A Stop or Two Along The Way

The adventure here never ends. Even when heading home from some assignment or outing, we like to take it slow and explore. We point ourselves in the general direction of home and we doddle. Taking random back roads as we do it’s almost guaranteed we’ll discover something interesting along the way. It’s drive and stop and drive and stop. Look there, an abandoned farm, over there some fogotten metal. We’ve have this insatiable appetite.

And if we find ourselves down by the tracks, which seems to happen all too frequently, we search out a patch of grass, plop ourselves down, open a bottle of wine and watch the trains pass for a spell. It’s a great way to unwind from the road and so relaxing. This, my friends, is how we do it.

We’re coming back from Shaunavon Saskatchewan. Here’s what we were doing there: Riding the Rails in SW Saskatchewan – Part One and Riding the Rails in SW Saskatchewan – Part Two. A short drive finds us in nearby Dollard, a little town that’s seen better days. There’s a few houses here and there, nothing much left in downtown and on one corner an old church. It looks like it’s no longer used although it does appear to be kept up somewhat. An old 1940s Ford Grain Truck languishes in someones yard.

Kilometre after kilometres we drive down some quiet road, nothing but fields all around and little else. Still, we pass a couple old farms – and we stop. There’s an old one room school – used to be thousands of them in the province. A couple cows keep it company.

The map says we’re in Hatton, still in Saskatchewan by the way. Not sure if there was ever a town here. Or anything for that matter. No one is around. Over in that field, some farm machinery in retirement. Old metal always interests us.

A fine Gewurztraminer puts us in our happy place. Cheers…to what ever!

Over there parked on a side track is a Loram Rail Grinder which smooths out and shapes the profile of the rails. It’s quite the thing to see when operating. All those sparks and smoke. And the noise.

In mere minutes a train shows. Then soon after another. That one’s hauling bulk Potash, another is made up of grain empties heading east. This is the Canadian Pacific Railway’s mainline, one busy stretch of track. Some Union Pacific Locomotives are seen – it’s not odd for railways to borrow power from connecting lines (UP operates in the US).

A secondary line leaves the main track here and heads to a community a bit to the north called Golden Prairie. It’s a rare (for today) grain branch and one of the last of it’s kind really. Trains run as needed, generally once a week we’re told. I suspect it’s not going to be around for much longer. We wonder how it’s lasted as long as it has.

Looking at the clock, it’s time to go. Anyway, the bottle’s empty. With the day mostly done – we sat there by the track for four hours, we take the main route from here on. We have to motor. But what a good little diversion it was.

Wait, an old transit Fishbowl Bus. These were very common in the 1960s-1990s period (and even beyond in smaller numbers) and nearly every transit agency in the country operated some. Take down the name of that scrap yard! Next time we’re in Medicine Hat, we’ll try and see if we can get closer.

Pedal to the metal, passing places more and more familiar as we go. Round that last corner, the house is still standing. That’s a good sign. Unpacking is zero fun. The party’s over and we sort of got the blues. Then we think back and grin a bit. What a great weekend and you know the ride home was pretty fun too. And we remind ourselves, there will be another adventure soon. They come hard and fast here. The smile widens. Yeah, we be doing it all over again soon enough. We so enjoy what we do.

Trains + wine = a good time.
Trainspotting BIGDoer.com Style.
Trainspotting – Field BC Edition.

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date: July, 2017.
Location: Mostly Eastern Saskatchewan.
Article references and thanks: Without you loyal readers we’d be nothing.

In some small town, this 1940s Ford Truck.

Keeping the faith in Dollard Saskatchewan.

Hearing the voices of angels.

Downtown Dollard is all quiet.

Cruising some rural road, we find this place.

Not sure about the cycle – no one was around.

There used be thousands of these one room schools in the province.

Welcome to our happy place.

This is a rail grinder.

We’re along in the CPR Tracks…

And here’s the first train.

Hauling Potash.

The map calls this place Hatton.

An old Massey Combine.

Eastbound grain empties.

In front the Golden Prairie Branch.

Near Medicine Hat, an old “Fishbowl”.