The Waterloo Central Railway (WCR) is a non-profit organization

Heritage railway

thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...

 that is owned and operated by the Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society (SOLRS). In May 2007, SOLRS received approval from the City of Waterloo to run trains from Waterloo to St Jacobs. The train runs three times a day on Tuesdays (June to August), Thursdays (May to October) and Saturday (April to October).

Running Rights

The WCR operates on the former Canadian National Waterloo Spur now owned by the Region of Waterloo

Regional Municipality of Waterloo

The Regional Municipality of Waterloo is a regional municipality located in Southern Ontario, Canada. It consists of the cities of Kitchener, Cambridge, and Waterloo, and the townships of Wellesley, Woolwich, Wilmot, and North Dumfries. It is often referred to as the Region of Waterloo or just...

, which connects Elmira

Elmira, Ontario

The town of Elmira in Ontario, Canada is the largest community within the Township of Woolwich in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and is located 15 km to the north of the city of Waterloo.-History:...

, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, St. Jacobs

St. Jacobs, Ontario

The community of St. Jacobs is located in southwest Ontario, just north of Waterloo in Woolwich Township, Waterloo Region. It is a popular location for tourism, due to its Mennonite heritage and retail focus. The Conestogo River, which powered the village's original gristmill, runs through the...

 and Waterloo

Waterloo, Ontario

Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....

 to Kitchener

Kitchener, Ontario

The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...

, Ontario by rail. Through an agreement with the Region of Waterloo, the WCR operates passenger service in daytime hours, and the Goderich–Exeter Railway operates freight service in evening hours. The WCR also leases space in the City of Waterloo Visitor and Heritage Information Centre which was formerly owned by the Waterloo-St. Jacobs Railway

2007 Season

From June 2007 to December 2007 the train operated three times a day on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday.

The 2007 season operated Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays beginning in Waterloo at the station at 10 Father David Bauer Drive departing at 10am, noon and 2pm with stops at the St. Jacobs Farmers' Market (at the back beside the stockyards) and the Village of St. Jacobs (the corner of Cedar and Isabella Street).

2008 Season

The 2008 season began April 5, 2008 with service extended to Elmira for the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival

Elmira Maple Syrup Festival

The Elmira Maple Syrup Festival is an annual festival held in Elmira, Ontario, Canada.The yearly festival began on April 10, 1965. Organizers anticipated 2,500 attendees, but instead it drew a crowd of 10,000 visitors, thus ensuring its continuation...

. Regular operations resumed with Saturday service April 19. Tuesday and Thursday service ran from May to September.

2009 Season

The 2009 season began with service to the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival. Saturday service to St. Jacobs and the St. Jacobs Market District began April 11. Thursday service began May 7. Tuesday service begins June 16.

2010 Season

The completion of the restoration and service shop allowed for the reactivation of the restoration programme. Ex. ETR #9 was moved under cover for the first time since it arrived from St. Thomas. Ex. CN 79482 caboose

Caboose

A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...

 is under active restoration. Ex. CNR 50845 Burro Crane

Crane (railroad)

A railroad crane, is a type of crane used on a railroad for one of three primary uses: freight handling in goods yards, permanent way maintenance, and accident recovery work...

 and steam locomotive #124 are also in St. Jacobs. Other rolling stock will be returned to service as time, money and resources become available.
Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society =
The Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society (SOLRS) is the parent organization that operates the Waterloo Central Railway. SOLRS became a registered Canadian charity in 1988 and maintains that status today. The mandate of SOLRS is to preserve, to restore and to operate vintage railway equipment for the education and enjoyment of the public and to present the cultural heritage in a new and more meaningful way to generations past, present and future.

Motive Power

SOLRS operates one active engine #1556, a GE

General Electric

General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...

 70 ton locomotive

Locomotive

A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...

 built in 1950 for the PGE as 556. After a complete restoration, SOLRS operated former Essex Terminal Railway

Essex Terminal Railway

Essex Terminal Railway is a Canadian shortline terminal railroad, running from the City of Windsor, Ontario through La Salle, to the Town of Amherstburg, Ontario, for a distance of approximately 21 miles . The ETR has direct connections to Canadian Pacific Railway, Canadian National Railway...

 steam locomotive

Steam locomotive

A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...

 Number 9, a 0-6-0

0-6-0

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...

 switcher

Switcher

A switcher or shunter is a small railroad locomotive intended not for moving trains over long distances but rather for assembling trains ready for a road locomotive to take over, disassembling a train that has been...

 built in 1923 at MLW

Montreal Locomotive Works

Montreal Locomotive Works was a Canadian railway locomotive manufacturer which existed under several names from 1883–1985, producing both steam and diesel locomotives. For a number of years it was a subsidiary of the American Locomotive Company...

. Number 9 is currently out of service for a full boiler inspection

Federal Boiler Inspection Act

The Federal Boiler Inspection Act, also called the Railroad Inspection Act, expanded the Boiler Inspection Act of 1911 to include I.C.C. regulation not just of train engine boilers, but of the entire train as well as cargo to ensure safety for workers and passengers....

 and bearing

Bearing (mechanical)

A bearing is a device to allow constrained relative motion between two or more parts, typically rotation or linear movement. Bearings may be classified broadly according to the motions they allow and according to their principle of operation as well as by the directions of applied loads they can...

 work. SOLRS acquired #1518, a GE 95 ton locomotive built in 1956. The engine was donated by Praxair Inc. of Tonawanda

Tonawanda, New York

Tonawanda may refer to:*Glacial Lake Tonawanda*North Tonawanda, New York, a city in Niagara County, north across Tonawanda Creek from the City and Town*Tonawanda , New York, consisting of the Town of Tonawanda less the Village of Kenmore...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. It is undergoing preventative maintenance and awaiting a full restoration.

Rolling stock

SOLRS has a variety of heritage cars in active service and others that await restoration. When SOLRS takes extended tours, they also bring a baggage car

Baggage car

A baggage car or luggage van is a type of railway vehicle often forming part of the composition of passenger trains and used to carry passengers' checked baggage, as well as parcels . Being typically coupled at the front of the train behind the locomotive, this type of car is sometimes described...

, two air-dump hopper car

Hopper car

A hopper car is a type of railroad freight car used to transport loose bulk commodities such as coal, ore, grain, track ballast, and the like. The name originated from the coke manufacturing industry which is part of the steel industry ....

s, two boxcar

Boxcar

A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...

s and tanker

Tank car

A tank car is a type of railroad rolling stock designed to transport liquid and gaseous commodities.-Timeline:...

with them.

Shop

In 2008 SOLRS made public plans erect a restoration shop in the Village of St. Jacobs. The foundation was poured in July 2009 and construction was completed in mid 2010.