Roundhouse Park

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Roundhouse Park

Roundhouse Park viewed from the CN Tower
Location 255 Bremner Blvd, Toronto, ON, Canada
Coordinates 43°38′28″N 79°23′07″W / 43.64111°N 79.38528°W / 43.64111; -79.38528Coordinates: 43°38′28″N 79°23′07″W / 43.64111°N 79.38528°W / 43.64111; -79.38528
Operated by Toronto Parks
Website Roundhouse Park

Roundhouse Park is a 17 acre park in Downtown Toronto in the former Railway Lands. It features the John Street Roundhouse, a preserved locomotive roundhouse which is home to the Toronto Railway Museum, Steam Whistle Brewing and Leon's Furniture. The park is also home to a collection of trains, the former Canadian Pacific Railway Don Station, and the Roundhouse Park Miniature Railway. The park is bounded by Bremner Boulevard, Lower Simcoe Street, Lake Shore Boulevard West/Gardiner Expressway and Rees Street.

History

The John Street Roundhouse was built in 1929-31. Following the renovations of the roundhouse in the 1990s, the area to the east of the building became a city owned park named Roundhouse Park in 1997. It officially opened in 2010 along with the Toronto Railway Museum, the miniature railway, the relocated Don Station, and a collection of trains.

John Street Roundhouse

John Street Roundhouse
(Canadian Pacific)
National Historic Site of Canada
Original use Roundhouse
Current use Toronto Railway Museum, Steam Whistle Brewery and a furniture store
Administrative body City of Toronto
Designated as a NHSC 1990
Year built 1931

The John Street Roundhouse was built for the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1929-31 by Anglin-Norcross to replace the earlier John Street roundhouse built in 1897. Trains were so properly maintained at this location that railroaders recognized them by their "John Street polish." [1] When diesel run trains began being used, business was slowed at the Roundhouse and the building was last used for its original purpose in 1986. The Canadian Pacific Railway Company donated the roundhouse to the City of Toronto. It is the only remaining roundhouse in downtown Toronto (the CNR Spadina Roundhouse was demolished to make way for construction of the SkyDome). One third of the original structure was dismantled, to allow construction of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre below, then reconstructed (1995) and is now home to the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre, Leon's Furniture and Steam Whistle Brewing. Renovations to the brewery portion were done by William Hurst Architects. The SkyWalk retains a direct connection from the Roundhouse Park, to Union Station.

John Street Roundhouse could maintain 32 locomotives at a time. 32 bay doors make up the inner rounded facade of the building and face the 120 foot turntable. This turntable was the largest used by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company and was constructed by the Canadian Bridge Company. [2] The exterior and interior of the building is mostly composed of brick and glazing. Each of the bay doors is of wood construction and can be left open to reveal a floor to ceiling glass wall with a regular sized man door inset. Natural light floods the interior space from the curved loft space and all exterior facades. Refurbished wooden columns also stand within the interior of the structure. [3] The coaling tower and water tank are auxiliary structures still located in the park from the working days of the John Street Roundhouse. [4]

The John Street Roundhouse was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990.[5][6]

Toronto Railway Museum

Toronto Railway Museum
Established May 2010 (2010-05)
Location Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Type Transport museum
Website www.trha.ca

The Toronto Railway Historical Association (TRHA) was established in 2001 and is now incorporated as a federally registered charity. Its primary focus is the development of the Toronto Railway Museum (TRM).

The museum opened on May 28, 2010. The TRM closed on October 31, 2011, but re-opened to the public in the spring of 2012. Cabin D has also been moved to Roundhouse Park from the City's collection of historic buildings and was repainted and repaired but remains in its original structural state.

Don Station

The Canadian Pacific Railway Don Station was built in 1896 by Canadian Pacific Railway and was originally located at the Don River and Queen Street along the western bank of the river. In 1969 it was moved to Todmorden Mills. For many years while it was there the station was boarded up and not open to the public. Upon its relocation to the Roundhouse park, it was repainted and repaired and opened to the public to purchase tickets for the Roundhouse Park Miniature Railway.

Miniature Railway

The Roundhouse Park Miniature Railway opened in 2010 with the park and can pull 24 people around the park.[7]

Collection of Trains

Roundhouse Park contains 4 full sized locomotives, 3 freight cars, and 2 passenger cars.[7]

Gallery

  • Inside the unfinished portion of the Roundhouse in May 2008

  • The Don Station

  • Cabin D

  • Panoramic View of Roundhouse Park

  • Red locomotive

  • CN 4-8-4 No. 6213 and water tower

  • John Street Roundhouse in 1973

  • Condos next to the park

Other Toronto roundhouses

References

  1. ↑ Toronto Railway Historical Association. Trha.ca. Retrieved on 2013-07-26.
  2. ↑ Old Time Trains. Trainweb.org. Retrieved on 2013-07-26.
  3. ↑ http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/culture/doorsopen2008.nsf/219af60e39f783108525747a005ae9b8/67f7bb2bc82fce20852574190040e6e9?OpenDocument
  4. ↑ Toronto Railway Historical Association. Trha.ca. Retrieved on 2013-07-26.
  5. ↑ John Street Roundhouse (Canadian Pacific), Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance of Canada
  6. ↑ John Street Roundhouse (Canadian Pacific), National Register of Historic Places
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 John Street Roundhouse Park now home to Railway Heritage Museum | Spacing Toronto. Spacingtoronto.ca (2010-05-28). Retrieved on 2013-07-26.

External links

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