Alberta Prairie’s yard is home to yet another train, this one a surplus locomotive from Nova Chemicals in Joffre.
Nova wanted to get rid of the surplus train, and since they could either scrap it or donate it, and they decided to donate it to the East Central Alberta Heritage Society (ECAHS), which works closely with Alberta Prairie.
The train will be kept there until ECAHS decides what to do with it.
“Nova wanted to make a donation to rail operations in Stettler, to support the community because the locomotive is surplus to them,” said Bob Willis of Alberta Prairie.
The train was sitting at Nova Chemicals for three years until they decided to donate it.
Since it’s a busy time for Alberta Prairie, its mechanics will probably wait until the off-season to look at the train and see if it needs to be fixed. For now, it will stay on Alberta Prairie’s property.
Willis said the train is from the early 70s, and part of why it is now surplus to Nova is that it’s smaller and has less horsepower.
“It’s not new,” he said. “It’s worth protecting.”