Stettler, Alberta, will see a rare steam locomotive pull a special Canada Day excursion to Big Valley on July 1, 2026. The five-hour round trip, put on by Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions, runs from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is one of the few chances this season to ride behind a steam engine instead of the railway’s usual diesel power.
The trip uses Steam Locomotive No. 41, a 1920 Baldwin 2-8-0 that once worked in the southern United States. The engine will be decked out in Canadian flags for the patriotic run. Fares for the 2026 trip are $155 for adults age 14 and over, $90 for children ages 3 to 13, and free for those 2 and under, before GST and a $5 per-ticket fuel surcharge.
Most summer excursions on the Stettler-to-Big Valley line use diesel locomotives, so the steam-powered Canada Day run typically draws extra interest from families and rail enthusiasts. The train leaves from the Stettler station at 4611-47 Avenue.
Big Valley is itself a piece of railway history. It became a divisional point for the Canadian Northern Railway after tracks arrived in 1911, and its roundhouse, completed in 1913, is now a Provincial Historic Site.
