By Glen Hickes - PANow

Prince Albert steam engine finds new home in Alberta

Mar 23, 2019 | 10:11 AM

PRINCE ALBERT, SASK. —  Prince Albert’s steam Locomotive 5080 has chugged – or rather been carried – on its way to the next chapter in an already long life. The 104-year-old engine is on the road to Alberta.

Crews spent several hours on March 19 at the train’s Prince Albert Exhibition site, going through the painstaking process of lifting the 112-ton chunk of steel onto a huge 92-wheeler flatbed truck.

New owner Jason Thornhill, who runs the Aspen Crossing train theme park (just south of Calgary), which will become the locomotive’s new permanent home, watched over the meticulously planned lift operation. Two huge cranes were used to swing the steam engine onto the mega truck.

Thornhill has long been interested in adding the train to his collection.

 “When we heard it was being somewhat neglected here and becoming a liability for the city we thought here’s an opportunity to save a piece of history,” Thornhill told the Prince Albert Exhibition site, “We’re going to look after the old lady for you guys; it’ll have a great new home.”

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The steam engine will undergo a $1 million restoration and will be put back on the track. The city of Prince Albert will receive tourism marketing exposure at Aspen Crossing in return.

 “It has taken us seven years to get to where we are today,” Arne Lindberg with the local restoration committee said, as he watched the operation. Lindberg met Thornhill and train restoration expert Al Broadfoot back in 2011. “It’s very emotional to see our old engine going to Alberta realizing that it’s going to be running again.”