Vintage Railway Views of Portage la Prairie

Royal Train arriving at CN station, 1939.

My uncle recently had a photo of himself posted by a group member of the Portage la Prairie Memories Facebook page. He only knew it had been posted because someone pointed it out to him. In the photo, he's seated on a bench that's dedicated to his late wife, my aunt. Adam the Cat is by his side, and the photo was taken by his brother. Comments poured in, as they rightly should, for a couple so well-known and well-respected in the community. That got me poking around for Portage train photos in the same group. I did not push away from the laptop disappointed:

The Royal Couple returning to the Royal Train, 1939.

RCMP and open-car motorcade at the CN station, 1939.

An 1888 bird's eye view of Portage

Delta Beach Hotel and turntable pit

Delta Beach turntable

CNR 6043 powering the last steam-hauled passenger train in the West

Two aerial views of CN station and fuel dealers. Undated.

Tony's on Third St N.E. Undated.

Skyline bridge under construction, 1964

Delta station

Tom Sherrit B/A Fuels tank view. Undated.

CN Portage station - local students heading to Expo 67 on July 17.

Three views of Royal Air Force personnel arriving at Portage la Prairie by train circa 1944. The white brevets in their side caps indicate that they are undergoing training. 

At the CN station in the evening, with CP station at left. (above) CN station with Victoria elevator in background (below).

Late in the day at the CP station, with former station (?NP) in background,

Princess Anne receiving line at CP station, 1982 - platform removed in 1978

Portage Cartage on Trenton Avenue. Undated.

Contemporary view of Portage Cartage warehouse.

Parade over the Skyline bridge with Pool B at right. Undated. Pool C fire:

School trip on CN, showing oil dealership spur at right. Undated (above). A glorious on-track view (below) from CP station in 1963. The McCabe/Victory elevator at left, just-built Portage Pool 'B; with a hanging stage for painters who are painting the lettering, CP Express, then Pool A, UGG at Eighth Street and Pool C at right.

Running extra...

That photo of Tony's (above) was taken in a very similar spot to a view I took in 1984. So, I matched up those two plus a current Googlemaps view for this retrospective: 

CN Montreal-Chicago intermodal train No 149 and Brockville-Prescott turn No 532 collided in the service track north of the mainline in Prescott on the morning of September 2. One employee with minor injuries, all sent to hospital for evaluation. Multiple cars and all locomotives derailed. Social media is alight, aflame and afoam with theories, causes, and 'insider' information. VIA trains were detoured Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto and the south track was reopened on September 3 around suppertime.

Here is Kingston's Third Crossing bridge over the Great Cataraqui River linking John Counter Boulevard on the west shore and Gore Road on the east shore: