Mtl To Van, any RR Museums?

jambo101

Member
I'm off on the big drive across Canada and back starting on July 14 and was wondering if there are any good Railway museums that would be worth a stop.Going out we will be following the Trans Canada to Calgary and then on to Vancouver Island,on the return trip we will be doing the Banff to Jasper to Edmonton route..Thanks
 

60103

Pooh Bah
I don't get the second post.

You should get the Trackside guide. This lists all the relics across the country, and tells you roughly where the museums are. Also has track plans for the major cities.
Museum in Winnipeg station. Prairie Dog Central steam runs.
Saskatoon
Edmonton (3+ locations), Stettler, Calgary
Lots of spots in BC.
 
If your LHS doesn't have it, you can order it direct - perhaps a bit late for now
http://www.bytownrailwaysociety.ca/sales.htm

Smiths Falls Railway Museum, Smiths Falls, ON
http://www.sfrmeo.ca

Canada Science & Technology Museum, Ottawa, ON. You can also see Bytown Railway Society's equipment at the CSTM,

Lots of places in Northern Ontario where there are one-of-kind artifacts. For example, Chapleau, ON a 2-8-2 Mikado. White River, a division point on the CP Rail trans-Canada line.

The Western Development Museums in the Prairie Provinces usually have artifacts. Again the Canadian Trackside Guide will list these items, city-by-city within each Province starting in BC and going eastwards to Newfoundland & Labrador.

When travelling through the Rockies, try to spend the night in Field BC (30 km west of Lake Louise). Camping right in Field, B&Bs, Kicking Horse Lodge, reasonable prices for the area. This is the most spectacular railfanning territory in North America. In the 30 km between Lake Louise and Field, CP Rail trains climb an extra 600' and then drop 1,200' in 6 miles through 2 spiral tunnels, a rock avalanche shed, and a bunch of smaller tunnels. The territory between Field and Golden BC is also spectacular with the CP line running right alongside the rushing Kicking Horse river. West of Golden is the start of the Selkirks and the infamous Roger's Pass. Take a bit of time to cruise the yards at Golden as the coal trains come up the Columbia River valley to go to Vancouver. You can see the railway line across the valley to the summit as the trains snake across a narrow ledge up to the summit. Two tunnels go through the mountain. Stop at the visitor centre at Glacier and take a look at the model of the tunnels. Then take a walk on the original roadbed over the pass.

As you descend on the west side, keep your eyes open for the entrance to the new McDonald tunnel. Keep an eye open for the railway line as it roller-coasters down the Illacilawet River down into Revelstoke. At Revelstoke, stop in at the Revelstoke Railway Museum. It's well worth the stop.

I could go on and on and on, but this would take up a lot of time. I'm sure you'll get some input from other folks. But first and foremost, pick up the Canadian Trackside Guide. Give Hobby Junction a call. Perhaps ExpoRail in St Constant has a copy. Or stop in at Larkspur Line in Merrickville. It's one of those "don't-leave-home-without-it" items.

Enjoy your trip. (I know you will!)

Bob M.
 

Squidbait

Recovering ALCO-holic
In Ontario, there's quite a few choices. There's the South Simcoe Railway at Tottenham, the Halton Radial Railway Museum, the Elgin Country Railway Museum, and the Smith's Falls Railway Museum. The Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa has some interesting pieces, but I don't know how many are on display anymore.


You could visit the Prairie Dog Central in MB.

In Saskatchewan, there's the SK Railway Museum in Saskatoon

Well, there's the Alberta Railway Museum in Edmonton, and there's Heritage Park in Calgary.

Just north of Vancouver in Squamish is the West Coast Railway Heritage Park. There are museums on the island, and in Prince George, too, but they're not on your route.
 

Biased turkey

Active Member
I'm off on the big drive across Canada and back starting on July 14 and was wondering if there are any good Railway museums that would be worth a stop.Going out we will be following the Trans Canada to Calgary and then on to Vancouver Island,on the return trip we will be doing the Banff to Jasper to Edmonton route..Thanks


Exporail in St. Constant.
Nice avatar lol

About the trackside guide, I'm quite sure I saw several copies of it at "Udisco" hobby store on Decarie blvd, next to Snowdon métro station.

Jacques

P.S. Here is my big avatar:

CP7077.jpg
 

galt904

Member
There are also other sites along the way that are only 5 minute stops for a quick photo, such as the Alco in Marathon, Ontario, and the SW1200 in Kenore Ontario. The Trans-Canada is right next to rail lines in a lot of places across the country...

Not on the Trans-Canada, but there is also the big bridge in Lethbridge and the Shakespeare tunnels in Hope BC...
 

RobertInOntario

Active Member
In Ontario, there's quite a few choices. There's the South Simcoe Railway at Tottenham, the Halton Radial Railway Museum, the Elgin Country Railway Museum, and the Smith's Falls Railway Museum. The Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa has some interesting pieces, but I don't know how many are on display anymore.


Also, don't forget the fairly new Waterloo Central Railway (www.steam-train.org), the York-Durham Heritage Railway (www.ydhr.on.ca), and Toronto's John Street Roundhouse (www.trha.ca) which is being turned into a railway museum. There is also the Port Stanley Terminal Railway (www.pstr.on.ca) just south of the Elgin County Railway Museum (this railway is in Pt. Stanley, just south of St. Thomas).

HTH! Rob
 
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