TRHA

Historic Image: John St. Piggyback Terminal in 1963

2012-02-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Click on the image for a closer look!

In 1952, the CPR began a service to transport truck trailer between Montreal and Toronto on specially designed cars. This service was known as a piggyback service. These initial forms led to the much more sophisticated systems used today to move containers by ship, rail and road. These are called intermodal transportation systems.

In this photo from the CP Archives, we see the John St. Piggyback Yard in 1963.

For more about this service, visit Ray Kennedy's excellent Old Time Trains website by clicking here.

Posting by Russ Milland

The Toronto Railway Heritage Centre Operating Hours

2012-01-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

The normal TRHC operating season is from April to October and the museum is now closed to the public until next Spring. From November to March, the miniature railway may occasionally operate on weekend afternoons subject to fine weather and volunteer staff availability. We want to thank the thousands of visitors who rode the miniature railway and donated to the TRHC during our 2011 season. Your support will make it possible for us to continue to celebrate and interpret Toronto's fascinating railway history.

Our hard-working volunteers will be busy all winter restoring our exhibits and preparing new displays for 2012. If you wish to join us in this endeavour, please contact us. We are always looking for new volunteers, no matter what your skill level. A desire to contribute is all that is required.

Weekend Report: Progress on many fronts!

2012-01-28T08:00:00.007-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

On Saturday, three projects were tackled: further preparation of stall 17 (north side) to accommodate displays in future, ongoing work on the restoration of the TH&B van and repair and renewal of the new storage racks mentioned in an earlier TRHA News posting.

There was also a concerted effort to do quite a bit of cleanup in the three stalls. The stall 17 back area was cleaned with the major piles of sawdust collected and the power tools cleaned. We then went around the stalls and emptied all the bins and boxes of garbage.

The new boards for the van's Conductors stands had their coat of primer completed and we cleaned up the floor beneath the right side conductors stand. It is now ready for new tar paper and floor boards to go in next weekend.

Work was also underway in the Miniature Railway Depot to build the brake van to be used as on our passenger trains and to reorganize the passenger car rolling stock as well.

Posting by Russ Milland; Photos by Stephen Gardiner

Video celebrates the 100th anniversary of Winnipeg's Union Station!

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

On October 14th we posted a news item about a 2 1/2 minute video produced by VIA Rail Canada to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Winnipeg's Union Station. That video has apparently been replaced by a newer longer video. So we are replacing our October news item with this one to reflect the change.

The video is a terrific collection of brief video segments ambitiously covering railroading over the last 100 years in the Winnipeg area. The selection fo dramatic shots is wonderful!

The video is described as follows on Youtube:

"In commemoration of the centennial of Winnipeg's Union Station, VIA Rail Canada commissioned the production of an original work exploring the historical significance of trains and train travel, from station to railway, in Winnipeg as well as in the building of Canada. This National Film Board of Canada presentation has been compiled from more than 70 years of material archived in the NFB vaults." - From acclaimed Director/Editor Yves Chaput

Posting by Russ Milland

Virtual Field Trip to The "World's Largest Model Railway"

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

If you are like myself, you have been deluged with friends and family telling you as a railway enthusiast about the "World's Largest Model Railway". But just in case you haven't, above is the YouTube official video about "Miniatur Wunderland" in Hamburg, Germany. It has been viewed over 4,000,000 times!

This model railway is one of the most successful tourist attractions in Germany. On the 1,300 metre² layout, far more than a thousand trains, aircrafts, cars and ships move about. A wonder of the world in miniature. For more information visit their website by clicking here.

Posting by Russ Milland

Field Trip: The Age of Steam Roundhouse - Part 3 of 3

2012-01-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

We have reported on this exciting development before in Parts 1 and 2 of this field trip report. You actually can not make an actual field trip to the museum as it remains under development and is not open to the public. It is located in Sugarcreek, Ohio.

As reported earlier, the Age of Steam Roundhouse is being developed privately and will will seek to:

Preserve the steam locomotives, historic diesels, passenger cars and other railroad relics in the collection of Jerry Joe Jacobson
Construct a full-scale, operating and realistic roundhouse and back shop to overhaul, repair and maintain Jerry’s rolling stock
Fire-up and operate the steam locomotives on non-passenger carrying freight trains
Display and interpret this railroad heritage for the edification, enlightenment and entertainment of future generations of Americans.

In the accompanying images from their website, their progress is clearly evident. Click here to visit their website and learn more. Click here to read Parts 1 and 2 of our field report which expands further on this great initiative and list the roster of Canadian steam locomotives in their collection.

Posting by Russ Milland

Next Union Station Tour on Saturday, January 28th at 11:00 a.m.

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Click on each picture for a closer look!
.
The TRHA offers these tours of Union Station on the last Saturday of each month at 11 a.m. Cost is $10 each payable on arrival for the tour. Reservations are not necessary and those interested should meet by the Traveler's Aid counter in the centre of the Great Hall at 10:50 a.m. For more about these tours, click here.

Progress on the new Aquarium between us and the CN Tower

2012-01-18T08:00:00.004-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Under construction across the street from Roundhouse Park is Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. This will be a 12,500 square metre (135,000 square-feet) world-class family attraction with more than 5.7 million litres (1.5 million gallons) of water depicting marine and freshwater habitats from around the world. It will open in 2013.

Lance Gleich captured these images (see below) of this new Toronto aquarium under construction. Below is an artist's drawing of the aquarium as it will appear from the Roundhouse.

Click here for our previous report on this exciting project! Click here for more information on the aquarium's website.

Posting by Russ Milland, Construction images by Lance Gleich

Weekend Report: Planning for the temporary museum as the snow flies!

2012-01-16T08:00:00.003-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

As mentioned in a previous TRHA News report about our recent Volunteer Recognition Event, the TRHA has committed to developing a small temporary museum in Stall #17 to be ready for our upcoming season which will begin in about 20 weeks! This weekend, our volunteers participated in a planning meeting held in the temporary museum space area to finalize the plans for the space and begin to organize the teams of volunteers needed to make it happen. We will share more on our intentions for the museum in further News postings shortly.

Meanwhile Roundhouse Park itself took on a nice wintry mantle of snow as the first serious snow of the season fell in the Toronto area.

Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Lance Gleich

Jigsaw puzzles featuring Roundhouse Park - Now and Then!

2012-01-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

If you are like myself, you have done many jigsaw puzzles in the past. Well, now you can work on jig saw puzzles featuring scenes in Roundhouse Park - now and in the past.

Larry Fisher is a renowned artist who has produced many paintings and prints of railway scenes. His well known painting (shown in an image below) of the Roundhouse in the era when we transitioned from steam to diesels is now available as a jig saw puzzle from www.trainparty.com, a company who produces rail-themed merchandise for parties and other uses. This is a 550 piece puzzle which results in a 24 inch by 15 inch replica of the painting. Click here to access the puzzle directly.

At their site they also have a puzzle featuring the famous Bayview Junction, also in a painting by Larry Fisher. Click here to access the puzzle directly.

Many of us own copies of these terrific prints. Both of these prints are still available from Heritage Art Productions.

If you don’t have the patience to wait for your physical puzzle to arrive, you can do another puzzle online at no cost using your computer. It is great fun. But if you do try it, make sure that you have an hour or so to spend to complete it as if you shut down your browser or your computer, you will lose your partially completed puzzle. This puzzle features our vinegar car posing in front of Cabin D. In the image above, you will see the partially completed puzzle to whet your appetitie. We will give you a few days to complete the puzzle before sharing the final result with you. Click here to access the Vinegar Car puzzle.

Thanks to James Rasor for bringing these puzzles to our attention.

Enjoy!

Posting by Russ Milland

Historic Video: Electric railway operations in the Toronto area in the 1920's

2012-01-12T08:00:00.002-05:00

Southern Ontario was once criss-crossed with electric interurban railways in various forms which knit the communities together in an era of very poor roads. Andy Panko of the Niagara Division of the Canadian Railway Historical Association has brought our attention to an intriguing 2 1/2 minute video of a trip on one of these. He describes it as follows:

"Here is a historic movie of a Toronto Suburban Railway (TSR) excursion out to Eldorado Park near Streetsville. The TSR ran trains using boxcab #300 and CNR wooden coaches. This Canadian National Electric Line (CNEL) terminated in Guelph, Ontario. The locomotive is Toronto Suburban Railway #300, a 60 ton boxcab electric built in 1925. It later became the Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Northern Railway's #7 in Iowa."

Click here to view the movie.

TRHA celebrates the contributions of its volunteers!

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

The evening of Saturday, January 7th, 2012 found many of our TRHA volunteers attending a party at Mother Tucker’s Marketplace in Etobicoke, Ontario. The event celebrated the tremendous contributions of the dozens and dozens of volunteers whose contributions have been essential to the success of the Toronto railway heritage Centre. After feasting on the wonderful variety of food on the buffet tables, brief speeches by several of the members of the TRHA Board could only recognize specifically a few of the major contributions.

James Rasor, one of our most active volunteers and now a member of our Board as well, is a professional architect. He presented a model of the temporary mini-museum which we are planning to have ready for our next operating museum. This mini museum will allow us to display a small part of our artefacts until we are able to complete our museum with the rebuilding of the machine shop over the next few years. We will post more information about our mini-museum model and plans shortly.

Posting and photos by Russ Milland

Field Trip: Acquisition of Stackable Steel Storage Modules

2012-01-08T08:00:00.002-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

As we reported recently, Michael and I visited the Niagara Railway Museum in Fort Erie just before Christmas. On Friday, January 6th, Michael, Rodney and myself made a field trip back to the museum with our trailers in tow. The objective was to retrieve 15 stackable steel parts rack modules which were surplus to their needs and bring them to the Roundhouse. With our limited space, being able to store our assets in such stackable modules is a godsend.

On Saturday, January 7th, we delivered the modules to the Roundhouse and promptly unloaded them. Our intrepid TRHA volunteers immediately went to work to grind off the welds on the steel keepers which held the old rotted wooden floor boards in place. For a couple of the units, we couldn’t resist painting the steel frames. We then added some brand new floor boards. The renovated modules look truly handsome!

Posting by Russ Milland; Pictures by Russ Milland and Michael Guy

Unearthing the history of our watchman's shanty!

2012-01-06T08:00:00.020-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

One of the valued and restored artifacts at the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre, and the smallest of the four structures in the railway village, is the watchmen's shanty, which is now mounted on a permanent foundation just a few yards northwest of Don Station. The shanty, also known as a gatehouse, was used to provide a protective shelter for the guards that were employed by the railways to stand watch at the numerous grade crossings that used to exist in Toronto. When trains approached, these watchmen would lower the gates, or at less busy intersections, block traffic while holding up a sign, preventing vehicles and pedestrians from crossing the tracks until the train had passed.

The TRHC shanty was built around 1914 following a standard pattern used by the Canadian Pacific Railway for structures of this type. Many of these buildings were mounted at the top of 5-meter towers so that the watchman could see a train coming in the distance and lower the gates in time. In busy industrial areas, where trains operated at a much lower speed, the gatehouses were mounted close to the ground. Another key factor determining the height of the gatehouse was whether there were single or multiple tracks to guard. At a two or more track crossing the view of multiple tracks from the shanty could be obscured by a train or cars spotted on the track adjacent to the shanty. The solution was to elevate the shanty a sufficient height to give a clear view over multiple tracks.

More information about these structures can be found on the plaque in Roundhouse Park. The contents and location of this plaque (and all TRHC plaques) can be reviewed by clicking here.

