Alberta Railway Museum

The Alberta Railway Museum located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is a rustic outdoor living display of railway heritage from the past. The Museum replicates a small terminal with the original St. Albert station, a water tank from Gibbons along with various buildings, locomotives, railway cars and track maintenance equipment. The collection opened in 1968 and is owned and operated by the Alberta Pioneer Railway Association. Throughout the summer months, a few students are employed to assist with operations, otherwise it is completely powered by volunteers. 

During the summer, visitors are welcome on the weekends from Victoria Day weekend (May) to Labour Day weekend (September) to experience railway heritage hands-on, walking through what was once a small railroad terminal, and to examine a range of restored artifacts through a family-friendly, educational, and fun environment. Using ground maps, a self-guided tour takes approximately 90 minutes where visitors can truly experience traveling back in time by rail.

The Museum features a number of buildings that have been relocated from across Alberta that were previously used as railway facilities. Two shops have been constructed to allow for equipment restoration and maintenance. Notable buildings at the Museum include:

• St. Albert Station – built in 1909 at Mile 5 of the Sangudo Subdivision in St. Albert, Alberta and relocated to the Museum in 1982. The Station is home to the admission center and gift shop, as well as a railway library and many exhibits including a complete telegraph office set up.
• Gibbons Water Tank – built in 1919 in Gibbons, Alberta and relocated to the Museum in 1984.

The Museum features a number of locomotives, passenger cars, freight cars, special purpose cars, and private cars from the Canadian National Railways, Northern Alberta Railways, short lines, and industrial railways. The collection is comprised of roughly 75 locomotives and cars that have either been restored or are in the process of being restored. In some cases, the equipment is restored to its original condition which requires considerable research and planning both before and during the restoration, whereas some equipment will receive cleaning, repair and painting. Notable equipment at the Museum includes:

• CNR 1392 Steam Locomotive – built in 1913 and acquired in 1970, currently operating providing rides for visitors.
• CNR 9000 Diesel-Electric Locomotive – built in 1948 and acquired in 1971, currently operating providing rides for visitors.

In addition to maintaining buildings and rolling stock, the museum maintains an archive of historical records and items about the railways in Alberta and Western Canada. The collection refers to the Northern Alberta Railway, Canadian National Railway, Canadian Pacific, Edmonton Yukon and Pacific. The collection is maintained in two locations: the Museum and the Provincial Archive of Alberta.

Since the opening of the Museum, volunteers have maintained and operated the facility with assistance from funding raised through memberships, admissions, grants, and casinos, along with donations of parts, supplies, equipment, or funds from businesses, individuals, and other associations.

The museum is open every weekend throughout the summer months from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is $10.00 for adults and $8.00 for children. For more information regarding the Alberta Railway Museum, please visit: albertarailwaymuseum.com

Roland Nairon

Roland is from Edmonton, Alberta who works as a consultant for the delivery of major public infrastructure. In his spare time, he enjoys giving back to his community and lending a hand at the Alberta Railway Museum in offering support to preserve railway heritage from the region. Currently, he is involved as a Board Member for the museum supporting Marketing initiatives.