13 June 2009
Alberta Central Train Museum Celebrates 17th Anniversary
The latest acquisition in the Alberta Central Railway Museum
collection is Rail Diesel Car 9108 better known as a Dayliner. This car operated on passenger runs from Montreal Windsor Station to
New York State from 1956 until 1977 and as a commuter train until 1985. Canadian Pacific ran this same equipment from Calgary to
Edmonton between 1955 and 1985. From 1977 it was operated by VIA Rail Canada. The CPR converted this RDC to an exhibit and instruction
car in 1985 and renumbered it as car 91. At Alberta Central Railway Museum it will be restored with the passenger and baggage
compartments as built in 1956 by the Budd Car Manufacturing Company.
Wetaskawin Alberta - The sound of a train engine
being fired up excited the visitors as they readied themselves for a trip back in time.
The Alberta Central Railway Museum attracted a steady stream of people, young and old to check out its exhibits of Central Alberta's
railway history and take a ride on an old passenger train. It was all part of the museum's 17th anniversary celebration
7 June 2009.
"It has been 17 years since we opened in 1992, and every year we have a bit of a party," said operations manager Bill Wilson
of the museum that is located south east of Wetaskiwin.
That party included a pancake breakfast, birthday cake, and a tour of the museum grounds via its own train.
"Most of the people come for the train ride. We have a model track and we run a passenger train," he said. Wilson, himself
was dressed in full conductor's garb, as he served up a pancake breakfast, before getting the train ready for its first set of
passengers.
The one-mile track runs around the 10-acre parcel of land that hosts old and relic buildings like grain
elevators that once stood alongside many rail stops across the prairies.
Wilson said the museum allows visitors to experience a trip back in time, seeing what the railway offered Central Alberta.
"We have the exhibitions here and there is a scale model of the Wetaskiwin (rail) yards in the 1930s and then we have a display
of the telegraph and on our Railway Day (in August) we have the telegraph working," he explained.
"Thats when the passenger trains were still running. Right up until 1985 we had the passenger trains running right up to Edmonton
and Calgary.
"(Visitors) are quite impressed and they figure we are doing a good job."
According to Wilson, the museum started off small 17 years ago and bit-by-bit pieces have been added to a collection,
which continues to grow.
"It took us a while to get the model track built. We were probably 10 years building the track and the Canadian Pacific Railway
(CPR) donated the rolling stock. So as it becomes available they bring it into Wetaskiwin and we truck it out here," said Wilson,
who added the donations come exclusively from CPR, because of Wetaskiwin's historical connection to the rail line. The city was a
large and central terminal at one time.
Vince Burke.
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