Friends of Westfield recently presented a cheque representing funds raised in 2021 and 2022 to Foundation and HCA representatives. These funds will be used toward the TH&B #103 restoration.

(l-r) Lisa Burnside, HCA CAO; Jeremy Schofield, Friends of Westfield President; Santina Moccio, Acting HCA Board Chair; Grace Correia, Foundation Executive Director; and Jennifer Stebbing, Foundation Board Chair.

Back in 2021, we reported that Westfield’s iconic locomotive #103 was in dire need of major maintenance and asked for your support.

Thanks to donations received in response to that initial appeal, we have now been able to fund a comprehensive scope of work to determine what is exactly needed to fully restore the locomotive, tender, and caboose to their full glory.

The now completed report outlines over 500 recommendations addressing conservation, aesthetic, and interpretive priorities to prevent further damage, improve appearance, or provide interactive experiences for visitors. These recommendations range from easy fixes that can be done in-house at little or no cost, to extensive and labour-intensive repairs requiring restoration experts.

This assessment estimates the repairs needed at just under $250,000 in materials and labour. Staff will be identifying the most critical priorities, so that work can begin on those first as funds become available to prevent further damage. In the meantime, the Foundation, together with the Friends of Westfield, will continue fundraising efforts to complete the restoration.

We couldn’t have come this far without the support of the many donors to the project and look forward to putting current and future donations to work to ensure that the locomotive can continue to captivate the next generation of visitors to Westfield!