Prairie Dog Central Railway History

Where Did The Name “Prairie Dog Central” Come From?
One of our founding members, the late Gordon Younger,  wrote the following:

I cannot find anything in writing from old notes which start on February 18, 1967. From the beginning, the name Claydon Cannonball and Prairie Dog Special were the media buzz words. It was (former City of Winnipeg councilor) Leonard Claydon’s idea to use No. 3 and Coach 103 for circle tours of the City during the Pan American Games and Canada’s Centennial, the Pan Am Games being held in August 1967. There were some complicating matters, though.

The pieces of equipment were owned by the City of Winnipeg Hydro; they were stored on the Greater Winnipeg Water District (GWWD) yards in St. Boniface; and the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg operated the GWWD. So here we had two pieces of equipment owned by the City -- but stored on Metro property. Politically, it was a battlefield.
The City and Metro were at odds with one another. John LePage (former and long time President of the Society) and I wanted to think of a name which would get away from the “politically incorrect” Claydon Cannonball. I remember thinking that the CPR used a beaver in their emblems and that the CNR had used a maple leaf as their logo.

We wanted to use something with the word “Prairie” in it, such as Prairie Rose, Prairie Crocus (the provincial flower) -- as but two examples. When I visited the Regina Natural History Museum in the late 1960’s, there was (and probably still is) a diorama of the various parts of the province of Saskatchewan. In the southwestern corner of the province, which is very dry and arid, there is the only area in Canada where the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog can be found in its natural habitat.
The location, if you have a map, is around Val Marie, in the Frenchman River Valley. I recall thinking, “This is the answer to our name!” I didn’t really think that the Gopher Special sounded good, so we called it the Prairie Dog Central. Gophers are very common to Manitoba and there are true prairie dogs at the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Even after all these years, though, some people call the train the Prairie Dog Special.

2. THE VINTAGE LOCOMOTIVE SOCIETY INC.

Little has been formally recorded about the key events prior to 1970 that led up to the formation of the Society and the commencement of the Prairie Dog Central operations.

Locomotive No. 3, as most people know, worked out of Pointe du Bois for Winnipeg Hydro from 1918 to 1962 when she was retired and stored at the Pointe. Shortly after that, the late Leonard Claydon, an Alderman for the City of Winnipeg, came up with the idea of having No. 3 brought to Winnipeg to operate during the 1967 Pan Am Games. He was successful in obtaining money through City Council to have No. 3 brought by flat bed truck to Winnipeg in 1966. It was taken to the GWWD yards in St. Boniface.

Through a routine inspection it was determined that No. 3 would require new tubes if she were to operate. Funds for re-tubing were not available, and therefore No. 3 never operated during the PAN AM Games as had been hoped.

 It was during this time (i.e. 1966-67) that 3 of our founding members entered the picture. John Le Page and Ralph Grant had known each other through the Red River Valley Live Steamers Association, and had become aware of Leonard Claydon’s ideas for No. 3. Gordon Younger was also aware of these plans, although he was not previously acquainted with Le Page or Grant. Through their common interest in No. 3, they became connected with one another, along with a few others, as well as Leonard Claydon.

There was an initial meeting of this group in the basement of Leonard Claydon’s hardware store on Sherbrook Street. At that meeting, the group was offered custodianship of No. 3 and combination coach #103. It was sometime after this meeting that formal steps were taken to develop an organization that would be responsible for the custodianship of the locomotive and combination coach.

On April 4, 1968, the Letters Patent Of Incorporation of The Vintage Locomotive Society Inc. were formally registered under The Companies Act through the Deputy Provincial Secretary for the Province of Manitoba. There were 9 original members named on the Letters - John Le Page, Ed Kolson, Wilf Henrickson, Ralph Grant, Gordon Younger, Wilmer Ferguson, Jack Collier and Harvey Hersom.

