WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Winnipeg Railway Museum has been closed indefinitely because of structural issues with the trainshed at Winnipeg Union Station, where the museum is housed.
The Winnipeg Model Railroad Club, which operates at the museum, announced the closure via Facebook, the Winnipeg Free Press reports.
VIA Rail Canada, which owns the building, made the decision to close the area housing the museum after an engineering analysis found “risks regarding certain elements of the structure,” VIA Rail Canada spokeswoman Marie-Anna Murat told the newspaper in an email. “Since safety is our No. 1 priority, as we owned the building, we decided to close the museum to pursue different renovation options.” The engineering analysis was begun in preparation of refurbishing the train shed.
According to its website, the museum houses more than 37,500 square feet of equipment and displays on two tracks of the station, including the steam locomotive Countess of Dufferin, the first locomotive in mainland Western Canada.
When I saw the headline, I thought the issue(s) had to do with the WRM’s lease.
This comes at the peak of the tourism season and will hurt the museum.
The winters we have had on the Prairies these last two years have led to a number of buildings collapsing under the weight of snow. The museum seems not to be an exception.