Staff quarters and train post office

Many kinds of railway cars from different eras of the past are on display at the Alberta Railway Museum. These modest quarters for railway employees look sparse but comfortable.

Furnished as they were when still in use, they give visitors fascinating glimpses of the nation's social history through the vitally important railway era. It's fascinating to see where the various categories of train passengers and workers ate and slept. It was a big shock to learn that black railway porters, who provided for the sleeping comfort of others, had no beds on the train!

An old mail car is also on display. You could mail a letter by pushing it through a slot on a standing train. The mail was well guarded and sorted between stations.