Big Valley Heritage Railway Station /
Roundhouse Interpretive Centre
Roundhouse Interpretive Centre
The Canadian Northern Railway created Big Valley. With the availability of water for steam locomotives, nearby Mott Creek was dammed and a reservoir created in 1911 – resulting in the creation of a railway divisional point terminal at this location. Today the 1912 Standard Second Class station – a provincial Historic Site - stands as a reminder of those interesting times when the village was a booming railway town with over 445 railroaders calling the community home. Owned and maintained by the Canadian Northern Society, the station is now a historic site, open during arrivals of Alberta Prairie Railway (visit us by riding the train! www.absteamtrain.com), by appointment, or through cooperation with the Big Valley Museum.
In addition to the station, the Canadian Northern Society has preserved a vintage CN snow plow, and the maintenance of way bunkhouse – now our “Yard Office” located to the north of the station. Seasonally, the gardens of the station are available for picnics and relaxing.
Open year round the stark walls of the roundhouse welcome visitors while interpretive park signage provides the historical context describing the functional aspects of the water tank, coaling plant, ash pit, stores building, turntable pit, roundhouse and boiler room/machine shop were developed and erected. The Roundhouse is now a Provincial Historic Site owned and maintained by the Village of Big Valley with the assistance of the Canadian Northern Society.
In addition to the station, the Canadian Northern Society has preserved a vintage CN snow plow, and the maintenance of way bunkhouse – now our “Yard Office” located to the north of the station. Seasonally, the gardens of the station are available for picnics and relaxing.
Open year round the stark walls of the roundhouse welcome visitors while interpretive park signage provides the historical context describing the functional aspects of the water tank, coaling plant, ash pit, stores building, turntable pit, roundhouse and boiler room/machine shop were developed and erected. The Roundhouse is now a Provincial Historic Site owned and maintained by the Village of Big Valley with the assistance of the Canadian Northern Society.
