Just came across a CN switch list from June 14, 1978 from Portage la Prairie. It lists some grain boxcars to be lifted from two of Portage's elevators:
Pool B Track RG37 East End
CN 485285
CN 479271
CN 425470
CN 421644
U.G.G. Track RG54 East End
Car numbers unreadable, but there were four cars to lift.
All eight cars were billed to Thunder Bay, Ontario
Pool B, later destroyed by fire, was a unique elevator because it was served by both CN and CP.
4 comments:
What year was MPE B destroyed? By the time I started making trips to Portage for train-watching purposes in 1990 or so it was gone. Do you have any other photos of it?
Hi Tyler, I checked back, and the MPE Portage B burned in the fall of 1984. The spilled/spoiled grain covered three tracks on the CP side of the elevator. Previously, Pool A burned down in the
fall of 1982. Until I post some more photos, check out Dave Winter's Winter Valley Regional Railway Proto-File page at wvrr.ca where Dave has a nice photo of a CN maple leaf-scheme boxcar being loaded. Interestingly, CP served the front of Pool B, and CN served the back. Eric
Though I am most assuredly not a 'train geek', I was no less delighted to come across this site!
My reason is because I was raised in the small hamlet of Lewvan through the 50's and 60's and my Dad operated the Pioneer elevator there from then through 1978 when he moved to Weyburn to take on the bigger grain point there. He was also the catalyst responsible for having the name of the hamlet of Lewvan printed on the east-facing annex(about 1970). This was a first for Pineer Grain in the province where SK Wheat Pool had previously held this exclusive honour; indeed this site awakens fond memories of my childhood mixed with a sadness at the loss of these 'wheat kings' which so symbolized my priarie roots. Thanks for the great photos and memories.
Valerie (O'Byrne) Warnock, AB
Thanks for your interesting comments, and good to hear from you, Val.
I trust you saw my Lewvan Sub post - that was one of my earliest ones from '08. I'll be posting more grain elevator photos from time to time, so check back. I also got a photo of the Pioneer elevator in Weyburn, as that was my overnight stop on that roadtrip.
Your blog looks good too, and I like that book backdrop. You must be a bibliophile like me.
Thanks for stopping by, and keep on bloggin'!
Eric
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