Our History Team is an active group of railway historians and enthusiasts who develop content for the TRHA and assist with content development within the Toronto Railway Museum. The team re-arranged and expanded in March 2021 following the passing of our Museum Historian, Derek Boles. Derek’s expertise left an indelible mark on many of the members of this team, and they seek to continue to preserve & interpret Toronto’s Railway Heritage.
Russ Milland
Russ Milland was born and brought up in Toronto and spent summers bicycling to the Toronto Rail Lands to watch steam engines being prepared at the CNR facilities. As a volunteer, he joined the founding team for the Toronto Railway Historical Association (TRHA) in 2001 and is now a TRHA Director and the Chief Systems Officer focusing on ensuring we have the information systems and people systems we need to further develop the Toronto Railway Museum. As a member of the History Team, he facilitates and coaches the team in developing our research capabilities and our historical railway knowledge base.
Adam Peltenburg
Adam’s childhood home near the train tracks in Pickering led to a lifelong interest in trains. Railway history and history in general became a passion of his during high school. Adam began volunteering with the TRHA in 2018 as a docent and eventually webmaster, during which time he took up Computer Programming & Analysis at Durham College. His expertise in web development and railway history serves as a bridge between the history team and the TRHA’s public-facing website content.
Brian Morningstar
Originally from Niagara Falls, Brian joined the Toronto Railway Museum’s management team in 2018 as their External Relations Coordinator. As a member of museum management, Brian responsible for a wide variety of projects, such as educational programming, community outreach, and restoration planning. As a part of the History Team, Brian serves as a liaison between the management team and the volunteer researchers and historians that fill this team’s roster. He provides a means for the public to communicate directly with our museum historians on all questions related to trains in the Greater Toronto Area and beyond.
Daniel Allen
Daniel is a railway historian who specializes in research on southwestern and central Ontario branchlines. Originally from Lindsay, Ontario, his interest in railway history began at a young age after reading and learning about the numerous trains and railways that branched out of his hometown. His primary work consists of “then and now” photo projects showing locations of railway scenes in the modern day. Daniel has been part of the TRHA Research/Web Presence team since 2020. Daniel is also a certified Music Therapist. When not researching railways, he is busy facilitating sessions and teaching lessons through his private practice.
Thomas Blampied
Thomas has been actively involved in railway history in both Canada and the UK. He is currently a doctoral candidate in history at the University of Toronto where he studies the impact of railway development on Indigeous communities in Northeastern Ontario. He has written a number of books about Ontario railway history and is a published photographer on three continents. He is interested in connecting the academic study of railway history with museums, enthusiasts, and the general public.
