Welcome Visitor. First time here? Like what you see? Bookmark us for when you are bored, and check out 'top shots' and 'fantastic (editors choice)' in the menu above, you won't be dissapointed. Join our community! click here to sign up for an account today. Sick of this message? Get rid of it by logging-in here.



Tracklaying of the new Canadian transcontinental railway takes place across the prairies in the Summer of 1882 under the watchful eye of William Cornelius Van Horne, famed "Abelsist Railway General in The World". An American railway builder, he took took up the challenge of building the railway for the CPR when things were behind, for $15,000 a year (1882 funds). He completed the railway in under half the projected time.

According to Pierre Berton's book "The National Dream", Winnipeg was the base of Van Horne's operation, and railway building contractors stockpiled it with living supplies, hoards of men, rail supplies, lumber, provisions, and horses in order to build the railway line further west. Supply trains were dispatched from Winnipeg to "end of track", that kept moving each day. Mobile boarding cars with kitchens and dormatories were kept nearby to house the "navvies" - the labourers toiling away grading, laying ties and spiking rails under sometimes harsh prairie conditions.

This is, of course, the dramatization: the filming of Pierre Berton's "The National Dream" - an eight-part series filmed by the CBC in 1973 and released in 1974 documenting the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Here, the filming crew are either rolling or setting up their shot with Van Horne (in black with hat, behind microphone) and Secretan (in grey). Workers toil away in the background laying and spiking down rails, while the supply train with 2-3 flatcars and Canadian Pacific 148 (really ORA's ex-CPR 4-4-0 136, borrowed for filming, backdated to 1880's appearance and given a different number) sits in the background. In this series, Van Horne was played by Canadian actor John Colicos, and Secretan by Davis Schurmann.

According to a source on the matter, the track-laying filming scenes here were done on CP's Cassils Subdivision between Miles 9 and 9.5, on the curve approaching Kitsum, Alberta.

Eric. W. Johnson photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection slide.
Copyright Notice: This image ©E.W.Johnson photo, Dan Dell'Unto coll. all rights reserved.



Caption: Tracklaying of the new Canadian transcontinental railway takes place across the prairies in the Summer of 1882 under the watchful eye of William Cornelius Van Horne, famed "Abelsist Railway General in The World". An American railway builder, he took took up the challenge of building the railway for the CPR when things were behind, for $15,000 a year (1882 funds). He completed the railway in under half the projected time.

According to Pierre Berton's book "The National Dream", Winnipeg was the base of Van Horne's operation, and railway building contractors stockpiled it with living supplies, hoards of men, rail supplies, lumber, provisions, and horses in order to build the railway line further west. Supply trains were dispatched from Winnipeg to "end of track", that kept moving each day. Mobile boarding cars with kitchens and dormatories were kept nearby to house the "navvies" - the labourers toiling away grading, laying ties and spiking rails under sometimes harsh prairie conditions.

This is, of course, the dramatization: the filming of Pierre Berton's "The National Dream" - an eight-part series filmed by the CBC in 1973 and released in 1974 documenting the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Here, the filming crew are either rolling or setting up their shot with Van Horne (in black with hat, behind microphone) and Secretan (in grey). Workers toil away in the background laying and spiking down rails, while the supply train with 2-3 flatcars and Canadian Pacific "144" (really ORA's ex-CPR 4-4-0 136, borrowed for filming, backdated to 1880's appearance and given a different number) sits in the background. In this series, Van Horne was played by Canadian actor John Colicos, and Secretan by Davis Schurmann.

According to a source on the matter, the track-laying filming scenes here were done on CP's Cassils Subdivision between Miles 9 and 9.5, on the curve approaching Kitsum, Alberta.

Eric. W. Johnson photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection slide.

Photographer:
E.W.Johnson photo, Dan Dell'Unto coll. [991] (more) (contact)
Date: 06/07/1973 (search)
Railway: Canadian Pacific (search)
Reporting Marks: CPR 144 (search)
Train Symbol: The National Dream (search)
Subdivision/SNS: CP Cassils Sub (search)
City/Town: Cassils (search)
Province: Alberta (search)
Share Link: http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=55074
Click here to Log-in or Register and add your vote.

11 Favourites
Photographers like Gold.Log-in or Register to show appreciation
View count: 505 Views

Share this image on Facebook, Twitter or email using the icons below
Photo ID: 53752

Map courtesy of Open Street Map

Full size | Suncalc



All comments must be positive in nature and abide by site rules. Anything else may be removed without warning.

One Comment
  1. For footage, the series is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LfaFSgCUDwI?si=WYk89t5m8uVCrg4F&t=1370

Railpictures.ca © 2006-2024 all rights reserved. Photographs are copyright of the photographer and used with permission
Terms and conditions | About us