Old Time Trains

Memories of Riding Behind a Jubilee

by Peter Cox

No. 137 engine 2914 at Kemnay, Manitoba just west of Brandon where the Estevan Subdivision leaves the double track Broadview Subdivision. Train sits at the platform behind the station at the end of the west to south curve.
Only passenger trains on the branch were Nos. 137 and 138 operating between Brandon and Estevan daily except Sunday.
September 1943 Bud Laws Collection

That view of 2914 sure brings back some memories. When I lived in Winnipeg, our family would visit relatives in Souris every summer. We went from Winnipeg to Brandon on The Dominion, and then got on the Jubilee-powered train to Souris, which followed the Dominion out of town. It was in a short spur south of the main track just west of the station building. You got off The Dominion, walked a bit westward, crossed the platform, and boarded the wooden coach with green mohair seats and screen windows. It was well over 100 degrees in there, so it was a relief when the train got going and there was some air movement.

It turned south at Kemnay, ran on the south side of the station building (as shown in the above photo) and then waited for the eastbound Dominion to arrive, usually with transferring passengers. Then it was off to Souris, with coal smoke entering the wooden coach through screened windows.

There was another local passenger train (No. 55) powered by a G2 Pacific that ran south out of Winnipeg, turned west and went through Elm Creek, going well south of Brandon and arrived at Souris about the same time as the Jubilee from Brandon. The train from Winnipeg kept going west, eventually arriving in Regina. However, and this is the neat part, the trains exchanged engines at Souris, with the 4-6-2 Pacific going to Estevan and the 4-4-4 Jubilee to Regina. On the return journeys the next day, they changed at Souris again, sending the Jubilee back to Brandon and the Pacific to Winnipeg. I have no idea why, but it was a regular event.

Old Time Trains © 2010

Memories of Riding Behind a Jubilee

by Peter Cox

No. 137 engine 2914 at Kemnay, Manitoba just west of Brandon where the Estevan Subdivision leaves the double track Broadview Subdivision. Train sits at the platform behind the station at the end of the west to south curve.
Only passenger trains on the branch were Nos. 137 and 138 operating between Brandon and Estevan daily except Sunday.
September 1943 Bud Laws Collection

That view of 2914 sure brings back some memories. When I lived in Winnipeg, our family would visit relatives in Souris every summer. We went from Winnipeg to Brandon on The Dominion, and then got on the Jubilee-powered train to Souris, which followed the Dominion out of town. It was in a short spur south of the main track just west of the station building. You got off The Dominion, walked a bit westward, crossed the platform, and boarded the wooden coach with green mohair seats and screen windows. It was well over 100 degrees in there, so it was a relief when the train got going and there was some air movement.

It turned south at Kemnay, ran on the south side of the station building (as shown in the above photo) and then waited for the eastbound Dominion to arrive, usually with transferring passengers. Then it was off to Souris, with coal smoke entering the wooden coach through screened windows.

There was another local passenger train (No. 55) powered by a G2 Pacific that ran south out of Winnipeg, turned west and went through Elm Creek, going well south of Brandon and arrived at Souris about the same time as the Jubilee from Brandon. The train from Winnipeg kept going west, eventually arriving in Regina. However, and this is the neat part, the trains exchanged engines at Souris, with the 4-6-2 Pacific going to Estevan and the 4-4-4 Jubilee to Regina. On the return journeys the next day, they changed at Souris again, sending the Jubilee back to Brandon and the Pacific to Winnipeg. I have no idea why, but it was a regular event.