Canadian Railroads > CN 6003 Regina 10-15-1953

My grandfather took a trip across Canada in October, 1953. He got this shot in Regina, SK.

---

Nice photo. Hope he took more! Thanks for posting this gem.

Regina is/was not on the CN transcontinental route, but was on a couple of secondary routes (Saskatoon-Regina, and Melville-Regina, former CNor and GTP routes.

I'm not sure which steam locomotives were used on these lines, but the 6000's were typical for the main line through Saskatoon.

I'm just going by what was on the slide mount. I was wondering about a CN train on that route.
 

eminence_grise Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Regina is/was not on the CN transcontinental
> route, but was on a couple of secondary routes
> (Saskatoon-Regina, and Melville-Regina, former
> CNor and GTP routes.
>
> I'm not sure which steam locomotives were used on
> these lines, but the 6000's were typical for the
> main line through Saskatoon.

Perhaps it's CN #5/#6 between Winnipeg and Edmonton via Regina or 'The Owl' between Regina-Saskatoon-Prince Albert.

Here's a CN 1953 Timetable:

---

The two CN routes which operated from Regina to Saskatoon did not have heavy rail. My guess is that the passenger trains would have had smaller steam locomotives than the one illustrated. The Grand Trunk Pacific line from Melville to Northgate SK/ND via Regina only briefly had through passenger service after WW1 and for many years had a gas-electric car in service from Regina to Weyburn.

By comparison, the Canadian Northern and later CN operated a popular passenger train service (5&6) via Brandon and Regina. CP had a somewhat parallel route but did not long compete with CN for the passenger service. Today, the CN route is intact with infrequent service, the CP route is mostly abandoned and the former CN (GTP) route is entirely gone.