Event Review:
📍 Quick Facts
- Event Type: Train excursion, dining
- Location: Mossleigh, Alberta
- Phone: (403) 534-2129
- Website: aspencrossing.com/railway/
This past weekend Geoff and I took a train ride in Southern Alberta.
I have to explain that the train tracks were removed in Newfoundland in the 80s, and there have been no trains crossing the island since that time. So, the sight of a train alone is pure delight to us both, let alone getting to ride on one.
We saw this experience and knew right away it was for us. It was only a matter of figuring out exactly which tour we wanted to do and when.
Aspen Crossing have several different train/tour excursions: a champagne brunch, a western tour, a high tea, and a dinner theatre experience. They even have seasonal tours like a Halloween terror train and a Christmas polar express.
We opted for the Great Alberta Prairie tour, which includes a visit to an old wooden grain elevator and lots of prairie history. It suited us to a T because it helped us learn more about our new home on the prairie.
The drive to Mossleigh was a quick, hour-long jaunt over the prairies; the canola was in full bloom, and the fields were bursting with lush yellow. It was simply beautiful.
The first thing you notice when you pull into the Aspen Crossing parking lot is the Diefenbaker Dining Car.
This historic 1887 Pullman rail car once served as Prime Minister John Diefenbaker’s private campaign car and was rumoured to have hosted Chicago mob meetings. It was acquired by Aspen Crossing in 2006 and restored into a vintage dining carriage.
Registration for the train excursions is strategically placed inside the gift store. After you collect your train ticket, you’re directed to a back waiting area, a paved lot with picnic tables for seating.
The email instructions were clear: do not be late for the train, because boarding starts 15 minutes before departure.
True to their word, about 12 minutes before our scheduled time, an employee appeared inside the open boxcar to inform us boarding was about to begin. We were instructed to look for our car assignment on our tickets; the train would be loaded by car, and we were instructed to come forward for boarding only when our car was called.
Once on board, we made our way through the antique cars. Our tables had also been assigned, so it was only a matter of strolling through the railway cars and looking for your name on the place settings.
The tables were all set with crisp linen tablecloths; on top, next to our name card, we found folded black napkins and cutlery, prefilled water glasses, and our menu. A cream-painted mason jar filled with dried wheat spears sat on the tabletop near the window, bringing a soft, rustic touch to the place setting. These small, simple details add quiet warmth and effortless ‘farmhouse charm’ to the space.
The train started to roll, bar service began, and everybody settled aboard with our beverages.
Within a few minutes, the conductor passed through our car with what would be the first of our history lessons during our trek.
We learned that the company’s owners made the smart decision to purchase the 14 miles of railroad track that we were riding on from Canadian Pacific Railroad. The track was originally a portion of CP Rail’s Lomond Subdivision. After the line was taken out of service and abandoned by the railroad in 2002, Aspen Crossing spent six years negotiating to save the track from being torn out and sold for scrap metal.
That was a win-win for us; they turned the 14 miles into a rolling tour line that allowed our tour to meander and roam through bright yellow canola fields, green wheat and swaying barley.
As the train continued to roll across the prairies, food service began next.
While Aspen Crossing rotates specific seasonal items and fresh culinary features for each departure, the onboard meal package typically follows this structure:
Starter / Appetizer: Fresh seasonal salad or a chef’s soup creation paired with warm rolls.
Main Course: A hearty prairie-inspired choice of a meat/poultry entrée, served with seasonal vegetables and potatoes.
Dessert: A signature house-made dessert, such as a traditional apple crisp or a sweet seasonal cake.
The food was better than we expected and, in our opinion, worth the price of the ticket alone. We expected a boxed lunch, but the braised short rib they rolled out was comparable to a top-end restaurant.
We passed working homesteads, grazing cattle – note Bruce, the long-horned bull in our pictures- and watched deer frolic and jump through the prairie grasses and fields. The iconic prairie cathedrals (grain elevators) rose up from the flat horizon as the train rolled down the tracks. The sight of them getting bigger as we approached was almost surreal.
The tour of the old wooden grain elevator was really interesting and educational. We learned that there were originally over 6000 wooden grain elevators across the Canadian prairies and that there are about 60 left now. Only 4 of those are still operational.
They told us all about how the elevators worked back in the day and the differences between working grain then and now. Very eye-opening and also very prairie quaint.
The staff were friendly and jovial, and the surprise train robbery added a fun, entertaining twist to the day. I can’t give too much away about how it all happens, but suffice to say it was lighthearted and downright charming.
We learned that the robbers were typically played by local actors and reenactors, often associated with groups like the ‘Guns of the Golden West’ wild west show troupe out of Calgary, and the money they collected would go to charity. We felt like we were transported back in time and were experiencing the true ‘Wild West. It made the train ride feel very interactive.
Let me tell you, our home province of Newfoundland has some beautiful spots, but being in the open prairies in a rolling, open-top boxcar is a whole new kind of breathtaking.
Overall, we had a fantastic time! The three-hour trip is a wonderful way to see the big Alberta skies and rolling fields. This was a wonderful, relaxed afternoon and we absolutely loved every second. Of all the experiences we have had since we moved to Alberta, this one is a chart-topper. Highly recommended!
📊 Scorecard
- Organization and Flow: 4.5/5
- Engagement & Content: 5/5
- Location & Venue Comfort: 4.5/5
- Value for Money: 5/5
- ⭐ Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars
Selected photos in this post are courtesy of Ericka Buhler. Sending special thanks and gratitude.
