In 2012, the Museum marked its 30-year association with Clinton. In 2014, the rail car will be 100 years old, having been converted originally from a Colonist car to a school car, and now a museum. It is also one of the last few remaining examples in Ontario of a wooden rail car.
The late Mr. Fred Sloman, whose hometown was Clinton, taught on the School on Wheels when it was operational between 1926 and 1965 in northern Ontario, as part of a program run by the Ontario Department of Education.
Mr. Sloman, who was often referred to as “The Dean of the School Cars,” was inducted into the Canadian Railway Hall of Fame in 2003 in the Heroes category for his dedication and diligence as a teacher in remote northern Ontario.
Fred's wife, the late Cela Sloman, C.M., who accompanied him on the School Car throughout his teaching career, was awarded the Order of Canada in 1984 for her dedication and contribution to this special program. She was also awarded the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship in 1982.
Clinton is home to a valuable aspect of Canadian history – the School Car is a legacy often referred to as “a real jewel” and “worth preserving.”