Not everyone was at the Craven Country Music Jamboree or the Roughrider game at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
Some folks were just meandering down the railway enjoying the lush prairie scenery along Highway 11 between Condie, just north of Regina in the Lumsden are and Aylesbury.
They were travelling by what the North American Rail Car Operators Association (NARCOA) calls "motorcars." They are the small railway adapted vehicles that used to carry railway workers to and from sites requiring repairs and maintenance and to carry out regular inspections of the lines.
The vehicles, also known as speeders or jiggers, have been replaced by specially adapted trucks with retractable wheels that allow them to travel on the rails.
The NARCO excursion was described as a 120-mile round trip through the Qu'appelle Valley, although the majority of the route was along the Arm River valley. It was designed for a maximum of 25 motorcars, and the colourful cavalcade attracted a lot of attention when the travellers stopped in Chamberlain Saturday afternoon for a lunch break.
Terry Shackelford of Winnipeg was sipping a cola and joking around with other participants while they enjoyed their break. Another participant was from Minnesota. The motorcar operators come from all over to take part in the NARCOA excursions, Shackelford said.
NARCOA, claiming 1,800 members worldwide, has strict safety regulations built into its membership requirements. Members own their motorcars, but are permitted to invite friends and family along on the many excursions hosted throughout North America throughout the year. Paid riders are not allowed.
It's a great way to travel Shackleford says. For the most part participants are "set on," start their motorcars on their way down the track and sit back to enjoy the ride. They must yield to traffic at level crossings, however, so some vigilance is required.
The folks passing through Chamberlain and having a wonderful time and the prairie had on her best party attire of lush green, golden canola, seas of blue flax and, of course, living skies to impress them.
Visit photo albums under the community tab for more photos of the motorcars during their stopover at Chamberlain.
