THUNDER BAY — A popular children's and family attraction has been operational since it opened up earlier this season.
The staff of the Muskeg Express at Centennial Park said the season has been strong in terms of turnout after it was declared back in action earlier this year. The ride has been plagued with derailments and other operational issues, necessitating frequent closures.
City staff say they believe they've fixed the cause of those problems.
“A lot of work has gone into trying to determine what the issues had been over the years,” said Cory Halvorsen, the City of Thunder Bay's manager of parks and open spaces.
“We made a lot of improvements over the years, but until this year, there was always something (that) seemed to come up.”
New improvements to the train includes upgraded wheels, Halvorsen said.
“They don't wear and they don't distort, which I think is what was happening before, and it was such a gradual thing,” he said.
Halvorsen said the wear and tear on the previous wheels sparked the idea for cast iron replacements.
“The shape of the wheels we used to use, they were pressed into shape. Therefore, the material had the ability to move to get it into its shape,” he said.
“The cast (iron) is just more rigid; it has more strength that way.”
With more than 2,000 riders in 2024, Halvorsen said this year’s final tally is expected to be high.
“I'm having them (the train operators) run a running tally so we'll know at the end of the year exactly how many people boarded and took a ride,” he said.
“Every time I've gone to check, there have been people waiting and going for rides.”
With approximately 147 acres of forest to explore at Centennial, Sandra Klaric said bringing her children to experience her beloved childhood park was the best part.
“I have lots of good memories of Centennial Park,” she said. “We're actually from British Columbia, but we grew up in Thunder Bay.”
Travelling from B.C. meant her children could share in an experience.
“My kids are really excited about the train so that they could kind of relive a bit of my childhood, so, it was a good experience for us.”
After the train ride, Klaric said her family's next stop while enjoying the park was the new playground.
“We're definitely going to go check out the playground because the last time we visited that wasn't here.”
Wanting to provide some education for her family, Klaric said the park's historical equipment displays make for an added bonus.
“My son's really into machinery, so going through the trails and seeing the old setup of how they used to log and things like that is really interesting, so, a little bit of history,” she said.
The train is slated to run Wednesdays through Sundays until Labour Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., weather permitting, with the last rides at 3:50 p.m.
