Historic Sites of Manitoba: Canadian National Railway Water Tower (Railway Avenue, Somerset, Municipality of Lorne)

Formerly located along Provincial Road 502 in Somerset, on the CNR Carman Subdivision in what is now the Municipality of Lorne, an eight-sided cedar-covered octagonal railway tower sat atop a concrete foundation. Inside was a steel water tank having a capacity of 181,840 litres (40,000 gallons). Built around 1916, it was used to supply steam locomotives of the Canadian National Railway. A coal-powered boiler under the tank kept the water from freezing during cold weather. A ball above the tank indicated the water level inside.

The tower has been demolished and no vestige of it remains today.

Canadian National Railway Water Tower

Site Coordinates (lat/long): N49.41139, W98.65847
denoted by symbol on the map above

See also:

Manitoba Business: Canadian Northern Railway / Canadian National Railway

Sources:

Reflections=reflets by Somerset History Book Committee, 2000, pages 115-116.

This page was prepared by Jordan Makichuk.

Page revised: 2 November 2025

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