Assiniboine Park’s mini steam train celebrates 60 years as owner hopes to keep it on track

July 29, 2024 Canuck

A Winnipeg icon that’s been chugging along for 60 years celebrated its birthday on Monday.

Tim Buzunis, owner and operator of the miniature, coal-powered steam train at Assiniboine Park since 1988, held a birthday party for the train on Monday.

The party turnout was fantastic, said Buzunis, with the first 2,000 ticket purchasers getting a free piece of cake, a train souvenir and a drink.

“It warms your heart that these people still support the train,” he said.

Buzunis says only 54 of the miniature trains were ever made, and about 32 are still running. Winnipeg is the only city in North America to have a steam train running in a public park, he said.

His father took a risk and bought the train for $165,000 US in 1964. The now-defunct manufacturer of the train thought he was crazy for buying it, as it could only operate for maybe 100 days a year in a cold city like Winnipeg, Buzunis said.

A man wearing a baseball cap and overalls. — Tim Buzunis, who took over operating the train from his father in 1988, wants the City of Winnipeg to give it historical status. (Ron Dhaliwal/CBC)

However, the city wanted a train for Assiniboine Park, and Buzunis said his father was the only one of five bidders to offer a coal-powered steam train.

“The very first day, and the second day, there were 10,000 people who rode that train each day,” he said.

It hasn’t been a totally smooth ride for the train over the last 60 years, Buzunis said, with repairs becoming increasingly difficult in the last decade due to the “dying art” of steam locomotives.

He remains devoted to operating the train because it’s a piece of history — both to him personally, and more broadly in North America.

“This is the type of train that opened up the Wild West in the United States and Canada,” he said.

‘A Winnipeg icon’

But Buzunis isn’t getting any younger, and operating the train seven days a week can be physically taxing, he said.

He knows he will have to sell it one day. But he’s grateful to the people who have bought a ticket over the years, as he’s responsible for all the associated costs.

“If it wasn’t for the people riding, it would stop running,” he said, adding that he’d like to see the city give the train historical status.

“Personally, I think the City of Winnipeg should protect this train.”

A cake with a train on it says 'celebrating 60 great years.' — The first 2,000 visitors who purchased tickets on Monday scored a free piece of cake, a train souvenir and a drink. (Mikaela Delos Santos/CBC)

Jeff Riddell, one of the train’s conductors, says he was fascinated by locomotives as a child. When he was younger, Tim’s father asked Riddell if he wanted to ride up front.

“As soon as I became old enough to get my steam ticket, that’s what I went and did, and I’ve been here ever since — 20-plus years,” he said.

He hopes the train stays in Winnipeg, and wants to see his future grandchildren ride on the train the way he and his kids did.

“I really hope that somebody sees the value of this as a Winnipeg icon,” said Riddell.

A pile of coal on a steam train. — Winnipeg is the only city in North America to have a steam train running in a public park, Buzunis says. (Mikaela Delos Santos/CBC)

Zach Wiseman, another train conductor, has also been riding it since he was a child.

He’s looking for a potential partner to help keep the train chugging.

“I really hope to keep this going for another 60-plus years. That’s the goal.”

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Canada News

Assiniboine Park’s mini steam train celebrates 60 years as owner hopes to keep it on track

‘A Winnipeg icon’

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