Before explaining how the shanty came to be built, a little background on Toronto history is in order. In 1912, the CPR purchased a plot of land bounded by King, Simcoe, Wellington and John streets for a new freight facility that would specialize in handling less-than-carload freight and the railway's rapidly expanding express business. For several decades the site had been the location of Government House, the residence of the lieutenant-governor of Ontario. On the next block to the south were the provincial parliament buildings that dated back to the 1832 when the province was known as Upper Canada.

After the parliament buildings moved to Queen's Park in 1893, the southern lot was bought by the Grand Trunk Railway early in the 20th century and a freight shed occupying the entire block was erected after the buildings were demolished. This made Government House a much less attractive location and the vice-regal residence was relocated to Chorley Park in Rosedale in 1912. The CPR then bought the property and erected a freight yard similar to the GTR facility, with a large express building running along Simcoe Street.

C PR then had to deal with the issue of how to bring the tracks up to their new facility since the mainline railway corridor was at a considerably lower elevation. The solution was a ramp carved into the embankment on the south side of Front Street. This ramp began at Bathurst Street and emerged at street level just west of the Spadina Avenue bridge. At this point the tracks angled northeast towards the Simcoe Street freight yards. Gatehouses were then erected at Front, Peter and John streets to guard those grade crossings.

By the 1970's, the railways were abandoning their express and less-than-carload freight business. Canadian National closed their facility south of Wellington Street in 1967. The CPR facility hung on for another decade until it too was demolished to make way for Metro Hall and Roy Thomson Hall.

In 1977, the John Street gatehouse was donated to the Toronto Historical Board who, in turn, gave it to the Canadian Railroad Historical Association, when it was moved to the Loblaw's Building at the foot of Bathurst Street. In May 1978 the structure became the parking lot shanty for the CRHA's Toronto Railway Museum at Pier 4 on the waterfront. When that museum closed in 1986, the gate house was moved to the John Street Roundhouse and completely restored in time for the opening of the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre in 2010.

For many years I had sought a photograph of the gatehouse at its John Street location. It appeared that it was one of those humble railway structures that photographers never bothered with. On Boxing Day, 2011, Toronto author and raconteur Mike Filey emailed two photographs to me that he had found in his collection. Mike has written dozens of books on various aspects of Toronto history, some with a focus on transportation, and produces a weekly column for the Toronto Sun newspaper. One of his photographs was clearly identified as the CPR gatehouse at Spadina. The other was unlabelled although it certainly was similar to the TRHC structure. I wasn't sure because of the brick structure passing over the street so I sent the image to Raymond Kennedy, who confirmed that it was the John Street gatehouse. I then consulted a 1950's fire insurance map of the area and there was the overhead structure and the exact number of tracks. So, we're pleased to present a photograph of the gatehouse at its original location.

It's interesting to note that from April until August 2011, the shanty was hidden away inside the Roundhouse Theatre tent, in the middle of the lobby. Rather than move the structure, it was decided to leave it in place, where it was used to store items that were on sale at the refreshment counter.

Captions f or the images:

#1 - Government House at King and Simcoe streets, demolished in 1912 to make way
for the CPR freight facilities.
#2 - This government navigation map from 1964 shows the track arrangement for the
CPR Simcoe Street facilities. There were a total of 16 tracks between John and
Simcoe.
#3 - The CPR Express building at Simcoe and King streets.
#4 - Another view of the CPR Express building looking north towards King Street.
Toronto Archives
#5 - This aerial view shows the track arrangement and west side of the CPR Express
buildings.
Toronto Archives
#6 - The photograph was taken just north of Wellington Street looking south on the
west side of John. Notice the old locomotive bell on the east side of the
shanty. How long could you leave something like that out in the open today?
The brick building was a CPR freight shed, which connected through the
overhead passageway to another freight shed east of John. Way over on the left
you can just make out the Hydro station, which is the only part of this image
that is still there. - From the Mike Filey collection
#7 - The other image shows the gatehouse for the same route at Front & Spadina.
That's the Spadina bridge in back of the gatehouse. At this point, the track
finished its long climb up from the railway corridor that began at Bathurst
Street and then angled off northeast towards John Street. TRHA webmaster Russ
Milland has identified the watchman's car as a 1957 Ford Tudor sedan. - From the Mike Filey collection
#8 - The shanty when it was used as a parking booth at the CRHA's railway museum.
#9 - The gatehouse when it was stored inside to roundhouse, just prior to being moved to Oakville for restoration. - Norm Betts photograph
#10 - The gatehouse under restoration at Tom Murison's Oakville facility in December
2008. Tom restored all four buildings in the THC's railway village. From left
to right are Tom, roundhouse restoration architect Don Loucks and TRHA
president Orin Krivel. - Derek Boles photograph
#11 - The remains of the CPR ramp can be seen underneath the two blue drums just
left of centre in this 2010 view taken from the Bathurst Street bridge. - Derek Boles photograph
#12 - The gatehouse in its permanent location at the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre.

Posting by Derek Boles, TRHA Historian

New Year Steamup at the Ontario Steam Heritage Museum

2012-01-04T08:00:00.001-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

On December 31st, Michael Guy and I visited the Ontario Steam Heritage Museum in Puslinch, Ontario just north of Hamilton. They have a wonderful collection of huge steam tractors, many of which are fully operational. This was the occasion of the end of year steam-up and they had 5 of their two dozen or so engines operating. It was quite a sight!

They also have a steam operated railway crane, two steam boats and two 3 foot gauge railway engines which are being restored as well. The engine in the picture is a 3 foot gauge Porter 0-4-0 with serial #3022 built in 1904. It was used in a mining operation in the Yukon and ended up in B.C. A local railway enthusiast here in Ontario acquired it. He also subsequently visited the actual mining site in the Yukon which is only accessible by helicopter. Once there, he found a few ore tipper cars still on the property. He later chartered the helicopter to bring out enough of the tipper cars to reconstruct one of them as shown in the picture.

There is an excellent article with more details about the museum which can be viewed by clicking here.

Posting and pictures by Russ Milland

Christmas Field Trip to the Niagara Railway Museum

2012-01-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

On Saturday, December 18th, Michael Guy and Russ Milland responded to an invitation from the Niagara Railway Museum in Fort Erie, Ontario to join them for their Christmas lunch event for their members and volunteers. I had visited them a number of times before but this was Michael’s first visit. I was impressed by the continuing massive cleanup effort showing much progress since my last visit. Over the past few years they have moved a number of pieces of their locomotive and rolling stock collection which had been stored at different locations across Ontario to the site. They have also begun to install trackage to reconnect the facility to the mainline which is only a few yards from their museum. Here are some photos of their site and their collection.

1. A view of the approach tracks under restoration to the former locomotive repair facility with an intact sanding tower in place.
2. Their excavation of a small part of the turntable pit which was part of a long gone roundhouse facility on the property.
3. Their E-7 50 ton electric locomotive built in 1919 and originally used by the Hydro Electric Power Commission in the Niagara region.
4. A view of their massive repair facility area with raised tracks allowing for access underneath their equipment.
5. Michael and Ken Jones Jr. examining two of a number of speeders owned by the museum.
6. A front view of their 0-4-0 tank engine #46 built in 1920 also for use by the Hydro Electric Power Commission in the Niagara region.

To read our more extensive earlier posting in 2010 on this museum, click here. To learn more about the Niagara Railway Museum, visit their website by clicking here.

Posting and photos by Russ Milland

Field Trip: Celebrating New Year's Eve on the GO Train

2011-12-31T08:00:00.001-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

It was cold night for some and for others a night to celebrate the new year. With that in mind a group of TRHA volunteers braved the elements and took part in an excursion aboard a GO train, taking time to sight see around the outer ends of the line. In the attached pictures we see our volunteers enjoying each others company, reminiscing about the year that was. In the second picture, we see two volunteers taking advantage of a layover at Aldershot station by sightseeing around the station. In the last picture, we see our volunteers at the end of our night disembarking at Union Station.

This excursion has become an annual event for TRHA volunteers looking to reminisce about the year and enjoy each others company on New Years Eve when GO transit allows people to ride the system for free.

Posting and pictures by Richard White

Riding Through the Snow in Quebec City

2011-12-29T08:00:00.002-05:00

"A beautiful Tuesday morning on December 27th dawned with a good 3 to 4 inches of new snow. I took out the snow blower and being alone, I pushed it around the layout to clear the tracks. My friend Claude St Laurent arrived and we then took out the club locomotive and away we went for a ride around our layout." - Ron Pelletier

Ron is an avid miniature railway enthusiast with the Quebec Model Railway Society who operate N, HO and miniature railways in Quebec City on property adjacent to a mainline railway yard. In the video above, a Via passenger train makes a special stage appearance. Ron posts information regularly on the Internet about their club's activities. Visit their website by clicking here.

Posting by Russ Milland; Video by Ron Pelletier

U.K. Field Trip Part 8 – Glasgow Riverside Museum – The Museum of Transport

2011-12-27T08:00:00.004-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

On our final day in the UK, we took the opportunity to visit one of the newest museums, the Glasgow Riverside Museum, which opened earlier this year. The Museum is the new home of the collection of the Glasgow Museum of Transport, which for many years was housed at Kelvinhall in central Glasgow.

While the old museum was one of the busiest museums in the UK for many years, despite the volume of visitors, it would not be recognized as a well organized or presented collection. For many years, the museum was housed in the equivalent of a warehouse, with cars parked close together, and trains and tram cars crammed into small spaces on short sections of track within the building. Recognizing this problem, several years ago fundraising began, and a new museum site along the River Clyde was chosen, culminating in the closure of the old museum in 2010, and the opening of the Riverfront Museum in spring of this year. The new museum allows for much better presentation of the exhibits, along with new exhibits, such as a South African Railway 15F 4-8-2 Steam Locomotive built by North British Locomotives in Glasgow, shipped to South Africa, and repatriated in 2007 for restoration and display.

Of particular interest to TRHA Volunteers are the Railway and Transit exhibits. Four former Scottish locomotives are on display, Caledonian Single 123, North British Railway “Glen Douglas”, Highland Railway “Jones Goods” No. 103 and Glasgow and South Western Railway No.9 are all within the museum. In addition, as noted South African No.3007, a 3’6” Cape Gauge monster built by North British in Glasgow is a centrepiece of the collection. Several double decker Glasgow Trams are presented, along with a replica of an 1890’s Glasgow Subway Station in the “Street 1895-1930” recreation of a Glasgow Street from the first quarter of the last century.

The new museum has from all accounts been a huge success, with very high visitor numbers (as evidenced by it being packed during our visit), and is well worth a visit for any rail or transportation fan who finds themselves in Glasgow.

Description of images:

#1 - The Street, Hose Drawn Tram, transit to Canada £2
#2 - SAR 3007
#3 - SAR 3007 Plates
#4 - Glen Douglas and Double Decker Tram
#5 - Caley Single, Jones Good, Glasgow SW 9
#6 - Wall of Cars

This is the final installment of this series of TRHA News postings about this field trip. To read the entire series, start by clicking here.

Posting and pictures by Stephen Gardiner and Heather Meger!

Winter & The New York Central's Buffalo Central Terminal

2011-12-25T08:00:00.011-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Christmas is that time of the year when the railways work very hard to ensure that their passengers arrive safely home to their families to celebrate the holiday. Nowhere is that job more challenging than in Buffalo, New York, only 50 miles south of Toronto as the crow flies, but often another world given the paralyzing lake effect snow storms that the city often experiences. This photograph by famed New York Central Railroad photographer Ed Nowak shows the NYC's Buffalo Central Terminal in the aftermath of one of those storms.

