Introduction

Many visitors to the Museum are impressed by the substantial size and imposing presence of the steam locomotives on exhibit in the Locomotive Hall. It is the showcase of the Museum's small but impressive collection of railway equipment. Together, the four locomotives on exhibit represent some of the major changes in railway locomotive technology in Canada in the period between 1900 and 1960, ranging from common workhorses to stylish passenger locomotives.

Constructed for the Northern Railway of Canada in 1853, the first locomotive built in Canada remained active until the early 1870s. (CSTM/CN 16257)

The exhibit is only a small portion of the Museum's railway collection that includes steam and diesel-electric locomotives, passenger cars and a wide range of tools, equipment and artifacts dating back to the very origins of railway technology in Canada. A small photo gallery in the Hall provides thematic exhibits drawn from the over 800 000 railway photographs in the Museum's collection. Thus, the Locomotive Hall is a reflection of the Museum's ongoing commitment to preserving elements of a transportation technology that had a profound effect upon the development of Canada and continues to influence us today.