On April 25, the Guelph Historical Railway Association is running an excursion train as a fundraiser. In cooperation with the Guelph Junction Express and the Ontario Southland Railway, the present operator of the Guelph Junction Railway, the excursion will ride on virtually every foot of Guelph Junction track. Regular passenger service ended on the line almost a half century ago.
The train will pass sites such as the Speed River and its historic mills, the River Run and old Priory site, the west end industrial park where Guelph Junction Railway services local industry. Beyond there, passengers will ride through rolling hills of the Greenbelt, passing through Arkell, Corwhin, and Moffat, and turning at Campbellville.
The trip include a couple of photo stops, including the vestiges of the Niagara Escarpment.
At Guelph Junction, near Campbellville, passengers will tour the home of Ontario Southland Railway facilities, and where the Guelph Historical Railway Association’s railway museum will be on display.
The GHRA is a registered non profit charity and the fundraising efforts will go towards its historical collection and railway museum. Artefacts include a 1941 CPR wooden caboose, and a CNR baggage car built in 1950.
This tour will operate one time only. Seating is limited. Boarding and information package pickup starts at 9am, with departure at 10am from the River Run Centre. The tour ends at 4:30pm. Free parking is available in downtown Guelph.
Tickets are $60 for adults and $45 for children. An optional box lunch is also available, and must be ordered with tickets. There will also be a cash bar on the train. Reservations and food can be ordered at http://www.ghra.ca using Credit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, or American Express or Paypal. Reservations can be ordered in person at Ponds Foto Source locations in Guelph. More information is available at the website.
