The trains will soon once again be rolling down the tracks in Elmira. The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Solicitor General of Canada; Andy Mooney, MLA for Souris-Elmira; and Garry MacDonald, President of the Friends of Elmira today announced details of a miniature railway that will be operating at the Elmira Railway Museum site next summer.

The miniature railway will consist of two, 11 passenger gas- powered trains that will travel on a one-mile track. A tunnel and a maintenance building for storage will also be constructed. A model train display donated to the Friends of Elmira will also be assembled and displayed.

"This new development is a unique attraction for eastern Prince Edward Island and one that fits ideally at the Elmira site. It will not only be another reason for visitors to come to the area, but it will also allow people to experience train travel that was so much a part of our history," said Minister MacAulay on behalf of the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the Honourable Jane Stewart, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC).

The Friends of Elmira will receive a $141,230 contribution from ACOA's Strategic Community Investment Fund (SCIF). Funding of $53,070 is provided by the Canada/Prince Edward Island Labour Market Development Agreement, co-managed by HRDC and the provincial department of Development and Technology. The Province of PEI is contributing $25,000 through the Community Development Fund. The provincial department of Transportation and Public Works is providing $17,700.

A trail for the track will be cut through the woods of a 16- acre parcel of land that has been transferred to the Friends of Elmira from the provincial government.

"Islanders and tourists have always enjoyed a visit to the Elmira Railway Museum and the addition of a miniature railway will only make that visit more enjoyable," said Mr. Mooney, on behalf of the Honourable Mike Currie, Minister of Development and Technology.

"The trains are here now and work will soon be starting on the railway construction. It's very exciting to see this next phase in the development of the Elmira site coming together," said Garry MacDonald. "The trains were purchased from Barry Maloney who owned and operated P.E.I. Miniature Railway in Kildare until 1997."

The miniature railway will be operated by the Elmira Railway Museum which is open to the public from mid-June to mid-September each year.

Enhancements to the site in 2001 allowed the administrative building to be enlarged with an expanded gift shop and a small building was added to increase interpretive display space. An outdoor stage, picnic facilities, a boardwalk, landscaping, and a canteen were added to the site grounds which connect to the Confederation Trail.

At one time, PEI had 121 railway stations along a little more than 250 miles of track. Elmira was the eastern terminus. With the closure of the Elmira station in 1972, the site evolved to become the Elmira Railway Museum. The Friends of Elmira is a not-for-profit organization that was formed to promote and develop the Elmira Railway Museum.

Lynn MacDonald
ACOA PEI and Tourism
(902) 566-7491

Dennis King
Dept. of Development and Technology
(902) 368-6574

Shirley Pierce
HRDC
(902) 566-7456

Garry MacDonald
Friends of Elmira Railway Museum
(902) 357-2561

Rachel Sullivan
Office of the Hon. Gerry Byrne
(613) 941-7241