York–Durham Heritage Railway

Route map
	Legend

York–Durham
Heritage Railway
York–Durham ; Heritage Railway
	York–Durham railway coach at Uxbridge station
Locale	Ontario
Terminus	Stouffville GO Station; Uxbridge station
Commercial operations
Built by	William Gooderham; T&NR(?)
Original gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) (until 1883); 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) (since 1882)
Preserved operations
Reporting mark	YDHR
Stations	2
Length	20 km (12 mi)
Preserved gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Commercial history
Opened	1868 as Toronto and Nipissing Railway
Preservation history
1996	Opened
2024	Permanently Closed
Headquarters	Uxbridge
Website
	York-Durham Heritage Railway
Route map
Route map
	Legend

The York–Durham Heritage Railway was a heritage railway in both the York Region and the Durham Region of Ontario, Canada, north of Toronto.

The railway formerly operated excursion trains from Uxbridge. Trips had various travel times depending on the event or festival.

The railway ran on the tracks of the former Toronto and Nipissing Railway. Metrolinx owns and operates the line south from Stouffville GO Station as the Stouffville line.

In 2022 the railway reported financial difficulties, and as of January 2024 has ceased all operations and filed for bankruptcy protection.

Operations

The York–Durham Heritage Railway operated non-stop from the Uxbridge Station on the Metrolinx Uxbridge Subdivision.

Trains were usually scheduled on weekends from June through mid-October, and were pulled by an Alco RS-11 diesel locomotive, #3612, which was built for the Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific Railway in 1956. Coaches included both vintage heavyweights built in the 1910s and 1920s, and lightweight cars from 1954.

The railway cars are stored at an open rail yard on Railway Street/King Street West in Uxbridge, Ontario. Several railway sheds are on the yard. The most significant is the Uxbridge Station, built in 1904.^[2]

As of 2022, the YDHR was operated by nine full-time staff supplemented by 88 part-time and seasonal workers and volunteers of the York–Durham Heritage Railway Association.[1] On January 21, 2024 it was announced that all operations were ceased and the railway had filed for bankruptcy protection.^{[citation needed]}

Railway History

The Uxbridge Subdivision was built in 1871 as the Toronto and Nipissing Railway, a 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow-gauge line. The line was converted to 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge shortly after being acquired by the Midland Railway in 1882. Following a series of mergers and acquisitions, the line became part of the Canadian National Railway (CN) in 1923.

In the 1980s, CN began to abandon the line. Tracks north of Uxbridge were lifted, but the line south of Uxbridge was purchased by GO Transit (now Metrolinx) to preserve it for possible Uxbridge - Toronto commuter rail service. Until such a service is introduced, the York-Durham Railway is the sole operator north of Old Elm station.

Rolling stock

Locomotives

1951 MLW RS-3 #1310
1955 MLW RS-3 #22
1956 ALCO RS-11 #3612
1603 ONR GP-9 #1603 on lease to the YDHR 2023-2024

Passenger Cars

1919 Pullman Company Colonist sleeper #4960
1930 CCF Solarium/Lounge car #15041, (ex-CNR)
1950s Coaches # 3233, 3209 (ex-CNR)
1955 Budd coaches #101 - #106, converted from Rail Diesel Cars to coaches in 2008.^[3]

Non-passenger cars

1919 National Steel Car boxcar #406308 (ex-CNR)
1950 CCF flatcar #662339 (ex-CNR)
1953 caboose #434908 (ex-CPR)
1957 National Steel Car Baggage car #9636
hopper car #165 (ex-Green Bay and Western Railway)
3 track inspection cars

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Sentimental journey". thestar.com. June 25, 2008.
^ "Uxbridge Train Station". Archived from the original on 2012-04-02.
^ "Our History, & Future" (PDF). Unionville Festival. York-Durham Heritage Railway. 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2016.