Full steam ahead: park train back on track

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This article was published 13/07/2018 (2785 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Assiniboine Park’s miniature steam train is back on track.

After losing about half the season because the train was being repaired, owner and conductor Tim Buzunis drove the train around the Winnipeg park’s track eight times Thursday.

“I got my train back!” Buzunis said. “I feel relieved.

“On Saturday, I was really losing a lot of hope. I was thinking the train was going to have to be sent to the U.S. and I had no idea what that was going to cost.”

Throughout the 54 years the train’s been in his family, Buzunis said he’s never experienced the kinds of mechanical problems with the train he’s run into this year.

He turned to numerous train experts to help, consulting various steam train owners in the United States and people who run the local heritage Prairie Dog Central Railway constantly throughout the last two months.

Between fixing the engine in the winter, and dealing with continuous repairs since May, Buzunis said he’s spent about $20,000 in personal funds on the train this year. Since he normally starts operating in the spring, he said he’s lost about $25,000 in sales.

In total, Buzunis said he’s lost about 55 days of the 100- to 120-day season.

All the school trips had to be cancelled, as well, he said.

For $3, people can ride the only train of its kind still operating in Canada. It usually runs daily from noon to 6 p.m. until Labour Day weekend. It then operates until mid to late October, depending on the weather, on weekends and holidays.

Buzunis has been posting on the Assiniboine Park Steam Train Facebook page for two months, updating Winnipeggers on the train’s status — normally updating about what a “nightmare” the delays have been. But on Thursday night, he said he’s finally looking forward to letting his followers hear some good news.

— Maggie Macintosh