27 May 2010

Locomotive Reno Steams Ahead

Canadian Pacific Railway 4-6-0 Ten-Wheeler number 1095 was one of the most common type of CPR engines in its time.

Kingston Ontario - An agreement to have a western Ontario volunteer group oversee the $800,000 restoration of Kingston's downtown historic train engine is still on track, according to city officials.
 
The assurance comes despite the fact that the Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society website, www.solrs.ca, has been derailed by what its president calls a "rogue" former member.
 
Anyone visiting the website is greeted with this notice:  "Due to very serious management problems with the Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society and some of its board members, this site is temporarily out of service."
 
"We've been trying to get that site shut down," society president Ron Dancey said. "It's kind of a rogue gone wild.
 
"This is a past member who decided to put up his own site and caused some problems. That's not our site."
 
The organization's site is now www.steam-train.org.
 
The restoration group is based in southwestern Ontario and operates the historic train that runs between Waterloo and St. Jacobs.
 
Current restoration projects are being undertaken by the society's branches in Windsor, St. Thomas, and St. Jacobs.
 
The group recently secured $483,000 from the federal government to build a restoration shop in St. Jacobs, north of Waterloo.
 
"We work very well together," said Dancey, noting that members held their annual general meeting last week and are eager to come to Kingston to help with the Spirit of Sir John A. work.
 
The locomotive restoration society doesn't charge a set fee for its work. Dancey said they do take 10% of all donations collected by local chapters to pay administration expenses.
 
Colin Wiginton, Kingston's cultural services department manager, said the locomotive society was brought on board by the architectural firm hired to oversee the Sir John A. restoration.
 
He is aware of the conflicting web sites.
 
"I'm being reassured every-thing's fine," Wiginton said. "Everything's moving ahead in a positive manner. It did cause me to pause, but I did call them."
 
Dancey said the group will provide expert knowledge about basic train restoration techniques, "to make sure the restoration is done properly."
 
"If they need to take things apart, (we can tell them) how to do it properly," he said.
 
Last week, without any debate, city councillors passed a motion granting $642,500 to the project, on top of $170,000 approved in 2007.
 
More than half of that money, about $465,000, will go toward moving the locomotive about a train width to the east onto a specially built pad.
 
Included in that expense, however, are archeological studies, geo-technical testing, soil tests, and the cost of the new pad.
 
The actual lift will cost about $45,000.
 
When the restoration work is done, hopefully by fall 2011, the train will be fitted with its own shelter to keep off rain and snow.
 
Engine 1095 has been a favourite backdrop for tourists taking vacation photos for more than four decades.
 
Wiginton said the Spirit of Sir John A. should be perceived as more than just a locomotive.
 
Built in 1913 by the Canadian Locomotive Company of Kingston, it has been situated in Confederation Park across from City Hall since 1967.
 
It is located next to Kingston's historic train station, now the city's tourism office.
 
Steam trains, Wiginton said, were fundamental to Sir John A. Macdonald's vision of building a nation as Canada's first prime minister.
 
Kingston's restored locomotive will become a focal point for several important historical celebrations:  its own centennial in 2013, the bicentennial of Macdonald's birth in 2015, and Canada's sesquicentennial in 2017.
 
Dancey said he was happy to see the City of Kingston underwrite the restoration effort started by local volunteers in 2007.
 
"Any steam engine that hasn't gone to the scrap yard is great," said Dancey. "Steam engines were part of the great history of Canada. A lot were chopped up and sold for scrap. It's great to see the city is behind this."
 
Paul Schliesmann.
 
Train Facts
 
* The Spirit of Sir John A., Engine 1095, was built in Kingston in 1913 by the Canadian Locomotive Company Ltd.
 
* It was a working engine until 1960.
 
* In 1967, Canada's Centennial year, the train was donated to the city by the Kingston Jaycees.
 
* The engine is about to be moved and restored at a cost of more than $800,000, the work to be completed in 2011.
 
Source:  Staff report to city council, May 2010.