Canadian National 6213 and Water Tower, Roundhouse Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

"Canadian National 6213 is a preserved 4-8-4 steam locomotive on static display in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) on the lands of the former CPR John St. Roundhouse. It was on active duty until 1959 and was donated by Canadian National Railway (CNR) to the City of Toronto government in 1960. It was on display at Exhibition Place until 2009 when it was moved to its current location.

No. 6213 was built in 1942 at the Montreal Locomotive Works. It was part of the Canadian National Railway's (CNR) fleet of 200 U-2-g class "Confederations", later "Northerns". No.6213 was retired from active duty in 1959. At the request of the City of Toronto government, the locomotive was donated by CNR to the City of Toronto government in 1960 and put on static display at Exhibition Place. At the request of the Parks Department, it was placed beside the Stanley Barracks' Officers' Quarters, delivered there by temporary rail track. It was officially turned over to the Mayor of Toronto Nathan Phillips on September 8, 1960.

Since 6213's retirement, the members of The Toronto Locomotive Preservation Society (TLPS), her primary caretaker, have faithfully worked to preserve the locomotive. It was moved to the John St. Roundhouse in 2009 at a cost of CA$150,000, paid for by Leon's Furniture, which opened a store in the Roundhouse. The turntable and small trackage at the Roundhouse allows for the locomotive to be pushed and pulled into various spurs of the Toronto Railway Museum park. This has enhanced the TLPS' ability to inspect, grease and lube her moving parts, something key to her ongoing mechanical wellness and preservation.

Plans are in the works for the summer of 2019, wherein the engine and tender will be subject to a significant cosmetic restoration. This will be the second significant makeover 6213 has had since retirement and reflects the City of Toronto's ongoing financial commitment to preserve its above-average condition "park locomotive".

No. 6213 had only recently been through a significant refit at CNR's Stratford Shops before retirement and is, therefore, an ideal candidate for restoration to live steam at some point in the future. The TLPS continues to explore possible options of restoring this locomotive to operating condition.

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 the restaurant and entertainment complex The Rec Room. The park is also home to a collection of trains, the former Canadian Pacific Railway Don Station, and the Roundhouse Park Miniature Railway. The park is bounded by Bremner Boulevard, Lower Simcoe Street, Lake Shore Boulevard West/Gardiner Expressway and Rees Street.

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.

Toronto (/təˈrɒntoʊ/, locally /təˈrɒnoʊ/) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,731,571 in 2016, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anchor of the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration of 9,245,438 people (as of 2016) surrounding the western end of Lake Ontario, while the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) proper had a 2016 population of 6,417,516. Toronto is an international centre of business, finance, arts, and culture, and is recognized as one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world.

People have travelled through and inhabited the Toronto area, located on a broad sloping plateau interspersed with rivers, deep ravines, and urban forest, for more than 10,000 years. After the broadly disputed Toronto Purchase, when the Mississauga surrendered the area to the British Crown, the British established the town of York in 1793 and later designated it as the capital of Upper Canada. During the War of 1812, the town was the site of the Battle of York and suffered heavy damage by American troops. York was renamed and incorporated in 1834 as the city of Toronto. It was designated as the capital of the province of Ontario in 1867 during Canadian Confederation. The city proper has since expanded past its original borders through both annexation and amalgamation to its current area of 630.2 km2 (243.3 sq mi).

The diverse population of Toronto reflects its current and historical role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada. More than 50 percent of residents belong to a visible minority population group, and over 200 distinct ethnic origins are represented among its inhabitants. While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, over 160 languages are spoken in the city.

Toronto is a prominent centre for music, theatre, motion picture production, and television production, and is home to the headquarters of Canada's major national broadcast networks and media outlets. Its varied cultural institutions, which include numerous museums and galleries, festivals and public events, entertainment districts, national historic sites, and sports activities, attract over 43 million tourists each year. Toronto is known for its many skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, in particular the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere, the CN Tower.

The city is home to the Toronto Stock Exchange, the headquarters of Canada's five largest banks, and the headquarters of many large Canadian and multinational corporations. Its economy is highly diversified with strengths in technology, design, financial services, life sciences, education, arts, fashion, aerospace, environmental innovation, food services, and tourism." - info from Wikipedia.

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Taken in: Canada / Ontario / Harbourfront (show map)

Taken on: April 28, 2011

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