Assiniboine Valley Railway, Rideable miniature railway in Charleswood, Manitoba.
Assiniboine Valley Railway is a rideable miniature railway in Charleswood featuring a track approximately 1.1 kilometers long equipped with locomotives and passenger cars. The facility was designed to offer visitors a genuine train riding experience on a smaller scale with operational rail equipment.
The railway was established in 1995 by founder Bill Taylor and officially opened on September 13, 1997 by Lieutenant Governor Yvon Dumont. This inauguration marked the beginning of regular operations for the community.
The railway's slogan, "Route of the Hazel Nuts", referred to the hazelnut bushes growing around the track. Until 2019 a Dinner Train Weekend ran on the third weekend of September, serving refreshments, salad, hotdogs and hamburgers. A Halloween Train was added in 2018.
The railway stood on a private 7-acre property in Charleswood, with Charleswood Station built along the track and opened in May 2000 for a convention. Public rides ran on the second weekend of each month from June to October. The club vacated the site in autumn 2022 and moved its rolling stock into storage, so check current arrangements before travelling.
The railway's slogan, "Route of the Hazel Nuts", refers to the hazelnut bushes that grew around the track on Bill Taylor's 7-acre property. The club laid more than 6,000 feet of track over 26 years, and by 2012 the Christmas display had reached 101,213 lights.
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