|
 Concept Proposal for
Forth Junction
Heritage Society
Transportation-Themed
Rail, Trail and Transit Interpretive
Regional Family Heritage
Rail Park
updated June
2022 (photo and illustration description and credits at bottom of
page)
 Overall
visionary concept for an
evolving heritage rail park
* Calgary & Edmonton Railway Museum, Archive
and Research Centre (phase 1);
* Train viewing platform adjacent to active railway
(preferably mainline Calgary-Edmonton CPR)
with
snack bar, library and games room (phase 1);
 * Family activity zones, picnic areas, trails, natural
areas and decorative gardens that once beautified
many railway stations welcoming travellers
(phases 1-4);
* Miniature-world
style historic model railway
interpretive exhibits of Central Alberta
communities representing several eras between
1892 and the present and various modelling
scales (phase 2);
* Replication of several Central Alberta railway
station designs initially for use as multi-use
facilities within the park (phases 2-4);
* Children's activity park, themed playgrounds and
miniature railway (phases 2-4);
* Display and interpretation of historic
railway and
surface transportation equipment (phases 2-4);
* Opportunity space
to acquire closed or retired
collections including hidden space for
un-restored equipment (phases 3-4);
* Transit and other ground and specialized
transportation interactive interpretive
pavilion (phases 3-4);
* Repurposing of multi-use railway station
replications as theme pavilions for various
regional railways and context (phase 4);
* Children's mobility education and entertainment
pavilion (phase 4);
* Rail equipment restoration facility (phase 4).
See:
Detailed Staging of Forth Junction Heritage
Rail Park
The park concept is envisioned to operate in partnership
with paired complementary transportation-themed tourism, commercial and/or industrial facilities
The Forth
Junction Heritage Rail Park
plan sets the stage
for the ultimate build-out of the overall vision. It can be adapted
to take advantage of ongoing aquisition opportunities, current
trends and allows for additional uses of the site by the community
and other similar organizations as well as separate but
complementary tourist attractions.
A complimentary tourism zone could be developed adjacent or close to
the park and blended with an adapted version of the park.
The mandate of the Forth
Junction Heritage Society is to preserve, promote and share the transportation heritage of our
community and region; and to pass that heritage to future
generations in a sustainable and interactive way through education,
advocacy and nurturing a passion for the continuous evolution of
trail, rail and transit.
See
Ultimate Vision
See
A Study in Railway Station Architecture
|
The Forth Junction Heritage Society has reviewed many
rail parks and rail museums and has taken inspiration
from several of them, some within Alberta and others
well outside.
Our desire is to not duplicate these facilities but
to learn from them to facilitate the creation of a
unique attraction with a unique combination of
facilities.
Some excellent attractions within Alberta that we have
taken inspiration from include the Alberta Central
Railway Museum near Wetaskiwin, Heritage Park in
Calgary, Fort Edmonton Park, the Alberta Railway Museum
north of Edmonton, Aspen Crossing at Mossleigh and Galt
Historic Railway Park south of Lethbridge.
We see these attractions complementary to our own
vision and we encourage you to visit these other great
parks.
Outside of Alberta, inspiration has come from the West
Coast Railway Heritage Park at Squamish, 3 Valley Gap
near Revelstoke, the Revelstoke Railway Museum, Canadian
Museum of Rail Travel at Cranbrook and Fort Steele in
B.C. as well as Exporail in Montreal, Winnipeg Railway
Museum, Toronto Railway Museum, B&O Railway Museum in
Baltimore, MD, EnterTrainment Junction in Cincinnati,
OH, Railraod Park Resort in Dunsmuir, CA, and San Diego
CA Model Railroad Museum.
|
Photo descriptions and credits:
Header photo: Former C&E Railway Station Museum
replication in
south Edmonton (Paul Pettypiece 2013);
Proposed 16-acre site plan for future Forth Junction
Heritage Rail Park (Paul Pettypiece);
Phase 1 layout option for proposed Forth Junction
Heritage Rail Park (Paul Pettypiece);
Phase 2 layout option for proposed Forth Junction
Heritage Rail Park (Paul Pettypiece);
Phase 3 layout option for proposed Forth Junction
Heritage Rail Park (Paul Pettypiece);
Phase 4 layout option for proposed Forth Junction
Heritage Rail Park (Paul Pettypiece);
Concept plan for 2-zone rail heritage themed
development (Paul Pettypiece)
|
