Wainwright has a significant railway past. Please join us!
Last year a lot was accomplished at Wainwright Rail Park. The trackwork for track # 2 has
been completed, and locomotive 1404 will now be moved into position just east of the speeder
shed. This will provide an easier location to complete cosmetic restoration work on the
locomotive body. More ballast and tamping is still required on this track, along with side
to side leveling, however CN track supervisors say it is safe for the movement of 1404 to its
new place at the head of our short trainset.
A John Deere 870 tractor was purchased last Spring from Battle River Implements. The loader has
been most useful doing odd jobs around the park, and the mower has given us a second unit for
keeping up with the grass cutting. Cash donations from Wainwright Credit Union and CLC Trucking
helped lower our costs. Max Rogers donated parts required for the tractor/mower, and Phil
Valleau engineered a new mount for the belly mower so that it would ride a bit higher when
cutting grass at Bunge.
Funding under the STEP program permitted us to hire Kendra Doetzel for the summer months. She
proved to be an excellent employee, and took to trains like a duck to water. Her computer skills
also made short work of the backlog of accessioning, cataloguing some 3000 items over the summer,
including about half of the magazines in the library.
Once again, we wish to thank, Museums Alberta, MD Wainwright Rural Recreation Board, the Coleman
Foundation and Bunge for all of their support.
For the coming year, several projects are on the agenda. Every effort is being made to have the
pump car operational this summer. This should be a fun project.
We also looked at the UGG building, and some preliminary drawings have been made to convert this
into a useable display building modified to look like a railway structure. We will need volunteer
carpenters, or will need to get quotes on the work for inclusion under a grant.
Several enquiries have been made for tours this summer, and I look forward to a busy season.