Operations suspended at railway museum

Years of neglect have caught up to North America’s oldest locomotive repair shop and the St. Thomas Railworks Coalition has opted to “temporarily suspend operations” at the historic building housing Elgin County Railway Museum’s inventory of vintage rolling stock and railway relics.

With “no confirmed reopening date,” the decision comes on the heels of the museum’s most successful year ever, having attracted some 27,630 visitors to its 300-tree Christmas exhibition in December, plus another 1,000 families to its new Santa Claus house.

Five years ago, the museum was attracting 2,200 people a year. In 2025, the number of visitors topped 57,000, Railworks Coalition Chief Executive Officer Wil Zufelt added in an interview.

Revenues – mostly in the form of donations – are directed back into the cost to maintain the museum and the building, said Mr. Zufelt, however the income is threatening the not-for-profit organization’s ability to sustain operations and stay on top of health and safety regulations.

While areas in the building are safe, he said the Coalition needs time to consider the future. Further updates are expected in the spring.

For the full story, see the Jan. 14 edition of The Aylmer Express. (AE/Joe Konecny)