Big Valley in Stettler County, Alberta — Canada’s Prairie Region (North America)

The Roundhouse

cmh2315fl via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0), May 18, 2015

1. The Roundhouse Marker

Inscription. Every divisional point had an engine house or “shop” as it was commonly referred to. It was in these structures that after each run, steam locomotives were checked, cleaned, and miscellaneous light repairs performed. The “roundhouse,” known as such because of its circular layout, was the most common form of engine house in North America, and to railways. In conjunction with a turntable, tracks ran radially into the individual stalls of the roundhouse. A pit, located between the rails of each stall enable workmen to inspect and make repairs to the underside of locomotives.

The Big Valley roundhouse was built in three sections. The original five stalls in 1913, the machine shop boilerhouse annex in 1917, and the last five stalls the following year. It saw little use after operations had shifted to Mirror in the late 1920', and finally during World War II, the roundhouse was stripped, leaving only this abandoned concrete shell.

The original portion of the roundhouse walls remain intact, while the east side of the 1919 addition were collapsed in the 1950's when the structure was used as a hay-shed by a local farmer.

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(Top) 10-stall Big Valley roundhouse - view from the coal dock, circa 1925. Note the the boiler stacks behind the roundhouse.
• (Bottom) Steam locomotives such as CNR 4-6-2 “Pacific Class” 5617 were used extensively on the Calgary to Edmonton passenger train and operated through via Big Valley. Ed Johnston and Jack Scott are the engine crew in this view from the fall of 1935.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1913.

Location. 52° 1.971′ N, 112° 44.929′ W. Marker is in Big Valley, Alberta, in Stettler County. It can be reached from the intersection of Railway Avenue South and 2nd Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is behind the Big Valley Historical Society's grain elevator. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 121 Railway Ave S, Big Valley AB T0J 0G0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Canadian Badlands.

It is also in the Prairies.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically,

cmh2315fl via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0), May 18, 2015

2. The Roundhouse Marker

Featured marker is straight ahead.

it finds itself in what was once a British colony

and also Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least one other marker is within walking distance of this marker: Locomotive Turntable (a few steps from this marker).

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 1, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 1, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 246 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 1, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.