PRESS RELEASE for immediate publication

Christmas Tea Room in an historical railway car

from December 15 th 2012 to January 6th 2013

SAINT-CONSTANT, November 27 th 2012 – Exporail, the will be serving tea to visitors (aged 13 and over) aboard a luxurious business car, on exhibit in the Grand Gallery of the Angus Pavilion, which once belonged to Charles Melville Hays (1856-1912) the President of the . Seating is limited and this special one and a half hour activity is available by reservation only . After a brief tour of the car brimming with anecdotes, visitors will be seated for tea at one of two tables (for 4 or for 5) and have the privilege of indulging in delicious homemade pastries similar to those once served during the Holiday season aboard the CN dining cars at the turn of the century. What could be better than going back in time while savouring the present moment!?

A little history with your tea? The Canada car, built in 1897, was used by Charles Melville Hays (1856-1912) during his frequent trips across Canada and the United States. Mr. Hays held various positions in U.S. railway companies before becoming General Manager of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1896 then President in 1910. One of his goals at the time was to build a second railway line to span the country from east to west in order to compete with the . In 1912 he went to England on business. On his return trip he booked passage with his family aboard a new ship leaving Southampton for New York: the . Both his wife and a daughter, Orian, survived the tragic sinking. In 1969, his four daughters made a most generous donation to our Museum, enabling us to build the Hays building, named in honour of their father. As for the Canada car, it was donated to the Museum by the CN in 1974.

Activity Information Menu : Gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies, shortbread cookies, butter tarts, mincemeat tarts, fruit cake, scones, Orange Pekoe tea and water. Schedule : Saturdays and Sundays from December 15 th to January 6 th at 11 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. + Friday 12/28, Thursday 01/3 and Friday 01/4. Price : 25$ p.p. includes admission to Exporail. Reservations: 450 638-1522 ext. 231

A Museum Open to All Open weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Exporail, the Canadian Railway Museum features the largest railway collection in Canada with over 160 vehicles, 10,000 artifacts, 200 archival fonds and more than 1,000 model trains. Visitors can climb aboard several of the 44 vehicles on exhibit in the Grand Gallery of the Angus Pavilion and go down into an observation pit , under a diesel-electric and a steam locomotive: a unique experience in North America! The perfect opportunity to discover the evolution of railway transportation from yesteryear to modern times!

Information: 450 632-2410 Website: www.exporail.org

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Source and Press contact: Bruno Cordellier, Communications Officer Phone : 450 638-1522, ext. 249 Email: [email protected]