Published in the December 2015 issue of the Kerby News
Aspen Crossing’s Polar Express
Tim Johnston
Tearing up unproductive railway branches across the prairies is not a new phenomenon. One such line slated for abandonment branched off Canadian Pacific’s (CP) Calgary–Lethbridge line just south of Blackie. Its rails ran northeast through Mossleigh and Arrowwood and then curved southeast passing through Queenstown, Milo and Lomond. Rail and tie removal proceeded from east to west and got as far as Mossleigh. Looking for possible markets for some of the ties, the railroad approached Jason Thornhill, owner of Aspen Crossing Nursery, located just west of the village, to see if he would be interested in buying some for his landscaping business.
Aspen Crossing Nursery is bordered on the south side by the CP tracks and on the north side by Highway 24. It’s part of the farm where Jason grew up. As a boy, he would wave to the train engineers as they passed through the farm and an abiding interest in all things railroad began to develop. And so, when Canadian Pacific came calling, Jason saw a unique opportunity. Instead of buying a pile of ties, why not buy 25 kilometers of the railroad– ties, rails and right-of-way all included?
Canadian Pacific agreed and the railroad property added to a theme that Jason had been developing for some time. The nursery and gift shop are located in a building modeled after a typical prairie railway station. A few years before the purchase, Jason’s colleague, Donna Biggar, suggested that it would be nice if nursery customers could have a light meal when they came out to shop for plants. By chance, the Sidetrack Café in Edmonton was trying to sell its heavyweight railway car that earlier in its life had served as John Diefenbaker’s prime ministerial car. Jason bought it and moved it to the nursery where it continues to provide a unique dining venue. A fully serviced campground was built next, set amidst the trees of the nursery. True to the railway theme, three railway cabooses representing Canadian Pacific, Alberta Northland and Union Pacific railways were located within the grounds and refurbished into beautiful suites.
It’s been six years since the railway property was acquired. Since then, a lot of work has been invested into setting it up to become an operating tourist line. A small industrial diesel locomotive was acquired, along with three or four passenger cars. Just recently, a larger locomotive was purchased and moved onto the property. Because CP occasionally uses the western portion of the rails for storing grain cars this engine, a 1952 Montreal Locomotive Works S3 model, had to be trucked to Aspen Crossing. A siding was built from the rail line into the nursery yard and upgrades were made wherever the rails cross highways and county roads.
In May, Aspen Crossing Railway began operations as a tourist railroad offering themed trips along the right-of-way. Passengers could book on a number of special excursions including a circus train, champagne brunch train, “ales on the rails” excursions, dinner theatre trains, high tea excursions and prairie tour trains, amongst others. Four wedding charters were booked, providing unique experiences for those who joined in matrimony aboard the train.
When I visited Aspen Crossing in early November, Jason and his crew were deep into preparations for the Railway’s latest adventure, “The Polar Express”. This theme train, operating in cooperation with Warner Brothers Films, will be a highlight of the holiday season for people in the Calgary area. Following the story line in the book and film, Aspen Crossing trains will leave for the North Pole taking children and their families to see Santa Claus and to receive their first Christmas gift. The Polar Express will run on weekends starting December 5th and on the four weekdays prior to December 25. The response has been remarkable, so much so that three additional passenger cars as well as an electrical generating car had to be purchased to accommodate the demand.
I had a special pre-Christmas treat during my visit. Listening to a conversation between Jason and one of the engineers, I learned that several cars had to be moved in order to recouple them in the correct order for the Polar Express. “Would you like to ride along?” asked the engineer. He didn’t have to ask twice. Rumbling along in the cab of the old locomotive, we moved out onto the main line and then pushed a string of passenger cars down to the elevators at Mossleigh. There we picked up the cars that were needed and began our return to Aspen Crossing in the gathering darkness. The crossing lights on Highway 24 stopped a string of grain trucks and reflected off the flanks of the engine and passenger cars as we crossed the highway. The locomotive’s horns and the crossing bells rang out an old familiar melody on these once-abandoned tracks.
The Polar Express is a fitting way to end the year for Aspen Crossing Railway. In the story, the children on board the train believe in the spirit of Christmas and can hear the music of the sleigh bells that Santa gives out at the North Pole. And Jason Thornhill had to believe in his vision of a little railway in order to hear the song of the highway crossing bells on that November evening at Mossleigh.
. . . . .
