Volunteers Aim to Keep a 1882 Steam Locomotive Chugging Along in Manitoba

Volunteers Aim to Keep a 1882 Steam Locomotive Chugging Along in Manitoba
Paul Newsome, general manager of The Vintage Locomotive Society and the Prairie Dog Central Railway (PDCR), is photographed with the PDCR's steam locomotive engine in their rural workshop in Rosser, Man., just north of Winnipeg on July 25, 2024. The Canadian Press/John Woods
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WINNIPEG—A steam locomotive made in 1882 and billed as Canada’s oldest operating one is in need of some tender loving care, and the volunteers who have kept it running on a vintage railway north of Manitoba’s capital are raising funds for the fixup.

Steam Locomotive No. 3, as it’s known, is neither efficient, fast nor energy-conscious compared with more modern locomotives. Shovelling coal into a fire to create steam leads to a lot of dirt, noise and thick black smoke. But for volunteers such as Paul Newsome, a train being powered by steam is unlike any other.