The collection consists of correspondence, financial records and ephemera. There is correspondence from employees (managers) of the Kettle Valley Railway Co. (K.V.R.) and the Canadian Pacific Railway Co. (C.P.R.) relating to derailment, Chinese labour and housing and the building of railway lines. C.P.R. Superintendent Thomas Daly's letter press book includes outgoing letters from Daly to various C.P.R. employees pertaining to operations in the Nicomin area, east of Lytton in the Fraser Canyon, ca. 1881-1882. In addition, there are journals which describe railway employment and travel in 1910 and 1911. The activity and pay logs, coupon ticket books, pilot house log books and time books relate to certain aspects of the railway industry in Penticton, York, Okanagan Landing, Vancouver, and Victoria.

The collection consists of documents, archival records, photographs, ephemera and artifacts related to three broad themes: British Columbia history, immigration and settlement and the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Included are the archival fonds of the Yip family and Yip Sang Company, the Dart Coon Club and Chinese Freemasons of Victoria, Hugh G. Robinson (regarding the S.S. Greenhill Park Explosion), Rev. MacDonnell (regarding the Clandonald colony of Scottish immigrants in Alberta) and the British Columbia Coast Steamship Service. Includes documents, ephemera and artifacts of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, including records of travelers on CPR rail and steamships.