Manitoba Historical Society |
- About Us
- Programs
- Prairie History
- MHS Resources
Members Area PublicationsFeaturesManitoba 150
Historic Sites of Manitoba
Memorable Manitobans
War Memorials in Manitoba
History in Winnipeg Street Names
History in Manitoba School Names
Manitoba Communities
Manitoba Photographers
Walking Tours
Personal Memoirs
Manitoba Bricks and Blocks
Events in Manitoba History
1911 Census Data
Other Features
Education
- Contact Us
Endangered
Top 10
2020
Prairie
History
No. 2
Manitoba
Photographers
List
Free Press
Manitoba
150
MHS
YouTube
Channel
Manitoba
Bricks
& Blocks
War
Memorials
in Manitoba
This Old
Elevator
Abandoned
Manitoba
Memorable
Manitobans
Historic Sites
of Manitoba
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Prairie Dog Central Railway (1 Prairie Dog Trail, Winnipeg)
The Prairie Dog Central Railway uses one of the oldest running steam locomotives in Canada. Their coaches are all around 100 years old, and the Inkster Junction station in northwest Winnipeg is over 100 years old. In the early 1970s, the railway used an abandoned CNR track in southwest Winnipeg that is now the Harte Trail. Today, the train runs to Grosse Isle and Warren, a trip of about 20 miles, once a day each weekend and holiday from March to September.
A highlight of the facility is Steam Locomotive No. 3. Built at Glasgow, Scotland in 1882, the locomotive was used on Canadian Pacific Railway lines in western Canada. Sold to the City of Winnipeg in 1918, it serviced hydroelectric generating stations along the Winnipeg River until 1961, being damaged in a fire in a roundhouse at Pointe du Bois in December 1943 and subsequently repaired. It was brought to Winnipeg in February 1967 and refurbished by a group of railway enthusiasts.
A station building, a special design built in 1910 by the Canadian National Railway on Estella Street near Portage Avenue at St. James, was moved to this site in 1999.
Steam Locomotive No. 3 after a fire at Pointe du Bois (December 1943)
Source: Edward K. Bricknell
Prairie Dog Central steam-powered locomotive (August 2013)
Source: George Penner
Prairie Dog Central diesel-powered locomotive (June 2004)
Source: Gordon Goldsborough
Former Canadian National Railway station at its original site in St. James (April 1994)
Source: George Penner
Former Canadian National Railway station from St. James (August 2015)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.95234, W97.27003
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Grosse Isle Museum (Grosse Isle, RM of Rockwood)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Canadian National Railways Steam Locomotive No. 6043 (Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Canadian National Railways Steam Locomotive No. 2747 (Plessis Road, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg Railway Museum (123 Main Street, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Railway Stations
Sources:
“Round house is burned at Pointe du Bois,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 December 1943, page 12.
“It’s all aboard for the Prairie Dog Central,” Winnipeg Free Press, 8 May 1975, page 26.
We thank Nonni Jonsson, George Penner, Edward K. Bricknell, and Paul Newsome for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 4 November 2019
Back to top of page
Historic Sites of Manitoba
This is a collection of historic sites in Manitoba compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society.
Browse lists of:
Museums/Archives | Buildings | Monuments | Cemeteries | Locations | OtherPlease note that inclusion in this collection does not mean that a particular site has special status or protection. Some sites are on private property and permission must be secured from the owner prior to visiting.
Site information is provided by the Manitoba Historical Society as a free public service only for non-commercial purposes.
Search Tips | Suggest a Site | FAQ | Acknowledgements
Send inquiries to the MHS Webmaster.
|
For queries on the above page, please contact the MHS Webmaster. Home | Terms & Conditions | FAQ | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Donations Policy © 1998-2020 Manitoba Historical Society. All rights reserved. |