24 June 2010

Teenager Choo-Choo-Chooses Railway Museum

Tami McNulty and the Countess of Dufferin.

Winnipeg Manitoba - Although he passed away several years ago, Tami McNulty knows her grandfather would be proud to know she's working at the Winnipeg Rail Museum.
 
Her grandfather, David Crouch, was a Canadian Pacific Railway engineer and McNulty fondly remembers the stories he shared with while she was growing up in East Kildonan.
 
"The railway is in my family and we still have all of his train memorabilia," she said with a smile, adding she is thrilled to be the volunteer-run museum's first-ever summer student.
 
McNulty was hired through the federal Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations program and works at the museum during its regular hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesdays through Saturdays.
 
"It's so much fun to meet with the tourists who come in and talk to them," she said.
 
"A lot of our visitors have retired from railway-related careers and they love to share their stories. We've had visitors from as far away as Australia and the museum is very popular with German tourists."
 
McNulty said it seems the more visitors know about trains and railways, the more impressed they are with the museum's collection, which includes everything from historic training manuals to the Countess of Dufferin.
 
"The Countess of Dufferin is my favourite piece in the museum," she said, noting the statuesque bulk of the locomotive represents a fundamental piece of the history of the city, province, and country.
 
It was the first locomotive on the Canadian prairies, it was named for the wife of Canada's first Governor General. It arrived in Winnipeg on 7 Oct 1877, and arrived in its current home at the museum in 1992.
 
"It's such a beautiful locomotive," McNulty said.
 
She said the museum has something for train fans of all ages.
 
"Children love watching the model trains," she said.
 
"Last week there was a boy who came in and literally sat watching the model trains go by for an hour. He was just amazed."
 
McNulty loves showing tourists what the museum has on offer, including vehicles used to survey, maintain, and clear tracks. There are collections from several different railway companies and an entire exhibit dedicated to the roles women played.
 
Daryl Adair, an East Kildonan resident who volunteers as the museum's director of operations, said the museum's collection is constantly expanding. The 37,000 square foot facility continuously receives new donations. Just last week a train's bell was donated.
 
"We're preserving Manitoba's railway history and sharing that history with visitors," he said.
 
"It's a safe environment for families to learn about trains. They can see the trains up close, get inside them, and have a great time."
 
Adair noted the museum is constantly restoring trains and gratefully accepts donations of train memorabilia.
 
The museum is located at Union Station near The Forks. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children six and older, and free for children five and under.
 
Ryan Crocker.