Members of the Guelph Line museum are elated to see the long-time dream become a reality, said Tom Twigge-Molecey, general manager of the Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association.

“The Sir Adam Beck Centre has been a strategic goal of the organization for 20 years and everyone is thrilled to see it finally being constructed,” he said.

Each year, 15,000 people visit the museum to ride on and explore the historic railcars and artifacts that have been maintained and restored by committed volunteers.

The Sir Adam Beck Centre will provide much-needed storage for the museum, said Twigge-Molecey.

He said work on the $460,000 building began three weeks ago and the superstructure is now complete.

Expected completion of the building itself is the end of 2008 with another year to add the tracks and equipment. Although full completion, including lighting and final touches, aren’t expected until 2011, Twigge-Molecey said he expects the centre to be open to the public by the end of 2009.

Museum volunteers often doubted the building would ever come to fruition, but the Town of Milton played a big part in the process, he said.

“The Town (of Milton) was very accommodating on the charges that had to be paid and basically bent over backwards to help us,” he said. “It has been an ongoing dream, one that was sometimes hard to keep faith in, but we are plowing forward finally and really appreciate the Town’s efforts.”