Restoration Shop

Restoration Shop History

Before St. Thomas

Prior to the move to St. Thomas, work took place at various locations around the province in donated space. By 1993, the Society had a space to call its own.

St. Thomas and the Canada Southern Railway lands

From 1993 to 2010 the Society called the former Michigan Central Railroad Locomotive Shops home. These shops were also occupied by the Elgin County Railway Museum which had opened in 1988.

St. Thomas was at one time known as the Railway Capital of Canada. The London and Port Stanley Railway arrived in 1856. The Michigan Central Railroad established a railway maintenance depot in St. Thomas in 1869 at the midpoint between New York and Chicago. The railway shortcut was known as the Canada Southern Railway. American ownership passed to the New York Central Railroad, Penn Central and finally Conrail. Conrail sold the Canada Southern Railway to joint Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway ownership in 1985.

In 1993, the Society moved to the former Michigan Central Railroad Locomotive Shop

St. Thomas, Ontario was established as a railway maintenance depot for the Michigan Central Railroad in 1869. This shop was initially operated by the Michigan Central Railroad and over time ownership passed to the New York Central Railroad, then Penn Central and finally Conrail. Conrail sold the Canada Southern Railway to joint Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway ownership in 1985. By 1988, the Elgin County Railway Museum had taken occupancy of the St.Thomas shops.In 1993 the Society started using the former Canada Southern Railway Shop located in St. Thomas, Ontario.

By 2006, with the St. Thomas Shop was in need of repair and with the Canadian National Railway applying to abandon of the track on which we operated in St. Thomas, we had to find a new location to operate from. The last SOLRS equipment, material and tools were finally moved from St. Thomas in 2010 at the end of our lease with the Elgin County Railway Museum.

Move to Waterloo

In 2007, a lease agreement was entered into with the  Regional Municipality of Waterloo for the use of the Waterloo Spur. The Region had previously purchased the former Waterloo Spur of the Canadian National Railway which runs north from Kitchener, Ontario to Elmira, Ontario. In addition we contracted with the Region to provide tourist train service. Although restoration work continued in St. Thomas on two smaller steam engines, the bulk of the equipment was moved to the Region in the fall of 2007.

Without the use of the shops in St. Thomas, a repair facility solution had to be found. In the fall of 2007, a new 5,700 square foot restoration shop was designed that included two through tracks, two inspection pits, wide work areas, good lighting, full insulation and heating. In addition washrooms for our passengers, storage and an office will be included. The modern 62 x 95 foot facility will enable restoration and maintenance work to take place year-round.

Preliminary site grading was approved by the board and was started in September 2008 and officially opened in 2010.