Penhold Lake historically served as the water supply for steam locomotives along the CPR line, with water being pumped from the lake into railway water tanks to refill locomotive boilers.[1][2][3]
Water Supply Infrastructure
- Because steam locomotives required frequent water stops—often every 50 miles—the CPR built water tanks at sidings like Penhold, supplied by local sources including Penhold Lake.[1]
- Water was pumped from Penhold Lake to nearby storage tanks, which had capacities ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of gallons depending on the volume of train traffic.[1]
- These tanks were usually built near the tracks, enabling crews to fill up quickly before continuing their journey.[3][1]
Why Penhold Lake Was Used
- Water was chosen from Penhold Lake because reliability and proximity to the railway were key criteria for CPR to establish a stop: Penhold Lake provided a consistent supply year-round.[3][1]
- The quality and hardness of prairie lake water sometimes required treatment, with maintenance crews using softeners to reduce scaling in boilers.[1]
Transition and Legacy
- With the shift from steam to diesel traction in the mid-20th century, Penhold’s water supply facilities, like many other railway water tanks, became obsolete and were eventually dismantled or repurposed for community use.[2][1]
- The practice of using Penhold Lake as a water source for locomotives is commemorated locally as part of the region’s railway heritage.[2][3][1]
Penhold Lake’s historic role as a railway water supply is a testament to how natural resources shaped local infrastructure and daily life during the steam era.[2][3][1]
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- https://heritagepark.ca/exhibits/railway-water-tower-2/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penhold
- https://kids.kiddle.co/Penhold
- https://www.traingeek.ca/wp/trains/class-1-railways/cp-alberta/red-deer/
- https://www.canadiancattlemen.ca/our-history/railways-and-irrigation/
- https://forthjunction.ca/ce-railway-reddeer.htm
- https://forthjunction.ca/structures.htm
- https://forthjunction.ca/rail-preservation.htm
- https://www.paulpettypiece.com/rail_heritage_preservation.htm
- https://churcher.crcml.org/circle/Sunken.html
- https://railfan.com/fundraiser-launched-to-rebuild-canadas-oldest-operating-steam-locomotive/
- https://penholdbase.ca/history/36-sfts-1939-1945/
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