Iron Horse Park
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Iron Horse Park |
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This is a work in progress as we try to reconstruct the history from
members recollection, old news letters, and other assorted documents.
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| Date | Milestone and comments. |
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| 2022, September | Shuswap Line opened adding an extra 0.75 km to the IHP track layout
which now totals over 2.4 km.
The City of Airdrie extends the IHP lease till 2027. |
| 2022 June 19th | 50th Anniversary of AMES being founded as a model engineering hobby club (as CMES in Calgary). |
| 2017 | The City of Airdrie extends the Iron Horse Park Lease till 2022.
Engine House completed for housing locomotives. |
| 2011, November | City of Airdrie passes a resolution which will permit AMES and Iron Horse Park to remain on their current site until 2027. |
| 2010 December | Car Barn completed for housing passenger riding cars and other rolling stock. |
| 2009, July/September | Opening of the Centennial Trestle and Mountain Subdivision Line adding 0.5 km to the Main Line length. |
| 2006, July | Vancouver section of the Main Line opened adding 0.67 km of track. |
| 2003 | First 1/2 km section of 7-1/2 inch gauge Main Line complete. - The Thomas Loop complete with #1 Trestle. Station building and parking lot are completed. |
| 2000 - 2002 | Mission Statement Created to guide Iron Horse Park's on-going development: "To make available a top-quality outing for residents and visitors to Airdrie by creating a 7 1/2 inch train track layout that represents the railways from the prairies to the coast; featuring model steam and diesel engines pulling trains through tunnels, over trestles and mountain passes and providing a venue for enthusiasts to practice their hobby and educate others about it". |
| 1998 - 1999 | Raised Track completed with 275 metres of 1/2", 3-1/2", 4-3/4", 5" and 7-1/4" gauge track and a steaming bay includes the Frank Smith tunnel. Installation of 7-1/2 inch Main Line started and Plains Bridge completed. |
| 1997 October/November | Work started on erecting the Raised Track at Iron Horse Park and the Lioness Room - both relocated from Camp Gardner. |
| 1997 May 1st | A 20-year lease is signed between the City of Airdrie and AMES for the Airdrie site which later becomes known as Iron Horse Park. |
| 1997 March 14th | In order to make CMES more provincially based the Club's registration name was changed to the Alberta Model Engineering Society (AMES). |
| 1996 - 1997 | Search continued to find a new site for a Club track within 50 miles of Calgary. In 1997, with encouragement from the City of Airdrie, a location was found in Airdrie. Formerly a sewage lagoon in the 1940's, this 11 acre rehabilitated parcel of land was ideal with CPR main line from Calgary to Edmonton running parallel to the east side of the property. |
| 1995 July | CMES given notice to vacate Camp Gardner by Scouts Canada. Search started for a new suitable site. |
| 1983 - 1997 | The Club relocated to Camp Gardner, Bragg Creek when the Shawnee Slopes site became unavailable due to land development. First Club House, now the Lioness Room, completed in 1987. |
| 1971 | First Club park setup at Shawnee Slopes, Calgary on a 5-acre leased property adjacent to a golf course. The first track, an elevated 250-metre-long multi-gauge track, was erected. |
| 1971 June 17th | The Societies Registry of Alberta grants the CMES its charter as a registered non-profit organization. |
| 1970 June 19th | The Calgary Model Engineering Society (CMES) was founded as a hobby club. |