Big Valley’s Train Station

Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions’ tour trains make a regular stop in Big Valley, a charming little community rich in history. Front and centre, it’s the railway station, over a century old, that welcomes those visiting no matter how they arrive. Come by car, or more awesomely by rail, the building is worth a look-see and open days the excursions are running (weekends, some weekdays, expect winter), or sometimes by appointment. Even in the off season it’s still worth a photo stop. Group pose out front!

This place has a special meaning for Team BIGDoer and for one amazing weekend became our home. The whole gang was there: the kids, the grand kid and out of it came some cherished memories. Thanks to the Canadian Northern Society, curators of the building, for allowing us this great honour. We were here to ride the train, just for fun, and had the coolest crash pad EVER! We’re still basking in the afterglow.

A hectic time, as family events often are, there were moments where we could sneak away and explore some of the interesting stuff found in town. Take a tour with us a bit down the road – stay tuned for that post – but for now we’ll concentrate on the station and the stuff around it.

First, a little back story on the railway. This is a former Canadian Northern line, a meandering stretch of track running north/south. Built in the early 1910s, it changed hands less than a decade later, after the financially unstable CNoR merged with rival, becoming in the process Canadian National Railways. With that the line was downgraded.

Big Valley’s Train Station, our home for the weekend.

In the 1990s the CNR rid itself of this track, selling it to short line carrier Central Western. This firm continued to serve what few customers were left along the line, mostly grain elevators, for a few more years. Concurrent, the tour train was established and continues to operate to this day. At one time the track travelled much further south than it does now, with Big Valley presently at the end of the line. Excursions travel in from the north out of nearby Stettler at a most relaxed pace.

When coming in by APRE people are not only encouraged to explore Big Valley and given time to do so, they also get a yummy home cooked meal at the community hall. When you hear the whistle blow, it’s time to head back to the train.

Looking down the track, it’s a stately grain elevator and by the standards it’s fairly new (built 1960). Once owned by the Alberta Wheat Pool, for a time the biggest grain firm in the province (in the 1920s-1990s period), that company is now but a memory. The last grain cars loaded here were in the late 1990s and by then the day of the small town prairie elevator and a sleepy branch line serving them was at an end. The structure has been given a makeover and is open for viewing when the train’s in town or by appointment. More history here: Prairie Sentinels – Big Valley Alberta.

Numerous vintage rail cars are seen nearby and you see more of these as this series progresses.

Within sight of the station and across from the grain elevator, it’s stark walls of concrete speaking of something big and important. These remains were once the extensive servicing facilities needed by steam locomotives. Silent and still present day, had you stood in this same spot a century ago, it’d be quite the contrast. Think smoke and steam and fire, grimy men and heavy equipment. Think dangerous…think dirty. It’s hard to imagine given the pastoral scene before you here, but that’s how it was. Take a tour: Big Valley Roundhouse.

Now onto the showpiece of this article, the restored CNoR Big Valley Train Station. An amazing building dating back to the early days, the lower floor is a museum you can tour. Built in 1912, about 1920 it was inherited by the CNR. Train travel was a thing then, as you may know, but by the 1960s it was little used. The last passenger runs through town were in early 1980s although the station had long since been boarded up by that time. In the final years of operation, service was provided by Canada’s national passenger carrier, Via Rail using self propelled rail cars (Dayliners).

In the 1970s, the building was used as a senior’s centre but that was short lived. Later, near the end of the 1980s the Canadian Northern Society obtained and renovated it (beautifully). This organization cooperates with the railway excursions as do all the historic sites and businesses in Big Valley and collectively they all benefit.

What is this strange telegraph thing?

It’s done up as a station should, with waiting rooms, a ticket and telegraph office, plus a baggage and express area. There’s lots of railway memorabilia on display and is a must see attraction. At every turn, there’s something cool and if you allow it, you’ll find yourself easily stepping back in time.

The station agent would be kept busy here. There was tickets to sell and telegraphs to send (that’s how they did long distance communication then). There was freight cars to order and route, express packages to inventory, the list of tasks entrusted to this person boundless. Each good sized town up and down the line would likewise have someone like this employed at their own respective station.

