Ogema-based Southern Prairie Railway introduced new train tours last year that focused on Harry Potter and distillery-produced beverages like craft beer, while this year, it plans to offer wine-tasting train excursions.
Formed in 2010 as part of the Ogema Heritage Society, Southern Prairie Railway (SPR) is Saskatchewan’s first full-sized tourist railway. Located near Weyburn, SPR travels east and west to the towns of Pangman and Horizon, respectively. Guests travel on a 1925 Passenger car that a General Electric 44-ton switcher locomotive pulls.
Other area attractions include the Ogema Regional Park, Solo Italia Fine Pasta Inc. and Bud’s BBQ, Long Creek Golf & Country Club and Willow Bunch Golf Club, and Castle Butte and Big Muddy cave tours.
The train tours — which run Saturday and Sunday only — kick off on Saturday, June 3 and go until Saturday, Sept. 30.
The forthcoming wine-tasting train could feature products from area companies such as Prairie Bee Meadery, but the exact lineup of businesses has yet to be determined, said Carol Peterson, board chair of the Ogema Heritage Railway Association.
Meanwhile, the Harry Potter-themed Enchanted 9 3/4 tour and Craft Beer Train Ride — featuring beverages from companies such as Rebellion Brewing and District Brewing — were both big hits in 2022 and sold out quickly.
“I think people (were) looking for something close to home. I don’t think they want to spend a lot of money on gas, and there’s lots of things in Saskatchewan to look at,” she said.
According to its website, SPR encourages tourists to wear their best costumes when taking the Enchanted 9 3/4 tour. The train leaves Ogema and travels to nearby Horizon to enjoy a “charming experience.”
“Bring your wands and wear your school colours! Be on the lookout for any dragons or cars that maybe flying that day,” the website adds. “Owls, rats and cats are not welcome on the train ride, just service animals.”
Besides train tours, tourists’ tickets also enable them to visit Ogema’s Deep South Pioneer Museum, so they could spend the entire day exploring the community, said Peterson.
The museum is celebrating 46 years this year and features 33 buildings on the property, such as a one-room schoolhouse, a church, and a farmhouse. There are also more than 150 pieces of antique farm machinery, including a 1912 Case steam tractor engine.
More than 4,000 tourists visited Ogema last year to ride the train and visit the museum, Peterson said. She encouraged people to book their tours early, considering popular trips such as Morning Robbery Train Ride and Kids’ Fun Train sell out fast.
“You don’t want to be disappointed by waiting until a few days or weeks before because they do book up,” she continued. “We also have some tours that are coming and they book up a whole train almost at a time; we can book up to 70 people (at one time) … .”
If tourists come the weekend of July 8 and 9, they can also attend the town’s annual fair and museum day, respectively.
Meanwhile, Ogema has attracted attention from the Canadian movie industry lately because film crews have been looking for a location to shoot the Mary (Bonnie) Baker story, Peterson added. They were checking out the community because it has the heritage train station and museum that suit the story’s period.
Baker was born in Regina in 1919 and played baseball with the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in the 1940s and ’50s. She was one of the models for the character of Dottie Hinson, played by Geena Davis, in the Hollywood movie A League of Their Own (1992).
Baker died in Regina in 2003.
Visit www.southernprairierailway.ca to book a ride.
