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Canadian Pacific H1b Hudson 2811 (4-6-4) arrives at the coaling tower in Smiths Falls, Ontario, during the final months of CP’s use of steam locomotives. April 1960. Source

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Toronto Railway Museum

Roundhouse Park is a 17 acre (6.9 ha) park in Downtown Toronto in the former Railway Lands. It features the John Street Roundhouse, a preserved locomotive roundhouse which is home to the Toronto Railway Museum, Steam Whistle Brewing and soon Cineplex's Rec Room entertainment complex. The park is also home to a collection of trains, the former Canadian Pacific Railway Don Station, and the Roundhouse Park Miniature Railway.

The John Street Roundhouse was built in 1929-31. Following the renovations of the roundhouse in the 1990s, the area to the east of the building became a city owned park named Roundhouse Park in 1997. The Toronto Railway Museum occupies Roundhouse Park and officially opened in 2010. The Museum occupies three stalls of the John St. Roundhouse and features an indoor display, an indoor restoration facility, a full size diesel cab simulator, an outdoor miniature railway, numerous railway engines and rolling stock as well as a fully restored railway village which includes Don Station, Signal Cabin D (with toolshed), a Watchman's shanty, a Water Tower and a coaling tower.

The John Street Roundhouse was built for the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1929-31 by Anglin-Norcross to replace the earlier John Street roundhouse built in 1897. Trains were so properly maintained at this location that railroaders recognized them by their "John Street polish." When diesel run trains began being used, business was slowed at the Roundhouse and the building was last used for its original purpose in 1986. The Canadian Pacific Railway Company donated the roundhouse to the City of Toronto. It is the only remaining roundhouse in downtown Toronto. One third of the original structure was dismantled, to allow construction of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre below, then reconstructed (1995) by Hotson Bakker Architects and is now home to Steam Whistle Brewing. Renovations to the brewery interior portion were done by William Hurst Architects. The remaining two thirds was rehabilitated by IBI Group Architects and now house the Toronto Railway Museum and soon Cineplex's Rec Room entertainment complex. The turntable and courtyard, Roundhouse Park with the restored wooden railway buildings was also completed by IBI and has received a number of design awards.

John Street Roundhouse could maintain 32 locomotives at a time. 32 bay doors make up the inner rounded facade of the building and face the 120 foot turntable. This turntable was the largest used by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company and was constructed by the Canadian Bridge Company. The exterior and interior of the building is mostly composed of brick and glazing. Each of the bay doors is of wood construction and can be left open to reveal a floor to ceiling glass wall with a regular sized man door inset. Natural light floods the interior space from the curved loft space and all exterior facades. Refurbished wooden columns also stand within the interior of the structure. The coaling tower and water tank are auxiliary structures still located in the park from the working days of the John Street Roundhouse.

The museum opened on May 28, 2010. The TRM operates year round. Cabin D has also been moved to Roundhouse Park from the City's collection of historic buildings and was repainted and repaired but remains in its original structural state.

The Don Station was built in 1896 by Canadian Pacific Railway and was originally located at the Don River and Queen Street East along the western bank of the river. In 1969 it was moved to Todmorden Mills. For many years while it was there the station was boarded up and not open to the public. Upon its relocation to the Roundhouse park, it was repainted and repaired and opened to the public to purchase tickets for the Roundhouse Park Miniature Railway.

Roundhouse Park contains four full-sized locomotives, three freight cars, and two passenger cars.

Canadian National Railway No. 6213 U-2-G 4-8-4 MLW 1942

Canadian Pacific 7020 Class DS10-B, Alco S-2 1944

Canadian National Railway No. 4803 GMD GP7 1953

Canadian Locomotive Company 50 Ton Whitcomb Centre Cab Switcher 1950

Canadian Pacific "Jackman" sleeper 1931

Canadian Pacific "Cape Race": Buffet-compartment-solarium-observation-sleeper, 1929

Dominion Atlantic Railway "San Pariel" (now "Nova Scotia") Pullman dining car built in 1896

Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway Caboose #70 steel sheathed, 1921

Canadian Pacific Railway 188625 - "Fowler" steel frame boxcar, built 1917

Reinhart Vinegars RVLX 101 - wooden vinegar tank car, built 1938

Toronto Terminal Railway (TTR) - Pyke Self-Propelled Crane