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In January 1989, Al McLean, the town’s deputy mayor, requested from the CPR a donation of a caboose for use as a tourist information center and a reminder of the community’s railway heritage.

Later that year, CP 437010, a wooden, end cupola caboose built in 1942 rolled into town. It was placed on the site where the community’s train station once stood (the station was sold off to a private buyer and hauled away in 1964).

The caboose served as Winnipeg Beach’s seasonal tourist information booth for about a decade but in recent years has sat empty.

In the summer of 2018, work began on refurbishing the caboose inside and out. Work included repainting the interior and installing an accessible deck and seating area adjacent to it. The Historical Society is currently working on completing this project in 2026, with the hope of having an active cafe, or other use for the caboose in the future. In fact, in 2026, the Province has been in discussions about the idea of bringing both light commuter trains, and the Historic Prairie Dog train out to Winnipeg Beach in the near future. So the good old days may be closer than we think once again.

Now, if you look to your right, along this street, you will see a historic building about two blocks south on this road, which is the home of the Winnipeg Beach Museum. Click on the button that says Museum directions, and the hours, and live Google Map directions to get there, will pull right up for you.

Here are some historic photos of the inside of the CPR cabooses, and what we hope to achieve at this site.