When Sir John A. envisioned a nation linked from sea to sea by thousands of miles of steel, he had no way of knowing that this truly unprecedented advance in
transportation technology would soon give way to the next revolution in travel.

The “opening” of the west occurred in what turned out to be the final great expansion of the railway era. The frenzy of railway building in Western Canada
in the early 1900’s proceeded alongside of the beginning of age of the automobile.

In 1877 a steamboat carried the first railway car in to Manitoba – signaling the end of the short but vital steamboat era. By the time railway freight cars were
being adapted to transport cars and trucks from factories in the east, the writing was already on the wall.

The demand for passenger service was the first to decline. Then as the process of rural depopulation accelerated in the 30’s, there was less demand for freight service to Brandon’s surrounding communities.

As railways tried to cope by cutting routes and running less trains, it became even more feasible to use trucks to service rural businesses.

For several decades the shipment of grain alone supported the main routes, but as giant centrally located terminals replaced the small town elevator, train service to many communities died. The sound of the car horn replaced the train whistle.

Across the prairies countless rail beds have been either ploughed up or repurposed as hiking trails.

The last steam train passed through Brandon in June of 1961 and the new diesels eliminated the need local maintenance. So yard shops and engine roundhouses were torn down - none exist today in Brandon.

While trains still formed a vital part of long distance freighting, passenger and local delivery services were no longer in high demand.

The saddest part to the story might well be the fate of the engines themselves. These finely crafted steel marvels of engineering outlived their usefulness. 

A few remain in museums and heritage displays.

Most were sent to boneyards in places like Winnipeg, Calgary & Montreal to be eventually sold for scrap metal at a .40 cents per tonne

They played such a significant part in Brandon’s location, its growth and prosperity and now  their voice ---- the whistle, their breath ---- the steam – are all but forgotten.

The only remaining building connected to the early railway era is the Pacific Avenue CPR Station. The rest has simply disappeared - like steam.