A streetcar named 356

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/12/2021 (1381 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The rumble and reverberation of trains can still be heard and felt in the belly of the Winnipeg Railway Museum, which sits atop two iron tracks that end at the northernmost part of downtown’s Union Station. But, this month will likely be the end of the line for the museum, at least at its current home.

The Winnipeg Railway Museum is closing to the public on Dec. 31. City of Winnipeg inspectors reviewed the museum and found that the space does not meet current codes. As it stands, Via Rail Canada — the company that owns the station — has not agreed to foot the cash needed to bring the museum portion of the station up to current standards.

Via Rail Canada has afforded the museum roughly two years to find a new gallery for its collection.

The museum owns the majority of its engines, cars, and displays — gifts from donors over the years; a silver lining that will make the momentous task of moving decades worth of authentic and replica locomotives just a tad easier.

But with no new spot in sight, the future for the artifacts housed at the museum remains uncertain. One of those pieces is Streetcar 356.

The car is believed to be the last remaining wooden streetcar built in Winnipeg. Heritage Winnipeg has been advocating for the protection of Streetcar 356 since 1980, which is how it ended up at the Railway Museum (but not before making stops at the Winnipeg Hydro’s Mill Street Substation and the Winnipeg Transit Fort Rouge Garage).

The “Standard 10 Window Winnipeg Car” was built in 1909 by the Winnipeg Street Railway Company. The car presumably wound through the city’s lines — first just on Main Street, but then to the north until St. John’s College, and east to west along Broadway.

It was powered by electricity, a fact Heritage Winnipeg’s executive director Cindy Tugwell finds amusing, considering the growing popularity of electric vehicles.

The streetcar’s journey is far from over. Heritage Winnipeg is undertaking a restoration project to transform the car, which right now is entirely original, apart from some early stage refurbishing. The non-profit recently invited volunteers to help clean the car.

The announcement of the museum’s closure came at an inopportune time for president Gary Stempnick. He and his volunteers were preparing to take on several restoration and redesign projects amid the loosening public health restrictions. Now, organizing the museum for its closure is the job at hand.

“It’s going to take a lot of work, and it’s going to take a lot of fundraising,” Tugwell said.

For Stempnick and his team, the museum isn’t merely about the timeline of trains in Canadian society — just as Streetcar 356 is more than a historical snapshot for Tugwell. Instead, both the train and the streetcar represent how transportation influenced society in small and big ways.

Trains aren’t as simple as moving people from point A to point B, Stempnick explained. The museum is about how the railways advanced communication technology, like the telegraph, and allowed for fresh, out-of-season produce to end up on Canada’s dinner tables.

“Communication — you can thank railway for starting it,” Stempnick said.

For the streetcar’s part, this method of transport “contributed immensely to the evolution of Winnipeg,” Tugwell said.

The Winnipeg Railway Museum must find a building that’s at least 40,000 square feet to reopen with much of its current collection. With tours wrapping up at the end of the month, the museum will be without its stream of regular donations.

Anyone who would like to help the museum, financially or otherwise, can contact Stempnick at 204-669-3303. Heritage Winnipeg welcomes donations for its restoration of Streetcar 356. Those interested can contact Tugwell at 204-942-2663.