Roundhouse Park

Roundhouse Park

Roundhouse Park is a 17 acre or 6.9 ha city owned park in Downtown Toronto in the former Railway Lands.

This National Historic Site of Canada features the John Street locomotive Roundhouse, built in 1929-1931, which is now home to the Toronto Railway Museum, Steam Whistle Brewing and Leon’s Furniture. In Toronto Roundhouse Park the turntable has been restored, made operational, and additional tracks have been built to display historic railway equipment and a collection of trains, the former Canadian Pacific Railway Don Station, and the Roundhouse Park Miniature Railway. The park is bounded by Bremner Boulevard, Lower Simcoe Street, Lake Shore Boulevard West/Gardiner Expressway and Rees Street.

This is the only remaining roundhouse in downtown Toronto, as the CNR Spadina Roundhouse was demolished to make way for construction of the SkyDome. After the railway activities had ceased in 1986, the Canadian Pacific Railway Company donated the roundhouse to the City of Toronto. The turntable and courtyard, Roundhouse Park with the restored wooden railway buildings has received a number of design awards.

Elena on the train.

The Toronto Railway Museum occupies Roundhouse Park since 1997. It occupies three stalls of the John St. Roundhouse.Photo by © Elena

Cabin D was moved to Roundhouse Park from the City’s collection of historic buildings and was repainted and repaired but remains in its original structural state. The Canadian Pacific Railway Don Station was built in 1896 by Canadian Pacific Railway and was originally located at the Don River and Queen Street along the western bank of the Don River. In 1969 it was moved to Todmorden Mills. Upon its relocation to the Roundhouse park, it was repainted and repaired and opened to the public to purchase tickets for the Roundhouse Park Miniature Railway.

Today, the Don Station serves as an initial contact point and reception area for visitors to the Toronto Railway Museum. The station contains a photographic and artifact display on the history of the station, a model showing the station in its original location, a recreation of the station operator’s desk and ticket sales area. A short video introducing visitors to the railway museum can be seen at the entrance.

The Toronto Railway Museum’s Miniature Railway opened in 2010 within Roundhouse Park provides rides to visitors to the museum in season.

The Railway Heritage Discovery Trail links over two dozen sites of significance to Toronto’s railway history. The SkyWalk retains a connection from the Roundhouse Park, to Union Station.

Address of the Roundhouse Park:

255 Bremner Blvd

Toronto, ON M5V 3M9

The Toronto Railway Museum features an indoor display, an indoor restoration facility, a full size diesel cab simulator, an outdoor miniature railway, numerous railway engines and rolling stock as well as a fully restored railway village which includes Don Station, Signal Cabin D (with toolshed), a Watchman’s shanty, a Water Tower and a coaling tower. The John Street Roundhouse was built for the Canadian Pacific Railway by Anglin-Norcross to replace the earlier John Street roundhouse built in 1897. Photo by © Elena

In the past, John Street Roundhouse could maintain 32 locomotives at a time. 32 bay doors make up the inner rounded facade of the building and face the 120 foot turntable which was the largest used by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. It was conceived and constructed by the Canadian Bridge Company. Photo by © Elena

The John Street Roundhouse was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990. Photo by © Elena

The Toronto Railway Museum operates year round. Photo by © Elena

Benches in front of the brewery on the site of the Roundhouse Park. Photo by © Elena

Roundhouse Park contains 4 full sized locomotives, 3 freight cars, and 2 passenger cars: Canadian National Railway No. 6213 U-2-G 4-8-4 MLW 1942; CP Rail 7020 (Class DS10-B, Alco S-2 1944; Canadian National Railway No. 4803 GMD GP7 1953; Canadian Locomotive Company 50 Ton Whitcomb Centre Cab Switcher 1950; Canadian Pacific “Jackman” sleeper 1931; Canadian Pacific “Cape Race” Buffet-compartment-solarium-observation-sleeper, 1929; Dominion Atlantic Railway “San Pariel” (now “Nova Scotia”) Pullman dining car built in 1896; Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway Caboose #70 steel sheathed, 1921; Canadian Pacific Railway 188625 – “Fowler” steel frame boxcar, built 1917; Reinhart Vinegars RVLX 101 – wooden vinegar tank car, built 1938; Toronto Terminal Railway (TTR) – Pyke Self-Propelled Crane. Photo by © Elena

Toronto Railway Heritage Centre #1.

Platform.