Central Terminal was familiar to many Torontonians travelling by rail to various destinations in the United States. At the time this photograph was taken in the early 1950's, the New York Central provided through overnight sleepers between Toronto and Boston, New York City, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. As well, Torontonians travelling to destinations like Washington and Florida would have changed trains at Central Terminal.

Many of the Canadian Pacific and Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo locomotives serviced at the John Street Roundhouse would have been serviced here as well, although in the latter years of steam, not as fastidiously as at John Street. The Toronto crew often complained of the sorry condition of NYC locomotives that were retired several years before the CPR abandoned steam.

Buffalo Central Terminal had its official opening on June 22, 1929. A luncheon banquet was held in the concourse for 2200 invited guests and among the speakers was Canadian National President Sir Henry W. Thornton. The New York Central Railroad chose the architectural firm of Fellheimer & Wagner to design the station. Dominated by a 15-story Art Deco office tower, the train concourse was located on top of the tracks, similar to the later Central Station in Montreal. F&W also designed the TH&B station in Hamilton and their Art Deco masterpiece, the Cincinnati Union Terminal, opened in 1933.

In order to avoid some of the problems that had plagued Toronto's new Union Station, whose approach tracks and trainshed were still under construction because of disputes over property acquisition and grade separations, Central Terminal was located two miles from downtown on 70 acres of land purchased by the NYC. This would later prove to be the terminal's undoing as it was too isolated from Buffalo's central business district for the convenience of passengers and the facility was difficult to recycle for other uses after the station closed. Up to the last full day of operation of the station on October 27, 1979, VIA Rail's daily Toronto-Buffalo Dayliners serviced at John Street called at Central Terminal.

For many years after, this magnificent terminal was an embarrassing urban ruin, open to the elements and inhabited by indigents. After several different owners, the building was acquired by the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation and is slowly being secured and stabilized by a group of dedicated volunteers whose passion for preserving their local railway heritage matches our own.

Posting by Derek Boles; Image by Ed Nowak

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the TRHA!

2011-12-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the TRHA!

We wish to take this opportunity to wish a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of our readers and especially to all of our volunteers, supporters and visitors who were so instrumental in our museum having had such a great year.

In this painting by David Oram, Canadian National Railways U-4-a #6404 is assaulting the Danforth hill as it heads out of Toronto on its way to Montreal in the winter of 1942. David has generously allowed us to use many of his works on our website and in Roundhouse Park! Click here to visit his website to see more of his great paintings.

Image courtesy of David Oram.

U.K. Field Trip Part 7 – National Railway Museum at York

2011-12-21T08:00:00.004-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

During a brief afternoon stopover in York, we paid a visit to the National Railway Museum at York. As part of the trip, we wanted to return the visits of Charlie Bird and Adrian Ashby who spent time at the TRHC this spring with the NRM’s T3 563 “Vicky” and The Railway Children production. We managed to catch up with Charlie who gave us a tour of the NRM’s workshop facilities, highlighting the work in progress on a cosmetic restoration “Winston Churchill”, a Bullied Battle of Britain Pacific in advance of the 50th Anniversary of the locomotive hauling Winston Churchill’s funeral train in 2015. We also discussed the ongoing restoration of the NRM’s famous A3 Pacific “Flying Scotsman”, which while not present, a number of sub components were around the works being tested and prepared for re-assembly and a return to steam in 2012 after additional problems were found earlier this year as it was thought the overhaul was nearing completion.

The NRM has been undergoing significant works to improve exhibits and its presentation, and had just finished a major London Midland and Scottish Railway themed weekend in which a mainline shuttle using steam locomotives had operated between their two sites at York and Shildon. This saw many of the locomotives of the collection outside on display still while we were there, along with some being actively shunted to return them to their normal display location.

The NRM is a free museum to visit, and is highly recommended to any railfan who ever finds themselves in York, the collection is fantastic, and as anyone who had the chance to meet Charlie or Adrian can attest, the staff is friendly and welcoming of visitors and happy to answer questions about the collection.

Description of images:

#1 - Great Hall
#2 – Mallard
#3 – Hardwick
#4 - Prince William shunting Duchess of Hamilton
#5 - Gladstone Royal Headboard
#6 - Harry Potter Memorabilia

Click here to read the next posting in this series.

Posting and pictures by Stephen Gardiner and Heather Meger

U.K. Field Trip Part 6 – Severn Valley: The Bridgnorth Cliff Railway

2011-12-19T08:00:00.002-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

The railway heritage of Bridgnorth is not limited to the Severn Valley Railway, as the town is split in to into the “High” town on the rocky outcropping, and the “Low” town built along the river, getting between the two parts has been a challenge. Numerous narrow staircases and alleys climb the cliff, but in typical Victorian ingenuity, to address the 200 step climbs, in 1890 a project was commenced to construct a funicular railway linking the two parts of town. Opened in 1892, the Cliff Railway remains an important part of the transportation network for local residents, and a tourist attraction in its own right. The line consists of two compartments, which are linked together and using gravity and a cable pulley system, as one car descends the cliff, the other rises up. The railway operates 362 days a year, and a trip up or down takes about 1 minute and 15 seconds.

Description of images:

#1 - Cliff Railway
#2 - Looking up the cliff
#3 - On the way Up
#4 - Compartment and low town
#5 - Cable System

Click here to read the next posting in this series.

Posting and pictures by Stephen Gardiner and Heather Meger

Cleaning and painting the engine bay in CLC Whitcomb #1

2011-12-17T08:00:00.003-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Here is a report on some recent activity in the Roundhouse:

"Michael Guy and I completed scraping and cleaning out as much of the accumulated sludge in the #1's engine bay as we could. Then we moved on to preparing it for paint, wiping down the surfaces and cutting away some un-needed brackets and mounts within the engine bay to make future maintenance easier when the engine is re-installed. The cleaned engine bay is shown in the image at the upper left.

We then had a debate over which garish shade to paint the bay. Given that it appears it was yellow before, and that the bright yellow will show up any future smudge and leaks to allow us to spot them, we went with the lovely Tremclad yellow shown in the image below.

As you can see, it will need a second coat at least, and some of the fiddlier areas around the generator weren't gotten to as we didn't have the right brushes to paint in those small spaces.

Completing the first coat and adding a second coat will be a priority task going forward in order to have #1 ready to receive her new motor in the near future. "

Posting and Pictures by Stephen Gardiner

U.K. Field Trip Part 5 – Severn Valley Railway Autumn Steam Gala – Heavy Engineering

2011-12-15T08:00:00.002-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Running a railway using steam locomotives, the youngest of which are north of 60 years old (excepting 2008’s Tornado), is a very difficult and time consuming job. The Bridgnorth Motive Power Depot is the main restoration and running shed for the lines steam locomotives, and can do almost anything needed to keep a locomotive going or restore one to operation. While we were there, a Great Western Small Prairie tank No 5164 was in the shop for running repairs, with the motion disassembled to allow the Cylinders to be inspected and re-bored, during the gala the wheel drop was being demonstrated using the prairie’s centre axle. Also in the shop were parts of several locomotives undergoing full overhauls, and Dunrobin, an 0-4-4 Tank Locomotive which was repatriated from Fort Steele in BC this summer using the pallets which delivered Vicky to Canada for her role in the Railway Children.

The back of the shop has a full machine shop, with a wide array of lathes, boring, milling machines, and a full wheel lathe, capable of turning the wheels of a locomotive driver back to true from the wear and tear of regular use. Also seen, was a very similar eye protection sign to those found in the Machine Shop at John Street, and re-created in the stalls by TRHA Volunteers, though it must be said that the UK version has more stylish hair than the John Street Eye Protection sign!!

Description of images:

#1 - West Country Boiler under repair
#2 -Running Repairs on the Prairie
#3 - Goggles 1
#4 – Dunrobin
#5 - Pannier 1501 Wheels
#6 - Machine Shop 1
#7 - Milling Machine
#8 - Stylish Eye Protection
#9 - Machine Shop 2
#10 – Taps
#11 - Don't steal the tools

Click here to read the next in this series of posts.

Posting and pictures by Stephen Gardiner and Heather Meger

U.K. Field Trip Part 4 – Severn Valley Railway Autumn Steam Gala – The Engine House

2011-12-13T08:00:00.009-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

One of the major recent accomplishments of the Severn Valley Railway was the opening of The Engine House in 2008. The new museum aims to cover several goals for the railway, providing a reason to stop at one of the intermediate stations, providing accommodation inside for “out of ticket” locomotives awaiting the time and finances to be overhauled for a return to operation, and to provide an educational centre for the railway. The facility has two tracks, which accommodate several locomotives in both pristine display condition, and straight from service condition awaiting cosmetic work to display standard. The museum has been very successful in its goals of providing an educational facility second to none, and provides opportunities for new viewing locations of passing trains from the balcony of its restaurant and the large patio area around the building. Amongst the current exhibits are a royal saloon used by King George VI (of The King’s Speech fame and the 1939 Royal Tour of Canada), and one of the Flagship Locomotives of the railway, Great Western Railway ‘Hall’ No. 4930 Hagley Hall.

Also amongst the exhibits was a Great Western Handcar, which, when you look is virtually identical to the Handcar in the collection of the TRHC in Toronto.

Description of images:

#1 - Kings Saloon
#2 - Prairie No 1
#3 - Prairie No 2
#4 - GWR Hand Car
#5 - Brake Lamp

Click here to read the next posting in this series.

Posting and pictures by Stephen Gardiner and Heather Meger

U.K. Field Trip Part 3: Severn Valley Railway Steam Gala - Videos

2011-12-11T08:00:00.012-05:00

The Severn Valley Railway Steam Gala (Continued)

During the visit, I used my small point and shoot camera to take some videos, I am by no means a videographer, and the combination of my camera and limited video skills, these are not the most outstanding videos, but they capture the general feel of the railway and the locomotives at work.

Click on each video below to watch it!

Video 1: A1 Steam Locomotive 60163 approaches Highley Station

Video 2: GWR 2857 Storms Eardington Bank with the morning goods train

Video 3: British Railways 9F 92212 coasts past Northwood Lane with a passenger service for Kidderminster.

Video 4: Caledonian Railway 828 exits the Tunnel at Foley Park with a train for Bridgnorth

Video 5: Tornado Crosses Victoria Bridge with a northbound train on Sunday morning

Video 6: King Edward 1 Arrives and Departs a station stop at Highley

Click here to read the next in this series of Field Trip postings.

Posting and Photos by Stephen Gardiner

Ontario Northland Railway and its Christmas Train

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Not to be outdone by the CP's Holiday Train, our own Ontario Northland Railway (ONR) is operating its own holiday train. In the video above created by James Hoffman of North Bay, ONR #1809 arrives at the North Bay station with the First Inaugural Christmas Train bringing the holiday spirit to thousands of spectators, children and railfans alike who all came to see Santa and Choo Choo Bear. The train was very colourful and very nicely decorated for this inaugural trip.

