Author Archives: nfroese

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About nfroese

Neil Froese is a retired teacher residing in Ontario with his wife, Eileen. Growing up and living in southern Manitoba in the 1950's to the late 1980's, Neil's interest in trains was piqued by the visual and sound drama of early Canadian Pacific steam on cold, crisp winter mornings as the trains would dutifully deliver most anyone and everything to and from the towns and villages in southern Manitoba. The CPR station with its "agent" was the commercial and in many ways, the social hub of prairie towns until 1950's when train passenger service was terminated as more and more persons choose the independence of the automobile and the use of better highway infrastructure. However, a pre- Christmas winter ride on the CPR passenger train with his mother and brothers from Mather to Winkler in the 1950's to spend time with the grandparents was "as good a gift as was needed" as far as Neil was concerned. To a young boy 8 years of age, It was a great, unique experience - always to be remembered!

211 The La Riviere Yard, mile 111of the La Riviere Sub. and mile 0 of the Napinka Sub.

Picture3About 1908, CPR La Riviere Sub. mile 111; CPR Napinka Sub. mile 0, division point.  A “Type 8 station “ in centre foreground, a 5 car train headed by a D-4 coal fired engine, the coaling dock adjacent to the engine, and the turntable pit and platform to the right of the coaling dock. The machine shop and boiler room are located in front of the turntable pit. A 40 000 gal. enclosed water tower stands W. of the turntable pit and a second water source, a water spout is located on the right side of the train adjacent to the fourth car. Water was pumped via an underground pipe from the dam on the Pembina River south (left in this photo) of the village. Photo credit – Stan Milesovic.