Caption: Here's a place that sure is off the beaten path. No highway runs thru it. Empress was named for Queen Victoria, of all people, as she was also the Empress of India. The community was established in 1913, as the railroad thru here between Bassano, AB and Swift Current, SK had chosen this location as a major division point. At one time, a yard, water tower, roundhouse and turntable were in the plan. The number of yard buildings were eventually taken up, as traffic very light, and the track was removed around 1990 running east, and approximately 1998 running west. Nothing is left but this beautiful "one of a kind in Alberta" station, which was built in 1914 and now serves as a museum for this 'town' of 135. When you look at the overall view of this structure, with the barren lands surrounding it; one would think this takes on the appearance of a plastic model all ready for the layout.