Upstairs it’s living quarters for this employee and their family, the latter our home for two evenings…and it was amazing! Check out that retro table and chair set! Seriously, we could take up residence here, permanently. It’s humble digs that retains much of its original form although modernized (and maaaaybe haunted we think) and is used by the society for getaways, work parties or by rail crews that come in for safety training.

Outside it’s the usual trappings, a baggage cart, a schedule board to keep tabs on the next passenger run. Everything has a function. Train order signals acted like traffic lights and depending on the position would indicate what action was to be taken by a passing train. Here the semaphores show clear, so there’s no reason to stop (if they were officially used that is).

This structure was built to a common pattern shared with many other CNoR station across Western Canada. A couple other examples, smaller in size but otherwise very much the same in design, can be seen in this post: A Rowley State of Mind and this one too: Meeting Creek Station and Elevators. Incidentally, these two were along the same stretch of track (but sections earlier abandoned) as Big Valley’s Station.

A tiny little memorial out by the tracks is an interesting curiosity but no one we spoke with knew who put it there and why.

The old rails around here can date over a century ago and after all these years are still witness to the passing of trains. One section reads 1908.

Kudos to the Canadian Northern Society for their upkeep of the station. They’re similarly in charge of the roundhouse too and please look them up and donate if you can, so we can all continue to enjoy these wonderful places. Great people with a great cause, our heartfelt thanks goes out to them allowing us an intimate look at their station. Hopefully we’ll see normalcy return soon once this awful pandemic eases so you the public can pay it a visit too. It should be soon.

When the train arrives, Big Valley springs to life with may locals donning period costumes and happy to chat or pose for a photo. We’re ridden the excursion twice in recent times, the first in an official capacity for a published piece (this: Alberta Prairie Railway Tours Ride Along and then again for this visit just as a family outing. Since ours was the last train of the regular season, they ended it all with some fireworks on the return leg. What a fitting farewell. Unbeknownst to everyone, the world would change in 2020 and no trains have run since our visit that fall day in 2019. Presently some of the line is used for surplus freight car storage which helps take up the slack.

Important schedule information was displayed here.

A dusting of snow greets us the final morning. There’s one last walk around the museum, one last cup of coffee (in a special occasion mug – thanks Bean) then it’s time to say goodbye. We’ll certainly visit Big Valley again, but this time was a level above. It’s not often one gets a chance like this and for that, and the family fun that came of it, we’re grateful. We chicken scratch our thanks on the white board, lock the door, turn and wave. Leaving is bittersweet.

I think we forgot to take out the garbage…

Here’s a couple useful Google search terms if want to know more: Big Valley Alberta Train Station and Canadian Northern Society.

Till our next meeting, stay awesome!

*Covid of course is throwing things off, but the world should return to normal sooner than later (he mumbled with finger’s crossed).

They’re saying…

”Love the variety and always look forward to seeing the places they visit.” Brian Brandon – River City Classics and Eamon’s Garage.

More railway stations…
Rowley Alberta then and now – CNR Station – Just down the line from Big Valley.
Bassano Railway Station – Yikes is all we can say.
Manyberries Alberta railway station – Made into a home!

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

Date of Adventure: September, 2019.
Location(s): Big Valley, AB.
Article references and thanks: Richard Graydon + Canadian Northern Society, Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions, Town of Big Valley & finally & Team BIGDoer’s awesome family.

The station dates from 1912.

It now hosts tour trains out of neaby Stettler.

A peek inside the private apartment upstairs.

The main floor is a fabulous train museum.

A window into another time.

The station agent’s office.

Right here was a busy nerve centre.

A scene from a century ago.

At every turn…

Checked baggage from long ago.

There’s plenty to see in Big Valley!

Old rail cars are parked nearby.

It’s a former Canadian Northern Depot.

A little memorial out front.

A rail from 1908.

Traffic signals for trains.

The town springs to life.

End of season fireworks.

A light dusting that following morning.

Brought out for special occasions.

Saying thanks.

Till next time…