Alberta Railway Museum
24215 - 34 Street NW T5Y 6B4 Edmonton, AB, Canada

DOCUMENTARY RELEASE created by Nathaniel Hehir: Carbondale Station The Carbondale Station documentary accounts the tragic event that occurred on November 10, 1959, at the Northern Alberta Railways Carbondale Station in Carbondale, Alberta just north of the City of Edmonton roughly 10 kilometres in Sturgeon County. https://youtu.be/OYH47epgYbk... #albertarailwayheritage #albertahistory #alberta #yeg #albertarail #albertarailway #canada #canadahistory Provincial Archives of Alberta Sturgeon County City of Edmonton Travel Alberta

SUNDAY MORNING FEATURE: The NAR Baggage Express Car 1460 Built: 1948 Acquired: 1990 The baggage express car was built by Canadian Car & Foundry in 1948 for the Northern Alberta Railways and was numbered 1460. The car was built with the Canadian Pacific Railway specifications for mail-express cars. In service, the car was apart of the mixed train consist traveling from Edmonton to Fort McMurray. After the NAR amalgamated into the Canadian National Railway (CNR) in 1981, it wa...s renumbered to CN 7856. CN donated the baggage express car to the Alberta Railway Museum in 1990. The Museum’s volunteers have repainted and renumbered the car back to NAR 1460. In 2001, the Discovery Center inside the baggage car was opened displaying the story of the NAR including the significant role the NAR played for the construction of the Alaska Highway and the Canol Project during the World War II. #albertarailwayheritage #railwayhistory #NAR #NorthernAlbertaRailways

Unfortunately, the fall swap meet has been cancelled.

The Doglogix Sporting Scent Detection group hosted the SDDA trials at the museum this past weekend. The event was very successful. Even the judge from Ontario thought it was a great venue for the trials.

So incredibly proud of my puppy today!!! Korben not only passed all three components in day one of our SDDA trial and achieved his started title but he also go...t third overall for today!!! Thank you Ryan-Ann King, Doglogix Sporting Scent Detection, and Alberta Railway Museum for such and awesome day and experience!! Looking forward to tomorrow!!!! See more

SUNDAY MORNING FEATURE: The NAR Flanger Built: 1914 Acquired: 1982 The flanger was built by the National Steel Car in Hamilton, Ontario, for the Grand Trunk Railway as box car 395604 in 1914. It later became bunk car 45, then converted back to revenue service as box car 171 in 1923. It was then acquired by the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway (ED&BC) and renumbered as box car 5024. Upon ED&BC amalgamation into the Northern Alberta Railways (NAR) in 1931, the ca...r was converted to a flanger with the addition of the cupola and flanger gear, and renumbered 17022. It was once again renumbered in 1946 to 16601 and shortly after, the underframe was reinforced in 1947. After the NAR amalgamated into the Canadian National Railway (CNR) in 1981, it was renumbered to CN 56241. CN donated the flanger to the Alberta Railway Museum in 1982. The Museum’s volunteers repaired the car in 1985 and repainted the car back to the NAR colour and number in 1996. A major roof and side restoration was completed in 2018/19 with assistance of a donation by MEGlobal. The interior of the flanger was restored in 2019. A flanger is a railway car that clears the space between the rails, generally of snow and ice, but it also can be used to spread ballast for track maintenance. The blade on the flanger is notched to clear the top of rails. An operator sits in the cupola on the top of the car and uses air pressure supplied from the locomotive to raise and lower the blade. Signage along the track signal the operator to raise and lower the blade to prevent any damage to switches and crossing timbers. #albertarailwayheritage #railwayhistory #NAR #NorthernAlbertaRailways

Thanks for visiting Ken!

