Roundhouse Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roundhouse Park
Roundhouse Park viewed from the CN Tower
Location	255 Bremner Blvd, Toronto, ON, Canada
Operated by	Toronto Parks

Roundhouse Park is a big park in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It covers about 17 acres (that's like 13 football fields!). This park is special because it's built on old Railway Lands, which used to be where trains were kept and repaired.

The park is home to the John Street Roundhouse. This is a cool, old building that used to fix trains. Now, it holds the Toronto Railway Museum, where you can learn all about trains. You'll also find Steam Whistle Brewing and the Rec Room, which is a fun place with games and food. Outside, there are many real trains to see, plus a miniature railway you can ride! The park also has the old Canadian Pacific Railway Don Station.

History of Roundhouse Park

The main building, the John Street Roundhouse, was built a long time ago, between 1929 and 1931. It was later updated in the 1990s. In 1997, the land next to the building became Roundhouse Park, owned by the city.

In 2010, the Toronto Railway Museum opened inside the roundhouse. It has cool indoor displays and even a simulator where you can pretend to drive a diesel train! Outside, you can ride a miniature train. There are also many real train engines and cars. You can also see a restored railway village with the old Don Station, a signal cabin, a watchman's shanty, and a water tower.

The John Street Roundhouse Building

The John Street Roundhouse was built for the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) between 1929 and 1931. It replaced an older roundhouse from 1897. Trains maintained here were so well cared for that people called their shine "John Street polish."

After diesel trains became popular, the roundhouse wasn't needed as much. It stopped being used for its original purpose in 1986. The CPR then gave the building to the City of Toronto.

This roundhouse is the only one left in downtown Toronto. Another one, the CNR Spadina Roundhouse, was taken down to build the Rogers Centre. Part of the John Street Roundhouse was also taken apart and then rebuilt in 1995. This rebuilt part is now home to Steam Whistle Brewing. The rest of the building holds the Toronto Railway Museum and The Rec Room entertainment complex.

The John Street Roundhouse could work on 32 trains at once. It has 32 large doors that face a huge 120-foot turntable. This turntable was the biggest one used by the CPR. The building is mostly made of brick and glass. Each bay door is made of wood and can open to show a glass wall. This lets in lots of natural light.

The John Street Roundhouse was named a national historic site of Canada in 1990. This means it's a very important historical place in Canada.

Toronto Railway Museum: All About Trains!

Toronto Railway Museum

Established	May 2010 (2010-05)
Location	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Type	Transport museum
Collection size	See below
Public transit access	St. Andrew station and Union Station

The Toronto Railway Museum opened on May 28, 2010. It is open all year round.

A group called the Toronto Railway Historical Association helps support the museum. They started in 2001 and their main goal is to make the museum even better.

During warmer months, you can ride the Miniature Railway. It also opened in 2010. This ride has a small replica of a steam train or a diesel train. It pulls four cars, each carrying four passengers, plus a caboose.

You can buy tickets for the miniature railway at the Don station. This station was built in 1896 by the Canadian Pacific Railway. It was moved to Roundhouse Park and fixed up to be the ticket office.

Train Collection at the Museum

Roundhouse Park has a fantastic collection of trains! You can see:

• Five full-sized train engines (locomotives).
• One train cab (the front part where the driver sits).
• One narrow gauge locomotive (a smaller type of train).
• One diesel multiple unit (a train that can run on its own).
• Three freight cars (for carrying goods).
• Three passenger cars (for carrying people).
• One crane (used for lifting heavy things).

Some of the cool trains you can see include:

• Canadian National Railway No. 6213, a big steam engine from 1942.
• Canadian Pacific No. 7020, a diesel engine from 1944.
• Canadian National Railway No. 4803, another diesel engine from 1953.
• The "Jackman" sleeper car from 1931, where people used to sleep on trains.
• The "Cape Race" car from 1929, which had a buffet and observation area.
• The "Sans Pareil" dining car from 1896, where people ate meals.
• A caboose, which is the last car on a freight train, from 1921.
• A "Fowler" steel boxcar from 1917.
• A wooden vinegar tank car from 1938.
• A self-propelled crane from the Toronto Terminals Railway.

Other Toronto Roundhouses

Toronto used to have many other roundhouses, but most are gone now. Here are a few:

• CNR Spadina Roundhouse: This one was taken down in 1986 to build the Rogers Centre.
• CPR Lambton Roundhouse: Built in 1912–1913, it was taken down in 1960.
• CPR West Toronto Roundhouse: Built in 1884 and 1891, it was taken down in 2001.
• CPR Parkdale Roundhouse: Built in 1891, its machinery was moved to John Street Roundhouse in 1897. It stopped being used in 1907.
• CNR Mimico Roundhouse: Built in 1913, it was taken down in 1969 after a fire.
• CNR Danforth Roundhouse: Built in 1884, it was taken down in the 1940s.

Images for kids

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  Inside the unfinished portion of the Roundhouse in May 2008

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  The Don Station

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  Cabin D

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  Panoramic View of Roundhouse Park

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  Red locomotive

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  John Street Roundhouse (left) in 1973. The roundhouse on the right was CNR Spadina Roundhouse, which was demolished. Rogers Centre stands in its place.

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  Steam Whistle Brewing

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  Condos next to the park

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  79144 Canadian National Railway

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  Green locomotive of Canadian National Railway

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  Canadian National Railway locomotive 6213 at the Toronto Railway Museum