Canadian Railway Museum

About

The Canadian Railway Museum (French: (Le) Musée ferroviaire canadien), operating under the brand name Exporail in both official languages, is a rail transport museum in Saint-Constant, Quebec, Canada, on Montreal's south shore.

Established in 1961 by its owner and operator, the Canadian Railroad Historical Association, the museum maintains the largest collection of railway equipment in Canada with over 140 pieces of rolling stock. There are also over 250,000 objects and documents from Canada's railway history in the collection which is maintained in the archives on the property.

The museum operates a heritage streetcar line around the grounds as well as a heritage railway which pulls a small passenger train on a former freight spur to Montée des Bouleaux. The streetcar operates daily during the spring, summer and fall while the railway operates every Sunday during the same period.

Three engines that did not operate in service in Canada but have a 'Canadian connection' are SNCF 030-841 3-030.C.841, LB&SCR A1 class 54 Waddon & LNER Class A4 4489 Dominion of Canada, two of which are British in origin and the third is French.

The museum underwent a significant expansion during the 2000s when the Angus Exhibit Pavilion opened. Some of the most valuable items were placed in the new pavilion, which became the main exhibition building.

One of the most notable artifacts is former Canadian Pacific locomotive #2850, with a 4-6-4 wheel arrangement, known as a "Hudson type". In 1939, this particular locomotive was responsible for pulling the Royal train carrying King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on the westbound leg of their trip across Canada. Because of this, #2850 and all engines of its class (H1c/H1d #2820-2859, H1e #2860-2864), were redesignated as Royal Hudsons. This did not include the H1a/H1b classes #2800-2819.

Historical Trains Preserved at Canadian Railway Museum

Via Rail FP9ARM #6309 undergoing restoration at the museum

CP Royal Hudson #2850, Canadian Railway Museum

CN #3684, an MLW-built Alco RS18 at the Canadian Railway Museum

Canadian Pacific '39 Buick, M235, Canadian Railway Museum

Engine Undercarriage Exhibit, Canadian Railway Museum

Rotary Snowplow at Canadian Railway Museum

Dominion of Canada in her restored livery, 2014

Canadian Pacific H24-66 #8905 at Exporail (July 2017)

CP Rail M-640 #4744 at Exporail (July 2017)