equipment and personnel on site. Trackage north of milepost 157 is intact but unused up to milepost 182. Lynn Lake trackage south to milepost 182 has been removed, according to Keewatin Central General Manager Tom McCahill.
Riding the Mixed Train Our scheduled departure at 11:00
a.m. is delayed, as more people show up on the platform at the last minute. Monday trips northbound tend to have heavy passenger loads, since many of the passengers are heading home to the reserve after a weekend in the city. Some passengers travel here to visit family, buy provisions, or to receive essential medical care unavailable on the reserve. The train crew is patient and accommodating, and when all are aboard and baggage stowed, we head west five miles to the connection with the Flin Flon Sub. Today’s consist is
powered by HBR GP40 No. 3005 (ex-CN 9634), Kelona Pacific GP40 No. 2632 (leased from GMTX), one boxcar for the Northern Store in Pukatawagan, KRC boxcar No. 410581 for overflow baggage, one trailer on flatcar (TOFC), and the “fish” car, followed by ex-VIA baggage car No. 9631, coach No. 3248, combine No. 5649, and combine No. 5648 as the conductor’s car. The first northbound stop today will
be at the Cranberry Portage station, since nobody flagged us down as we passed through Root Lake and Atik this trip. Two ballast hoppers are waiting for pickup in the small yard just before the station. In ten minutes, the crew has switched in the two loaded hoppers, reassembled the train and eased into the station where 30 new passengers board. Two miles ahead, the crew receives permission to enter Keewatin Central trackage at Sherritt Junction. Hudson
OPPOSITE: From the dutch door near Takipy, Man., mixed Train 291 is seen at track speed during a brief burst of sun on October 6, 2015. Six freight cars trail the two units, with four VIA passenger and baggage cars behind those.
ABOVE: Train 291 will be pretty full today after the long weekend in The Pas. An additional boxcar is in the consist to handle overflow baggage.
LEFT: The Cranberry Portage station stop on the southbound trip requires the setout of two empty ballast hoppers in today’s consist. In two days, the cars will be loaded for the next northbound train. The Keewatin Railway is constantly maintaining the tracks to increase speeds and keep the train’s journey down to nine or ten hours each way.
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