Posting by Russ Milland

U.K. Field Trip Part 2: Severn Valley Railway Steam Gala

2011-12-07T08:00:00.009-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

The Severn Valley Railway Steam Gala (Continued)

After a day on Friday spent mostly riding the trains, Saturday and Sunday were days out in the field with the galleries of photographers looking for shots and opportunities to get good pictures, as always, sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, but it gave an opportunity to talk shop with many railfans, some of whom now know of the TRHC and will hopefully come and visit us should they ever find their way to Toronto. Many were curious about the state of museums and heritage railways in Canada and the US, and were surprised to find that the culture is very different than in the UK, especially with regards to mainline tours and the reluctance of the major railways over here to run steam excursions, which is a regular occurrence throughout the UK all year long.

For anyone who has never been to the UK, the heritage railway industry in the UK can not be appreciated without being there. I have been many times, but it only really dawned on Heather just how different it is from our museum at the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre when we were on the first train of the day on Friday morning, and we came through a field with a gallery of 30ish photographers already there and shooting!!! If the opportunity presents itself to any railfan to go to the UK in the spring or autumn gala seasons, it should not be missed as it is unlike anything you will experience locally in Canada or the United States.

Description of Images:

#8 - 9F at Speed
#9 - GWR 2857 on the Night Goods
#10 - Flying Pig at Rest
#11 - Bridgnorth at Night
#12 - Tea on the Footplate
#13 - Tornado at Speed
#14 - Oldest and Newest

Click here to read the next in this series of Field Trip postings.

Posting and Photos by Stephen Gardiner and Heather Meger

U.K. Field Trip Part 1: Severn Valley Railway Steam Gala

2011-12-05T08:00:00.021-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

The Severn Valley Railway Steam Gala

In September of 2011, TRHA volunteers Stephen Gardiner and Heather Meger took a trip in September to the UK to visit family, but as part of the trip, we made time to visit the Severn Valley Railway for its Autumn Steam Gala and partake in some railfanning at the Gala. The Severn Valley Railway in England is one of the major preserved lines, linking the towns of Kidderminster and Bridgnorth, the 16 mile line follows the Severn River, running along a former Great Western Railway Branch line through the scenic West Midlands. The line with its two major termini at Kidderminster Town Station (a completely new station built in the 1980’s) and Bridgnorth (opened 1862), an original Great Western Railway station also serves four intermediate stations, the country junction at Bewdley and intermediate stations at Arley, Highley and Hampton Loade. Highley is the home of the “Engine House”, a new museum opened in 2008 which houses the lines out of ticket steam locomotives in an enclosed setting to protect them until their time in the queue for overhaul arrives. A separate report will follow on the Engine House.

The Autumn Steam Gala at the SVR is one of the major events in the UK Gala Season, in no small part because of the scope of the operations, from 8am on Friday morning, until around 7pm on Sunday evening, the railway operates non stop, with intensive all-steam services through the day, down to a limited service all through the night, with many choosing to forego accommodations and sleep on the cushions through the night on the trains. For the Gala, the railway turned out no fewer than 11 steam locomotives, 10 scheduled for service and a spare (which would be needed throughout the weekend). Included in the group were locomotives dating from 1899 for the Caledonian Railway 828 visiting from the Strathspey Railway in Scotland, to the new build A1 Pacific Tornado which was completed in 2008 visiting for a break from mainline railtours. Operations include local services at the north and south end of the line, full line main passenger services, and a demonstration goods train service, complete with shunting at either end of the line as the train is re-made to return the other direction.

One of the more interesting experiences we enjoyed was the chance to ride the line in luxury in a Great Western/British Rail inspection saloon at the end of the train being hauled by new-build pacific Tornado. This afforded a fine view of the line, along with food and drink, and the opportunity to talk shop with the owner of the carriage, who is the owner of a Bullied Pacific Locomotive 34027 Taw Valley. His locomotive is based on the Severn Valley and undergoing a £1,000,000 plus (north of $1,700,000 Canadian) overhaul to service at the current time. He was working as the VIP Steward on the Saloon Coach, and provided an interesting history on the coach, the line, his locomotive and along with some of the other passengers on our trip, on the state of the Heritage Railway industry in the United Kingdom in terms of the many railways and their ability to meet their motive power needs while funding future overhauls and maintaining safety standards. There are growing concerns that there are too many preserved lines, and that they are not all going to be capable of being financially self sufficient to keep running without risking safety standards or relying on the government for heritage funding to keep going. These are not dissimilar issues to those facing museums around the world, and how heritage railways and museums deal with them will become more important in the coming years.

Description of images:

#1 - Caley 828 approaching Highley
#2 - King Edward 1 Departing Highley
#3 - Saloon Car Style
#4 - Photographers Gallery
#5 - Caledonian Climbing Eardington Bank
#6 - 9F on the Goods Train
#7 - Locos in Service Board

Click here to read the next posting in this series.

Posting and Photos by Stephen Gardiner and Heather Meger

Preparing the CLC Whitcomb for its new engine!

2011-12-03T08:00:00.008-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Our operational CLC Whitcomb 50 ton Switcher #1 is the workhorse of our operation. This winter we are replacing one of the two engines with a new one.

Saturday saw our work team spending the entire day working on #1. The front engine bay was cleaned and stripped clear ready for the new engine. The entire radiator assembly has also been removed. We hope to restore the shutters to operability as part of this process.

Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Lance Gleich

Evolution of a railway painting by David A. Oram

2011-12-01T08:00:00.002-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

David A. Oram is an artist living in Bradford, Ontario, a small town north of Toronto, with his wife and two children. Although he has had some formal training he is largely self taught, working mainly in acrylics and watercolors. David is well known to those of us who are railway fans for the many great railway-themed paintings he has done. he has generously allowed us to reproduce a number of them on our TRHA website (visit here and here and here). A massive version of one of his painting of steam engines at the John St. Roundhouse graces the side of a parking structure in Roundhouse Park as well as we reported here.

Earlier this year, David sent us this note and the accompanying images to update us on his latest work and how it was created.

"I would like to share with you my latest painting. It was commissioned by author Lorenz P. Schrenk for use on the cover of a new book he co-wrote with Robert L. Frey, on the history of the Northern Pacific (NP) Railway and its locomotives in the years 1870-1887. The subject of the painting is N.P. No. 6, a 4-4-0 steam locomotive often referred to as an “American” type, built by Baldwin Locomotive works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1871. It is shown in the summer of that year in its colorful paint scheme pulling a three car passenger train. The location chosen was a curved wooden trestle on a section of the NP that ran from the shores of Lake Superior westward towards Carlton, Minnesota.

Instead of including an image of the completed painting, I thought I would show you the progression from pencil sketch to finished painting and book cover. The painting is titled American Pioneer." - David Oram

To see more of David's work visit his website by clicking here.

Posting by Russ Milland; Images by David A. Oram

From Far Afield: 4-8-8-4 miniature steam locomotive enters service

2011-11-29T08:00:00.002-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

As a regular reader of the TRHA News you will be well aware of our owning and operating a fairly large live steam locomotive on our miniature railway. However, others elsewhere do operate locomotives significantly larger than ours.

The Diamond Valley Railway in Melbourne, Australia has just such a new locomotive. This is a 7-1/4" gauge railway (same gauge as ours) carrying 100,000 passengers a year. The locomotive is a model of a Union Pacific "Big Boy" 4-8-8-4 Mallet articulated steam engine, one of the largest steam locomotives produced in significant quantity in the world. It is not the only model of this locomotive in existence in this scale as there are at least two in the U.S.

8 of the 25 full size Big Boys originally built by Alco between 1941 and 1944 for the Union Pacific have been preserved at various location around the U.S. None are operational. The engine at the lower left is preserved in Pomona, California. The backhead shown at the lower right belongs to another one of these locomotives preserved in Green Bay, Wisconsin. These images are from an article on these massive engines in Wikipedia. I have been fortunate to have visited the Big Boys preserved in Denver and St. Louis and they certainly are awesome engineering marvels.

Posting by Russ Milland

Weekend Report: Shunting equipment keeps our team busy!

2011-11-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Saturday featured a series of train movements. The bridge between Cabin D and Don Station was moved to allow Cape Race to be moved in from track 40 to stall 15 ready for later roof work. To allow that to happen the boxcar was moved to patio track 6 and all the stored materiel in the south end of stall 15 had to be removed.

A request from Leon's led to us also moving#7020 to patio 13 and relocating the line of speeder cars to patio 17 followed by clean up of patio tracks 18 and 19 and moving the security fence. Somewhere in there we stopped for lunch and also serviced the forklift battery.

Locomotive #1 is now parked at the far south end of stall 15 to be ready for installation of it's new engine and we just managed to get the doors closed behind Cape Race.

Thanks to the team of volunteers who made this all happen!

Posting by Russ Milland; Photos by Lance Gleich

CP Holiday Train visits southern Ontario again this year!

2011-11-25T08:00:00.004-05:00

Continuing their tradition of operating Holiday Trains which visit communities throughout the CP railway system, the CP speaks to the Holiday Train at their website as follows:

Making a difference, one stop at a time

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train hits the rails again in November, visiting over 140 communities across our network.

Since the program's inception back in 1999, more than $5.6 million and over 2.45 million pounds of food has been collected in Canada and the United States.

The goal of the Holiday Train is to collect food and money for local food banks and to raise awareness in the fight against hunger. At each event, the Holiday Train provides a box car stage, a line up of great musical talents and a corporate contribution to the local food bank. The community, in turn, is encouraged to donate food and funds, all of which stays in the community.

Click on CP's 2 1/2 minute video below to enjoy an animated explanation of this wonderful annual event.

Here are the dates and times for the train's visits in the Toronto area:

Monday, November 28

Bowmanville – 5:45 p.m., Scugog Road railway crossing
Oshawa – 7:15 p.m., 680 Laval Drive, Oshawa, behind the Walmart store off Stevenson Road South

Tuesday, November 29

Toronto – 6:15 p.m., 750 Runnymede Rd, in front of CP Lambton yard office, parking only in Walmart lot
Hamilton – 7:45 p.m. (U.S. Train show), area of Kinnear Yard, opposite Gage Park
Vaughan – 8:45 p.m., North of railway level road crossing at Nashville Road, near the old grain mill

Note that there are two trains. The Canadian train will visit all of the above places except for Hamilton which will be visited by the U.S. Train.

For more information on the other stops, schedule changes and more pictures, visit the CP website by clicking here.

Click on each image below for a closer look!

Posting by Russ Milland

Exploring the Christmas Train Show

2011-11-21T08:00:00.010-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Again this year, there were many model railroad layouts on display and operating at this year's show as well as folks showing how to build models. Here are a few images from around the show.

Posting and images by Russ Milland

TRHA at the Christmas Train Show

2011-11-19T08:00:00.011-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

The Toronto Railway Historical Association once again operated a booth at the Christmas Train show this weekend. A new feature this year were the two banners in the photos which displayed a number of images of Roundhouse Park and our assets. The slide presentation on the large LCD TV has been updated since last year and was a big hit with visitors.

This year, our TRHA Simulations team once again brought one of our portable simulators to the show and treated visitors to the opportunity to operate railway trains through the Toronto rail lands of the 1950's.

Posting and photos by Russ Milland

Christmas Train Show Is This Weekend! The TRHA will be there!

2011-11-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

In the Toronto area, there is only one major Train Show annually and it is held at the end of November at the International Centre across from Toronto's International Airport.

