RestorationOct 18, 2026
The boiler is out
After three days of careful rigging, Engine 509’s boiler was lifted clear of the frame and set on cribbing in the shop. First job: count the rivets. All 2,400 of them.
News + shop journal
Updates from the restoration shop, the collection and the people who keep it running.
CollectionOct 2, 2026
Turntable gets new bearings for its 115th birthday
The centre bearing was replaced for only the third time in the turntable’s life. It turns even more smoothly now, which is saying something.
RestorationSept 21, 2026
Daylight Coach seats finished at last
Six winters, 72 seats and 400 metres of hand-woven fabric later, the coach looks the way it did on its first morning run in 1928.
MuseumSept 5, 2026
Record summer: 41,000 visitors and 9,000 train rides
Thank you to everyone who came, and to the volunteers who worked 18,000 hours to make it happen.
LearningAug 14, 2026
Virtual field trips now reach 300 classrooms
Our live sessions from the cab of 1218 have now been seen by students in every province, plus one very enthusiastic class in Iceland.