Tatans could be the one to go to in answering this one but I was wondering about Canadian National in and around Moose Jaw.
I heard that Canadian National made a motion to abandon grain lines to Gravelbourg some years ago. Has it happened or still in the plans? If not, how is the service on lines out of Moose Jaw as far as Canadian National goes?
There is no CN in Moose Jaw.
All CP
CN lines run about 200 - 300 miles north of Moose Jaw. Up by Saskatoon
CP lines are in the south of western Canada
CN lines are in the northern part of western Canada.
Better tell those guys roaring around the “Jaw” in a red CN locomotive going past the old C.N.R. station and over the huge C.N.R trestle taking cars to the seed pool and the pork plant that there is NO CN in Moose Jaw, of course there is, take a look at the CNR rail map. It seems the rail line to Gravelbourg is gone but there are small feeder lines run by CP, and a small co-op line running S.E. for @ 50 miles out of the Jaw. I believe the only CN traffic out of Moose Jaw is to the North East, but I’m not sure where it goes, check the CN rail map to confirm, by the way the old CN station is now a spa.
It’s been three or four years since I’ve been in Moose Jaw. If I remember correctly Canadian National ran east from Moose Jaw to Regina. From there they could go north east to Melville or north to Saskatoon through Lumsden and Davidson along with several small towns along the way. The last time I was in Moose Jaw the old Canadian National passenger station was looking rather in need of an overhaul. But I guess that has changed.
CN’s west end of the Gravelburg sub. from Mossbank, Sk to Hodgeville was fixed up under the grainline rehabilitation program and transferred to the CP in approx. 1985. These lines had to be kept in service I believe until the year 2000. Cp has now applied to abandon this line. The rest was abandoned when the transfer to CP took place, except a short piece of it from Avonlea to Claybank which lasted a few years longer.
The line southwest of Moose Jaw to Avonlea and Parry was sold to a shortline called the Southern Rails Cooperative and still runs today.
There is a large elevator on the CN just w
est of Moose Jaw, Saskferco between Regina and Moose Jaw off the Kalium Chemicals lead.
Sorry about the incomplete message, I was typing away last night on the lap top and the message just disappered and I was too tired to do it over. I was surprised to see it here today.
CN runs a turn 5 or 6 days a week to Moose Jaw, #557 I think out of Regina about 10 or 11 every morning and sometimes twice a day. I think #555 and #556 are also used, it has been 11 years since I was involved with this.
My father was a roadmaster in this territory a number of years ago. He had over 300 miles of track west of Regina. It is all gone now except as written above. There were line to Riverhurst, Main Centre, Grainland and even across the South Saskatchewan River to Dunblane before they built the dam and created Lake Diefenbaker. Dad built the spur and yard for the Kalium Potash mine. This is probably a lot more info anyone in the USA wants but might be helpful to someone who is familiar with this territory.
Basically it is as was posted earlier, CN is in northern Saskatchewan and CP is in southern Saskatchewan.
It really isn’t more information than anyone wants, it’s just the stuff this forum is made for, I think the above info is every bit as important as trains on the (techapsi???) summit or the newst model diesel G E locomotive, keep up the great information, yes, there really are trains in Saskatchewan folks.