Waterloo Central Railway

Last updated
Waterloo Central Railway
WCR nov 5 2008 hor tac.jpg
Waterloo Central Railway equipment parked at the former Waterloo station.
Locale Ontario
Terminus Elmira
St. Jacobs
Commercial operations
Built by Waterloo Junction Railway
Original gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Preserved operations
Owned byTrack owned by the Region of Waterloo
Operated bySouthern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society
Stations Elmira
St. Jacobs
Length6 miles (10 km)
Preserved gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Commercial history
Opened1891
Preservation history
1921 Canadian National Railway inherits line
1990Canadian National Railway sells line to Waterloo – St. Jacobs Railway
1997Waterloo – St. Jacobs Railway commences operation
1999Waterloo – St. Jacobs Railway ends operation
2000 Regional Municipality of Waterloo acquires right-of-way
2003Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society steam tour visits
2007Waterloo Central Railway commences operation
2015Waterloo Central Railway leaves Waterloo and moves operation north to St. Jacobs Farmers Market
Headquarters St. Jacobs, Ontario
Website
www.waterloocentralrailway.com

The Waterloo Central Railway (WCR) is a non-profit heritage railway owned and operated by the Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society (SOLRS). In May 2007, SOLRS received joint approval from the Region of Waterloo and the City of Waterloo to run trains from Waterloo to St. Jacobs and potentially as far north as Elmira. On a typical operating day, the train runs three times a day on Tuesdays (June to August), Thursdays (May to October) and Saturdays (April to October). In 2015, the railway lost regular running rights south of Northfield Drive to make way for the Ion light rail project. All Market Train service now runs between St. Jacobs Farmers' Market, the Village of St. Jacobs, and Elmira, Ontario.

Contents

The train also runs on certain special events including the Maple Syrup Festival in early April. [1]

Operations and milestones

Running rights

The WCR operates on the former Canadian National Waterloo Spur now owned by the Region of Waterloo, which connects Elmira, St. Jacobs and Waterloo to Kitchener, Ontario by rail. Through an agreement with the Region of Waterloo, the WCR operates passenger service in daytime hours, and the Goderich–Exeter Railway operates freight service in evening hours. From 2007 to 2014, the WCR leased space in the City of Waterloo Visitor and Heritage Information Centre which was formerly owned by the Waterloo-St. Jacobs Railway. As of 2015, the WCR no longer operates south of Northfield Drive.

Before 2007

The Waterloo-St. Jacobs Railway operated on the Waterloo Spur between 1997 and 2000. When it ceased operations, the Region of Waterloo purchased the railway right-of-way and the City of Waterloo acquired the railway's modern Waterloo station. SOLRS operated on the line briefly in 2003 as part of a province-wide steam tour in Ontario.

Spirit of St. Jacobs on the first day of service Waterloo-St. Jacobs Railway, July 12, 1997 Spirit of St. Jacobs locomotive.jpg
Spirit of St. Jacobs on the first day of service Waterloo-St. Jacobs Railway, July 12, 1997

2007 to 2014

The inaugural season began in 2007 with diesel-hauled service serving Waterloo, St. Jacobs Market and the Village of St. Jacobs on Market Days. ex-Essex Terminal Railway Steam Engine Number 9 was moved along with most of the SOLRS equipment from St. Thomas to Waterloo Region in the fall. Santa Claus trains begin this season as well. The 2008 season added annual excursions to service the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival. In 2010 a restoration and service shop in St. Jacobs allowed for the reactivation of the restoration programme. Ex. ETR #9 was stored under cover for the first time since it arrived from St. Thomas. Ex. CN 79482 caboose was restored as WCR 482 and returned to service. Ex. CNR 50845 Burro Crane and steam locomotive 124 were relocated to St. Jacobs.

The final train departed from Waterloo Station on Sunday, December 14, 2014. No further services will depart from the Waterloo station.

2015-present

The Elmira station in March 2019 Elmira WCR station - March 2019.jpg
The Elmira station in March 2019

In 2015, the St. Jacobs Farmers Market Station became the main departure point for all future Market Train departures. The 2017 season began with an excursion to the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival departing from the St. Jacobs Farmers Market station on 1 April 2017.

The Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society also runs a Rail School to teach people certain aspects of train operation. On completion of the full hours of training, graduates can receive Ministry of Transportation Certification as Engineer, Conductor, or Safety Crew. [2]

As of the 2018 season, the railway's southern terminus is Northfield Drive in Waterloo, just north of the Ion system's Northfield station.

Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society

The Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society (SOLRS) is the parent organization that operates the Waterloo Central Railway. SOLRS became a registered Canadian charity in 1988 and maintains that status today. The mandate of SOLRS is to preserve, restore and operate vintage railway equipment for the education and enjoyment of the public and to present the cultural heritage in a new and more meaningful way to generations past, present and future.

Equipment

Equipment at St. Jacobs station WCR equipment.jpg
Equipment at St. Jacobs station

Locomotives

Rolling stock

SOLRS operates a variety of heritage passenger cars in active service, and it owns other cars that await restoration. When SOLRS takes extended tours, they also bring a baggage car, two air-dump hopper cars, two boxcars and a tanker with them.

Former locomotives and rolling stock

Restoration shop

Construction on a restoration and repair shop in the Village of St. Jacobs was completed in mid-2010.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario Northland Railway</span> Railway in Northern Ontario, Canada

The Ontario Northland Railway is a Canadian railway operated by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, a provincial Crown agency of the government of Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elmira, Ontario</span> Unincorporated community in Ontario, Canada

Elmira is the largest community in the township of Woolwich, Ontario, Canada. It is 15 kilometres (9 mi) north of the city of Waterloo near the Regional Municipality of Waterloo's northern border with Wellington County. The community was listed in the 2016 Canadian census as having a population of 10,161.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4-8-4</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and four trailing wheels on two axles. The type was first used by the Northern Pacific Railway, and initially named the Northern Pacific, but railfans and railroad employees have shortened the name since its introduction. It is most-commonly known as a Northern.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montreal Locomotive Works</span> Defunct Canadian locomotive manufacturer

Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) was a Canadian railway locomotive manufacturer that existed under several names from 1883 to 1985, producing both steam and diesel locomotives. For many years it was a subsidiary of the American Locomotive Company. MLW's headquarters and manufacturing facilities were in Montreal, Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Jacobs, Ontario</span> Unincorporated community in Ontario, Canada

St. Jacobs is an unincorporated suburban community in the township of Woolwich in Waterloo Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada. It is located north of the city of Waterloo. It is a popular location for tourism, due to its quaint appearance, retail focus, and Mennonite heritage. Waterloo Region is still home to the largest population of Old Order Mennonites in Canada, particularly in the areas around St Jacobs and Elmira. They are often seen on the local roads using their traditional horse and buggy transportation; many also use horses to pull the implements in their farm fields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Motors Diesel</span> Subsidiary of General Motors

General Motors Diesel was a railway diesel locomotive manufacturer located in London, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1949 as the Canadian subsidiary of the Electro-Motive Diesel division of General Motors (EMD). In 1969 it was re-organized as the "Diesel Division of General Motors of Canada, Ltd." The plant was re-purposed to include manufacture of other diesel-powered General Motors vehicles such as buses. Following the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement in 1989, all of EMD's locomotives were built at the London facility. In 2005 new owners of EMD renamed the Canadian subsidiary "Electro-Motive Canada". The plant was closed by EMD's new owner Progress Rail in 2012, with EMD's production remaining in LaGrange, Illinois and Muncie, Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Locomotive Company</span>

The Canadian Locomotive Company, commonly referred to as CLC, was a Canadian manufacturer of railway locomotives located in Kingston, Ontario. Its works were located on the south side of Ontario Street between William and Gore streets on Kingston's waterfront.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway</span> Former railway in Canada

The Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway was a railway based in Hamilton that ran in Southern Ontario from 1892 to 1987. It never reached the other two cities in its name although it had branch lines extending to Dunnville and Port Maitland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Hudson</span> Canadian steam locomotive series

The Royal Hudsons are a series of semi-streamlined 4-6-4 "Hudson" type steam locomotives formerly owned and operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and built by Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW). The engines were built in 1937. In 1939, King George VI allowed the CPR to use the term after Royal Hudson number 2850 transported the royal train across Canada with no need of replacement. These locomotives were in service between 1937 and 1960. Four of them have been preserved. No. 2839 was used to power excursions for the Southern Railway Steam Program between 1979 and 1980. No. 2860 was used for excursion service in British Columbia between 1974 and 1999, then again between 2006 and 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ALCO RS-1</span> Diesel-electric locomotive built by ALCO

The ALCO RS-1 was a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by Alco-GE between 1941 and 1953 and the American Locomotive Company from 1953 to 1960. ALCO subsidiary Montreal Locomotive Works built an additional three RS-1s in 1954. This model has the distinction of having the longest production run of any diesel locomotive for the North American market. The RS-1 was in production for 19 years from the first unit Rock Island #748 in March 1941 to the last unit National of Mexico #5663 in March 1960.