SUNDAY MORNING FEATURE: The NAR 302 Chief Moostoos Built: 1959 Acquired: 2014 NAR 302 GMD-1 is a diesel locomotive manufactured in 1959 in London, Ontario by General Motors Diesel (GMD), the Canadian subsidiary of General Motors Electro-Motive Division. This road switcher locomotive is powered by a 12-cylinder EMD 567C diesel engine, capable of producing 1,200 horsepower (890 kW). The GMD-1s were built on either 4-wheel trucks or 6-wheel trucks (62,000 and 40,000 lbs axle l...oad respectively). In total, 101 GMD-1 were built, 96 of them purchased by Canadian National (CN) and 5 by Northern Alberta Railways (NAR) with the 6-wheel trucks option for operation on the light-rail branch lines. The 5 GMD-1 would allow the NAR to abandon all steam facilities west of Dunvegan Yards for wayfreight service on the Edmonton, Slave Lake, Grande Prairie and Peace River Subs. NAR 302 was placed in service in early 1960. On May 31, 1974, NAR 302 would be the last passenger train to Dawson Creek and would arrive at the Dunvegan Yards on June 1, 1974. In 1979, NAR diesel locomotives were given names, either of places or historical figures in the area served by NAR to celebrate the 50th anniversary. The GMD-1 were named after people and the GP9 and SD38-2 were named after places. NAR 302 was named after Chief Moostoos, the First Nations Chief who signed Treaty 8 on June 1, 1899, the last treaty signed with the First Nations in Alberta. Chief Moostoos was chosen as a headman for the Woods Cree to speak for his people during the Treaty 8 negotiations. He was born at the western end of Lesser Slave Lake. In 1981, CN acquired NAR and re-numbered 302 to CN 1079. It was rebuilt in 1986 and renumbered to CN 1179. CN graciously donated the GMD-1 to the Alberta Railway Museum in 2014 which was cosmetically restored and repainted shortly after back to its original paint scheme to NAR 302 Chief Moostoos. Today, NAR 302 is a static display at the museum as it requires the interior of the cab and the traction motors to be refurbished, and replacement of the 4-wheel trucks to 6-wheel as they are not original. #albertarailwayheritage #railwayhistory #NAR #NorthernAlbertaRailways

A couple more wedding photo pic's taken at the museum this year. Thank you for sharing your special day with us.

Hey, parents! It's Rail Safety Week and our friends at Operation Lifesaver Canada and Thomas need your kid’s help to stay rail-safe! Submit your child’s Thomas & Friends original artwork for a chance to win great prizes, including a trip for four anywhere in the Quebec-Windsor corridor, courtesy of VIA Rail, and Thomas toy prize-packs, courtesy of Mattel. The deadline to enter is October 20th. Apply Now! www.operationlifesaver.ca/stay-safe-with-thomas-enter... #rsw2021 #STOPTrackTragedies

All Aboard the Safety Train: Railway Safety in Canada Join the Toronto Railway Museum and Operation Lifesaver Canada on September 29 to advocate for railway safety and offer an exclusive peek at what goes on behind the scenes to keep Canadians safe on the rails. https://torontorailwaymuseum.com/... #rsw2021 #STOPTrackTragedies

This week is Rail Safety Week. Remember to look both ways before safely crossing LRT tracks. - Only use designated rail crossings - Warning bells and lights are... there to warn you of an approaching train - The safest place to be is behind crossing arms and gates until the light and bells turn off, and the gates go up. Please be rail safe when approaching/crossing tracks. When you ensure your own safety, you help provide a safe transit experience for everyone. edmonton.ca/SafeRide

It's Rail Safety Week and our friends at @CNrail have prepared how you can join the efforts at preventing railroad crossing/trespassing accidents. Be sure to share with friends and families and together we can save lives! https://www.cn.ca/en/safety/neighbours/rail-safety/ #rsw2021 #STOPTrackTragedies

This is a photo of my grandfather Bill Totten taken in the Sudbury area in the early to mid-1950's. The 4000 was a 2-10-2 Santa Fe type locomotive. The CNR were... switching the mines in the area. This work required these heavy locomotives. I have a few photos from this era. I have one photo of the 4201 which I believe was bought used by the CNR in the United States. It would be interesting to know more about its history. See more