The TRHA will once again be present with our booth to make the visiting public aware of the great progress that we have made in the past year. We will be bringing one of our diesel-electric engine simulation systems to the show as well to entertain the visitors and promote the museum. Here is what the show organizers say about this year's show:

"All Abooarrd..... We are pleased to announce that we have been able to secure space at the International Centre for November 19 & 20, 2011. This will enable us to produce Canada's largest train show. You will be amazed at the over 50 displays and operating layouts in every gauge of trains. There is about 70,000 square feet of layouts, exhibits, clinics showing how to build layouts and scenery, toy trains, steam engines, videos, photos, prints, books, apparel, Railway Historical Associations and Train Vendors of all kinds. WHEW!! It is some great show. Come and renew those magical memories of our train sets of old or come and get started on a layout for the grandchild (OK ... maybe yourself). This is great family fun for all.

This will be our 16th annual TORONTO CHRISTMAS TRAIN SHOW."

Dates and times:

Saturday November 19th - 11 to 4 p.m.

Sunday, November 20th - 10 to 4 p.m.

The show will be located in Hall 3 at the International Centre, 6900 Airport Rd., Mississauga which is just north of the Toronto International Airport.

Note that you can print off a $2.00 discount coupon for the show by clicking here.

The pictures shown here are from the 2009 Christmas train show.

Posting and Pictures by Russ Milland

Weekend report: A helicopter appears to the North!

2011-11-15T08:00:00.003-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

While the miniature train was taking on passengers today, everyone was treated to a second surprise bonus with a perfect view of a helicopter lifting building materials onto a site at 145 King Street West.

TRHA volunteers also renovated the wood storage area inside the Roundhouse. The area was rebuilt to help store and display the wood supplies more effectively for our upcoming winter season of work. We were pleased to complete the work all in one day.

Posting by Russ Milland; Photos by Lance Gleich and James Rasor

Weekend Report: More progress on the TH&B #70 Van

2011-11-13T08:00:00.002-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Today was one step forward and two steps back on the TH&B Van#70 in the conductor stand area. The restoration of the conductor's stand on the right side, which was above the ice cooled refrigerator, revealed that most of the structural wood and plywood has succumbed to wood rot as seen in the pictures. The dense wood, once firm as a rock, now just falls apart at the touch of finger. This was not entirely unexpected. The ice cooled refrigerator's galvanized metal is in restorable condition but the oak and other wood species used for the structure would have been subjected to continuous condensation and heat as the ice was replaced and melted and replaced and melted.

This unfortunately has had it's obvious effect on the wood as we can see. The good news is that most of all the visible parts are in restorable condition and we'll have it looking as good as new in a couple of months. The structural wood will be replaced where necessary. Our plan is to have the caboose restored, interpreted and on display for all to see for next summer's operating season.

Posting and pictures by James Rasor

The new TTC Streetcar is open for visits!

2011-11-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

The TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) expects to take delivery of the first of a new series of streetcars in late 2012. A mock-up of the front half of the new light rail vehicle can now be visited at the following time and dates.

Date: November 12 through 15, 2011
Time: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Location: 1138 Bathurst Street (TTC Hillcrest Facility)

Getting there by TTC:

Accessible shuttle buses will be running between Bathurst and St. Clair West stations. From Bathurst Station, you can also take the 7 Bathurst Bus northbound and exit at Bridgman Avenue. From St. Clair West Station, use the special shuttle bus (LRV Mock-up Public Display) or visit the trip planner at www.ttc.ca for additional routes. There is no public parking available on the site.

For more information:

To learn more about the new streetcars including lots of photos, click here.

Here are some milestones in the history of the TTC. From horses to electricity to the Red Rocket:

In 1861, horse drawn streetcars started carrying Toronto customers to their destinations.
In 1892, the first electric streetcars travelled Church Street.
The TTC was established in 1921 and the "Peter Witt" streetcar was introduced. Peter Witt streetcars carried passengers until 1963 when the last one was retired.
In 1938, the first Presidents' Conference Committee ("PCC" or "Red Rocket") streetcars entered service. The last PCC was retired in 1995.
Our streetcar system got new life when the abandonment program was cancelled in 1972.
In 1979, the first Canadian Light Rail Vehicles (CLRV) entered service.
In 1988, the first Articulated Light Rail Vehicles (ALRV) entered service.

Posting by Russ Milland

Restoration progress: Restoring the TH&B van roof

2011-11-09T08:00:00.007-05:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

The roof of the TH&B Van#70 cupola is beginning its restoration. The restoration is an interesting study in the construction and materials used over the years to waterproof the Van. All the metal corners for the cupola which sit on the outside of the metal skin have been removed. They were prevented from sitting tight against the metal skin due to the round heads of the skin screw fasteners thus the inside of the metal corners are covered in rust as shown in the photo. This will have to be cleaned and remediated before they can be placed back.

The roofing material at the top of the cupola has been removed and the grab rails are being removed for cleaning. The photos for the fasteners for the grab rails show the construction and waterproofing method used:

Canvas fabric was fitted with a hole and placed over the threaded rod from below
Mastic/tar was placed over the canvas around the threaded rod
Next a large red rubber escutcheon ring was tightly fitted over the threaded rod into the waterproofing
Then the grab rail stand was placed over the rod and bolted into place
Once in place the entire assembly at the base of the grab rail stand was covered in more mastic/tar
Finally, the grab rails were painted black.

Posting & pictures by James Rasor

Historic Note: The Last Spike driven on November 7th, 1885

2011-11-07T08:00:00.006-05:00

Click on the image for a closer look!

November 7, 2011 marked the 126th anniversary of the driving of the Canadian Pacific Railway's Last Spike at Craigellachie, British Columbia in 1885. Nowhere else in the world has a private railway company been so inextricably linked to nation building as the CPR was to Canada.

Last year on the occasion of the 125th Anniversary of this momentous event, TRHA published a series of articles from many different perspectives. Included among them is an extensive article on the event by Derek Boles, our TRHA historian.
Click on this link to read the first of those postings and then follow the links at the end of each posting to the next one.

There is also a fine article online which can be found by clicking here with an in-depth insight into available images of the event plus coverage of the anniversary events.

Posting by Russ Milland

Weekend Report: Making serious progress in organizing our working environment!

2011-11-05T08:00:00.005-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Keeping our restoration stalls clean, safe and orderly is a continual challenge. James Rasor reports here on the great job that our TRHA volunteers did today as they made significant progress on organizing this area for our busy winter restoration programme.

"The season is winding down and it is time to review what worked this year and what needs to be changed? This means house cleaning! The first two items on the list are the shop wood storage area and the tool module. We have many projects to do this winter and it is important that we know what our supplies are and how much is available as we rely on donations from the public to do most of our restoration work.

The wood storage: Every piece of wood is carefully kept and reviewed before it is deemed disposable. Every piece is reviewed, nails and screws removed from donated stock, and pieces are restocked in their appropriate place. Pieces are kept right down to 12" long. To do this we have two rolling bins for short pieces 4 feet long and shorter, a small shelf for pieces 18" to 12" long, and a wall storage area for plywood sheets and large or long pieces of wood. This winter the storage for the long and over-sized pieces will be rebuilt to be more effective to store different sizes - the easier it is to sort through and see the wood supplies, the easier it is for us to to re-use wood and not waste larger pieces by cutting them up unnecessarily. This weekend we started the re-organization by removing all the wood from the wall storage and laying it out for sorting and accounting - a half day task at best. Next week we will begin to rebuild the wall storage area.

The tool storage: The tool cabinet module needs to be rebuilt to be more effective. The hardware and paint module are working fairly well due to labeling and items being replaced correctly after being used. The tool module has never acquired the tools we really need so it has been in flux most of the year. However, we know the direction we need to go in and after a couple of years of restoration we know the tools we need, so the module will be built to suit including labels and better storage solutions.

During our day of house cleaning we still managed to give a few tours to the public, including several families and to two police officers passing by."

Posting and images by James Rasor

Historic Note - 1965: Buster Keaton Tours Canada by Rail - The Railrodder by the NFB

2011-11-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

Buster Keaton was one of the most famous silent film comedians of all time. The National Film Board of Canada has a long and storied history of producing great short films. They generously make hundreds of these films available for viewing online at www.nfb.ca.

The Wikipedia entry for the NFB film called the "Railrodder" tells us about this really great film for all railway fans as follows:

"The Railrodder is a 1965 short comedy film released by the National Film Board of Canada and starring Buster Keaton in one of his final film roles. It was also his final silent film, as the film contains no dialogue and all sound effects are overdubbed. Directed by Gerald Potterton, The Railrodder is a 25-minute comedic travelogue of Canada. It begins with Keaton, playing an unnamed English gentleman, reading a newspaper in London, England. A full-page ad proclaiming "SEE CANADA NOW!" catches his attention. He promptly throws the newspaper away and jumps into the Thames. He subsequently reemerges on the east coast of Canada, having apparently swum the Atlantic, where he is greeted by a sign indicating the direction to the other side of Canada, 3,982 ½ miles away.

Buster starts his long hike, but soon finds a one-man, open-top rail maintenance vehicle, commonly known as a speeder, parked on a rail track. He sits in the driver's seat intending to take a nap, but he accidentally puts the vehicle in gear, and it speeds off down the track. The remainder of the film is a series of mini-adventures shared by Buster and the motor car as the vehicle (with an apparently inexhaustible fuel supply) follows the Canadian National Railway line across Canada". ..... Click here to read more.

To view the film, click above to view this 25 minute long film at the NFB's YouTube channel. The National Film Board also produced a 55 minute long documentary about the making of the film as well and you can click here to watch it.

Posting by Russ Milland

Celebrating Halloween in Roundhouse Park!

2011-11-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Once again this year, our TRHA volunteers decided to celebrate Halloween, albeit a day early on Sunday, October 30th! The decorating crew started at eight that morning and continued right through the day. Miniature railway operations operations started at noon using the Whitcomb locomotive. We also opened up the GP-7 and interpreted it for visitors. As dusk approached, we fired up our steam locomotive #3 and ran passenger trains with it until about 7:30 p.m. when the post-football game crowd had dispersed and the park became quite quiet.

Thanks to our TRHA volunteers for putting on such a fine show.

Posting by Russ Milland; Photos by Derek Boles, David Fleming and Jay Larkin.

Roundhouse Park is now benched and green!

2011-10-30T08:00:00.003-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

With the re-installation of the park benches and the removal of the fences protecting the newly re-sodded areas of the park, all traces of the Railway Children production having been in the park are gone. As we can see in these images, everything is now very green again!

Posting by Russ Milland, Photos by Jay Larkin

"Roundhouses Revived": TRHC featured in Via Rail's Destination magazine

2011-10-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

Click on the image above for a closer view!

"Roundhouses Revived ! Second Debut" is an article by Guylaine Spencer in a recent issue of Via Rail's Destinations magazine. It begins:

"Their half-moon shape and brick-and-wood construction distinguishes the buildings from the angular glass-and-steel skyscrapers engulfing them. At first glance, you may not know what to make of these bizarre-looking structures called roundhouses. Although rare today, these railway buildings were once very common. Roughly 3,000 were built across North America, but only about 200 still stand. ......."

Click here to read the entire article.

The photo above of the John Street Roundhouse and the surrounding area is by Doug McFadgen and was taken on November 2, 1972.

Posting by Russ Milland; Photo by Doug McFadgen

Milestones in the TH&B #70 Van restoration

2011-10-26T08:00:00.002-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Is it a van or is it a caboose? It appears that both names have been used for these unique pieces of rolling stock in North America. As our readers will have noticed in past news postings, TRHA volunteers have been making great progress against the formidable challenge of restoring the TH&B van which had suffered badly from wood rot over the decades in storage.

