page 40 More Big Hill Country 2009
The Cochrane Train Station, being one of the first buildings erected in Cochrane is worthy of being mentioned. Located on the south side of the railway tracks, it was a 30 foot by 16 foot building. Included in the building were a waiting room, telegraph office, freight shed and living quarters for the station agent.
In the late 1880’s a new station was built on the north side of the railway line. The living quarters were upstairs over the main office and waiting room.
Mr. Johnstone was the station agent when James Quigley was the section foreman in the 1890’s. Francis Towers had been the section foreman when the railway was built. Mr. Pope was station agent from around 1900’s to 1912, replaced by F.L. Gainer. Mr. Pope was fond of bird hunting and raised hunting dogs as a hobby. There is a street in Cochrane named after him. He and his wife retired to Vancouver.
The Cochrane Station was an important stop between Calgary and Field, British Columbia and all trains stopped in Cochrane except some of the passenger trains and the silk trains. The Station was open 24 hours a day. Residents from Cochrane could catch the train into Calgary and return the same day and the Calgary residents could come out to Cochrane and return the same day. It was especially busy in the early days when the Cochrane races were on.
In the early 1920’s the Station was renovated with larger living quarters provided for the station agent and their families. The Gainer family lived there for a number of years as well as other agents in later years. The Thomas family were the last family to live there.
Over the years many interesting people stopped at the railway station including the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip and when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth toured Canada in 1939, their train slowed down when going through Cochrane so that people could see them as they stood out on the platform of the rear car.
When the CPR railway engines were converted from steam to diesel the station ceased to be a 24 hour stop. It was closed and demolished in 1968, however the grain elevator was still standing and used as a seed, feed and fertilizer supply facility.
The Section House was built in the late 1880’s and was home for many section foreman and many families lived there. The house was partly destroyed by fire and the remaining lumber was given to a family in Calgary.
The CPR Water Tank was sold to Mount Saint Francis and moved to the Retreat for water storage. Dan McBain was the pumpman from 1904 to 1908. He lost his life in a drowning accident. Jim Maguire was pump man for over 30 years.
There was always a large pile of cinders beside the water tank and for years these cinders were used for filling in the sidewalks in Cochrane.
The grain elevator was first built by United Grain Growers who later sold it to Parish and Heimbecker. It burned down suddenly in the night in the 1980s
