Railway Coastal Museum
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| Established | 2003 |
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| Location | 495 Water Street St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1E 6B5 |
| Coordinates | 47°33′16″N 52°42′49″W / 47.55444°N 52.71361°W |
| Type | Railway museum |
| Website | www |
| Official name | Former Newfoundland Railway Headquarters National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | 1988 |
The Railway Coastal Museum is a transport museum located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located in the historic Newfoundland Railway terminal on Water Street and contains exhibits detailing the history of the Newfoundland Railway and the history of coastal water transportation in the province.
The building was designated a National Historic Site in 1988 for its role in commemorating the important role played by the Newfoundland Railway in the social, economic and political history of the province.[1] It was also designated a Heritage Railway Station in 1990.[2]
The museum has 40 themed exhibits, a virtual museum, artwork and displays highlighting the history of the railway beds in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The museum opened in 2003 on a grant from the Johnson Family Foundation, which later turned over the museum to the City of St. John's. The museum is also noteworthy as "Mile Zero" of the Trans-Canada Trail. In 2020, it was announced by St. John's City Council that the museum would close due to budget cuts.[3][4][5] In 2021, it was announced that the museum would be purchased by the Genesis Coworking Centre affiliated with the Memorial University-owned incubator Genesis Centre. The Railway Coastal Museum will continue on a seasonal basis.[6]
With the closure of the Newfoundland Railway, the terminal is no longer connected to any tracks, which were all torn up and the rails put to other uses. The museum does not own or display any rolling stock as it is now surrounded by development.
The museum is affiliated with: CMA, CHIN, and Virtual Museum of Canada.
Locations on the island with cars:
- Port aux Basques - cars and station[7]
- Corner Brook - cars at Railway Society Of Newfoundland[8][9][10]
- Bishop's Falls - cars[11]
- Carbonear - museum[12]
- Avondale - track used for trolleys[13]
- Trinity Train Loop (Trinity) - functional section of track and museum[14]
- Lewisporte - train cars[15]
- Whitbourne - station[16]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]
- ^ Former Newfoundland Railway Headquarters. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ Newfoundland Railway Terminus & Headquarters, Former. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ "St. John's to close railway museum, but mayor says something new will fill the vacancy". CBC News. November 26, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ "Dozens protest planned closure of Railway Coastal Museum in St. John's". CBC News. 2020-12-12. Archived from the original on 2022-03-13.
- ^ "Museum association 'blindsided' by impending closure of Railway Coastal Museum". CBC News. 2020-12-11. Archived from the original on 2022-03-13.
- ^ "New tech, old trains and the building that houses it all". CBC News. 2021-05-11. Archived from the original on 2022-03-13.
- ^ "Channel-Port aux Basques - Railway Heritage Center". Town of Channel-Port aux Basques. 21 November 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ "Railway Society of Newfoundland | Corner Brook, Canada Attractions". lonelyplanet.com. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ "Visit Railway Society of Newfoundland Historic Train Site on your trip to Corner Brook". inspirock.com. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ "Railway Society of Newfoundland". Museum Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved Feb 6, 2021.
- ^ Gardiner, Samantha (January 15, 2018). "Preserving history in Bishop's Falls". Saltwire News. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
- ^ "C.N. Railway Station (Carbonear)". Heritage Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ "Railway Station (Avondale)". Heritage Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ "Trinity Train Loop (Trinity)". Heritage Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ "Lewisporte Train Park, Newfoundland and Labrador". explorenewfoundlandandlabrador.com. Retrieved Feb 6, 2021.
- ^ "Whitbourne Museum". Museum Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
External links
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