Assiniboine Park mini steam train turns 50

Theminiature steam trainride in Winnipeg'sAssiniboineParkis celebrating its 50th birthday.

To help celebrate the 50th anniversary, the family who first built the train is offering free drinks, hot dogs and cake to the first 500 passengers today.

Rides will go fromnoonuntil 6 p.m., weather permitting.

The train, which ispoweredby amini-oven fed bychunks of coal, does a loop around the southwest corner of the park, next to the zoo. Often, deer stand just off the tracks, tucked into the trees and watch the train pass by.

• Assiniboine Park steam train faces troubled times

Owned and operated by Tim Buzunis, the trainwas originally purchasedinPennsylvania byBuzunis' fatherand movedto Winnipeg, where it wasset up in the park in 1964.

"Fifty years is amazing. I mean, I was fouryears old when my dad first bought the train, of course it's grown on me," said Buzunis, who took over operation in 1988.

"The train is like a sibling to our family. It's always been owned by our family."

A couple of years ago, the future of the train was up in the air after the zoo permanently closed itseast entrance a high-traffic area close to the train.

The Assiniboine Park Conservancy has since stepped up to increase signs and advertising to direct park visitors to the train.

Mini steam train

• Located:West of the main pavilion (west on Pavilion Crescent),across fromNature Playground parking lot.
• Open:Daily (weather permitting) from noon to 6 p.m. fromMay long weekend toSeptember long weekend.AfterSeptember long weekend,train operates on weekends and holiday Mondays to mid/late October (weather permitting).
• Tickets:$2.75 each