to walk around and into one of this class is rare. The engine is an oil burner with 32-by-22-inch cylinders, 63-inch drivers and a tractive effort of 57,465 pounds at a boiler pressure of 275 psi.

The collection also tells the operational story of one of Canada's hardest stretches of railroad. Exhibits cover the Canadian Pacific through the western mountains, snow-fighting equipment, and the shift from steam to diesel power that the Revelstoke Division, which demanded more power than any other area of the system, helped drive. The outdoor yard's spreader, mountain snow plow No. 401027 (built 1926), silk car and robot car each illustrate a specific chapter of mountain railroading.

A diesel-electric locomotive simulator built around a real control stand lets visitors drive through the Rockies, and the upstairs model railway depicts the Revelstoke Division of the CPR.

Plan two to three hours. The main hall is built around steam locomotive No. 5468 and business car No. 4, with interpretive panels, a large artifact collection and a video documentary about the steam engine, while a balcony level lets you look down on the locomotive. Information panels are in English, with brochures available in French, Spanish, German, Russian, Dutch and Chinese on request.

Upstairs you will find the model railway and the diesel simulator. The outdoor rolling-stock yard, open seasonally and weather permitting, sits next to a park on museum property and holds the SD40, snow plow, spreader, boxcars, tank car, caboose and more, each with mobile-accessible descriptions. The museum is compact but the displays are well produced, and reviewers consistently describe it as a first-class facility worth a few hours.

One practical note: because the museum sits on the busy CPKC main line, the level crossing to reach it can occasionally be blocked by switching trains, and the museum publishes an alternate-access route for those times. On Thursday evenings the museum stays open to 8 p.m. for a half-price Games Night.