West Tower Portage la Prairie, Manitoba June, 1980

West Tower is a CN-CP interlocking located on the west side of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Double-tracked CN Rivers Sub and double-tracked CP Carberry Sub from Winnipeg split at Portage. CN's River Sub continued west to Rivers and Saskatoon, and CN's Gladstone Sub headed north to Gladstone and Dauphin. CP's Carberry Sub continued west to Brandon and Regina, and CP's Minnedosa Sub headed north to Minnedosa.

Seldom-used branchlines included CN's Pleasant Point Sub 78 miles south to Brandon, and CN's Oakland Sub 53 miles north to Amaranth. Here are two days' action at West Tower from 29 years ago. On June 16, 1980 0916 WB: CN 9155-4132-4321-4305-9197-4235 pass the West Tower sign and cross CP's Carberry Sub (top and below) heading west on the Rivers Sub with grain empties, general freight, and cabooses 76571-79492:

In the previous hour, 0831 WB: CP 5930-5773 bang across the diamond with autoracks and piggybacks. At left is the CN-CP connecting track which carried VIA's Canadian from CN Rivers Sub to CP's Carberry Sub at Portage:

Non-enclosed auto racks carry products from the Big Three automakers west out of the morning sun. CN's Rivers Sub is in the foreground, with a signal shed and grain elevator at right. A motorcar set-off beside the shed made a handy railfan seating area. CN's Gladstone Sub is just under the third autorack. Vans on this train were 434509-434582:

That afternoon, this 45-car train, mostly grain empties is travelling west on the Rivers Sub. Check out those spark arrestors, 1348 WB: CN 1367-1352-1076.

Twenty-five minutes later, an amply-powered CN hotshot approaches West Tower, hauling piggybacks, Showa and Dart containers and Datsuns. The heavy rail of CP's Carberry Sub bears signs of regular lubrication of the diamond trackwork. 1413 EB: CN 5215-9506-9549-9470-5199.

Seven minutes after a westbound CN train of potash empties headed up the Gladstone Sub, this CP westbound heads up the Minnedosa Sub. 1431 WB: CP 5714-5505 I had to hike it across a small field to get this photo, as the CP track is quickly diverging to the north here. The train carried a couple of dimensional loads on CP bulkhead flats, empty grain cars, and vans 434460-434455-434503.

This eastbound grain train passes the few boxcars at the United Grain Growers elevator at Eighth St, while the tailend with 434433 is still crossing CN at West Tower, far left. MLW power was rare but not unheard of west of Winnipeg. 1453 EB: CP 5923-8770.

On June 17, 1980 0837 WB: CN 4308-4326-4227. This general freight is westbound on the Rivers Sub the following morning, with lots of grain empties, a C&NW piggyback trailer, ACR gondola and caboose 79265:

Ten minutes later, two Geeps bring in 19 grain loads from the Gladstone Sub. CP has green flags up for a slow order near the diamond. 0847 EB: CN 4303-4327.

Sixteen minutes behind that short grain train comes a healthier train of grain from the Gladstone Sub, plus a Burlington flatcar, UP covered hopper and caboose 79579. CN Rivers Sub is at left, CP Carberry Sub in foreground. 0903 EB: CN 9652-5027.

Running more than two hours late, VIA's Super Continental passses the West Tower signboard. Instead of a Park Car, Athabasca brings up the markers behind Chateau Vercheres and Chateau Rigaud. A redboard shows on the CP-CN connecting track at right. The eastbound Canadian is not expected soon. 0923 EB: VIA 6507-6606-CN 4102.

The last West Tower train is a westbound hotshot with piggyback, containers, Milwaukee Road boxcar, empty CP stock cars and van 434433. In a few minutes, CN 1076-1352-1367 will return with grain loads less than 24 hours after heading west. The sun has reappeared for another pleasant summer-like morning of trainwatching in Portage. 1002 WB: CP 5630-5637-4710.

Running extra...

Some of the views shown here would not be possible today, as trees have grown up around the West Tower area. Train lengths and horsepower have also grown, although if all the units in some of these photos were online, the number of horsepower would have been considerable then too.

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The 30th anniversary of the CP Mississauga derailment generated a lot of interest in my hotbox detector post. Does the phrase "Three bubbles, no troubles" ring a bell? I hadn't heard it before, but it means three zeroes on the display board and the train is safe to continue on its way. AKA "All black back to the hack Jack."

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Former Oiler Craig Simpson and perky Olympian Jamie Sale' won CBC's Battle of the Blades. This is a Canadian version of Dancing with the Stars, kinda like Skating with the Scars. Everyone is very polite and there's no trash talk save some amiable bickering for the camera during practice. Canadian reality programming at its finest.