Families all aboard for RailDays at Niagara Railway Museum
September 8, 2025 at 3:53 AM
RailDays drew a strong crowd Saturday to the Niagara Railway Museum on Warren Street, where families climbed into historic locomotives and toured exhibits of Niagara’s rail history.
The two-day event ran this weekend at the former Canadian National Railway diesel shop. Museum founder and president Ken Jones said the showcase brings families back while introducing visitors to Fort Erie’s broader heritage attractions.
Sister steam engines donated by Marineland’s Holer family, built in Yugoslavia in the 1950s, are now main features of the museum. Credit: Andrew Hawlitzky | Fort Erie Radio“Today is going fantastic and we’re really, really pleased with the turnout,” said Jones.
The museum’s unique location is as much a part of the experience as the displays.
“This facility is one of only three in Ontario that’s in an actual railway shop. The fact that this infrastructure survived sets it apart from any other railway museum, so people can come here and see how trains used to be repaired,” said Jones.
Among the biggest recent additions are two sister steam engines donated by the Holer family of Marineland after decades in storage.
The Duro Dakovic locomotives, built in the 1950s for the Yugoslav State Railway and put in storage since 1981, were moved to Fort Erie in July 2023 and now anchor the shop floor as a crowd favourite.
“The kids love the trains, and they get to get up right up close and personal with them,” said Jones.
Converted railcars showcase Niagara rail memorabilia and photos, giving families a close look at the region’s past. Credit: Andrew Hawlitzky | Fort Erie RadioA full restoration to operating condition could cost about $1 million, Jones said, which he called unrealistic on the museum’s thin budget and 500 feet of useable track for their trains.
Jones wants other heritage groups to participate more often at RailDays and throughout the season, hoping that collaboration can lift attendance for everyone and attract tourists to Fort Erie.
The Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum set up a display at the event to discuss their autumn events. The Fort Erie Fire Department was also in attendance and had planned to bring a truck for a touch-a-truck attraction, but cancelled those plans Friday.
Behind the scenes, funding and restoration remain ongoing challenges. Jones said a recent Ontario Trillium Foundation grant allowed a roof replacement that opened new space for displays and meetings, and the museum will focus on equipment restoration over the winter.
Short rides on the museum’s shop track drew a steady line of families during RailDays on 500 feet of track owned by the Niagara Railway Museum. Credit: Andrew Hawlitzky | Fort Erie Radio“We have a small group of volunteers, but they’re fantastic for the amount of work that they do for what we have,” said Jones.
He encouraged residents to visit through the fall and support the volunteer-run site.
“We are a charitable organization, so we can issue tax receipts for any donations we receive.”
The museum says it is always looking for new members and volunteers, with no prior experience needed.
Anyone interested can visit on Saturdays until October.
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About The Author
Andrew Hawlitzky
Andrew is a Niagara community journalist who has covered everything from local politics to annual festivals and breaking news. He works to make local news a platform where community voices lead the conversation. "If you don't like the news, go out and make some!"
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