— Table of Contents —
- GTPR Arrives In Wainwright
- Trains Begin Rolling
- The Early Years
- Canadian National Railways Take Over
- Fire Destroys the GTPR Station
- Wainwright Gets a New Station
- George VI Royal Tour
- Buffalo “King” Goes to New York
- Next Generation Technology
- Last of the Steam Locomotives
- Elizabeth II Royal Tour
- The Changing Face of Rail Service
- End One Era, Begin Another
Between July and December of 1908 there had been two trains per week in each direction between Winnipeg and Wainwright. The trains were run by the Construction Department. Beginning December 7, 1908 service was increased to 3 per week in each direction and service was turned over to the Freight and Traffic Departments. The “Dominion Express Company” also began handling all types of express to any point on line at this time.
A complete water works system was installed in the Station and Roundhouse beginning in the spring of 1909. A number of fire hydrants were also installed in the yards.
Construction of the first bunkhouse began in April of 1909.
The March 26, 1909 edition of the Wainwright Star Chronicle notes, “Sam Lee is the proprietor of the G.T.P. Cafe.” Another notation in the June 18th edition states, “The restaurant in the station has been opened in the charge of Mrs. J. Macdonald.”
In June 1909, 323 head of buffalo were shipped from near Missoula, Montana to Wainwright for Buffalo National Park. Trains were routed via the Northern Pacific, Great Northern, Canadian Pacific, and to Grand Trunk Pacific trackage at Calgary, for the trip to Wainwright. The first shipments were routed via Regina and Saskatoon, arriving at Wainwright from the east. An additional 190 head of buffalo were shipped to Wainwright in July. By this time the GTP trackage to Edmonton had been completed and a more direct routing via Calgary and Edmonton was utilized.
The telegraph line to Edmonton was opened on August 20, 1909.
Steel for the roundhouse in Edmonton (Calder Yard) passed through Wainwright in August.
