This page was created by Ashley Mowry. 

Carleton Place Heritage Project

The Inner Workings of a Roundhouse

The development of railways in the mid-nineteenth century, brought economic, social and technological advancements. The railway system was capable of uniting the Dominion of Canada through the construction of engineering and architectural works that acted as focal points for growth and development. These works include bridges, railway hotels, stations and shops.[1] Similar developments also took place in Carleton Place. Much like the train station at Carleton Junction, the nearby roundhouse was also frequently visited by train locomotives. Their visit to the roundhouse, however, was perhaps less glamorous than that of the train station. The roundhouse and its adjoining turntable are used to service, maintain and repair train engines. This maintenance could include repairs, the addition of coal and water, and to turn the trains around.[2] Nearby there would be a coaling platform and a water tower which help maintain the engines.  


The engine repair shop constructed by the Canada Central Railway, and later used by the Canadian Pacific Railway, is a wonderful example of 19th century railway construction known as a roundhouse and a ‘straight’ shed. The shed can be identified as a straight, rectangular building with tracks that run right through the building. The roundhouse has a semi-circular shape with a turntable placed in the center. The roundhouse has several different entrance/exit tracks that radiate outwards towards the turntable. The turntable allows workers to turn the locomotives and guide them towards the building, or to turn them around and to be put on the right track.[3]


Similar examples of this nineteenth century railway architecture tradition can be seen across the country and across different railway companies. The Grand Trunk Railway, much like the Canadian Pacific Railway, also extends throughout Canada and uses similar architectural styles within their structures. For example, similar engine sheds as the one in Carleton Place can be seen in Montréal, Quebec at the Grand Trunk Pointe Saint-Charles shops and in Moncton, New Brunswick. Both these examples illustrate the ‘straight’ shed style as seen through the rectangular shape in the buildings along with the rail lines that pass through them. The roundhouse is also not unique to Carleton Place. Similar turntables can be found in Winnipeg, Manitoba at the Transcona repair shops, as well as in Montréal, Québec at the Turcot Roundhouse. The Carleton Place roundhouse and engine repair shop is therefore part of a larger architectural railway tradition that expands throughout Canada and throughout various Canadian railway companies. 

For more information on the Carleton Place Roundhouse visit Industry in a Building: The Story of Steam in Carleton Place's Roundhouse.


The following artifacts are interactive! Hover over the highlighted portions to better understand the inner workings of the Carleton Place roundhouse and engine repair shop.  


[1] “Railways in Canada: A Brief History,” Canada Science and Technology Museum, CN Images of Canada Gallery, accessed April 17, 2021, http://imagescn.techno-science.ca/photoessays/railways/railways02.cfm.
[2] Chris Hawkins and George Reeve, “Engine Sheds,” in Railway Architecture, edited by Marcus Binney and David Pearce (London: Orbis Publishing, 1979), 160, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b4534819&view=1up&seq=164.
[3] Chris Hawkins and George Reeve, “Engine Sheds,” in Railway Architecture, edited by Marcus Binney and David Pearce (London: Orbis Publishing, 1979), 161, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b4534819&view=1up&seq=164.