Mr. Douglas Edward Cummings

Douglas Edward “Doug” Cummings passed away peacefully on September 18, 2026, at the age of 83, with family by his side. Born in Vancouver on December 9, 1942, he lived his entire life in the Greater Vancouver area.

Doug married Barbara, in 1970, and together they raised us to children, Gordon and Laurie.

Doug pursued an education in transportation management and worked in a number of transportation-related fields throughout his life. As a young man, he qualified as a private pilot and worked in the aviation industry. He also worked at a Vancouver Island logging operation in its rail operations. Later in life, Doug was a highway coach driver and owner-operator of several bus companies until his retirement in 2012. During the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, he volunteered with The Olympic Line streetcar demonstration project.

Doug’s great passion in life was trains. From a young age, trains occupied just about every waking moment. He was an avid railroad photographer and historian who amassed an extensive collection of photographs, books, models and other railway memorabilia. In 1991 he took over publishing Extra 2200 South – The Locomotive Newsmagazine, which he wrote and edited himself in his spare time, with a little help from family members, until 2008.

The railroading community is huge, and Doug was a well-known community member during his active years. Through him, is family got to know many of his friends within the railroading community, and accompanied him chasing trains in British Columbia and the western United States.

Doug travelled extensively, mostly to take pictures of trains, including South Africa to photograph the last years of the Garratt steam locomotives, Sweden to photograph iron ore hauling, South America’s industrial railroads and many other destinations. Doug had a particular interest in mining railroads, which took him to some very remote locations over the years.

By nature, Doug was quiet and introspective, but in the right circumstances he could be charismatic and animated. Working as a bus driver gave him opportunities to be an amateur tour guide, and he loved sharing the beautiful sights of Vancouver and around British Columbia with his passengers.

His family will miss Doug’s sense of humour, love of James Bond movies, and common-sense advice on dealing with life’s ups and downs.

Later in life, Doug developed dementia and lived with its effects from late 2019 until his passing in September 2026. He died on September 18, 2026 with family by his side.

The family is extremely grateful to the staff at the Louis Brier Home and Hospital for the exceptional care they provided. Doug was treatment with kindness, dignity, and compassion throughout his time there.

Doug is survived by his wife Barbara, his son Gordon and his family, his daughter Laurie, and his sister Susan and her family.

The family also extends appreciation to the Pacific Northwest Railroad Archive in Burien, Washington for accepting Doug’s photography collection and historical papers for preservation and display.

A celebration of life is being planned and will take place at a later time. Further details will be provided when available.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Doug’s memory may be made to either the Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation (which supports the Louis Brier Home and Hospital) or the Alzheimer Society of BC and Yukon.