- The Portage Flyer steam train began its proud legacy as the world's smallest commercial railroad
- It operated from 1904 until 1959 between North and South Portage Ontario near the village of Dwight
- Transportation in Muskoka around the early 1900's meant for "some fun with steam"
- Visitors and supplies chugged along The Muskoka River aboard the Steamship Algonquin
- The steamship travelled through Huntsville to Fairy Lake onto North Portage at the far end of Peninsula Lake
- This is where The Portage Railway took over
- The train served as (as its name suggests) a portage vehicle operating on 1 1/8 mile of narrow gauge track between what is still called North and South Portage
- With 170 feet of elevation variance between Fairy Lake and Lake of Bays, dredging was not an option and a lock system would have proven too costly
- Although there was a family operated horse and cart taxi that transported people from one lake to the other, it proved very slow and very rough ride
- So the Flyer was put into service for providing transport of everything from mail, cargo, building supplies and tourists to South Portage where the steamship Iroquois carried the last leg onto such lavish resorts as The Britannia Inn, The Wa Wa Hotel and the most celebrated Bigwin Inn
- In the 1990's the Portage Flyer was purchased from St. Thomas where it operated as The Pinnafore Railway and relocated closer to its origin at Muskoka Heritage Place
- Thanks to countless volunteer efforts and generous donations, track-work was complete, as was Rotary Village Station, which included a telegraph office
- Visit the Steam museum at Rotary Village Station for even more history
Contact Us
Muskoka Heritage Place
88 Brunel Road
Huntsville, Ontario
Canada, P1H 1R1
Phone: 705-789-7576