A few photos of Canadian Pacific steam at Portage (collected by LC Gagnon) appear below to enhance the late steam era atmosphere. During this period, much less effort was spent on the cosmetic appearance of steam engines. And as more diesels were brought onto the roster, even steam engines having a distinctive 'passenger character' were often used in freight service.
The CPR employee timetable sections reproduced below show the lines through Portage and additional subdivisions are included to round out the local network.
If you have already seen Part 8 of this series, you'll remember that it presented data from around 1920 ... as the ownership of lines through Portage la Prairie became less diverse.
... Back then, the Canadian Northern, Grand Trunk Pacific and Great Northern had built lines through or to Portage la Prairie. In 1920, the first two companies were becoming consolidated into the Canadian National Railways.
... The Great Northern soon retreated from Portage. On the map from 1933 below, the Dunn and Layland stations of the Great Northern are no longer served by any railway. In fact, the map shows the Great Northern only reaching north as far as Morden (the route is shown in black).
Once again, to repeat the reason for this series ... During the many happy visits we had to Portage over the years, I always wondered about the history of all the local lines. Particularly intriguing were all the abandoned railway roadbeds which evidenced even more lines reaching the city. This series is an effort to share the primary documents to which I have access. Hopefully, some future Portage la Prairie residents will find this series helpful in understanding their rich local railway history.
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| from: Canada, Descriptive Atlas; Minister of Immigrations and Colonization; 1933. |
With the CNR shown in 'Action Red' the key to the lines is counterintuitive for modern railway enthusiasts.
The Great Northern is represented by black (including to Brandon).
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| Portage la Prairie, July 1953, Stan F Styles photo. |
It seems clear that this westbound passenger train is making its station stop at Portage.
Soon, The Canadian will be operating with its stainless steel cars and diesel locomotives.
Roundhouse 'wiper' shifts are probably already being reduced - even for passenger steam power.
Less than 14 years after the CPR requested this class's 'Royal' designation, the engine looks unkempt.
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| Portage la Prairie, 19 July 1953, Stan F Styles photo. |
The photo above was printed very light, and I have tried to bring out a little more detail. Probably, it is the engineer looking at the camera from the cab - to ensure he is immortalized. The fireman is on the tender, actuating the valve to fill the tender with water. Notice that the 'sweat line' of the tender is below the Canadian Pacific lettering. The coal has just been topped up at the Portage coaling tower. It isn't clear what the worker in the foreground is doing - he may be a trainman from this engine. The engine is displaying signals as an 'extra'.
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To help those who like to match up the timetable 'meets' (shown as boldface times) ... I generally put facing pages side-by-side as a single image. So scrolling way, way to the right might sometimes be necessary.
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| from: Canada, Descriptive Atlas; Minister of Immigrations and Colonization; 1933. |
This is just another version of the previous map - showing the full width of Manitoba.
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At the back of these old employee timetables, there is interesting historical information on older rules and procedures. That's why it is included below - even if it does not apply specifically to Portage in all cases.
... Between the periodic updating of the printed railway rulebooks, modifications to operating rules were often published in timetables ... until the next rulebook was finally updated and printed. Various manuals of Special Instructions were also frequently supplemented in this manner.
For example, below on Page 21 under Steam Whistle Failures, you can see that Rule 14-L is being changed. The UCOR (rulebook) of 1951 will show the crossing whistle signal which is familiar to us today, but I believe the old grade crossing signal was two longs and two shorts.
... Perhaps by the 1950s, there were fewer horses to scare at crossings ... but motorists needed a sustained warning loud enough to be heard through their closed (in cold weather) windows and over the noise of their automobile engines.
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| Portage la Prairie, undated; slide photo by Paul Meyer; Blackhawk Films. |
On this undated slide of the Extra 2706 I am unwilling to guess whether it is west- or eastbound.
Probably, the station platform and the fact that no pole-lines or elevators are visible ... are our best clues.
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| Portage la Prairie, undated; slide photo by Paul Meyer; Blackhawk Films. |
This undated slide looks familiar and it may appear in a previous post. The Extra 2430 is facing east.
I think the fireman's cap can be seen over the coal bunker - in front of the station chimney.
It looks as if the valve-closing counter-weight on the standpipe is lifted as he tops off the tender.
(See the standpipe in the CPR 1000 photo, above.)
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The next part of this series will look at the CNR in 1958.
Their employee timetables included even more local operating data!
