Cities across Canada are travelling back to the future as they look to railways as tourist attractions and important transportation links.
In the city of Waterloo, the Waterloo Central Railway (WCR) has started carrying tourists on an 11-km ride into the countryside north of the city. The operation is a partnership between the City of Waterloo, the Region of Waterloo and the Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society (SOLRS).
"The WCR is owned and operated by the SOLRS," says Roy Broadbear, president of the society. "We're a registered charity with over 100 members. We've been restoring vintage equipment, especially steam engines, since 1986."
The society is based out of St. Thomas, a half-hour drive south of London. Unlike other tourist railways, the society doesn't own any track. "We operate on other people's track," Broadbear explains, "wherever we can negotiate some time."
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| Photo courtesy of Prairie Dog Central Railroad |
| Prairie Dog Central Railroad VP Bryan Harmer, left, and GM Paul Newsome are ready for action. |
The WCR is the society's first semi-permanent installation.
"Canadian National was removing tracks in St. Thomas; we needed more places to operate," says Broadbear. "There was a tourist railway on Waterloo's line until 1999 when it went out of business. It had tracks and a ready-made station. We'd taken the steam engine for an excursion there during the 2003 Oktoberfest and had a great response, so it was an obvious choice."
Pat Rutter, economic development officer for the City of Waterloo, says: "The restoration society approached us last October. We'd bought the station to house our Visitor and Heritage Information Centre and we were interested in increasing traffic. The tourist railway seemed ideal."
After the old tourist operation failed, the Region of Waterloo bought the line to protect the right-of-way for a potential LRT line. The WCR leases the track. Operations have already been a success, carrying 3,000 passengers in the first month.
"The old railway had more costs to carry," says Rutter. "It leased the line from CN and built the Waterloo station building.
"They were a for-profit business and weren't able to sustain themselves. Since the WCR started, we've seen about a 10-fold increase in the amount of traffic we normally see."
The operation is more than just a tourist train. "They're using it as a commuter service to the Farmer's Market, buying groceries up there while avoiding parking hassles," says Broadbear. "This is new to us, as we've only been in the education and entertainment business before."
Tourist railways are popular across North America, preserving local heritage, boosting tourism, and protecting rights-of-way for future transportation development.
The touristrailways.com portal lists 26 attractions in Canada. Many are non-profit operations maintained by volunteers.
Paul Newsome, general manager of the Prairie Dog Central Railroad, shows that enthusiasm as he talks about his operation, northwest of Winnipeg.
"If it wasn't for the railway, Canada would not exist," says Newsome. "It is important to preserve this, so that generations today can understand what the railroad meant to us."
The Prairie Dog Central recreates railroading in the Prairies, circa 1910.
"We go through three rural municipalities: Rosser, Rockwood and Woodlands, which provide tax relief on our roadbed," says Newsome. "Our regular train makes two stops, at the hamlets of Grosse Isle and Warren."
The railway has become a heritage catalyst.
"Grosse Isle acquired a former CPR station, cleaned it up, and made it available to us as a waiting shelter," says Newsome.
"They also moved a heritage house to broaden the historic pieces they offer.
"A grain elevator was gifted from Agricore to the Rural Municipality of Woodlands, which then leased it jointly to the West Inlerlake Trading Co. in Warren and ourselves, and they use it to add an agricultural component to the history we display."
At each stop, Prairie Dog passengers are met by local vendors who sell to the passengers. "It's not unlike what used to happen with small communities a hundred years ago when the train was the link with the outside world," says Newsome.
Where the Prairie Dog Central preserves rural railroading, the Edmonton Radial Railway Society (ERRS) preserves an urban railroad heritage. "We had streetcars up to 1951 and then they were abandoned," says society president Hans Ryffel. "One car was kept as a souvenir, but was left outside and allowed to deteriorate."
In 1979, during Edmonton's 75th anniversary, the streetcar was fixed up and operated over the High Level Bridge - a road and rail bridge across the North Saskatchewan River that used to carry streetcars.
