travelintrev Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 It would seem that I will have an chance to visit this Museum next month (with a non enthusiast friend) is it worth a visit? How much time should we allow? Thanks in advance, Trev. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 It depends on your interest but I would recommend it. They have Sir John Molson (2-2-2 early loco) which is sometimes in steam. There is a pretty good collection under cover and it is well presented in a newish building. There is a lot of stock outside so you can wander around. http://www.exporail.org/en/welcome-to-exporail/ Dominion of Canada (A4) is being prepped for it's journey to the UK so I expect it will be gone soon. Probably allow a half day. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelintrev Posted August 19, 2012 Author Share Posted August 19, 2012 Thanks John, my main interest is Narrow Gauge (but there seems to be a dearth of that in Canada) ........unless there's some tucked away! Half day would fit in well with other plans. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Never heard of NG over here. Here's a potted history: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/featured/canadas-first-railway. Laprairie, which is close to the Museum is one of the oldest towns in Canada. If history floats your boat, visit Fort Chambly (French): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Chambly (I thoroughly enjoyed it) and Fort Lennox (British): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Lennox You might also want to visit Fort de l'ile Sainte Helene: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_de_l%27%C3%8Ele_Sainte-H%C3%A9l%C3%A8ne. All these places are well kept with good museums & displays and some have re-enactments in the summer months. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grovenor Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 AFAIK the line on Newfoundland was narrow gauge. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newfoundland_Railway Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CPRAIL3000 Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 If your interested in Railways/Railroads I visited last September and I thought it was a great site, but then I am into Alcos and they had a great selection. Here is a couple of links to wet your apetite. http://www.flickr.com/photos/nirailfan/7816601308/in/photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/nirailfan/sets/72157628211279713/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 YES! Definitely worth a visit if you're into Canadian railways. There's a lot of stuff to see - about 12 tracks inside each with two or three items on, plus a lot of unrestored stock outside on a large open site. There is a Newfoundland CNR narrow gauge loco (GMD) and some rolling stock. Don't miss the control panel from CN Wellington Tower (which is inside the station building) - I missed that and need to go back! It is NOT the NRM - it is run by the Canadian Railway Historical Society, which in essence seems to be a volunteer organisation akin to our preserved railways. I suspect it needs both more money and more volunteers but it has great premises and puts on a good show, nevertheless. A word of warning - it is a LONG way from downtown Montreal, on the opposite side of the St. Lawrence. English visitors tend to think it is in 'Delson' but according to the cabbie who drove me, its actually St. Constant. There is a bus (route 130 I believe) which is hourly but I just missed it. I took a cab, which cost around C$66 each way (about £40) - a crazy way to do it but the only feasible way in the time that I had (off-season its only open Sat/Sun and I got there on a Sunday afternoon. I spent around three hours there and I missed some stuff that I would have liked to have seen. I've attached two photos - inside the museum showing 2850 the original Royal Hudson from the 1939 Royal tour, and the 'Newfie Bullet' narrow gauge mixed train. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 And this until it heads back to the UK shortly Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 On the way out from this weekend's "Small Trains" thing, where we had our layout exhibited, I met a mate of mine who had been working on prepping DoC for the move. He mentioned that whenever CN decide to send over the flat cars, a film crew from the Discovery series "Massive Moves" will be on hand. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjgardiner Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 It would seem that I will have an chance to visit this Museum next month (with a non enthusiast friend) is it worth a visit? How much time should we allow? Definitely worth a visit if you are in Montreal and have the time. Public transit to the museum is a tough option as has been noted, you really do need to have a car to get there. It depends on your interest but I would recommend it. They have Sir John Molson (2-2-2 early loco) which is sometimes in steam. There is a pretty good collection under cover and it is well presented in a newish building. There is a lot of stock outside so you can wander around. http://www.exporail....me-to-exporail/ Dominion of Canada (A4) is being prepped for it's journey to the UK so I expect it will be gone soon. Probably allow a half day. John Molson is normally on Sunday's, i think there is a schedule on their website somewhere. I was at Exporail yesterday (Aug 18) and they were shunting Dominion of Canada, as noted, it will be gone soon, probably before the original poster gets there. Thanks John, my main interest is Narrow Gauge (but there seems to be a dearth of