Here is a recent report and a number of photos of the work in progress from James Rasor who is leading the team in restoring #70:

"We are making progress in leaps and bounds on the Van these days thanks especially to Neville, Jim, Scott and Wilson. Saturday, October 16th was a milestone day for us as it marked the day we removed the temporary support holding up the cupola now that the structure has been repaired on the both the right and left sides of the van. Next week will see the replacement of the tongue and groove siding on the right side of the van up to the cupola as well as the sheathing screws on the outside, another milestone moment for us.

Work has also begun on the restoration of the van's interior equipment with Wilson restoring the stove, coal box, back panels, etc, and Scott beginning the restoration of the large conductor's desk. A great deal of work is still required to strip down the hardware and tongue and groove wood, but we are on our way.

Jim is beginning the long task of repairing all the wood rot on the window frames and Neville continues to remove the metal panels on the cupola so we can repair, stabilize, and restore them as much of the metal near the corners and roof have been rusted through and are being held in place by the corner angles only. Of course with the new cupola structure in place, all the panels will be even more stable.

Over the next two weeks we will finalize the electrical design wanted for lighting and power in the van and then we can start to enclose it fully.

Posting by Russ Milland; Report & photos by James Rasor

The TRHA rail yard in action!

2011-10-22T08:00:00.001-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Saturdays each week see the most volunteers turning out to not only help with our operations but also to staff our work crews on our various projects. This Saturday was no exception as had sixteen volunteers helping out. Some of the crews worked on re-laying sections of damaged pavers and continued the van restoration.

Today was also a “train move” day with the goal of moving the Jackman passenger car to a different track. As part of this move, we shifted #6213 back out to track #34 and fenced it in alongside #4803 and # 7069 in order free up the turntable. We then took both the Pyke crane and the flatcar out along track #40 to lift the pedestrian bridge out so that both the Cape Race and Jackman can be relocated.

This was perhaps the most interesting crane move thus far and the first time we have seen the crane and flat car move together. We left Cape Race on track 35. Jackman will move from its present location at the end of track 40 to the end of track 39 on Monday morning. the Pyke crane and flat car will be left on the turntable providing yet another different photo opportunity for visitors this week.

Our miniature railway operation started a bit later than normal due to the train moves, but the park was quite busy in terms of visitors and we had lots of riders as well as folks being entertained by the train moves.

Posting by Russ Milland; Photos by Derek Boles

Last chance to visit the Canada Central Railway in Montreal!

2011-10-20T08:00:00.003-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Perhaps the largest operating model railroad in Canada can be found in Montreal, Quebec. The Canada Central Railway, as it is known, occupies 9,000 square feet of space in a CN building under the railway tracks in downtown Montreal. It has been the site as well of many fine annual railway shows.

Unfortunately, real-life issues associated with rising property costs have resulted in their not being able to renew their lease on the facility which is forcing the dismantling and removal of the layout. CN owns the 9,000-square-foot warehouse space and wants to lease it out at a higher rent, starting next year. They had warned the club five years ago that its time was up.

The club will be holding their final open house this coming weekend on October 29th and 30th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The vastness of this railway empire can be seen in the layout plan below which is also available in a much higher resolution image at their website.

The club will be holding their final open house the weekend of Saturday, October 29th and Sunday, October 30th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

For more information on the weekend event (including how to get there) and to access extensive information about the club and its railway, visit their website by clicking here.

So if you can make the trip to Montreal, this is an opportunity not to be missed.

Posting by Russ Milland

Putting the Pyke crane to work!

2011-10-18T08:00:00.003-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

The Roundhouse Park areas formerly occupied by the Railway Children production are now being restored to their former condition. In support of this work, our intrepid TRHA volunteers were busy this week moving our CNR Northern #6213 off the turntable so that we could bring out our Pyke crane to move some heavy lengths of full-size rail onto our flat car. This occupied our crew for a busy four hours and was noteworthy as the first extensive use of the Pyke crane since it arrived. The area being restored has now been re-sodded. The radial tracks are now clear for the delivery of many tons of ballast to be placed between the rails.

Posting by Russ Milland; Pictures by Jay Larkin

Saturday was the 160th Anniversary of the Groundbreaking for Toronto's first railway!

2011-10-16T08:00:00.004-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

At noon on October 15, 1851, hundreds of citizens began to gather in front of Toronto City Hall at the corner of Front and Jarvis streets. There were marching bands and gaily decorated floats and everyone was in a state of excitement. Resplendent in their colourful uniforms were the Sons of Temperance, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Loyal Orange Institution. Soon the crowd was joined by judges, steamboat proprietors, the fire brigade, the members of the provincial legislature, and the railroad commissioners. As the time drew closer to 1 PM, some of the most important personages in the city began to appear. They included the Chief Justice of Canada West, the Sheriff of the County of York, the Chief Magistrate, bishops of various denominations, the Chief Constable and the Mayor of Toronto.

This illustrious congress had gathered to celebrate the inauguration of a new technology. City Hall was an appropriate venue for such a commemoration as it had already hosted the birth of Canada’s telecommunications industry. Just five years earlier in a small room near the Front Street entrance the first telegraph in British North America had been transmitted from Toronto to Hamilton. As the clock tower overhead chimed half past one, the assemblage moved into position to begin the parade, the largest such pageant ever seen in the 17-year history of the City of Toronto. The procession first moved east to Frederick Street, then north to King Street where it turned west. Thousands of people were lined up along both sides of what was then the most important street in Toronto, the commercial spine of the city. Schoolchildren had been given the day off and most of the population turned out to enjoy this grand spectacle that featured 46 different groups and floats. The parade proceeded along King Street for over a kilometer and then turned south on York Street and west on Front past Simcoe where it finally halted in front of the Parliament Buildings of the united Provinces of Canada. By this time it was estimated the crowd comprised 20,000 people, an impressive gathering for a city whose total population was 31,000.

The occasion for this festivity was the start of construction of the Ontario, Simcoe & Huron Railway, the first steam railway to operate in Canada West, as Ontario was then known.

The first trains in Canada East had commenced operations near Montreal in 1836, so the railway era was relatively late coming to Ontario. Before the railway, Canada depended on navigable water routes for transportation but these were frozen for as much as five months of the year. Overland travel by stagecoach was expensive and uncomfortable, even for the elite few who could afford it. Transported goods were frequently damaged on journeys over rough roads and trails.

Torontonians eagerly anticipated the promised delights of newfangled rail transportation with its easy year-round travel and the timely delivery of needed commodities, advantages that were only fantasies before the age of rail. By 1850, the construction of new railways in Canada was seen as the key to the British colony’s economic survival. There were already over 9,000 miles of track in the United States; in Canada there were less than 60.

Now on this October day in 1851, Torontonians were gathered at this vacant lot on the south side of Front Street between Simcoe and John streets to beginning of the railway era. This august event was commemorated by a ceremonial turning of the first sod, a groundbreaking event that a later and less romantic generation would refer to as “shovels in the ground.” Lifting the ceremonial silver spade was the Countess of Elgin, the wife of the Earl of Elgin, the governor-general of Canada. Lord Elgin hovered nearby and was one of the abler members of the British aristocracy to occupy the colonial vice-regal position. Three years earlier in Montreal he had been attacked by an angry Tory mob that burned down the Parliament buildings while they were protesting the Rebellion Losses Bill. One consequence of that riot was that the colonial capital was moved away from Montreal and was at that point ensconced in Toronto across the road from the sod-turning ceremony. After Lady Elgin used her dainty little shovel to lift the pre-cut square of sod, it was deposited into an equally dainty wheelbarrow and carted away by the mayor of Toronto, who was resplendent in knee breeches and ceremonial sword.

Then began the speeches. Lord Elgin commented that ““It may seem a singular application of the division of labour that the lady should dig and the gentleman speak. But this is an age of progress in which we must be prepared for much that is strange.” Elgin was an enthusiastic promoter of railways and a month earlier had attended the Boston Railroad Jubilee, celebrating the building of a railway between Canada and the United States. Elgin had been staying at a hotel in Niagara Falls and had made the journey from there to Boston entirely by rail. The Jubilee had been attended by the most important officials on both sides of the border, including U.S. President Millard Fillmore. Referring to that recent event in his speech, Elgin noted that Americans “never seem more completely at home than when the power of steam is hurrying them over the surface of the earth.”

Following the ceremony, the sod was whisked away and preserved for posterity by a young civil engineer named Sandford Fleming, who would play a principal role in building the new railway and later advance to greater glory as one of Canada’s most illustrious engineers, inventors and scientists.

That night the day’s festivities culminated in a grand ball at St. Lawrence Hall patronized by Governor General Elgin and 400 invited guests. A midnight supper was served and the dancing continued until 2:30 AM. The honorary patroness of the ball was internationally famed soprano Jenny Lind, the “Swedish Nightingale,” who a week later performed at the hall in a concert arranged by American promoter P.T. Barnum. A century later a writer noted that “In such an atmosphere, combining the gala day with a night of gladness, that the people let it be known that they welcomed the coming railway.”

The construction of the Ontario, Simcoe & Huron Railway would occupy the next nineteen months. On October 3, 1852, the first steam locomotive to operate in Canada West arrived in Toronto from Oswego, New York on the steamship "Forwarder." Built by the Portland Company in Portland, Maine, the engine was named the "Lady Elgin," to honour the consort of the governor-general who had turned the first sod a year earlier.

The OS&H was unhappy with the extra costs incurred by customs duties as well as shipping the locomotive across Lake Ontario and sought a local builder for its next locomotive, the "Toronto." On May 16, 1853, that locomotive hauled the first passenger train out of Toronto from a wooden depot that was located close to the eastern entrance of today’s Union Station.

Captions for the images

#1: Lord Elgin was James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin, who served as Governor General of Canada from 1847-1854. He was probably the only Governor General who actually risked his life to bring about responsible government in Canada. His efforts helped set the stage for Confederation in 1867.

#2: A bandstand was erected to seat 2,000 people; ten times that many attended the sod-turning.

#3: City Hall at Front and Jarvis streets where the parade began at noon. The municipal offices moved from here to what we today call “Old” City Hall at Queen and Bay streets in the 1890’s. Parts of this building were incorporated into the present St. Lawrence Market.

#4: Toronto looking east from the foot of Parliament Street around the time of the sod-turning. The tall steeple in the centre of this view is St. James Cathedral at King and Church streets, although the steeple wouldn’t actually be completed for another 25 years. The smaller cupola just to the left of it is City Hall, where the parade began.

Click here to access our TRHA "resources" page to view or download the above article, Toronto’s First Railway – The Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway, in PDF format with many more pictures and illustrations. The PDF also includes an earlier article which we published here on the history of the "Toronto" steam engine.

Articles and postings by Derek Boles, TRHA Historian

TRHA wins Heritage Toronto's Community Service Member's Choice Award!

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

On October 4th, 2011, the annual Heritage Toronto Awards were held at the Koerner Concert Hall at the Royal Conservatory of Music. This annual event acknowledges accomplishments in heritage preservation and interpretation. There were hundreds of people there, including almost everyone of consequence involved with Toronto heritage. The concert hall is a stunning architectural venue in its own right and the event is one of the classiest that I've been able to attend as a remember of the Heritage Toronto board.

The TRHA won the Community Service Member's Choice Award in a field of seven nominees. This is voted on only by the thousand or so members of Heritage Toronto. It includes a cash award of $500. It should be noted that this award is not for the city or any of the professionals involved with our project, but for the community-based volunteers who make the TRHC function. Our volunteers have now been recognized by the city's heritage community and I was told that it was an overwhelming vote in our favour.

