Oungre, Outram, Estevan, 1989 ... & Portal Sub: Old Maps and Timetables

Nearing the CPR hub at Estevan, we're covering more territory with fewer photographs.


You'll recall that in September 1989, we were doing kind of a one-day circle tour:
Regina, Moose Jaw, Assiniboia, Rockglen, Big Beaver, Estevan, Portage la Prairie.

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If readers want to get an idea of the landscape near Big Beaver and Minton,
try this YouTube video - at least while the link lasts ...

The Road to Big Muddy by CannaRoads

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A 1950 employee timetable ...

Since noticing the name in 1989 during our trip out there,
I've happily associated that subdivision with Gonville Bromhead -  at least, as he was portrayed.

Above, repeated from the last post, is our first photo from the Bromhead Sub ... at Lake Alma.

Atlas of Canada; 1981; Reader's Digest.

Here is an all-important map so you can see where we are - close to the US border.
Railways are shown in grey.

Our next quick stop, at 1350hr, was to photograph the abandoned elevators at Oungre.
Their corporate history is visible.
Neither they, nor the shiny track, are present on the most recent Google image.

Here is Outram as it looks at 1415hr in early September.
There's a textbook example of a 'farmer's grain truck' which seems to be leaving the elevator.
The elevator and the unused track are visible in the most recent 2009 Google image.

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As this segment of the trip has fewer photos, a digression will look at the importance
of the CPR line originating near the main line at Moose Jaw,
which passes through Estevan to the US.

from: The Railway Builders; Oscar D Skelton; 1916; Glasgow, Brook & Co.

I covered some aspects of the railway bridge/connection at Sault Ste Marie here:

Sault Ste Marie and the Railway Bridge, Part 1

The Chichora Incident is also covered - there's a link on the Short Subjects index page.

On the map above, you can infer that part of the CPR's strategy in the late 1800s was to pull some western traffic through Sault Ste Marie and onto its eastern Canadian transportation network. Ideally, that would be American western traffic because 'more dollars now' is better if you're a capital-intensive railway. The CPR's own western Canadian assets (land holdings and railway network) held promise, but they would take a while to develop fully ... and there were bills to pay.

The Grand Trunk Railway had the same kind of idea first! It wanted to bring western traffic east via Chicago. However, it was very slow to establish that connection because many of the shareholders and the highest corporate officers were far away in Britain ... and so the GTR was kind of a hidebound outfit which didn't quickly adapt to the economic realities of North America.

Anyway, you can see that the Moose Jaw to Estevan segment was part of a bigger strategy.

from: Atlas of Canada; 1915; Government of Canada.

On the 1915 map of railway territories, above, you can see CPR green, Canadian Northern yellow, and Grand Trunk Pacific pink.

Back to 1989: We're about to arrive at Estevan.

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We reached Estevan at 1430hr to enjoy a splendid luncheon at McDonald's.
There might be a long-lasting fireproof slate shingle roof on that station.

The Estevan station looks better in the current 2013 Google image than it did when we saw it.

Swinging the camera around, the line to the US via North Portal is to the right.
Those grain cars and that van are heading in our direction via the Estevan Subdivision - toward the main line at Brandon.
We'll probably see them again ... as part of the last post about this day trip.

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Here are a few more documents which include the Portal Subdivision.

from: Across Canada, Annotated Guide via CPR, Westbound; circa 1913. 

The first person to own this annotated timetable didn't care
for the 'All Red' route north of Lake Superior!

They graphically recorded the day/night segments of their trip north of Superior ...
Sometimes you miss the good stuff at night.

Notice the circa 1913 reference to Chicago - not Sault Ste Marie.

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from: CPR public timetable, April 1945.

Near the end of World War 2, the service to Chicago had its own named train.

Although it was actually 4 trains on 3 railways ...
and the segment between Chicago to St Paul was via coach ...
and not reserved eastbound.

from: CPR public timetable, April 1945.

Even with the Poole Brothers' typical map portrayal of graceful long curves
the Soo Dominion route makes some abrupt turns east of the Twin Cities.

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Below, is the the Portal Sub to the US during the last decade of steam.
Mile 0.0 is at the junction with the CPR mainline near Moose Jaw.

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In the last post about our day trip, we'll travel along the Estevan Subdivision, above.