The South Simcoe Railway is a steam heritage railway in Tottenham, Ontario, north of Toronto. Operating excursions since 1992, it is the oldest operating steam heritage railway in Ontario and features the second oldest operating steam locomotive in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterloo–St. Jacobs Railway</span>

The Waterloo-St. Jacobs Railway (WSJR) was a heritage railway west of Toronto that ran between Waterloo and St. Jacobs, Ontario from 1997 to 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ALCO RSD-15</span> American diesel-electric locomotive

The ALCO RSD-15 is a diesel-electric locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York between August 1956 and June 1960, during which time 75 locomotives were produced. The RSD-15 was powered by an ALCO 251 16-cylinder four-cycle V-type prime mover rated at 2,400 horsepower (1.79 MW); it superseded the almost identical ALCO 244-engined RSD-7, and was catalogued alongside the similar but smaller 1,800 hp (1.34 MW) RSD-12, powered by a 12-cylinder 251-model V-type diesel engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ALCO FA</span> American locomotive class

The ALCO FA was a family of B-B diesel locomotives designed to haul freight trains. The locomotives were built by a partnership of ALCO and General Electric in Schenectady, New York, between January 1946 and May 1959. Designed by General Electric's Ray Patten, they were of a cab unit design; both cab-equipped lead FA and cabless booster FB models were built. A dual passenger-freight version, the FPA/FPB, was also offered. It was equipped with a steam generator for heating passenger cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Coast Railway (Victoria)</span> Defunct passenger train company in Victoria, Australia

West Coast Railway was a passenger train company operating in Victoria, Australia that operated services between Melbourne and Warrnambool from September 1993 until August 2004. The travel time for the journey was around 3 hours. This is on average around 30 minutes quicker than the current journeys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern California Railway Museum</span> Railroad museum in Perris, California

The Southern California Railway Museum, formerly known as the Orange Empire Railway Museum, is a railroad museum in Perris, California, United States. It was founded in 1956 at Griffith Park in Los Angeles before moving to the former Pinacate Station as the "Orange Empire Trolley Museum" in 1958. It was renamed "Orange Empire Railway Museum" in 1975 after merging with a museum then known as the California Southern Railroad Museum, and adopted its current name in 2019. The museum also operates a heritage railroad on the museum grounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Essex Terminal Railway 9</span> Steam locomotive

Essex Terminal Railway No. 9 is a preserved 0-6-0 steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1923. Originally purchased by the Essex Terminal Railway, the locomotive was in active service until 1960. It is currently owned by the Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society, and it is operated as a tourist attraction, as part of the Waterloo Central Railway, in St. Jacobs, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterloo Junction Railway</span>

The Waterloo Junction Railway (WJR) is a short line railway in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It runs northward from the former Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) North Main Line in downtown Kitchener, through Waterloo and St. Jacobs before terminating in Elmira. It is currently owned by the City of Waterloo and operated by CN as the Waterloo Spur. The Waterloo Central Railway runs tourist trains on the line, and the Ion rapid transit runs on the route for a short distance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Pacific 1238</span> Preserved CP G5c class 4-6-2 locomotive

Canadian Pacific 1238 is a preserved G5c class 4-6-2 "Pacific" type steam locomotive built by the Montreal Locomotive Works in 1946. It was purchased by George Hart, who used it for excursion service in the 1960s. It was later sold to Jack Showalter, who operated it on his Allegany Central Railroad from the 1970s to the mid-1990s. In late December 2023, No. 1238 was purchased by the Waterloo Central Railway, and they have plans to restore the locomotive to operating condition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian National 6218</span> Preserved CN U-2-g 4-8-4 Locomotive

Canadian National 6218 is a 4-8-4 U-2-g Confederation built by the Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) in 1942 for the Canadian National Railway. It became famous after it was brought back by CN for their Steam Excursion Program from 1964 to 1971. It is now on static display at the Fort Erie Railway Museum in Fort Erie, Ontario.

References

  1. "Train Experience". Waterloo Central Railway. Waterloo Central Railway. 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  2. "Rail School". Waterloo Central Railway. Waterloo Central Railway. 2017. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Franz, Justin (January 2, 2024). "Waterloo Central Acquires Canadian Pacific 4-6-2". Railfan & Railroad. Archived from the original on January 2, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  4. http://www.solrs.ca/1_EquipmentRoster/Locomotives/Z_Model/CLC_0-4-0_Switcher/Locomotives/WCR124.htm

43°30′57″N80°33′10″W / 43.5159°N 80.552768°W / 43.5159; -80.552768