Locomotive 6167 could be on the move to John Galt Park.
But it will cost an estimated $650,000 to move it, says a staff report.
The historic steam engine, currently on display on Farquhar Street just south of the railroad tracks in Downtown Guelph, is situated on property owned by Metrolinx and they have notified the city that the lease expires on that property at the end of 2020.
City staff is recommending to council that the 79-year-old locomotive be reloated to John Galt Park just east of Downtown Guelph near the River Run Centre.
The recommendation goes to council's committee of the whole on Sept. 3.
“The logistics of moving a 490,000 pound train — 150 times heavier than the average car — has been well-explored,” said Danna Evans, general manager of Culture, Tourism and Community Investment with the City of Guelph, on the city web site.
John Galt Park was chosen because the city owns the land, it’s close to the train’s current location, it can support its weight and won’t impact how residents use the park space, the city said.
The cost to move the train, including the crane and trucks, protection of the train during the move, road closure and landscaping is estimated at $650,000. The budget request will appear in the 2020 capital budget process.
The report to council says another option could be to give the train away to another museum or organization, or retain "the historically-valuable rail pieces" and trash the rest.
