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Changes and
Challenges: Railway Services Evolve
On July 12, 1920 the GTPR was placed under the management of Canadian
National Railways (CNR) and in 1923, was completely absorbed into the
CNR. This had little effect on day-to-day operations in Rivers as the
CN remained committed to maintaining service and upgrading both lines
and facilities as needed. The changes that were to come were nationwide
changes related to the increased use of the automobile for personal
travel and trucks for freighting.
This road map from 1930 shows the network of main roads. Increased use
of cars led to better roads, which led to increased use of cars, and
the cycle continued. Before long railway use was declining.
Rail line expansion reached its peak in western Manitoba by about 1915.
This 1935 map shows the extent of rail development.
The first rail abandonment began in 1936. Grain shipment kept elevators
and thus rail lines open for a time but with larger truck and even
better roads farmers were able to transport grain longer distances.
Another factor was the better maintenance of roads – particularly the
practice of plowing in the winter.
The result was that, one by one, prairie towns lost, first their
stations and passenger services, then freight service, and finally
their elevators. This was all part of a more general re-structuring
that rendered smaller communities less necessary and less viable, while
concentrating services in larger communities like Rivers.
Rivers was on the main line. So the closure of the lines running
parallel to the CN line, to the south through Wheatland and
Bradwardine, to the north through Pettapiece, only increased the
traffic in Rivers
Along with the closure of rail lines came new advances in technology.
Diesel engines didn’t require the intensive maintenance essential for
steam engines. Coal docks, water towers, and roundhouses became
obsolete. Beginning in about 1950, jobs were being eliminated.
So while railways remained vital for the movement of freight, the
importance of the railway to the local economy declined.
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