The roundhouse also won the William Greer Architectural Conservation & Craftsmanship Award of Excellence. This was given to the heritage architects, the IBI Group and the Roundhouse Development Corporation.

Click here for more information.

Posting by Derek Boles; Photos by Norm Betts

Weekend Report: Thanksgiving weekend brings progress!

2011-10-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Thanksgiving weekend was a very successful weekend in terms of the operation of the miniature railway and our attractions such as our CN Northern #6213 steam engine which resided on the turntable allowing visitors to do walk-arounds close to the engine.

But it also was a weekend where our volunteers also made progress as seen in some of these images. Work is progressing well on the restoration of the TH&B caboose with attention being focused this weekend on repainting the stove and on the cupola area of the caboose. Also shown below is our lunch and meeting area which was formally used by the Railway Children production. It is a popular area at the end of a work day to relax discuss weighty matters..

Posting by Russ Milland; Photos by Jay Larkin, Lance Gleich and Russ Milland

Update on restoration of the Roundhouse Park grounds!

2011-10-08T08:00:00.008-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

As those of you who have been following our progress remember, the installation of the Roundhouse Theatre tent for this summer's production of the Railway Children occupied an enormous footprint in Roundhouse Park. This theatrical production shut down on August 14 and the tent was removed in short order but the restoration of Roundhouse Park has turned out to be more time consuming than first thought.

The ground underneath the tent required removal of gravel fill before topsoil could be replaced and the area re-sodded. At the same time, the irrigation sprinkler system which was damaged during sod removal in the spring was being refurbished so that we will be able to enjoy a lush green lawn throughout our operating season in 2012. The removed park utility power posts also required replacement and all this work was subject to wet-weather delays in September.

Unfortunately the ongoing refurbishment of the park caused us to suspend our mini-rail operation the weekend of October 1 & 2. Happily, on the following Thanksgiving weekend (October 8-10), we were able to resume mini-rail operations on our original figure-8 configuration throughout Roundhouse Park. This was only possible because of the hard work of our TRHA members who laboured through the week to make this possible.

On Saturday, October 8, we initiated mini-rail operations powered with what we fondly refer to as our mini-Whit (diesel switcher) locomotive. On Sunday we were able to power the trains with our Sweet Creek #3 steam locomotive. Three of the accompanying photographs show the initial revenue trips of #3 shortly after noon Sunday with passengers through Roundhouse Park. The battleground-like condition of the park is immediately obvious but this didn't seem to discourage the hundreds of happy riders we had throughout the Thanksgiving weekend, all of whom were delighted.

On Thanksgiving Monday, the volume of visitors resulted in our operating a five car train for the very first time as is pictured in the photo at the lower right.

Roundhouse Park will be restored to its pristine condition in short order, sod is scheduled to be complete by Wednesday October 12th.

Posting and photos by Derek Boles

New TTC subway trains are now operational!

2011-10-06T08:00:00.002-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

The newest series of subway trains for the Toronto Transit Commission have now begun to appear in service on Toronto's subway system. In these photos, we see that electronic signs are now featured in the trains with the next subway stop specially lit on the route maps above the doors. Note also that one can now walk down the length of the train with having to go through doors at the end of each car. Finally the front of the train features the more streamlined shape of modern passenger trains.

Posting by Russ Milland; Photos by Stephen Gardiner

A current aerial view of Roundhouse Park!

2011-10-04T08:00:00.005-04:00

Click on the image for a closer look!

The photo above was taken by Ryan Ho, one of our TRHA volunteers from an office building just north of the museum. Roundhouse appears much as it does currently with the big tent having been taken away. Contractors can be seen working on restoring the grassed areas where the tent once stood.

Posting by Russ Milland; Photo by Ryan Ho

Turntable repairs underway!

2011-10-02T08:00:00.003-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

As with any piece of complex machinery, our turntable occasionally needs repair. We recently removed parts of one of the drive engines and sent them off for repair. In these photos, we find our volunteers using our Pyke crane to re-install some of these components.

Posting by Russ Milland; Pictures by Michael Guy

White Creek Railroad: Operations and Remote Control

2011-09-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

The White Creek Railroad is a private 7.5-inch gauge miniature railway constructed by Russ and Mara Eldred and is located in a rural country setting in Western Michigan on approximately 120 acres of land. The track meanders through densely wooded hills and open fields, across marshy lowlands and nearly encompasses two picturesque lakes.

As mentioned in the story of the development of the railway on their website , by May 1, 2000 (over ten years ago) the railroad statistics included 5 miles of mainline with 6.5 miles total track, over 1000 feet of trestles, 190+ switches, bi-directional running with 30 passing sidings, 30 signal blocks, 27 industry spurs, 2 yards, and 9 junctions.

Many miniature railway enthusiasts build detailed scale models of complete train sets to pull with their locomotives. On very large miniature railways such as this one, a very popular event is to operate the railway just like a real one to operating orders and schedules. Trains travel from town to town and from rail yard to rail yard. Click here to read an interesting invitation for railway enthusiasts to join them on the White Creek Railroad at one of their operations of this type last May.

The video below (taken on the White Creek Railroad) was posted on September 29th, 2011 and shows how radio control can be used to operate miniature train sets such as the ones that we use in Roundhouse Park. Note that, just as is done on rail railroads, they use remote control helper locomotives located in mid-train or at the back of the train to help with the load.

Posting by Russ Milland

Rocky Mountain Express opens on October 1st at the Ontario Science Centre!

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

Click on each picture for a closer look!

Stephen Low is a gifted producer of IMAX films and we have known for some time that his company, The Stephen Low Company, is working on the production of an IMAX film starring CP's #2816 Royal Hudson steam engine. The film, titled the Rocky Mountain Express, is now being released and will be featured daily at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday from October 1st through December 23rd, 2011.

For more information about the engine and the film, follow these links:

For more information about #2816, follow these links:

If you visit the Ontario Science Centre after October 13th, also consider taking in the the "Leonardo da Vinci's Workshop - The Exhibition" which features 16 exclusive scale models of his inventions including his Mechanical Lion and Robot Soldier, as well as the famous Great Kite flying machine and the Self-Propelling Cart.

Click below to watch the video trailer for the Rocky Mountain Express.

Posting by Russ Milland; Images from the CP Website

Restoration of the miniature railway's original right of way!

2011-09-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

This week a crew of TRHA volunteers are making great progress in resurrecting the old right of way from under its gravel covering where it rested while the Railway Children Production was underway. The original track was in very good shape so we expect to fully restore the railway in the very near future.

Posting by Russ Milland; Pictures by Michael Guy and Jay Larkin

The flat car's new deck is now complete!

2011-09-24T08:00:00.003-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

In the attached images, we find our Saturday crew out on the deck of the flat car celebrating its completion. Congratulations to the intrepid crew of volunteers who persisted in working on the car for many weeks now to get the job done!

Posting by Russ Milland

The Railway Children Production - An Open House video!

2011-09-20T08:00:00.008-04:00

With this TRHA News posting, we complete our coverage of the Railway Children production which happened in Roundhouse Park this past summer. The video below was taken in June of 2011 during one of a number of Open Houses held to let the public learn more about the production. In it, Bob Dickson of the TRHA speaks to the history of the steam locomotive and the passenger carriage used as a heritage train set. Then Rhona Waddington, the Resident Director of the production, speaks to the theatrical production itself.

This is a great behind the scenes glimpse into a very successful theatrical production.

Posting and video by Russ Milland

Heritage Train Returns to the U.K. - Part 2!

2011-09-18T08:00:00.002-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Continuing our report on the departure of the Heritage train set from the Railway Children production for the U.K., we find the Adams T3 Steam engine being tied down to the float and then finally departing Roundhouse Park with one serious police escort!

Click here to view a video behind the scenes of the Railway Children production!

Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Thomas Blampied & Stephen Gardiner

Heritage Train Returns to the U.K. - Part 1!

2011-09-16T08:00:00.008-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

With the successful conclusion of the Railway Children production the heritage train set consisting of the Adams T3 4-4-0 steam engine and the Director's Carriage were loaded onto truck transports this past week and will subsequently be taken by train to the east coast and then by boat back to the National Railway Museum in the United Kingdom.

In these images we see the arrival of the float which was used to carry the steam engine as well as the engine being moved to the track beside the coaling tower where the float was positioned.

Click here to read Part 2 of this TRHA News posting.

Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Thomas Blampied & Stephen Gardiner

Weekend Report - Part 2: Re-decking the flat car!

2011-09-14T08:00:00.015-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Work also continued this past weekend on the replacement of the wooden decking on the flat car. In this series of images we get a closer look at how this is done. TRHA volunteers are seen building heavy metal clips which are then used with large bolts to secure each board on the decking to the metal frame of the flat car. We have almost completed all of the decking.

Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Stephen Gardiner

Weekend Report - Part 1: Great weather! Great operations! More progress!

2011-09-12T08:00:00.005-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Weekend operations of the miniature railway continued as other TRHA volunteers addressed other tasks at hand. We disassembled a temporary structure inside the Roundhouse used with one of the portable simulators, recycling the wood for other purposes.

In the images below we continue to prepare appropriate mounting surfaces and then mount the plaques on our rolling stock. Once these are all in place, visitors will be able to read about each and every major piece of equipment as they stroll around the park. We also made great progress on the re-decking of the flat car which will be the topic of our next TRHA News posting.

Click here to read Part 2 of this TRHA Weekend report!

Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Stephen Gardiner

Roundhouse Park is getting a new neighbour - an aquarium!

2011-09-10T08:00:00.004-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

A flurry of news postings in the press in August documented the plans by Ripley's Entertainment (famed for their "Believe It or Not" roots as a corporation) to build an aquarium at the foot of the CN Tower between it and Bremner Boulevard to be opened in 2013. This will be their third aquarium in North America. It will become our immediate neighbour to the north. Here are a few news postings which speak to the new project:

No time has been lost in proceeding with construction as can be seen in the image above. For further information, visit the Ripley Aquarium Website by clicking here.

Posting by Russ Milland; Image by Michael Guy

Field Trip: West Coast Railway Heritage Park – Part 7

2011-09-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Continuing my reporting on what I learned from visiting the West Coast Railway Associations terrific museum in Squamish, B.C., I now turn to their collection of passenger cars many of which are used as museum display cars. A few are in great shape and continue to be exhibited as they appeared at the end of their service. Some have been meticulously restored and will be described in another TRHA News item. Some of them were originally part of museum trains which crossed the country at special times in our history such as the Canada's Centennial year in 1967. Other cars are filled with displays of small artefacts.

In the image at the lower left, an old computer has been interfaced to a sounder connected to a railway telegraph system that they have set up to interpret the importance of telegraph in our railway history. In the middle image below there is a display of artwork from a painter of note who donated his collection seeing their museum as an ideal home for it.

Finally in the lower right image, we find an extensive HO scale model railroad system built into one of their passenger cars by a widower who had moved to Squamish and spent a year and a half building it. The design is quite interesting as it consists basically of a layout that occupies about 2/3 of the width of the passenger car but has alcoves built in at regular intervals to provide lots of viewing area. It is difficult to photograph because of all of the glass however.

