| Hull–Chelsea–Wakefield Railway | |
|---|---|
| Wakefield Steam Train, Autumn 2010 | |
| Locale | Between Hull and Wakefield |
| Commercial operations | |
| Built by | Canadian Pacific Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Owned by | Track owned by the Chemin de fer de l'Outaouais, since 2008 |
| Operated by | Hull–Chelsea–Wakefield Railway |
| Reporting mark | (?) |
| Stations | 3 |
| Length | 33 km (20.5 mi) |
| Preserved gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
| Preserved era | 1992 - present |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | (?) |
| Closed | 1992 |
| Preservation history | |
| 1992 | The Hull–Chelsea–Wakefield Railway takes over[1] |
| 2008 | The Chemin de fer de l'Outaouais takes over the ownership of the track |
| Website | |
| www.steamtrain.ca | |
The Hull–Chelsea–Wakefield Railway is a 33 km (20.5 mi) heritage railway in Quebec, Canada, running tourist trains through the scenic Gatineau Hills and beside the Gatineau River between Hull (part of the city of Gatineau) and the tourist town of Wakefield (part of La Pêche municipality) from May to October, using a 1907 Swedish steam locomotive and 1940s-built Swedish passenger cars. On average, the railway attracts about 50 000 tourists and generates revenues of about $8 million for the region.
The railway line has been plagued in recent years with repeated damage to the track bed caused by severe storms. Some sections of the track run through steep terrain and along the bank of the Gatineau River, making it susceptible to such washouts. In 2007, a disagreement erupted between the owner of the steam train line and the municipality of Chelsea and city of Gatineau over the railway safety and maintenance. In July, a rain storm caused damage to some parts of the railway. The owner of the steam train mentioned that without funding from the cities, he would have to cease the operations of the line and sell the steam train. In November, an agreement was made when the province of Quebec and the municipalities involved provided funding for studies into future improvements to the railway. There were also plans for refurbishing the wagons as well as adding a station at the Casino du Lac-Leamy about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of its current southern terminus at Quebec Autoroute 5 and Boulevard Saint-Joseph [2]
However, following a landslide in Chelsea during the spring of 2008, the railway was halted after two weekends of activity. The owner decided to sell the train and ceased activities.[3] The railway did not run for the summer of 2008.[4]
Although operations resumed for 2009 and 2010, and various upgrades were considered,[5] a notice on the official website currently states that they have been suspended again after heavy rains damaged the tracks during a storm that occurred on June 23rd and 24th, 2011.[1] The train has once again been put up for sale.[6][7]
Contents |
The Hull–Chelsea–Wakefield Railway runs on a track that was originally a Canadian Pacific Railway branch line that at one time extended beyond Wakefield to Maniwaki. As of 2008 the track is owned by the Chemin de fer de l'Outaouais.
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