Prototype Tours
Tour #1
This is a walking tour of the Galt #8 coalmine facility located on the west side of Lethbridge. This tour will only examine the structures on the surface. There will be no access to the underground portion of the mine. This was a mine that operated from the 1920s until 1959. Its main purpose was to mine coal for steam locomotives.
Be sure to attend the clinic in the morning and check out the diorama showing all surface structures on this interesting facility to better understand the afternoon tour.
Tour #2
This tour takes us south from Lethbridge to the small town of Stirling to see the restored CPR Coutts station. A few years ago the station was moved from the U.S. border town of Coutts to its present location.
This station was constructed during the time of the 3 Ft. narrow gauge railway that ran between Lethbridge and Great Falls, Montana. We believe this is the oldest preserved station structure in Alberta.
Both prototype tours are no host (you provide your own transportation) and we will provide maps and a guide to show you where the tours begin
Banquet at the German Canadian Club.
Prototype Information on the Lethbridge Area
- Lethbridge viaduct. The longest and highest bridge of its type in the world. 5,200 feet long and 320 feet from the river to the deck at its highest point. It is sometimes called the high level bridge where in fact the west end of the bridge is 20 ft higher than the east end. 2009 will mark the 100th anniversary of this important structure.
- There are a number of trains that use the bridge on a daily basis. Grain, potash, coal and general freight are the main commodities that cross with grain and potash westbound and coal eastbound. The best trains to photograph on the bridge are the eastbound Coutts train 477 which goes over the bridge between 1 and 2 PM. It usually has 4 SD 40s which is unusual these days. The other train is the east or west Medicine Hat wayfreight with 2 SD 40s. It goes east around 2 PM on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and west on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday again at about 2PM.
- Lethbridge Yard is located 8 miles west of the city and just west of Coalhurst. This is a large yard with a shop facility for fuelling and sand and minor maintenance. Generally there are a number of Union Pacific locomotives at the shop waiting for grain or potash trains. UP locos will lead on CP trains, which is nice. You may see up to 5 UP units on one train. All loaded unit trains usually have distributed power either in the middle or on the end.
- The Canadian Trackside Guide is a useful tool when railfanning in this area. For those of you that dont have one, here are some radio frequencies you can plug into your scanner.