Once the Society became established, it formalized and enabled efforts aimed at operating No. 3 again. Even though the PAN AM Games had come and gone, the target then became Manitoba’s Centennial in 1970. To that end, the group began its activities, primarily to raise money and the related types of support to get No. 3 running again. On a few occasions, No. 3 was quietly steamed up in the GWWD yards and run a short distance. In late 1968, the locomotive and combination coach were moved to the CN Transcona Shops. By this time, the group had become acquainted with the late Lloyd Gooding, then CN’s Prairie Region Operations Manager. It had also become clear to the group by this time that the only probable place they could operate was on CN.

It is interesting to note that the Society’s original desire was to operate No. 3 on the Oak Point Subdivision to Grosse Isle, although this did not happen until 1975.

Raising funds to pay for No. 3’s refurbishing included selling Honourary Memberships for $1. The group designed the certificate, and individual members sold them to anyone. It has not been recorded how much money was actually raised through the sale of these certificates.

 In 1969, the possibility of operating No. 3 for Manitoba’s Centennial was starting to look promising, although very little was confirmed. Discussions with the Manitoba Centennial Corporation seeking financial help to re-tube No. 3 took place sometime in this period. During the Winter of 1969-70, that help was confirmed by the Corporation in the form of a $17,000 grant, and No. 3 was moved into CN Transcona Shops for re-tubing.

 Centennial celebrations for 1970 were to include a trip by then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and his Cabinet to Lower Fort Garry on July 1st behind No. 3.

 In June 1970, No. 3 emerged from the Shops. It was felt that a short trial trip with No. 3 along with coach nos. 103, 104 and 105 was necessary to ensure there would be no technical snags on the July 1st trip. The trip took place on June 22^nd.

 On Wednesday July 1st, 1970, the trip to Lower Fort Garry occurred as planned, and the event was well covered by the media.

 3. PRAIRIE DOG CENTRAL OPERATIONS

Regular operations of the Prairie Dog Central commenced on Sunday July 11, 1970 on the CN Cabot Subdivision. The train operated out of Charleswood from Searle (near Elmhurst and Ridgewood) from a tiny particle board shack.

 In our first year of operation, the train ran three trips on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays at 10:00 a.m., 12:30 and 3:00 p.m. from our station at Elmhurst & Ridgewood in Charleswood. There were only 3 coaches in our train set at that time; coach nos. 105 and 106 were added in subsequent years, and were obtained from the Greater Winnipeg Water District Railway through a trade for an ex-CPR steel coach which had been donated to us through the efforts of another founding member, the late Wilmer Ferguson. The train ran to Cabot, the end of what was formerly CN’s Harte Subdivision. At Cabot, the engine was run around the train through the passing track and ran backwards pulling the train to Searle.

 In 1971, operations were limited to Sundays and Holidays only because of poor crowds experienced on Saturdays in 1970. Departure times remained the same as in 1970. The train, however, was limited to running to West Winnipeg (just south of Headingly) at CN’s request. The train operated until Sunday September 19^th.

 In 1972, further operating changes were made: the train operated only two trips per operating day, with departures at 12:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. only, and Holiday operations were discontinued due to poor crowds on those days. The train operated until Sunday September 24^th.

 This schedule of two trips each Sunday continued through to the end of 1974, although there were a couple of occasions when a third trip was added on account of crowds.

 In 1974, the Society was advised by CN that the Cabot Subdivision was being abandoned, and the Prairie Dog would no longer be able to operate on that line. Sunday September 29^th, 1974 was the last trip the train made on the Cabot Sub.

 During the winter of 1974-5, arrangements were concluded with CN for the train to operate out of the St. James Station on the Oak Point Subdivision to Grosse Isle. On June 1^st, 1975, the train made its first regular trip on the Oak Point Subdivision with departures at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Beginning in July, the departure time for the first trip was moved back to 11:30 a.m.

 Operations continued on the Oak Point Subdivision with the two Sunday trips starting at the end of May and finishing on the last Sunday in September. Sometime after 1979, the departure time for the first trip was moved to 11:00 a.m.

 During these years through to the end of the 1996 season, there was no variation to the operating schedule. Charters had been run as far back as 1971, although these were sporadic until the late 1980’s. In the early 1990’s, charter work picked up significantly, and by 1996 the train was chartered 10 times per season.