To contact Aspen Crossing Railway, visit their website at www.aspencrossing.com or telephone 1-403-534-2129
Aspen Crossing’s Polar Express
Tim Johnston
Tearing up unproductive railway branches across the prairies is not a new phenomenon. One such line slated for abandonment branched off Canadian Pacific’s (CP) Calgary–Lethbridge line just south of Blackie. Its rails ran northeast through Mossleigh and Arrowwood and then curved southeast passing through Queenstown, Milo and Lomond. Rail and tie removal proceeded from east to west and got as far as Mossleigh. Looking for possible markets for some of the ties, the railroad approached Jason Thornhill, owner of Aspen Crossing Nursery, located just west of the village, to see if he would be interested in buying some for his landscaping business.
Aspen Crossing Nursery is bordered on the south side by the CP tracks and on the north side by Highway 24. It’s part of the farm where Jason grew up. As a boy, he would wave to the train engineers as they passed through the farm and an abiding interest in all things railroad began to develop. And so, when Canadian Pacific came calling, Jason saw a unique opportunity. Instead of buying a pile of ties, why not buy 25 kilometers of the railroad– ties, rails and right-of-way all included?
Canadian Pacific agreed and the railroad property added to a theme that Jason had been developing for some time. The nursery and gift shop are located in a building modeled after a typical prairie railway station. A few years before the purchase, Jason’s colleague, Donna Biggar, suggested that it would be nice if nursery customers could have a light meal when they came out to shop for plants. By chance, the Sidetrack Café in Edmonton was trying to sell its heavyweight railway car that earlier in its life had served as John Diefenbaker’s prime ministerial car. Jason bought it and moved it to the nursery where it continues to provide a unique dining venue. A fully serviced campground was built next, set amidst the trees of the nursery. True to the railway theme, three railway cabooses representing Canadian Pacific, Alberta Northland and Union Pacific railways were located within the grounds and refurbished into beautiful suites.
It’s been six years since the railway property was acquired. Since then, a lot of work has been invested into setting it up to become an operating tourist line. A small industrial diesel locomotive was acquired, along with three or four passenger cars. Just recently, a larger locomotive was purchased and moved onto the property. Because CP occasionally uses the western portion of the rails for storing grain cars this engine, a 1952 Montreal Locomotive Works S3 model, had to be trucked to Aspen Crossing. A siding was built from the rail line into the nursery yard and upgrades were made wherever the rails cross highways and county roads.
In May, Aspen Crossing Railway began operations as a tourist railroad offering themed trips along the right-of-way. Passengers could book on a number of special excursions including a circus train, champagne brunch train, “ales on the rails” excursions, dinner theatre trains, high tea excursions and prairie tour trains, amongst others. Four wedding charters were booked, providing unique experiences for those who joined in matrimony aboard the train.
When I visited Aspen Crossing in early November, Jason and his crew were deep into preparations for the Railway’s latest adventure, “The Polar Express”. This theme train, operating in cooperation with Warner Brothers Films, will be a highlight of the holiday season for people in the Calgary area. Following the story line in the book and film, Aspen Crossing trains will leave for the North Pole taking children and their families to see Santa Claus and to receive their first Christmas gift. The Polar Express will run on weekends starting December 5th and on the four weekdays prior to December 25. The response has been remarkable, so much so that three additional passenger cars as well as an electrical generating car had to be purchased to accommodate the demand.
I had a special pre-Christmas treat during my visit. Listening to a conversation between Jason and one of the engineers, I learned that several cars had to be moved in order to recouple them in the correct order for the Polar Express. “Would you like to ride along?” asked the engineer. He didn’t have to ask twice. Rumbling along in the cab of the old locomotive, we moved out onto the main line and then pushed a string of passenger cars down to the elevators at Mossleigh. There we picked up the cars that were needed and began our return to Aspen Crossing in the gathering darkness. The crossing lights on Highway 24 stopped a string of grain trucks and reflected off the flanks of the engine and passenger cars as we crossed the highway. The locomotive’s horns and the crossing bells rang out an old familiar melody on these once-abandoned tracks.
The Polar Express is a fitting way to end the year for Aspen Crossing Railway. In the story, the children on board the train believe in the spirit of Christmas and can hear the music of the sleigh bells that Santa gives out at the North Pole. And Jason Thornhill had to believe in his vision of a little railway in order to hear the song of the highway crossing bells on that November evening at Mossleigh.
. . . . .
To contact Aspen Crossing Railway, visit their website at www.aspencrossing.com or telephone 1-403-534-2129