‘Immersed in history’: Beloved Edmonton steam train celebrates 107 years

Fort Edmonton Park's iconic steam engine turns 107 this year. CTV News Edmonton's Connor Hogg has the story.

Fort Edmonton Park’s well-loved steam train celebrated its champagne birthday of sorts on Saturday.

The 1919 Baldwin Locomotive was number 107 when it came off the line in Philadelphia, Pa. Now, it’s 107 years old.

“This train is the heart of the park, and people love this train. Train enthusiasts love it to death, but every single visitor that comes to the park rides this train, and it takes them through the eras to the history experience,” Fort Edmonton Foundation executive director, Lori Farquharson Prasaud, said.

Park director Tannia Franke says the goal of each historical demonstration is to teach people and help them appreciate how the city came to be. It helps to have an interactive component like the locomotive.

“The smell, the feel, the buzz of the engine as you’re clipping along the railway tracks, it’s all significant,” she said. “You feel very much immersed in history.”

The train spent its first five decades operating in Louisiana before being adopted by the park for its real-life historic value. In 1977, Edmonton city council approved the construction of a railway to bring the static display to life.

Saturday’s reception to the train’s birthday, which included unlimited rides and interpreter demonstrations, was a sign of a mission accomplished to Farquharson Prasaud.

“You can hear the joy of the kids in the background. You need to stay out of their way when they come through that front plaza, because their main mission is to catch that train before they miss that ride,” she said. “That joy, that sparkle, that laughter, that is what we all work towards throughout the year.”

Keeping the train chugging is a labour of love for those who maintain it, but it’s well worth it for the love Edmontonians have for it. Chief train operator Landon Lesko can attest to that – he says he has the best job in the world.

The train’s mechanics are aged, but advanced in their complications, and finding new parts for a century-old machine can take some problem-solving.

“Metal on metal doesn’t exactly last forever, so what we do is find all of the wearable parts and make sure that we’re measuring them on a yearly basis to ensure that they are within the limits,” he explained.

But he’d do it for another 100 years – which is how long the 107-year-old might be viable for still – if he could.

Dave Smandych is the owner of Smantec Manufacturing, which helps the Fort Edmonton Park crew build the parts it needs for the attraction.

He and his wife, Natalie, take their two young sons to ride the company’s handiwork as often as possible, including on Saturday.

“It’s really exciting to work on a machine that old, make parts on technology that people who originally made the parts would’ve never dreamed of,” Smandych said. “It’s a great time. It was great when they were young.”

His son William remarked that “the people are nice, and the train is old-fashioned.”

One of those nice people, assistant train conductor Caitlynn Morrow, works with the park so that the senior train can keep making new friends.

“It reminds me of when I was a kid, riding the train or seeing trains on TV,” she said.

“It really makes me feel like they’re going to experience this and remember this for the rest of their lives.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Connor Hogg