Previous Restoration Projects

These 15 storm windows allow removal of the temporary plastic “windows” used to keep birds & the elements out of the building. They were replaced as the plastic degrades. Installing metal glass storm windows means HRS Volunteer (Sandra) won’t be on the 20′ roof to replace the temporary “plastic windows”! Thank you Ed & Sandra for the installation.

Thank you to the New Horizon for Seniors Grant!

In September 2022 at the Hanna Indoor Pro Rodeo Trade Show, the mural by Hanna local, Donna Brinton of Steam Locomotive #1118 was unveiled. This mural is on a wooden wall built to enclose the hole in Bay 4 that was made following a water car punching the concrete wall and 2 windowsills out. This represents a “reflection” of a locomotive parked in Bay 4 where 2 workers are wiping the engine down before it will be “gone over” by the service men for maintenance & repairs. The roundhouse now has its own steam engine!  Steam engines occupied the roundhouse until 1961.

Thank you, Donna Brinton and the Town of Hanna CARES grant!

Volunteer and retired Electrician Ed Kurbis rewired the 16 original long stem lights in the Great Hall (locomotive Bays 1-5).  This was a huge job with over 80 hours of work that involved taking the lights down, rewiring, rehanging, pulling wire, etc., and determining the ideal lighting controls on the electrical panel. They look amazing! Also, use of the man-lift was donated by Venture Fabrication Ltd, Hanna, for over 30 hours of use! What a HUGE help with the donated labor and equipment use, this work was able to be done. The Hanna Roundhouse Society could NOT have done this work without the help of these 2 amazing people!

Thank you to Ed Kurbis and Venture Fabrication Ltd.!

BMS Locomotive Services works on the 86’6″ turntable at the Hanna Roundhouse. When the track to the turntable was not aligned properly, a locomotive hit the girder of the turntable, driving it into the concrete on the west side, & bent the central pivot pin.  According to Forest Wright, this accident occurred New Year’s eve in 1973 (ref: personal interview in spring 2011).

A 3-man crew offered to look at the Turntable to see if they could get it to turn. In less than 1.5 days & with 3 hydraulic jacks, this crew was able to manually turn the turnable. I’m not exactly sure when the turntable last turned, but it may have been shortly after this incident, some 48 years ago.

Thank you to everyone BMS Locomotive Services who made this possible!

Hanna Roundhouse Society Volunteers built this railway tie frame for the 1913 Canadian Northern Railway Roundhouse Property Sign in 2017 & installed at the edge of the HRS property!

This photo was enlarged by Tumbleweed Print Shop, Hanna, provides a wonderful visual & announcement for the 1913 Canadian Northern Railway Roundhouse!

Fire Safety and Wheelchair Access Door Installation

This double fire-safety door entering the Boiler Room from the Roundhouse will provide fire protection and is wider to allow for allow single door use and open for wheelchair access.

Boiler Room Exit/Access Door

New door installed in the old exit space, only wider and more secure.  This door will allow wheelchair access and exit to the Boiler Room. This space is our focus to develop and restore for facility washrooms and Interpretive Center possibly 2024.

Thank you to the Government of Alberta, Community Facility Enhancement Program, Prairie Crocus Community Fund, Smart & Caring Community Grant, 100+ Women Who Care Hanna, and for all the private donations and HRS fundraising!

Deconstruction  

Venture Fabrication Ltd, Hanna cutting the bench seat supports from the south section of Bays 6 & 7 where the Balog Auction ring was set up from about 1974 until about 1992. So glad this pipe was being removed and will accommodate construction of a small exit area inside bay 6 which will guide the public into and out of the Event Center (Bays 1-5).  This is one of the exits for the space and was required in the fire safety work. In the picture, Bays 6 and 7 are empty for the first time in many years, at least to 1974 when the auction mart took over the space.   

Pipe from the gas overhead heaters were cut out and removed by HRS volunteers.  The wires hanging from the ceiling are from the drop ceiling for the auction ring.  These were cut down with the use of a manlift donated for use by Venture Fabrication Ltd.  

Thank you to all our volunteers on this project!  

Resurfacing Upper Roof Deck 

Resurfacing restoration work over the upper roof deck of engine bays 6-10 (approx. 6500 ft2) was completed on October 31, 2020, by Cooper Roofing in Red Deer. They installed the drip edge and facia in 2021.  

Thank you to Cooper Roofing and funds from the Alberta Culture & Tourism Ministry and the Government of Alberta; Heritage Preservation Partnership Program Grant and a loan from the Special Areas Board to complete this project! 

The Mural is progressing.
This mural is on a wooden wall built to enclose the hole in Bay 4 which was made following a water car punching the concrete wall & 2 window sills out.
Mural is to provide local artwork to compliment the railway history of the 1913 CNR Roundhouse.

May 2019:
A Mural painted by local artist
​Donna Brink of
Hanna, AB. moves forward.
This mural was following a grant application to a local CARES Grant through the Town of Hanna.
​THANK YOU!

In 2018, resurfacing the upper roof deck of the Hanna Roundhouse “Great Hall” over Bays 1-5 was completed.  

Thank you to the Alberta Historic Resource Program grant and the Alberta Culture & Tourism Heritage Ministry for funding the entire cost! 

 In 2017, the Hanna Roundhouse Society entered the roundhouse into a National Heritage initiative to raise funds for heritage sites namely, “This Place Matters”.  Supporters could donate funds directly or go online to view information of each participant and donate to their selected history project online. Funds raised from this initiative and from Hanna Roundhouse Society fundraising were put towards repaying loans the Hanna Roundhouse Society entered into with Special Areas for the $60,000 2014 Building Assessment. 

Thank you to all those who supported “This Place Matters” & other HRS fundraising initiatives.  Please note: All HRS Board & members are volunteers & we do not have paid staff.