Description of Historic Place

The Train/Caboose Lot is a Municipal Heritage Property in the Town of Bienfait located at the head of Main Street. The property features a 1907 locomotive used by the Manitoba & Saskatchewan Coal Company (M&S) and a caboose from the Canadian National Railway (CNR).

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Train/Caboose Lot lies in its association with the community’s two most important industries, mining and railroad. Many residents of the town and surrounding area were employed by the coal mining industry and the preservation of this locomotive commemorates their work. The M&S Locomotive was built in 1907 and used to transport coal from the mines to Bienfait for transportation to markets. The engine was used until 1968, making it one of the last commercially-functioning steam engines in Canada. In 1968, the town acquired the M&S engine and displayed it at the head of Main Street. The property was chosen because of its relation to the town’s rail service and near the original site of the old train station. In 2000, the town acquired a caboose from the CNR which is attached to the locomotive in commemoration of the once-prevalent railcars that passed through Bienfait.

Source:

Town of Bienfait Bylaw No. 01-2002.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Train/Caboose Lot resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those elements that reflect the historic association between the town and coal mining, such as the M & S Locomotive;
-those elements that reflect the association between the town and the railroad,such as the CNR Caboose and the property’s location next to the railway right-of-way;
-the physical form of the M & S Locomotive and the CNR caboose, including the metal exterior;
-the use of tradtional CNR paint design on the caboose.