There are several railway museums operating in Canada, ranging from large and representative institutions to very small museums run by local railway enthusiasts. Below are brief descriptions of the most significant ones, displays history of railway in Canada over the past decades.
Canadian Railway Museum – a large railway museum also known as “Exporail” The museum is located in Saint-Constant, near Montreal, and can be reached by suburban train (Saint-Constant station, CA line).
The museum receives excellent reviews and boasts an extensive collection of carriages and locomotives from various periods of railway history in Canada (over 140 pieces). From mid-May to October, there is also an exhibition of rolling stock outside the museum hall. During the same period, visitors can ride a miniature railway, a historic tram, and a passenger train with a retro carriage (a vintage train only on Sundays).
Approximately 25,000 documents and other artifacts related to the history of railways in Canada are available for visitors.
Winnipeg Railway Museum – a railway museum located at the Winnipeg Union Station. The exhibition is set up on tracks 1 and 2. Among the exhibits, visitors can find the steam locomotive Countess of Dufferin, diesel and electric locomotives, old carriages, technical devices, and an exhibit on the history of women in Canadian railways.
Winnipeg Railway Museum – official website
Alberta Railway Museum – the museum located in a remote area 10 kilometers from Edmonton and is run by volunteers. The collection is impressive for a museum of this type, with over 75 carriages, locomotives, railcars, and technical vehicles. Additionally, short rides on retro trains are organized. According to the museum’s website, it is the third largest railway museum in Canada.
Alberta Railway Museum – official website
Toronto Railway Museum – a railway museum situated in downtown Toronto, near the famous CN Tower. Some vehicles are displayed in the park and can be admired for free, while part of the collection, a locomotive simulator, and other exhibits are housed in the former roundhouse building, where admission is charged. During the season, a miniature railway also operates. Online reviews are mixed, with some people rating the museum very low and others considering it worth a visit, especially if accompanied by children.
Toronto Railway Museum – official website
Northern Ontario Railroad Museum & Heritage Centre – a small railway museum in Capreol (The Canadian train stops here), near Sudbury. The museum is divided into three parts. The first part is located in a Victorian house from 1916, where there is a tea room, a gift shop, and restrooms for visitors, with several rooms turned into exhibits. Besides a room dedicated to the railway, there is a room about the history of the lumber and mining industries in the region and an exhibit of old communication and telegraph equipment.
Behind the house is Prescott Park, where visitors can see historic locomotives and carriages. The park is small, so there aren’t many exhibits, but they are well-maintained.
The third part is in a building that formerly served the local government, police, and fire department, taken over by the museum in 2011. In addition to a scientific library, the building features several themed exhibits on topics such as incarceration, barbering, and sports. The railway is represented by a model railway layout.
Northern Ontario Railroad Museum & Heritage Centre – official website
Related articles:
Train travel in Canada – a general overview
Funicular railways in Canada
Tourist railways in Canada
