to Lynn Lake


PUKATAWAGAN Pawistik


Route of the Last Mixed


Illustration by Otto M. Vondrak. Not all lines and stations shown. Not an official map. ©2017 White River Productions


CN - Canadian National HBRY - Hudson Bay Railway KC - Keewatin Central Railway VIA - VIA Rail Canada


Charles Takipy


Ruddock


Sherridon


Fay Lake MILES KILOMETERS 0 0 10 10 20 30 20 Heming Lake Flin Flon


Ross Lake Channing


Schist Lake Sherrit Jct.


Cranberry Portage Morse


Simonhouse Education Optic Lake Jowsey


Atik Wanless Root Lake Finger


Prospector Russell


Tremaudan Orok


Flin Flon Jct. THE PAS


Bay Railway takes the left fork at the junction to remove raw ore two to three times per week from the now-closed smelter in Flin Flon, 33 miles distant; our train stays to the right. Scenery along the Keewatin Central is


rugged lake country, largely untouched by the modern world except for an occasional dirt road. Tamarac trees (resembling Colorado Aspens) are indigenous to the area surrounding the right-of-way and the occasional hunter’s cabin. Today’s train orders call for the two


ballast hoppers to be dumped north of Sherridon at milepost 40.3. Conductor Laurie Scribner and trainman Phil Hanratty coordinate their efforts to spread the ballast efficiently before setting out the empty cars and getting underway again at 4:39 p.m. Maintenance-of-way crews will follow


48 JANUARY 2017 • RAILFAN.COM


TOP: As the primary lifeline to the region it serves, the mixed train is often crowded and noisy. When the train is full and you need a quiet place to nap, the combine is the perfect solution despite its gritty condition. ABOVE: Friendly passengers catch a breath of fresh air in the vestibule near Takipy. New visitors are quickly picked out, and one passenger asked, “Why are you going to Puk?” A brief explanation can be difficult.


up in a few days to finish the work with a tamper stored on a nearby siding. Tomorrow’s Train 290 will grab the empty hoppers on the southbound run for return to Cranberry Portage. Track maintenance is a priority on the Keewatin Central, and the railroad takes every opportunity to upgrade the property. The Keewatin Central has worked to keep track speeds up, with 25 m.p.h. permitted between Sherritt Junction (milepost 0) and Optic Lake


(milepost 12.7). Track speed from Optic Lake to Sherridon (milepost 40.3) is 35 m.p.h. Sherridon to Pukatawagan (milepost 99.1) is 20 m.p.h. Under CN and VIA operation, track speeds had fallen, and Trains 290/291 routinely took 12 or more hours to reach their destination. Enhanced maintenance programs have improved timekeeping, with most trips taking between nine and ten hours, including stops, setoffs, and pickups. The First Nation passengers aboard


Athacap Payuk


HBRY/KR (CN)


HBRY (CN)


HBRY/VIA (CN)


HBRY/KR VIA


HBRY/CN VIA


CN


KC (CN)


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