Canadian Railway Museum Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
*The Canadian Railway Museum*
*Exporail*
Le Musée ferroviaire canadien Exporail

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Established	1961
Location	Saint-Constant, Quebec, Canada
Type	Railway museum
Collection size	160 vehicles, 190,000 documents and artifacts, 10,000 small artifacts, a centennial railway station, 690 model trains
Visitors	47,326 (2011-12)
Owner	Canadian Railroad Historical Association

The Canadian Railway Museum, also known as Exporail, is a super cool place to explore the history of trains in Canada! It's located in Saint-Constant, Quebec, which is just south of Montreal. This museum is all about trains and how they helped build Canada.

What Can You See at Exporail?
Steam Locomotives Collection
Diesel Locomotives Collection
Images for kids
See also

What Can You See at Exporail?

Canada's Biggest Train Collection

Exporail was started in 1961 by the Canadian Railroad Historical Association. They own and run the museum. It has the largest collection of railway equipment in all of Canada. Imagine seeing over 140 different pieces of railway vehicles!

Besides the big trains, the museum also has a huge collection of over 250,000 items. These include old documents and objects that tell the story of Canada's railway past. All these treasures are kept safe in the museum's archives.

Ride a Heritage Train!

One of the coolest things you can do at Exporail is ride a real heritage streetcar. This streetcar takes you on a fun trip around the museum grounds. There's also a heritage railway that pulls a small passenger train. It runs on an old freight track.

The streetcar runs every day during spring, summer, and fall. The bigger railway train runs every Sunday during the same seasons. It's a great way to experience what train travel was like long ago!

Special Trains from Around the World

Exporail also has some unique engines that didn't actually run in Canada. But they have a special "Canadian connection." These include trains from Britain and France. For example, you can see the LNER Class A4 4489 Dominion of Canada.

The museum got a big upgrade in the 2000s when the Angus Exhibit Pavilion opened. This new building became the main display area. It now houses some of the most important and valuable items in the collection.

The Royal Hudson Locomotive

One of the most famous trains at the museum is the former Canadian Pacific locomotive #2850. This type of train is called a "Hudson type" because of its wheel setup.

In 1939, this very locomotive pulled the special train carrying King George VI and Queen Elizabeth across Canada. Because of this important journey, locomotive #2850 and all similar engines were given the special name "Royal Hudsons."

Steam Locomotives Collection

The museum has an amazing collection of steam locomotives. These are trains that run on steam power! Here are some of the notable ones you can see:

Railroad	Type	Class	Number	Notes
Canadian Pacific Railway	4-4-4	F1a	No. 2928	Being restored to look new again
Canadian Pacific Railway	4-6-4	H1e	No. 2850	The famous "Royal Hudson" that carried the King and Queen
Canadian National Railway	4-8-4	U2c	No. 6153
Canadian Pacific Railway	4-4-0	A2q	No. 144
Canadian National Railway	4-6-2	Pacific	No. 5550
Canadian Pacific Railway	4-6-2	G-3	No. 2341
Canadian Pacific Railway	2-10-4	Selkirk	No. 5935
London Brighton and South Coast Railway, UK	0-6-0	A1 Terrier	LB&SCR A1 class Terrier number 54 Waddon	This train was given to the museum by British Railways.
London and North Eastern Railway, UK	4-6-2	A4	4489 Dominion of Canada	This train was once shown in England for two years.
SNCF, France	0-6-0	030-841	3-030.C.841
Grand Trunk Railway New England Lines	2-6-0	Mogul	No. 713

Diesel Locomotives Collection

Exporail also showcases many diesel locomotives. These trains use diesel engines to power them. Here are some of the diesel trains you can find at the museum:

Manufacturer	Model	Number	Notes
Canadian Locomotive Company		Canadian National 77	Donated in 1968
Montreal Locomotive Works	FPA-4	Canadian National 6765	Donated in 1968
Montreal Locomotive Works	FA-1	Canadian National 9400	Moved to Exporail in 1989 and fixed up in 2000.
C.E. Brooks	Rail Motor Car	Canadian National 15824	Stopped being used in 1964.
Montreal Locomotive Works	RS-18	Canadian National 3684	Acquired in 1992.
Montreal Locomotive Works	C-424	CP Rail 4237	Stopped being used in 1998.
Montreal Locomotive Works	M-630	CP Rail 4563	Stopped being used in 1994.
Montreal Locomotive Works	M-640	CP Rail 4744	Acquired in 1998.
Stone Franklin	Switcher	Canadian Pacific 7000	Acquired in 1965.
Montreal Locomotive Works	S-2	Canadian Pacific 7077	Acquired in 1985.
Canadian Locomotive Company	H24-66	Canadian Pacific 8905	Stopped being used in 1976.
General Motors Diesel	GP-9RM	AMT 1311	Acquired in 2011.
Plymouth		Gatineau Power Company 12012	Acquired in 1972.
Railpower	Green Kid	RPRX 2003
Montreal Locomotive Works	RS-2	Roberval & Saguenay 20
Montreal Locomotive Works	M420W	SLQ 3569	Stopped being used in 2003.
Bombardier	LRC	VIA 6921	Stopped being used in 2001.
GMD	SD40-2	Canadian Pacific 5903	Stopped being used in 2018.