Join us this week for Rail Safety Week, September 20 - 26, 2021. The goal of National Rail Safety Week is to raise awareness of rail safety and keep the public safe near railway crossings and railroad right-of-ways. Here's a few railway safety tips and ways to train your brain from our friends at @oplifesaver that is included in our Children's Activity Booklet. Be sure to follow Operation Lifesaver Canada to help raise awareness of railway safety. #rsw2021 #STOPTrackTragedies

AT LAST! The Long-Awaited NAR Diesels: 1952-1980 Book In recognition of the 40th anniversary of the acquisition of the Northern Alberta Railways (NAR) by Canadian National (CN), the Alberta Pioneer Railway Association is pleased to announce the publication of a long-awaited history chronicling the NAR’s transition from steam to diesel-electric motive power written by Leslie S. Kozma. The line’s conversion from steam to diesel is presented in intimate detail based on company ...records and those directly involved, woven into an interesting historical text along with obligatory end notes, tables, roster and painting diagrams. The talents of some of the most celebrated railway photographers are on display in 72 colourful pages, depicting the NAR’s livery in all its captivating variations at rest and in action throughout the system. Book sales and distribution are anticipated to begin late-February 2021. Books will be sold for $40.00 which includes GST/HST and postage shipped within Canada. Additional charges may be applied for shipping outside of Canada. Pre-order your copy today by submitting the attached questionnaire. Payment will be requested when distribution begins. Limited books printed so be sure to pre-order today! https://docs.google.com//1FAIpQLSfaq2vyobimdw_CO/viewform

Are you missing your Alberat Railway Museum? Here’s a virtual tour to keep you entertained during the winter months! https://albertarailwaymuseum.com/virtual-tour/

Here’s a look back at 2018 on August long weekend when 1392 returns to service after the 5-year boiler inspection. https://youtu.be/hJkmrKMwDd0

Ever wondered what it takes to maintain a steam engine. Take a look at the 5 year boiler inspection for CN 1392 at the Alberta Railway Museum created by Meriachee Creative https://youtu.be/sYFmuo_7A3U

Thanks to the Edmonton City as a Museum Project for sending this on!

Be sure to place your order!

This year, marks the 40th anniversary of CN purchasing CPR’s 50% shares in the Northern Alberta Railway on January 1, 1981 and becoming the sole owner of NAR. This railway network was quickly incorporated into the CN network. The NAR network connected Edmonton to the north which included Fort McMurray, Dawson Creek, Hines creek and many communities along the way that operated for nearly 6 decades.

Interested in some Alberta history, have a look a these books published by local author, Sheila Willis from the History Check app.

Normally the volunteers and summer staff at the Alberta Railway Museum would be preparing for our opening this May long weekend. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 situation, we will CLOSED to the PUBLIC for the 2020 season. The Board of Directors felt the risk is too high. Over the summer we hope to work on some of our long delayed projects, such as road and grounds work, restoration projects, and the development of an education program. Further updates will be issued over the course of the summer. Stephen Yakimets, President

One of our latest volunteers, Sparky II, out for an afternoon adventure.

Adding the finishing touches on NAR 73.

Winter has certainly arrived today in Edmonton! Let it snow!

#73 is starting to look sharpe thanks too all the hard work from our volunteers.

A little throw back when 1392 celebrated its 100th birthday in 2013 with some great shots taken from Evanessence Photography

Seven hardy volunteers weathered the cold to cover the Timeline Car's roof with new tarps. The tarps will help protect the car from the outside elements until it gets a new roof.

1974, Northern Alberta Railways crossing the trestle bridge over Fairway Drive (TWP Rd 542A), by Manor Estates. The bridge looks much the same but the vie...w beyond has changed. Looking northwest towards Sturgeon Road and the Sturgeon Valley Golf Club. Postcard shared by Stephen Yakimets, from the Northern Alberta Railways group, Gateway to the North.