Medicine Hat: North Railway Street SE (Part 1)

Our CPR Station. Mostly freight now but I can remember when the passenger line was running and we took the Train to Edmonton in the 1960's. A beautiful brick building. Located on the West side of N. Railway St SE. At Christmas time the Christmas Train pulls in with a band and Santa Claus to collect for the food banks.

The CPR came first, the town came later. Many of the buildings here are made of brick.

This year we had a winter we won't forget anytime soon. This plow is now sitting quietly in the Train Yard after many months of hard work.

This hedge is over 50 years old. Looking North from the Station.

The Underpass pedestrian walkway is an old City landmark. It goes under the Train Tracks and there's another entrance on South Railway St SE. It's been well used by thousands of people over the years and is the short cut from the Flats to City Center. Bicycles are allowed.

Looking South towards the Train Station, the same hedge which will soon be covered in Spring leaves.

This part of the Train Station for many years housed an Antique Shop. The CPR needed the space back.

Mr. Shane Leuck, an extremely fortunate CPR employee. He survived the terrible Train crash of Jan. 7th 1984. Unfortunately his engineer was killed that day. I remember Shane telling us the story. The train lost it's brakes coming down Crescent Heights hill and by the time it reached the bottom the train was doing around 70 miles an hour, the Engineer was thrown off the train as it was going around the curve. The Engine and several cars broke away from the majority of the train which derailed at the curve, and went shooting across the CPR Bridge heading into the Yard where the Engine then crashed into the Yard Engine. Shane said he could see tragedy coming up fast and all he could think of was to leap into the air just before it hit! This saved his life. Over 800 people were evacuated from the area that day due to dangerous gases released in the wreck. Thanks for stepping into my picture Shane!

As you drive across the Prairies and visit other Towns, you may notice all the old Train Stations look alike. There difference is mostly their size. Some upgrades have been made over the years as you can see here, the new windows and the old. We are fortunate to have such a beautiful looking Station that is pretty well preserved for it's age.

The CPR reached Medicine Hat in 1883. Medicine Hat was incorporated as a Town October 31, 1898 and as a City May 9, 1906.

Looking North we can see it is one of the wider Streets in the City.

Looking West past the Station and across the Train Tracks is 4th St SE. In the distance on the right side is the Tower of 5th Ave. United Church. There is only one vehicle underpass crossing downtown from one side of the tracks to the other and for many years there has been talk of having another crossing, but that's all it's ever been...just talk. This has caused major problems whenever this area has flooded by storms. The underpass under the Train Bridge on 1st St. SE is to low to allow a semi truck to go through so once in awhile we see a very frustrated semi truck driver trying to backtrack and turn around which holds up traffic causing grid lock. There is River Road but if the river is flooding ~ may as well forget that route!

The view across the tracks is of South Railway St SE. You can see The Assiniboia Hotel in the distance.

Here comes the Train!

A CPR Antique.

Many Artists have captured this old building in pen and ink. One of my favorites is done by James Marshall.

Another CPR antique. I also got to see many of the retired good old boys coming out of the clubhouse that day ~ it was wonderful to see them as I'm sure all of us locals are related to someone who's worked for the CPR.

I'm standing in Rotary Park looking west at the Train Yard. Above in the background is the SE Hill area.

This Train Platform was once visited by the Queen Mother and Princes Elizabeth II. I can remember my Grandmother telling us of that day she took my Mother to see them there. Another memory is of the Centennial Train coming through in 1967.