York–Durham Heritage Railway
York–Durham Heritage Railway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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York–Durham railway coach at Uxbridge station | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Ontario | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Terminus |
Stouffville GO Station Uxbridge station | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Commercial operations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Built by |
William Gooderham[1] T&NR(?) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Original gauge |
3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) (until 1883) 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) (since 1882) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preserved operations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reporting mark | YDHR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stations | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Length | 20 km (12 mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preserved gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Commercial history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | 1868[1] as Toronto and Nipissing Railway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preservation history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1996[1] | Opened | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Headquarters | Uxbridge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
York-Durham Heritage Railway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The York–Durham Heritage Railway is a heritage railway in York Region and Durham Region, Ontario, north of Toronto.
The railway operates excursion trains over a 20 km (12 mi) route between the historic towns of Stouffville and Uxbridge. The round trip takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Operations
The York-Durham Heritage Railway operates non-stop between the Uxbridge Station on the Metrolinx Uxbridge Subdivision and Stouffville GO Station. Between Lincolnville GO Station and Stouffville, trains operate over the same tracks as the GO Transit Stouffville line commuter rail service.
Trains are scheduled on weekends from June through mid-October, and are pulled by an Alco RS-11 diesel locomotive, #3612, which was built for the Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific Railway in 1956. Coaches include both vintage heavyweights built in the 1910s and 1920s, and lightweight cars from 1954.
The railway cars are stored at an open rail yard on Railway Street/King Street West in Uxbridge, Ontario. Several railway sheds are on the yard. The most significant is the Uxbridge Station, built in 1904.[2]
The YDHR is operated entirely by volunteers of the York–Durham Heritage Railway Association.
Railway History
The Uxbridge Subdivision was built in 1871 as the Toronto and Nipissing Railway, a 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow-gauge line. The line was converted to standard gauge shortly after being acquired by the Midland Railway in 1882. Following a series of mergers and acquisitions, the line became part of the Canadian National Railway (CN) in 1923.
In the 1980s, CN began to abandon the line. Tracks north of Uxbridge were lifted, but the line south of Uxbridge was purchased by GO Transit (now Metrolinx) to preserve it for possible Uxbridge - Toronto commuter rail service. Until such a service is introduced, the York-Durham Railway is the sole operator north of Lincolnville station.
Rolling stock
Locomotives
- 1951 MLW RS-3 #1310
- 1955 MLW RS-3 #22
- 1956 ALCO RS-11 #3612
Passenger Cars
- 1919 Pullman Company Colonist Sleeper #4960
- 1930 CCF Solarium/Lounge Coach #15041, (ex-CNR)
- 1950s coaches # 3233, 3209 (ex-CNR)
- 1955 Budd coaches #101 - #106, converted from Rail Diesel Cars to coaches in 2008.[3]
Non-passenger cars
- 1919 National Steel Car box car #406308 (ex-CNR)
- 1950 CCF flat Car #662339 (ex-CNR)
- 1953 caboose #434908 (ex-CNR)
- 1957 National Steel Car Baggage Car #9636
- hopper car #165 (ex-Green Bay and Western Railway)
- 3 track inspection cars
See also
References
- 1 2 3 Sentimental journey
- ↑ http://www.realontario.ca/index.php/ontario-tourism-listing?pid=11668
- ↑ "Our History, & Future" (PDF). Unionville Festival. York-Durham Heritage Railway. 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
Further reading
- Vyhnak, Carola (2008-06-15). "Sentimental journey". Toronto Star.
External links
Coordinates: 44°06′37″N 79°07′29″W / 44.11028°N 79.12472°W