The first of Historian Derek Boles’ roundhouse webinars focused on how railway roundhouses functioned and an overview of the sixteen such facilities that were built in Toronto, including the first John Street roundhouse that opened in 1897.

Part two of his webinar is devoted exclusively to the history of the current roundhouse, including a complete tour of its various functions. Derek will highlight how the facility was utilized shortly after it opened, servicing over sixty passenger trains a day at Union Station. The history will then trace the roundhouse’s operation through the steam locomotive years, the transition to diesels, its decline as a passenger facility, and the building’s near demolition in the roundhouse’s final years before it was secured as the Toronto Railway Museum.

The lecture will be presented digitally through the WebEx platform in one evening and divided into two sections with a 15-minute break in the middle. It will take place on Thursday June 25th, 2020. The price of admission is free, however donations are always appreciated. You can register for the webinar here. After you register, instructions will be sent to you on how to join the webinar in the order confirmation email.

We hope to see you there!