that in Canada) ........unless there's some tucked away! Half day would fit in well with other plans. Not a lot of NG in Canada, most well known system was the Newfoundland Railway, and some NR stock from the CN era is at Exporail, though its outside and un-restored. I missed that and need to go back! It is NOT the NRM - it is run by the Canadian Railway Historical Society, which in essence seems to be a volunteer organisation akin to our preserved railways. I suspect it needs both more money and more volunteers but it has great premises and puts on a good show, nevertheless. I'll differ with you on this point. Exporail is run by the Canadian Railway Historical Association, and it is our National Railway Museum per the parliament of our contry http://www.exporail.org/en/menu-du-haut/about/ In 1978' date=' the Government of Canada named Exporail as Canada's specialized railway Museum. In 2007, Exporail asked the Government of Canada to recognize it as Canada's a National Railway Museum. That same year, Parliament passed a motion to that effect. Since then, Exporail has worked to have the Government of Canada carry out this motion of parliament.[/quote'] I have video of the A4 being moved Saturday as well as lots of pictures, but i won't be able to post them until i get home from vacation on Wednesday, i'm typing this from my hotel in Quebec City after a lovely dinner out with my girlfriend (and need to make the computer dissapear before she gets back from the coffee shop!!) -Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium BR60103 Posted August 20, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 20, 2012 I think Delson was the name of the nearby station or junction with the DELaware and hudSON railroad. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I'll differ with you on this point. Exporail is run by the Canadian Railway Historical Association, and it is our National Railway Museum per the parliament of our contry Sorry - didn't mean to offend. Merely wanted to point out that there's a lot more volunteer input and a lot less taxpayers money goes into it than into our NRM. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjgardiner Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Sorry - didn't mean to offend. Merely wanted to point out that there's a lot more volunteer input and a lot less taxpayers money goes into it than into our NRM. CHRIS LEIGH No offence taken, i just wanted to be sure people were clear on the museum's status. Canada doesn't fund nearly as many national museums as the UK does, and the CRHA filled the gap of the very limited amount of pieces taken into the Canadian Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa's collection to create a properly national and representative collection of Railway History. And you are quite correct, they have no where near the amount of Government funding that the NRM in York does through the Science Museum Group and definitely has and does rely on Volunteers to make the place go. -Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CPRAIL3000 Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Last September AMT (Montreal Commuter Service) http://www.amt.qc.ca/en/train/delson-candiac/horaires.aspx runs services to St Constant which is only a 5 minute walk from the entrance of Exporail. Train 73 leaves downtown Montreal at 0935 and we returned on Train 90 at 1328, great service and dirt cheap way of getting out there from downtown. Check the link. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theakerr Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Well worth the visit (and effort). Agree with Brossard about time. Pain in the posterior to get to although I didn't know about the AMT. Minimal accommodation (at least when I was there about 5 years ago) in the area so staying close by is not really an option. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Well worth the visit (and effort). Agree with Brossard about time. Pain in the posterior to get to although I didn't know about the AMT. Minimal accommodation (at least when I was there about 5 years ago) in the area so staying close by is not really an option. Judging by my trainspotting, the AMT services are not very frequent (maybe more so in rush hour). You're right there's no hotels nearby, just one or two eateries. No chance of flagging a cab, either, so I tipped the driver generously and asked him to come out again and pick me up - which he did. The BRMNA mag has quite a lot of background to the move of 60010 and there's also an appeal to raise funds for the conversion back to skirted, single chimney condition. Evidently the NRM is only paying for the repaint. CRHA has to find the rest of the cost. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelintrev Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 Thanks for your reply's guys. I have been promised a Sunday morning there next month! Which I am looking forward too. (my friend tells me me she's found some other places of rail interest too!) . I wait to be surprised. Trev Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelintrev Posted September 29, 2012 Author Share Posted September 29, 2012 Thanks again chaps.....very pleasant Sunday morning spent there the other week, lots to see & do, friendly staff and volunteers alike. Though apart from the Newfoundland RR 3'6" gauge stuff out side, no other NG. (my real interest) Though I did find two NG steamers elsewhere on my trip. The 2-2-2 replica was in steam & just pottering about the yard! Fair few photos to come of there & other places. Trev. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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