"It was a big success," says Ryffel. "After that, people got together and founded the ERRS to preserve the streetcar history of Edmonton."
At the same time, the city was setting up Fort Edmonton Park, recreating life in the city over four historical periods.
"It was intended to have a streetcar line, so it all came together," says Ryffel. "We built them a carbarn and workshop. The city maintains it, gives us free lodging and pays an annual stipend. In return we operate daily streetcar service in the park."
Jan Archbold, communications manager for City of Edmonton Attractions, says: "The radial railway is a valuable partner. The streetcars are the first thing people see when they enter the park and their enthusiasm in riding sets the tone for their experience afterward."
The ERRS has acquired 22 pieces of equipment and a satellite operation across the High Level Bridge.
"The High Level Bridge is a historical landmark and quite special," says Ryffel. "When the railways pulled out, people made sure the rails weren't pulled out. We bought a streetcar from Osaka, originally for parts, but the Japanese shipped it in such good condition we decided to use it for operation over the bridge."
Operations started in 1997 over part of the bridge and gradually expanded.
The streetcar now operates daily from mid-May to Labour Day and on weekends until Thanksgiving, carrying as many as 45,000 passengers annually.
The streetcars in Fort Edmonton Park carried 120,000 passengers in 2006.
"It's about history and culture," says Ryffel. "We're restoring an original Edmonton car to its 1912 condition so people can travel across the High Level Bridge the way their grandparents did. We spend a lot to preserve old buildings and streetcars are part of the city culture."
In Vancouver, the Downtown Historic Railway (DHR) is a demonstration of future possibilities.
"Fifteen years ago, city council were considering redeveloping the False Creek area south of the downtown core," says Dale Laird, operations superintendent for the DHR. "They wanted to create a community where people wouldn't need to own a car. They thought what they needed was a streetcar that could circulate into the business district."
Then Canadian Pacific proposed redeveloping its spur line into the area. Worried at the loss of this right-of-way, city council approached CP and bought the tracks. "As they had the rails, they figured they could run a demonstrator," says Laird. "But where could they find the cars?" Fortunately Laird, also vice-president of Vancouver's Transit Museum Society (TRAMS), knew where to look.
"In 1992, for their centennial, BC Transit restored one of the last interurban cars to run in Vancouver, but they had nowhere to run it. I went to the city and got people to put it all together."
In 1998, TRAMS volunteers were operating the car over a kilometre of track near Granville Island. During the next decade, another car was added and the line extended to Science World at the east end of False Creek.
"We only operated weekends and holidays from mid-May to October last year, about 60 days in total, but we carried about 16,000 passengers," says Laird.
The DHR line had to shut down this summer as the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) moved up construction of its Olympic Village and temporarily forced the railway from its home, but Laird expects the streetcars will be back.
"Next summer, First Avenue will be rebuilt with double track down the centre of the street," says Laird. "The streetcar will come back in 2008, but not operate to Science World until 2009."
Vancouver hopes the railway will become the core of a network stretching through downtown, using new cars. Heritage vehicles will operate during weekends and special occasions. "City council approved the plan in principle," says Laird. "They're waiting for help from the federal government.
"Our biggest problem is that city council refuses to recognize the Downtown Historic Railway as a tourist attraction," he adds. "We have Vancouverites encountering us and asking why they haven't heard of us before. On the other hand, I'm getting e-mails from around the world, disappointed we're not running this year."
Broadbear knows of similar plans Waterloo Region has for its right-of-way. "We know the track has been dedicated as part of its LRT plan, and we support it, but we hope we can continue to operate in partnership. This September, we'll be bringing steam tours up the Waterloo Central during Oktoberfest. That will be a big draw."
Perhaps the greatest contribution of tourist railways is to remind passengers of the role railroads had in getting people around in the past, and the role they could play in the future.
"We've worked at these relationships and people are happy to have the train on the line," says Newsome. "Some people see trains as a nuisance, but our folks think they're great."
Web Watch: www.steam-train.org/WCR /main.htm
www.edmonton-radial-rail way.ab.ca (James Bow can be reached at bow@businessedge.ca)
