Stumbling across an abandoned railway line in Saskatchewan is not hard to do. There used to be a literal spaghetti bowl of tracks going every which way in the province, with nearly every town regardless of size, having train service. There was a branch to anywhere and everywhere! Almost all these are long gone now, although reminders of what was, mostly the roadbeds bereft of track, can easily be found in a multitude of places. We make a project of following these ghost lines on Google Earth.
To find a disused stretch with the rails still in place is much less common, as is what we see in the attached photo. Along some dusty backroad, in a place remote and lonely, some remains of Canadian National Railway’s Mantario Subdivision heading south from Alsask, near the Alberta border. While it’s been a while since a train last ran here, close to a decade or so, for some reason the rails here were not pulled up once the last customer closed, a Sodium Sulphate operation (used mostly as a fertilizer) a few clicks south of our photo position. Perhaps there was plans to reopen the plant at some later date and the track retained?
This line was built about a hundred years ago (started by Canadian Northern, finished by the CNR) and while never that busy it was a vital outside connection those who lived in the area. A small part of it remains in service on its far south-eastern end with a shortline operator. Otherwise, it’s all quiet.
Standing there alone on the limitless plains, with nary a sound to be heard, we await a train that will never come. These two streaks of rust take us back to an earlier time when railways were the lifeblood of the communities here, hauling out grain and bringing in settlers. The future looked bright. And now it’s this.
Short Subjects: reports that for any number of reasons are brief in nature. They might be updates to older articles, previews of posts planned or not yet published, brief snippets of things that don’t fit in anywhere else or subjects that are so obscure that information on them can’t be found. Or sometimes we just ramble on about Lord knows what.
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Date of adventure: April, 2019 Location: South of Alsask, SK.
Thank you for this interesting post! The photo ‘speaks volumes’ to a railfan such as myself who lived in a village in the 60’s and 70’s that was situated along a branch line. Hard to believe most of it is gone; hard to believe that it was ever there. I enjoy reading Larry Buchan’s Railway Earth posts about his time working on wayfreights in Alberta and Saskatchewan in the 1970’s. The photo ties into his experiences very well.
There’s something about disused track like this that primes the imagination. Of all the things we document, railway archeology subjects are a particular favourite (even if they’re not with our readers) and so we’ll often be seen checking out old lines even if few of those photos ever make it here. We had the chance to spend an afternoon with Larry at his home a few years back. What an incredible experience, just sitting there listening. With his compromised health, you could see it was draining for him, but he went on as long as he could. His retention for recalling even the tiniest detail was incredible. Sad to see him go.
Did some research the mine switched hands a couple of times in 1970 the company that owned mine went bankrupt. And the mine sat vacant until the 1990’s. You can even see the railway spur on google maps.
We researched it too, and yes, it changed hands a lot. If you look at older images on Google Earth stand alone, you can even see a rail car parked for loading.
As part of the abandonment of this trackage, CN and Cando Rail Services donated a significant amount of 60 lb rail to the Alberta Railway Museum, and delivered it free of charge.
All I know is that it came from a spur at or near Alsask. Enough rail for half a mile of track was donated, so it may have been the old elevator tracks right in Alsask, or yard trackage at the Sodium Sulphate plant, if any of that was still there.
60 lb rail is of no use to the big railroads anymore as they do not have any locomotives that can safely operate on it, and much track jewelry and switch parts are no longer in regular production.
Locomotives are prohibited from using the few spurs and backtracks that still have 60 lb rail, reachers (extra cars) must be used.
Looked at my notes and the rail in this picture is 85lbs, which I guess makes sense as the line was in use at least partway into this century. I suppose that’s about the minimum a big locomotive could safely operate on. Anyway you are probably right in that the rail you’re speaking of came from sidings or some such thing. Sixty pounds is tiny track. Got to tour steamer #6060, all stripped down and being worked on (a post as yet unpublished), and it looked way too large to be sitting on the sixty pound track in use by the Alberta Prairie Railway. But I guess it handles it fine.
(A long read) After twelve years it's time to put a face to the name and come clean on something. That's rarely-seen Chris in the photo, one half of Team BIGDoer, my best friend for almost thirty years and orchestrator of everything you see here. For his entire adult life, he's battled a deep depression.
Mostly it's manageable, but there are extended bouts where it's crippling and his life comes to a grinding halt. Sometimes there are days or weeks where he's lost. Sleep does not come easy at this time and further aggravates the issue. As he ages, it's worsening and seems intent on destroying him from the inside.
If you see a lack of posts here, or ones poorly worded, confusing or simply off, it's from one of these periods.
Through all this, he remains as kind, thoughtful and loving as ever, but is somewhere else. To the family, it's just Chris and accepted as it should be. The kids and grandkids adore him no less. Until today, however, this has been hidden from the outside world, although closer friends and some readers were probably already suspect of his condition. I hope admitting this does not break the site.
He finds clarity when we're out and doing things, hiking or documenting something historic and it's only THE reason this page and our website exists. It's therapy. Then he's a new and passionate person, but the monster as he calls it always returns. The Beer Parlour Project has brought out a side I've never seen and when out in the field he's never been so on point and confident.
This post is not for sympathy but to inform. Just so you know where he is and here's what you can do to help (a last ditch request)...
