Railway Museum Of British Columbia
About The Project
The West Coast Railway Association is a historical group dedicated to the preservation of the railway history of British Columbia. They operate the Railway Museum of British Columbia.
Membership is open to all people with an interest in railways past and present.
The West Coast Railway Association presents the story of how the railways were a catalyst in the creation of Western Canadian communities and their economies. This is done primarily at the Railway Museum of British Columbia (formerly the West Coast Railway Heritage Park) in Squamish, BC, where the collection of 95 heritage railway locomotives and cars are exhibited in a typical small community setting.
WCRA also operates specialty rail tours and the Locomotive 374 Pavilion in Vancouver.
The WCRA approached CMND studio in late 2019 to discuss their plan for a change in image for the then West Coast Railway Heritage Park. We were commissioned to help with naming, branding and experience design in the park itself.
Let's Make That Less Of A Mouthfull
The WCRA has been operating the West Coast Railway Heritage Park for many years. That being said, that name is quite a mouthful. Not only was it hard to remember it was also hard for customers to find them online.
We assisted the WCRA in developing a new name that would encapsulate more accurately what the space is used for. With their many exhibits and an extensive display of locomotives and Historic railway memorabilia from across British Columbia, the idea of being a museum was more fitting.
After many proposed names and discussions with the government of British Columbia, we landed on: Railway Museum of British Columbia.
Since the inception of this name, it has become more clear to visitors what the organization does and also have found it much easier to locate and also say.
A Logo For Every Situation
When designing the logo for the new Railway Museum of British Columbia, we wanted to ensure that the logo would be functional in every application.
With this in mind, we created three intertwined logo variations that can be used interchangeably. For large-format display applications such as signage, websites and clothing we developed a stylized badge icon that features a scene viewed from within the Museum Grounds. The badge displays the developed secondary icon with the famous Diamond Head peak towering in the background.
For use on smaller applications such as the mobile website, app icons or stationary we developed a standalone icon of the iconic Royal Hudson that is on display in the Round House within the museum.
During special events, the Railway Museum offer rides on some of their restored locomotives and passenger trains. With this in mind, we wanted to provide an authentic experience and develop a stamp that can be used for tickets to the rides as well as for entry into events.
Explore The Project
