The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) Operating Hours
6/01/2019
The Toronto Railway Museum is open 5 days per week (Wednesday through Sunday) from 12:00 p.m. (noon) to 5:00 p.m.. Admission to the museum is $5.00 for those 14 and older, and $3.00 for children under 14. The Miniature Train ride tickets are a separate fee and are $3.50 for those 14 and older, and $2.50 for children under 14. The miniature train rides is now operating weekends (weather permitting) until mid June when it will operate 7 days per week until Labour Day. Click here for more information.
We want to thank the thousands of visitors who visit our museum, enjoy the miniature railway and donate to the Toronto Railway Museum. Your support made it possible for us to continue to celebrate and interpret Toronto's fascinating railway history. Our hard-working volunteers continue to be busy restoring our equipment and preparing new displays. 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.
10/27/2018
Click on each image for a closer look!
8/01/2018
Come visit the Toronto Railway Museum on Saturday, August 4th from noon to 3:00 p.m. at Don Station, where we will be hosting a book signing of the comprehensive new book: The Portage Railway.
For more information on this great new book, click here.
Grab a copy from our Gift Shop and get it signed by the authors while you're here.
Don't forget our museum and mini train will also be open for a full day of train fun!
Image credits "H.D. Riney, J. Young Collection"
Click on each image for a closer look!
7/22/2018
Click on the image for a closer look!
5/24/2018
Click on each image for a closer look!
Each year since 2002 we have hosted an open house in Roundhouse Park and the John St. Roundhouse. In 2002, we simply opened the doors to the Roundhouse and let visitors peer in at the collection of dust covered buildings, engines and rolling stored inside. As we grew the museum over the next few years and officially opened it in May of 2010 we continued to open our busy summer season with a two day event on the same weekend as Toronto's Doors Open event and it has become a tradition.
We continue this year with what we call our "17th Annual TRHA Open Doors Event" on Saturday, May 26th and Sunday, May 27th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Above and beyond visits to our existing Museum, diesel cab simulation experience, rides on our miniature train and our Don Station Gift Shop, we will offer added attractions as follows\;
Click on each image for a closer look!
2/16/2018
This year we will have activities for children of all ages. For older children we have a museum scavenger hunt, where kids can explore the museum and learn more about Toronto’s railway history while searching for clues. For younger children we offer a museum bingo card, which allows kids and parents to think about the shapes, colours, and numbers they see in the museum. There will be prizes available for those who participate! As always we also have our railway simulator and model trains to enjoy. We will be open all weekend, Feb. 17-19, 12 to 5 p.m. and these activities are included in our museum admission prices.
12/12/2017
Click on the image for a closer look!
The Clare Copeland electrical station has been under development for many years now right behind our Roundhouse Museum. It was designed to be almost completely underground and, as shown in the rendering above, is to have a park-like above ground presence.
The excellent Urban Toronto website has a very current article at the link below which speaks to and shows how it looks now that it is finally nearing completion:
Day in the Life of a Restoration Volunteer
Over the past 17 years, the
bulk of the development work for the Toronto Railway Museum has been
done by our volunteer community. Here is a glimpse into the life of members of one of the Volunteer Teams who has and is making this happen.
Day in the Life of a Restoration Volunteer
Most restoration volunteers arrive in the workshop in early
to mid-morning - some by car, some by bike, and some by bus or subway. The museum and workshop are adjacent to some
of Toronto’s other major attractions: the
Rogers Centre, Ripley’s Aquarium, the CN Tower and Steam Whistle Brewery.
After the volunteers sign in they plan the day’s restoration
activities, taking into account the maintenance and operations requirements of
the museum. There may be as few as two or as many as ten volunteers at work on
Thursdays and Saturdays, the days that most volunteers find convenient to come
to the museum.
There is a lot of variety in the volunteer tasks. Some volunteers have chosen to work on continuing
long-term projects while others are more interested in rotating from project to
project, guided by the plan for that day.
On any one day there may be scraping, painting, polishing, sanding, grinding,
sawing, hammering, caulking, greasing re-greasing and de-greasing underway. And
on most days there is a general clean-up at the end of “the shift”.
Work on outdoor restorations might be curtailed due to the
weather or due to the operations of our neighbors, Steam Whistle Brewery and
The Rec Room.
Lunch is a collegial, picnic style affair – outside in the summer
shade of the roundhouse or around the meeting room in “Cape Race”, the former
CP business car now undergoing restoration in the roundhouse. Volunteers with a sweet tooth (most of them,
it would seem) appreciate the frequent donations of fresh baked goods brought
from home.