Posting and pictures by Russ Milland

Images of the U.K. Railway Children heritage train in Waterloo Station

2011-09-06T08:00:00.002-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

As the Railway Children production in Toronto fades becomes a memory, Adrian Ashby offers us the images shown here of the current production of the Railway Children in London, England. It is housed in the otherwise disused Waterloo railway station. The theatre itself is housed at the far distant end of the station in the image at the upper left. The heritage train set is powered by the two "shunter" engines shown in the middle image above. At the upper right, we find the Sterling Single steam engine used in the production.

In the images below we see both the exterior and the interior of the carriage used in the production. It has a restored and finished interior unlike the carriage used in the production in Toronto.

Click here to read the next TRHA News post about the Railway Children production

Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Adrian Ashby

Weekend Report: TRHA Volunteers were busy on many fronts!

2011-09-04T08:00:00.001-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Labour Day weekend began with a busy Saturday as TRHA Volunteers:

Shuffled equipment around outside as Roundhouse Park reverts back to its former self
Worked on the flatcar with the new decking nearing completion
Continued to install the rolling stock signage
And gave roundhouse stalls a good cleaning

Posting by Russ Milland; Photos by Jay Larkin and James Rasor

Mid-week report #2: The new portal in action!

2011-09-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

In our TRHA News posting about last weekend's activities, we said:

"While other TRHA volunteers tended to a host of maintenance tasks on the miniature railway, several of our volunteers also moved the two 4,800 lb (each) sandstone "wheel sets" (i.e. 19th century wooden wheel assembly jigs) to a new location away from their somewhat remote location in the west corner of the property. They now form a portal of sorts to the miniature train platform."

In the attached photos, we see these sandstone wheels in place as a portal as one returns to the Don Station on a trip around the miniature railway. In the third photo, we find one of our student volunteers drilling clips to be used on our re-decking of our flat car.

Posting by Russ Milland; Photos by Michael Guy

Mid-week Report #1: Many visitors as the tent comes down!

2011-08-31T08:00:00.002-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

We continue to have solid visitor traffic to the park as the main tent structure finally came down earlier this week. In the attached images, we find the last of the tent beams being brought to earth.

As this all happened, our TRHA volunteers ranks were expanded with the addition of student volunteers Eric and Cameron who can be seen standing with the crossing gates which they helped us to relocate to their original location. Work also proceeded on decking the flat car with new wood planks and on clearing dirt and construction debris from our miniature railway track.

Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Michael Guy and Jay Larkin

Weekend Report - More visitors and more costumed fans!

2011-08-29T08:00:00.012-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Sunday was cool and cloudy at first but it perked up nicely after lunch. The park was very busy with "tent people" dismantling the theatre tent inside a construction fence but it was also very busy with park visitors. By mid-day, lots of family groups were coming out to visit the playground and ride the miniature railway. Later in the afternoon, a mix of visitors appeared from both the Blue Jays game and from Fan Expo Canada 2011 being held at the Metro Convention Centre. Many of the latter were in elaborate costume and lots of photos were taken by our intrepid volunteers. A selection of those photos are shown here.

While other TRHA volunteers tended to a host of maintenance tasks on the miniature railway, several of our volunteers also moved the two 4,800 lb (each) sandstone "wheel sets" (i.e. 19th century wooden wheel assembly jigs) to a new location away from their somewhat remote location in the west corner of the property. They now form a portal of sorts to the miniature train platform.

Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Bob Dickson, Jay Larkin and Mark Pompeo

Weekend Report - Fanexpo overflows into Roundhouse Park!

2011-08-27T08:00:00.011-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

Fan Expo Canada 2011 made it’s annual appearance this year at the Metro Convention Centre beginning last Friday and running through the weekend. As in past years, fans inevitably found their way to Roundhouse park and used park and its rolling stock as a photo back drop for their pictures. Many also had rides on the mini-train. Great fun was had by both our volunteers and the fans.

Work also continued in the machine shop with continued progress on the rolling stock signage and the TH&B caboose. Note also in the images that rapid progress is being made on restoring the park to its original condition with the end of the Railway Children production. The tent covering has not been removed with the frame removal being the next step in that process.

Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Bob Dickson and James Rasor

Weekend Report - Sunday Thunderstorms and Steam

2011-08-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

On Sunday, we started as usual around noon with the mini-Whitcomb locomotive doing duty pulling passengers but we were operating under threatening skies. We also offered turntable and handcar rides. Our Sweet Creek steam engine made an appearance for a while until the thunderstorm and deluge that appeared at 3:00 p.m. sent everyone scurrying into Don Station for cover. After the skies cleared we restarted our operations again and continued until quitting time at 5:20 p.m. The volume of riders was down from Saturday but it was still quite a successful day.

In the pictures above, we find a train order signal system similar to that described in our last TRHA News posting mounted on a mast beside the miniature railway tracks on the approach into Don Station. Below we find work continuing on the restoration of the TH&B caboose. Finally, below we find one of the new plaques which we have assembled for each of our engines and pieces of rolling stock mounted on the full size CLC Whitcomb locomotive.

Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Lance Gleich

Weekend Report - Saturday Swarming of Volunteers

2011-08-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

This past weekend was our first weekend since the Railway Children production ended and, as expected, the crowds were thinner than in previous weeks. However, we had a fantastic volunteer turnout on Saturday, the best since last spring. Despite the thinner crowds, we had several hundred train riders, many of whom also rode the turntable and our handcar. All in all, it was a very successful transition back to normal operations.

Given the surge in volunteers on Saturday, there was also a team of volunteers also working in the three stalls on the caboose, the two steel benches, and storage boxes for storage of pieces of the air compressor pieces we reported on last week. Photos above show the wood restoration being done on the caboose where the existing structure unfortunately has wood rot The rotted wood is being cut out and new wood measured, cut, detailed, and spliced in place. The photos also show the two new storage boxes. These storage boxes were used equipment boxes given to us by Steam Whistle Brewery which we were delighted to recycle to meet our needs.

Posting by Russ Milland; Pictures by James Rasor

Replicating the train order system in Don Station

2011-08-21T08:00:00.002-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

One of the features of Don Station that we have wanted to replicate for a while now is the “train order signal system” that was used to control train movements beyond the station in either direction. The photos above show the signals in use at Don Station. The black and white photo from the Toronto City Archives is from 1910. The colour photos above are provided by John Mellow, one of our TRHA Board members, who also managed Don Station many years ago. They clearly show the two aspect system in operation. Click here to see John at work in Don Station years ago.

John offers the following explanation as to how the train order signal system operated:

“When the blade is upright and the aspect displays green, this indication tells the train it may proceed without restrictions and there are no train orders for the train. When the blade is in the horizontal position and the aspect is displaying red, this indication tells the train it must stop as there is a restriction for the movement for that train and it must pick up train orders and be governed accordingly before proceeding. At stations that had the ability to display a three aspect signal, red, yellow and green, the yellow indication advised the train that there were restrictions for that train, but not at this station. The train was still required to pick up orders and could therefore proceed without stopping. This really helped when running up hill with a heavy train (as in the Don valley), but more importantly gave the train a better chance to stay on time, which was really important when meeting other trains.

At stations with only a two aspect blade, the yellow indication was supplemented by use of a yellow flag by day, and a yellow flag and lantern at night. This is what we did at Don station when required. I have attached a night shot showing this and a daytime shot without this.”

Below we see a replica train order system which John has constructed to begin rebuilding the train order signals used at Don Station. The blade and holder mounted on the train order signal is one that came from the Walmsley collection. The lantern portion is from the TRHA collection. John borrowed metal hardware from a friend who has his own train order signal and we had these parts duplicated (cast). When it is finally assembled on the roof with bell cranks and proper steel rods, it will operate in the same manner as the original did for about seventy years by pulling on handles to align the blade in the appropriate position to display the correct signal.

For more information on railway signalling systems, Wikipedia is always a good place to start. Click here to read more about the history of railway signals.

Notice that we have only been able to build and install one of the two train order aspect signals which was used in Don Station. We continue to search for a second one. If you have any information on where we might find a second two aspect train order signal, please contact us.

Posting by Russ Milland; Photos by John Mellow

Historic Note: CLC Whitcomb Delivered to the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre

2011-08-20T08:00:00.011-04:00

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Derek Boles, TRHA's historian, publishes a daily posting on the Toronto Railway Heritage Yahoo Group List. These postings document major railway oriented events that happened on that day of the year. One of today's items is as follows:

.
"August 20, 2007

The Toronto Railway Heritage Centre receives its first piece of new equipment and the first newly acquired rail artifact to enter what is now Roundhouse Park in almost two decades. The Whitcomb 50 ton diesel-electric industrial switcher was built by the Canadian Locomotive Company in 1950 and used in various aggregate industries northeast of the city. In 1994, it was leased to the York-Durham Heritage Railway for work train service rebuilding the track between Stouffville and Uxbr idge. Later, it was moved to Trenton, Ontario and remained there until it was acquired by the TRHC.

The unit was chosen for acquisition because it was powerful enough to move 6213 and still fit on the turntable with the steam locomotive and its tender. The Whitcomb was delivered by road and unloaded by crane and is one of only three believed to exist in Ontario, the last in original condition and therefore of some historic interest in its own right. The locomotive is double-ended, h as two engines, two traction generators and two traction motors powering the two trucks, all arranged symmetrically about the centre cab. TRHA volunteers then began a program of cosmetic restoration followed by mechanical and electrical systems overhaul. It was decided to repaint the unit in the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Ry. paint scheme to honour this fallen flag, whose engines were frequently serviced at John Street."

If you wish to read the daily postings from Derek and learn from the discussions that result, simply join the Toronto Railway Heritage Yahoo Group List by clicking here.

Above, we see our CLC Whitcomb being delivered on that day to Roundhouse Park.

Posting by Russ Milland; Pictures by Michael Guy, TRHA

Heritage Train images as the Railway Children production draws to a close!

2011-08-17T08:00:00.008-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

As the Railway Children production closed on Sunday afternoon after the 115th performance, several of our volunteers took the opportunity to capture some photos of the Heritage Train setup on the turntable in Roundhouse Park. At the above left, Michael Guy captures the T3 Steam Engine in the evening light. In the other images, Stephen Gardiner has captured night images of the train set, turntable and tent during one of the last evening performances.

Click here to read the next TRHA News post about the Railway Children production

Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Michael Guy & Stephen Gardiner

Weekend Report: Restoration work continues!

2011-08-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Click on each image for a closer look!

This past weekend, our volunteers continued to operate attractions in Roundhouse Park with many visitors enjoying miniature train rides, hand car rides and tours of the Roundhouse and the Park.

Inside the renovation area in the roundhouse, another team of volunteers continued to work to restore the TH&B Caboose with progress being made on replacing significant amounts of rotted wood in the cupola area as shown in these images.

Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Stephen Gardiner

Traintalk.TV - A web resource for all railfans and modellers

2011-08-13T08:00:00.003-04:00

One of our volunteers, Bob Dickson, brought to our attention a great resource for train lovers everywhere - www.traintalk.tv. The web-based resource is produced out of Calgary, Alberta by Neil Enock. As it says on their website:

"Train Talk is a project of Neil Enock, a long-time train buff. Neil started in HO when he was a kid and has been a modeler in various gauges since them. Past President of the Alberta Model Engineering Society, a live steam group in Airdrie, Alberta, Neil is currently a fan of … well… All Things Train, and it just seemed like a good idea."

He provides us with a wealth of information through many different media channels including weekly newsletters, videos and podcasts. Visit their website by clicking here.

Below is one of his recent video podcasts featuring CP's Royal Hudson #2816 starting out on this summer's tour of Western Canada.

Posting by Russ Milland