Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions
Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions is a heritage railway originating in Stettler, Alberta.
| Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions | |
|---|---|
 Alberta Prairie Railway steam engine | |
| Locale | Alberta |
| Terminus | Stettler, Alberta |
| Coordinates | 52.3216°N 112.7002°W |
| Commercial operations | |
| Built by | Canadian Northern Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Owned by | Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions |
| Operated by | Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions |
| Reporting mark | APXX |
| Stations | 2 |
| Length | 21.2 miles (34 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1990 |
| Preservation history | |
| Headquarters | Stettler, Alberta |
| Website | |
| http://www.absteamtrain.com/ | |
The train runs between Stettler and Big Valley. The trips last five to six hours, with a stopover (all excursions include a buffet meal). Many trains[1] are pulled by No. 41, a 1920 Baldwin 2-8-0 steam locomotive, and sometimes by CN U-1-f No. 6060, a Montreal Locomotive Works 4-8-2. On days when the steamers are not running, the railroad operates diesel switcher SW-1200 number 1259 and GMD GMD1 number 1118. Until the end of the railroad's 1999 season, it also operated on the 60-mile (97 km) route to Coronation, Alberta, which is now abandoned.
Equipment
No. 41 was built in December, 1920 for the Jonesboro, Lake City and Eastern Railroad, and was there assigned the "41" number.[2] When that line became part of the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway (Frisco), the locomotive was re-numbered as 77.[2] After performing freight service with the Frisco for years, the engine was sold in 1947 to the Mississippian Railway where it retained the Frisco number.[2] Following several further changes in ownership, the locomotive was acquired by Alberta Prairie and renumbered back to 41.[3]
References
- Schedule
- "The Frisco Survivors" (PDF). All Aboard, The Frisco Railroad Museum, November, 1987 (accessed on CondrenRails.com). Retrieved January 20, 2021.
- "Mississippian #77". HawkinsRails. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
- Robbie, JT (May 2009), Alberta Prairie Railway: What do a Mississippi steam locomotive, a grocery store owner, and a desire for hope in a small Canadian town have in common?, Trains Magazine, archived from the original on 2013-06-30