Galt Historic Railway Park was created about 2000 as a site for the preservation and display of items and artefacts which recapture the history of the railway in Southern Alberta.
The Galt Historic Railway Park & Railway Heritage Interpretive Centre, collects, preserves, restores, exhibits and interprets artifacts which represent the history and social impact of the “steam” and “coal” eras in southern Alberta, with emphasis on Galt Railway System (1885 – 1912) and the 1890 International Train Station Depot from Coutts, Northwest Territories / Sweetgrass, Montana.
From the Galt Historic Railway Park
In that year the venerable old Coutts, Alberta/Sweetgrass, Montana railway depot was purchased by the Great Canadian Plains Railway Society and moved to the 35 acre site on which the museum stands today. Now the centerpiece of the museum, this railway depot is probably unique in Alberta, possibly all of Canada, in that it was built straddling the Canada-USA border. The depot was built in 1890 by Sir Alexander Galt and his son Elliott Galt as partners in a consortium of investors from Canada, England and the United States which founded the Galt Railway system, the Galt Canal, coal mines and other enterprises. As one of only two "Lunch Stations" along the railway line which ran from Lethbridge, Alberta to Great Falls, Montana, it continued in operation as built until September of 1916, when the northern part of the station was moved away from the border into Coutts, where it was used by the Canadian Pacific Railway until its closing in 1989. In 2000 the Coutts half of the depot was rejoined with the Sweetgrass section as the two were moved to the museum. The station is the last of its type remaining in Western Canada.
Along with its historic railway station, the museum holds a collection of rolling stock and several little speeders, which were used for railway maintenance. In the summer visitors are treated to rides on a "Speeder Train" consisting of several speeders and "gang cars", non motorized cars pulled by speeders. The speeder which presently provides the motive power for the Speeder Train is this Fairmont A4-D, built about 1960 and restored by the museum in the latter half of 2011. Powered by a Ford industrial gas engine, this speeder has four forward speeds and a two speed axle. Below is text from a plaque mounted beside a nearby stone cairn bearing three memorial plaques.
This speeder has a 4 cylinder Ford industrial gas engine, 4 speed transmission and a 2 speed rear end. Top speed is approximately 50 miles per hour (80 Km). It has been carefully restored by Lanny Aitkens, master mechanic and VP of Great Canadian Plains Railway Society.
The Man carrier is designed for work crews who repair the track. It can carry 4 adults on two sides and carry tools and gear. The push car is a flat car for carrying spare track parts, ties and tools.
The 85 lb. track you are going to ride on has been hand built. No machines built this track, every spike has been hand driven with a spike mall; every track bolt has been tightened with a track wrench. Every tie and tie plate has been placed by hand and spaced. Many man hours have gone into the building of this track under the careful supervision of Mike Sawchyn, retired Road Master with CPR and member of Great Canadian Plains Railway Society. In 1890 the original gage track was hand built the same as we have constructed this section of track.
As you pass by the 1890 Coutts/Sweetgrass International Train Station Customs Depot and cross the international border you are traveling back into History from the state of Montana USA to the Northwest Territories of Canada.
Enjoy your trip.
From the Plaque near the Cairn