Canadian Rail_no525_2008 - Le musée ferroviaire canadien

JULY - AUGUST 2008
165 CANADIAN RAIL • 525
coast port to rival Vancouver became a reality when the
Fairview Container Terminal in Prince Rupert, BC was
officially opened September 12,2007.
Prior to the construction of the Hays Building, a
turntable from St. Lin, Quebec that had been donated by
the CPR was moved into its present position at the
museum. This was accomplished by volunteers the heavy
lifting being done by Brockelsby Transport. Wyatt Webb
supervised the construction of the pit and the circular
track therein.
Also with great fanfare in 1971, regular live
steam opera tions came to the Canadian Railway Museum
in the form of the "John Molson", an operating replica of
a circa 1848 locomotive from Canada's first steam railway,
the Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad. The C&SL
was opened between LaPrairie and St. John (now St-Jean
sur Richelieu), Quebec, in 1836. The Molson Foundation
financed the building and delivery of the replica at a cost
of $75,000. Built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan
to a Scottish design, the locomotive's arrival in August
was a key element in celebrations marking 10 years since
the Museum's founding. The late Mr. Gordon Small of
Scotland volunteered his time in designing the
locomotive.
1972 ONWARDS - CONTINUED GROWfH -
TO MOVE OR NOT TO MOVE
With the increasing scope and importance to
Canadian history of the collections entrusted to the
CRHA, it became evident that additional capital and
operational funds were required to expand and improve
the facilities and to add professional staff. Without such
commitments, the irreplaceable collections and volunteer
enthusiasm would not be maintained. Therefore the
CRHA approached National Museums of Canada
(NMC), who at that time had the responsibility for both
the national museums and the federal programs designed
to support museums across the country. Subsequently the
CRHA submitted a 5 year capital plan and a set of goals
for the Canadian Railway Museum. Discussions led to
funding from the Museums Assistance Programme for a
management study of the general museum situation that
would identify problems and potential directions. The
Guidelines for Planning report in April 1977, prepared by
David H. Scott Consultants, provided an independent,
detailed analysis of both the current situa tion of both the
CRHA and the CRM and a series of recommendations
aimed at the development of a first-class museum of
professional quality.
Consideration of the recommendations in the
Guidelines for Planning was, however, affected by
another report, also released in 1977, entitled Specialized
1971. ~edifice Hays a servi de point d'accueil pour les
visiteurs et de local d'archives jusqu'a I'ouverture,
beaucoup plus tard, du pavilion Exporail. Le souhait d'un
port sur la cote du Pacifique, exprime par M. Hays, port
concurrent a celui de Vancouver, devint une realite
lorsque Ie Fairview Container Terminal fut officiellement
ouvert a Prince-Rupert en Colombie-Britannique Ie 12
septembre 2007.
Precedant la construction de I'edifice Hays, une
plaque tournante en provenance de Saint-Lin, au
Quebec, fut offerte par Ie CPR et demenagee a l'endroit
qu'elle occupe actuellement au musee. Le travail fut
accompli par des benevoles, et Ie lourd fardeau a ete
souleve par la firme Brockelsby Transport. C'est Ie
regrette Wyatt Webb qui avait supervise l'excavation de la
fosse et l'installation du rail circulaire.
~arrivee au Musee de la John Molson, une
replique d'une locomotive a vapeur de 1848 de la
premiere compagnie de chemin de fer au Canada, la
Champlain & St.Lawrence Railroad, fut saluee avec
grande pompe en 1971. La C&SL reliait La Prairie et
Saint-Jean (main tenant Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu), au
Quebec, a partir de 1836. La Fondation Molson finan