If you see a missed comma or oddly worded sentence in a post, please be kind. You'll probably see his uncertainty when he's off and be nice there too. But if you like what you see, even if the write up could be presented better, post your encouragement. Say something and say it loud...it's important and will keep him sharing. Help Chris get better by cheering him on.
Other than some photos that are mine, everything else comes from him. All the tiring research and the writing (he admits he's NOT a writer), are his.
Chris puts every dollar he makes into this "project of a lifetime", and it's supplemented by donations from readers who enjoy the content. If you want to help...
Admittedly he was not thrilled with the idea of posting this but agrees it probably should be said, even if it makes him uneasy. He doesn't like appearing in photos either. He's so shy, thinks he looks goofy and hates his husky eyes. I love them and they're windows into a wonderful, complex and quiet, but tortured soul. It breaks my heart when he's in a bad space.
This image comes thanks to photographer Arturo Pianzola and was captured while exploring the historic Riverview Mental Hospital in Coquitlam BC. Chris thought since he was in the area last year, he'd stop by to visit with a grandfather he never really knew, who spent his last years at the facility and is buried on the grounds.
Thanks for listening and your understanding. Hopefully we'll see you next week. Johanna (Connie).
Journey of Natty Gann (Disney 1985) and the same location in the Crowsnest Pass 2014. We're visiting the Pass over the new year, as we often do, and this time we'll be staying at a house that appears (briefly) in the film. How cool, eh? Chris has decided it's time on this visit to reshoot this and other Natty Gann comparison shots we did from ten years ago. Stay tuned!
This scene was shot in historic downtown Coleman and shows the former Holyk's Grocery. It was built in the early 1900s and the store closed in the '60s. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Johanna (Connie).
From 2015. Rob Pohl and his strange old-style view camera joined us in documenting the Laing House (with permission). Head down to the comments to see an amazing coincidence with something I found inside.
From the Crossley slides, it's an undated view of Towers School, out near Cluny Alberta. It was originally called Swastika School but that's before the word and symbol were ruined by negative connotations. Built 1922. Gone? _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
The same alley in downtown Calgary's west end, in the 1970s & today. You have to look hard to see the connection! The area was quite run down back then and is in stark contrast to all the shiny condo towers seen present day. Calgary Place West, an apartment block, appears in both images although it's barely a sliver in ours. Check the comments for more info.
Photo credit: James Tworow collection. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
Lost highways (2022): a section of old #93 in Southeastern BC. That BIGDoer-mobile is gone now but quite famous and had a following of its own. Old mine roads, cow paths, 4x4ing across fields - no problem and people would recognize us out in remote areas just by this car. _______
Exploring history with Chris & Connie from Off the Beaten Path. Thanks, Chris.
Thank you for this interesting post! The photo ‘speaks volumes’ to a railfan such as myself who lived in a village in the 60’s and 70’s that was situated along a branch line. Hard to believe most of it is gone; hard to believe that it was ever there. I enjoy reading Larry Buchan’s Railway Earth posts about his time working on wayfreights in Alberta and Saskatchewan in the 1970’s. The photo ties into his experiences very well.
There’s something about disused track like this that primes the imagination. Of all the things we document, railway archeology subjects are a particular favourite (even if they’re not with our readers) and so we’ll often be seen checking out old lines even if few of those photos ever make it here. We had the chance to spend an afternoon with Larry at his home a few years back. What an incredible experience, just sitting there listening. With his compromised health, you could see it was draining for him, but he went on as long as he could. His retention for recalling even the tiniest detail was incredible. Sad to see him go.
Did some research the mine switched hands a couple of times
in 1970 the company that owned mine went bankrupt. And the mine sat vacant until the 1990’s. You can even see the railway spur on google maps.
Kinda confused on why the spur was not taken out during that time period
Perhaps they expected the business to reopen?
No idea
We researched it too, and yes, it changed hands a lot. If you look at older images on Google Earth stand alone, you can even see a rail car parked for loading.
It just draws you in!
That’s the effect we were after.
Abandoned railroad porn!
Now that’s quite the thing to say! Love it.
Nothing like a pair of rails receding into the distance to draw you in and start your mind wandering.
Yes, that’s it! That’s the feeling we get.
As part of the abandonment of this trackage, CN and Cando Rail Services donated a significant amount of 60 lb rail to the Alberta Railway Museum, and delivered it free of charge.
Wow light rail. The track further down past where the last customer was?
CN and a kind act? Stop the presses! Haha, nice of them to do that.
All I know is that it came from a spur at or near Alsask. Enough rail for half a mile of track was donated, so it may have been the old elevator tracks right in Alsask, or yard trackage at the Sodium Sulphate plant, if any of that was still there.
60 lb rail is of no use to the big railroads anymore as they do not have any locomotives that can safely operate on it, and much track jewelry and switch parts are no longer in regular production.
Locomotives are prohibited from using the few spurs and backtracks that still have 60 lb rail, reachers (extra cars) must be used.
Looked at my notes and the rail in this picture is 85lbs, which I guess makes sense as the line was in use at least partway into this century. I suppose that’s about the minimum a big locomotive could safely operate on. Anyway you are probably right in that the rail you’re speaking of came from sidings or some such thing. Sixty pounds is tiny track. Got to tour steamer #6060, all stripped down and being worked on (a post as yet unpublished), and it looked way too large to be sitting on the sixty pound track in use by the Alberta Prairie Railway. But I guess it handles it fine.