Frobisher, Carnduff, Souris, Brandon - Along the Estevan Sub in 1989

We wrap up our day trip:

Regina, Moose Jaw, Assiniboia, Rockglen, Coronach, Big Beaver,
Estevan, Souris, Brandon, Portage.

*  *  *

After lunch at 1630hr, we found ourselves overtaking an eastbound at mile 133 on the Estevan Sub.
That should be Frobisher in the distance.

The headend of that train.
Below is the 1950 employee timetable for this sub.

... If you are a 'footnote reader' like I am, here is Souris First Street crossing (centre of image) circa 2018.

... lots of good reasons to flag the crossing ...

The previous train with less zoom - I'm still fighting the sun.

This is an interesting spot.
The former (ex-Grand Trunk Pacific, now abandoned by CNR) railway crossing at grade at Frobisher.
Over the point where the line of brush at the elevators meets the train, you can see the semaphore governing CPR movements.
The building behind the second car with 'railway characteristics' is gone in the current (2015) Google view.

from: Railroad Map of Western Canada; no date - 1950s?; Canadian Freight Association.

The map above shows the railways on our route as they were in the 1950s - from Estevan (lower left) to Brandon (upper right).

Just east of Frobisher is another semaphore governing westbound CPR movements over the diamond.

With my spouse driving, we're gaining on the same train.
The 1977 speed limit was 35mph - notes indicate that the train was a little closer to 50mph.

A westbound heading into coal country at Mile 102 Estevan Sub.
Carnduff is in the distance - at around 1730hr.

Carnduff, Saskatchewan - only the Patterson elevators remain in the 2015 Google map images.

CPR station Souris, Manitoba at 1900hr - no longer there.
The rail here was 100lb Algoma from 1923.
The current (2018) aerial view is repeated below.

Brandon at 1945hr, looking east.
Notice the green bunkhouse (now gone) just beyond the station.
Below is my father's view 39 years earlier in September 1950.

from: Atlas of Canada; 1915; Government of Canada

Map of the railway territories in 1915.

Between our start at 08hr at Regina and our arrival at Portage at around 21hr,
we covered about 930 km.

*  *  *

Here are the previous segments of this day trip:

CPR Moose Jaw, An Old Regina Map & the Prairies - 1859 to 1989
Palliser Expedition, annotated timetables, old Moose Jaw boosterism & station/yard in 1989.

   Saskatchewan and the Dominion Land Survey (1919)
   A look at old maps of the area, early surveying and settlers. Bonus: Arthur Meighen!

South of Moose Jaw to Congress, Assiniboia and Rockglen, 1989
Trip through southern Saskatchewan. 1950s employee timetables, 1939 public timetable.

Fife Lake, Coronach, Big Beaver to Lake Alma, Saskatchewan in 1989
Trip continues through southern Saskatchewan. Maps, timetables and surprises!
Caution: May contain badlands.

Oungre, Outram, Estevan, 1989 ... & Portal Sub: Old Maps and Timetables
Continuing our circle tour day trip, we also look at the history of the Portal Subdivision.


Bonus Feature:

Interwar Branch Line Construction in Saskatchewan and Alberta

Interwar Rail Construction in Saskatchewan and Alberta, Part 1

Information from a research paper prepared by Charles Bohi and Leslie Kozma.

Sent to me by Charles Bohi.

Interwar Rail Construction in Saskatchewan and Alberta, Part 2
Conclusion.
Includes a link to the original paper (PDF), maps and 1930s world wheat data.

CPR 1950 Kenora to Broadview

My father's September 1950 'Third Vacation' while working for the CPR (at this point in the office of the Auditor of Passenger Receipts) took him across Canada via the CPR, and down the west coast to Portland, Oregon via the Great Northern. 

My last post 1984 On the Canadian, Dawn to Dusk looked at our trip segment from Kenora to the Broadview Sub. 

This post looks at my father's 1950 trip over the same line, except that it takes a 'pure' CPR route through Winnipeg and out to Portage la Prairie.

LC Gagnon with the 5928 at Banff, 1950.

In later years, my father expanded on some of his original photo book notes. Here is his added detail - for those curious about his trip and for family members looking in. The brown discolouration comes from his original public timetable and I have included a couple of pages from it at the end of this post.

Kenora.
The two shielded lights on the station's shed dormer are interesting.
The camera lens tends to 'fisheye' and darken the photo corners.

The day starts in semi-darkness with overcast skies.
But then ... the weather changes ...

Winnipeg.

Above: Marquette, Manitoba.

Above: Coming into Portage la Prairie.
The CNR, with its water tank and coaling tower is across the field.
A locomotive is probably reversing in the yard.

The sheaves of grain are stooked for drying in the foreground.
This may take a while as the it seems to be raining here as well.

Here is the west end of Portage la Prairie near West Tower.
The train has just stopped at the CPR Portage station.
Accelerating, and with a signal to cross the diamond, black smoke is generated.

Beyond, are the former ways of the
Canadian Northern, Grand Trunk Pacific and a Great Northern branch.
Notice the extensive annex to the right of the grain elevator.

Approaching Sidney.

Sidney, Manitoba.
And another eastbound freight.

Carberry, Manitoba.
The train order signal is set at stop for the next westbound.

Brandon, Manitoba.
I think this is St Mary's on Assiniboine Avenue.

Some lubrication for the rods.
Some water for the tender.

On the engineer's side, a conference.
The left side lubrication operations are now close to the piston.

At the left, you can see the box camera lens-edge losses.
The CP Express trucks are lined up for loading.
Two tractor tires on wheels sit on a wagon.

I suspect those are silver propane cylinders lying on the wagon ... a worker can be seen using the time-honoured process of wheeling the cylinder along on its base, while using the protective valve cap as a handle.

The day ends at Broadview, Saskatchewan.
These grain elevator leads and the station (behind the camera) are on the south side.