6 June 2007
Resurrecting the Spirit of Sir John A.; Volunteers Plan Major Repairs for Historic Train
The Spirit of Sir John A. will receive a new paint job and other
repairs.
Kingston Ontario - Today, the Kingston Historical Society
will hold a commemorative service on the 116th anniversary of the death of Sir John A. MacDonald. The service begins at 1:30 p.m. at
the Cataraqui Cemetery.
From his apartment, Douglas Smith looks down on Confederation Basin every day.
Part of that view takes in the tourist information centre and its attached landmark, a black locomotive named for the country's first
prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald.
However, over the years, the train, called the Spirit of Sir John A., has fallen on hard times. (Editor's note: It's NOT a train!)
The black paint is fading in spots. Silver paint once used to highlight mechanical pieces needs repainting. There are a host of other
problems, but those looking to give the train a facelift don't know just how long a list it is.
That's where Smith comes in.
The 76-year-old will lead a team of volunteers in restoring the Spirit of Sir John A.
"It is a little bit dilapidated at present," the former locomotive man said. "As far as Kingston is concerned, it should
be [putting] its best foot forward."
Within the next few weeks, volunteers will start looking over the train to see what needs to be done.
"We don't anticipate getting into this work until September when the bulk of tourist traffic has passed," Smith said.
Already, workers know the locomotive needs a new paint job, replacement of wood beams and metal casings around the boiler and
cylinders, Smith said. The old train also needs some welding, he said.
Built in Kingston in 1913, the 1095 Canadian Pacific Railway engine travelled across the country, but spent most of its life in
Winnipeg before ending up in Montreal.
In 1966, a group of local businessmen raised $10,000 to purchase the engine and bring it home. The train was a gift to the city from
the Canadian Junior Chamber of Commerce, also known as the Jaycees.
The train pays homage to its locomotive and railway roots.
Smith was a part of that, working for years with the Canadian Locomotive Company, who built the 1095, after immigrating from Britain
where he became a locomotive engineer. Today, the Locomotive Works is better known as Block D along Ontario Street.
However, since the city received the engine, it hasn't taken very good care of the locomotive, Smith said.
"They didn't even put a cap on the chimney," he said. That has allowed rain, snow, and ice to seep into the bowels of the
engine and rust away the mechanical parts, he said.
Volunteers won't be restoring the train to working condition, but enough to make it look like it would have during its prime years.
How much that will cost is unknown. Smith said the group will have to check the cost of items, how much contractors may charge for
services and then fundraise for the restoration.
He said there's a lot of enthusiasm to do the work. Many of those interested are older and have the will, but "don't have the
physique to do it," Smith said.
Smith said he's still seeking volunteers. Work could be finished by next spring.
When it's done, Smith said the city will have something to be proud of.
"It will mean the city can look with pride at a monument to one of its foremost industries," he
said.
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