While the plans for each day provide overall guidance there
is often a requirement for problem solving or improvisation on the shop floor
or on the grounds outside. Volunteers
will identify the problems, consult with others on the possible solutions and
decide as a team on how to proceed.
Health and safety come first in the evaluation of any decisions.
The volunteer work day ends about 4:00. Most volunteers stick around for an informal
debriefing session - smiles and laughter about what went well during the day,
and commiseration and shared learnings over any events that didn’t work out as
planned.
The museum is always looking for new volunteers to work on
our many restoration projects. Do you
have previous metal shop, woodworking or general home improvement skills? Would
you like to contribute to the museum’s mission of preserving and communicating
Toronto’s railway history? Then please
contact the TRHA Volunteer Coordinator for further information: volunteer@trha.ca
.
Book signing this weekend at the Museum
Come visit the Toronto Railway Museum on Saturday, August 4th from noon to 3:00 p.m. at Don Station, where we will be hosting a book signing of the comprehensive new book: The Portage Railway.
For more information on this great new book, click here.
Grab a copy from our Gift Shop and get it signed by the authors while you're here.
Don't forget our museum and mini train will also be open for a full day of train fun!
Image credits "H.D. Riney, J. Young Collection"
Click on each image for a closer look!
"The History of the John Street Roundhouse" - A new exhibit
Click on the image for a closer look!
We continually work to steadily update our exhibits at the Toronto
Railway Museum. Make sure to visit our
newest exhibit at the Toronto Railway Museum: The History of the John Street
Roundhouse! (see photo above).
Thanks to the students at the University of Toronto Faculty of
Information for putting together this exhibit about the history of our
space.
We also added some interaction in
the form of flip boards to the right of the new exhibit and rearranged the inside entrance
area for a cleaner more welcoming look.
Posted by Russ Milland
TRHA Open Doors Event happens this weekend!
Click on each image for a closer look!
Each year since 2002 we have hosted an open house in Roundhouse Park and the John St. Roundhouse. In 2002, we simply opened the doors to the Roundhouse and let visitors peer in at the collection of dust covered buildings, engines and rolling stored inside. As we grew the museum over the next few years and officially opened it in May of 2010 we continued to open our busy summer season with a two day event on the same weekend as Toronto's Doors Open event and it has become a tradition.
We continue this year with what we call our "17th Annual TRHA Open Doors Event" on Saturday, May 26th and Sunday, May 27th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Above and beyond visits to our existing Museum, diesel cab simulation experience, rides on our miniature train and our Don Station Gift Shop, we will offer added attractions as follows\;
- Visits to our Caboose, GO Cab Car and Cabin D
- A train show featuring three operating model railway exhibits and several railway related exhibits including a tribute to Via Canada on its 40th Anniversary
- Visits to the restoration area where a fireless steam locomotive and the first CP Diesel Switcher are being restored
- FREE admission to the Museum (Train rides will be available at the normal ticket prices)
Click on each image for a closer look!
Celebrate Family Day Weekend with the Toronto Railway Museum this weekend!
This year we will have activities for children of all ages. For older children we have a museum scavenger hunt, where kids can explore the museum and learn more about Toronto’s railway history while searching for clues. For younger children we offer a museum bingo card, which allows kids and parents to think about the shapes, colours, and numbers they see in the museum. There will be prizes available for those who participate! As always we also have our railway simulator and model trains to enjoy. We will be open all weekend, Feb. 17-19, 12 to 5 p.m. and these activities are included in our museum admission prices.
Black History Month exhibit
This month we also a special Black History Month exhibit which focuses on the achievements of 32 black inventors, many of whom were very involved as pioneers in the development of the railways of North America.
Do come out and visit us on any one of the three days!
This month we also a special Black History Month exhibit which focuses on the achievements of 32 black inventors, many of whom were very involved as pioneers in the development of the railways of North America.
Do come out and visit us on any one of the three days!
Click on the image for a closer look!
Clare Copeland Eletrical Station - Status!
The Clare Copeland electrical station has been under development for many years now right behind our Roundhouse Museum. It was designed to be almost completely underground and, as shown in the rendering above, is to have a park-like above ground presence.
The excellent Urban Toronto website has a very current article at the link below which speaks to and shows how it looks now that it is finally nearing completion:
Posted by Russ Milland