Because of the sellout crowds that became commonplace during July and August since the train began operating from St. James, efforts to obtain another coach resulted in the acquisition of an ex-Algoma Central steel coach. This coach first came into use in July 1980, and was used for the next ten years. Because of its size and the weight of this coach, along with its seating that was limited to about 45 people, it became part of a trade with CN for a hopper car that was needed for coal storage. The coach was then donated by CN to the Children’s Museum at The Forks where it resides today.

In 1980, the first of what has become an annual dinner & dance charter was organized. The Fall Foliage trip to Grosse Isle was first run on Saturday October 4^th, 1980. This proved to be so popular that a second similar trip, called the Harvest Special was added in the late 1980’s. This trip was run to the Hitch’n Post.

In 1987, the Society was advised by CN that East Yard was being closed to make way for a development of the forks area. During the winter of 1987-8, the train and other equipment was stored at the Greater Winnipeg Water District Railway. No. 3, however, found its way to Canada Safeway’s Grocery Warehouse after an arrangement had been made following a public search for new quarters. In early 1988, arrangements were made with CN for the train to be stored and maintained by the Society at Transcona Shops. Operationally, this meant that the train was stored and serviced at Transcona Shops. During the winter months, No. 3, one of the coaches and one of the service cars were moved into Safeway for winter works restoration and maintenance. These arrangements with Canada Safeway and CN continued until October 1998 and June 1999, respectively.

In 1996, the Society was advised by CN that the Oak Point Subdivision was being abandoned and that the train could no longer be operated on the mainline. This meant that operations could not continue unless the train could be stored and operated our of a locale near St, James Station. As it turned out, the train last operated out of St. James Station on Sunday October 6^th, 1996.

From that time forward, the Society turned its complete attention to the matter of fund raising and finding a new home for the Prairie Dog Central, and between October 1996 to November 1998, a major fund raising drive was undertaken in an effort to purchase a portion of CN’s Oak Point Subdivision and establish a new operating base.

A local farmer offered sufficient land at mile 9 on the Oak Point Subdivision for the Society to construct a storage/maintenance building, along with a wye and related trackage. In addition, arrangements were also made with a farmer in Warren to construct a wye.

 Work commenced following the November 1998 confirmation that the Province and Federal Government - through the Economic Development Partnership Agreement – were contributing $600,000 to the project. Because the Society had already raised nearly $600,000 itself, the announcement enabled the sale of 16.5 miles of the CN Oak Point Subdivision to be finalized, and the necessary engineering and construction work to begin.

All of the Society’s equipment was moved to our new location – called Inkster Junction - in a special move on June 22^nd, 1999.

Following the 2½-year hiatus, the Prairie Dog Central re-commenced regular public operations on Saturday July 3^rd, 1999.

Part of the re-location project included moving the CN St. James Station. Because it is a historic structure, application to acquire and move the Station was made through Parks Canada – Heritage. The approval process prevented the Station from being moved until February 2000.

During the construction process, the necessary operating licensing application was made to the Department of Highways & Transportation which regulates The Provincial Railways Act. Because the PDC is now a shortline railway, it falls under Provincial jurisdiction. Our operating license was granted in June 1999 following the Motor Transport Board’s necessary review.

Winnipeg Depot June 1970	PDC at Charleswood Station, August 1971
On the Cabot Sub at West Winnipeg Tower	The end of the line, Cabot Sub, August 6, 1973
On the Cabot Sub August 1974	Station area at Charleswood, September 1974
Last trip on the Cabot Sub, Sunday September 29, 1974	On the Oak Point Sub heading to Grosse Isle, August 1976
First Fall Foliage Dinner Excursion, Grosse Isle, October 4, 1980	Train stored at East Yard October 1987
Canada Costume Museum Charter at Dugald, MB, August 1995	Setting the first stakes at the future site of Inkster Junction, November 7, 1998
Moving all PDC equipment from Transcona to Inkster Junction June 1999	Signing the contract to build Inkster Junction January 1999
Day 2 of the new operation July 4, 1999	Inkster Junction dedication ceremony September 11, 1999