Durham Railway Roots is bringing the railway history of north Durham to life through a new augmented reality experience connecting museums, heritage attractions and historic sites across Brock, Scugog and Uxbridge.
The free, self-guided journey invites residents and visitors to use their mobile devices to discover stories about the people, industries and communities once connected by Durham Region’s railway network.
Durham Tourism and Central Counties Tourism developed the experience in collaboration with local historical organizations. The project combines archival knowledge with augmented reality technology to encourage visitors to explore rural Durham’s heritage.
Conductor Bradley guides the experience
Participants are guided by Conductor Bradley, a digital avatar who appears through the free AVTR1 mobile application.
At each participating location, visitors can scan a Railway Roots QR code to begin an interactive presentation. Conductor Bradley then shares stories about how railway travel influenced daily life, education, employment and business development in Durham’s northern communities.
The experience includes accounts of a conductor who prepared meals for stranded passengers during a snowstorm, students who used trains to travel to school and a local factory that manufactured products ranging from musical instruments to coffins.
These stories show that railways did more than transport passengers and freight. They connected communities, supported local industries and helped shape the development of rural Durham Region.
Seven heritage stops across north Durham
The Durham Railway Roots experience includes seven locations in Brock, Scugog and Uxbridge.
The Brock Township stops are the Beaverton Thorah Eldon Historical Society, Sunderland and District Historical Museum and Cannington Historical Museum.
In Scugog, participants can visit Ocala Winery and Orchards, the Port Perry Grain Elevator and Scugog Shores Museum Village and Archives.
The Uxbridge Historical Centre is the seventh participating location.
Each stop introduces a different chapter of Durham’s railway history while encouraging visitors to explore nearby museums, historic buildings, businesses and attractions.
Local historians helped shape the stories
Historical societies from Brock, Scugog and Uxbridge provided much of the research and local knowledge used to create the experience.
Central Counties Tourism Executive Director Chuck Thibeault said the organizations contributed rich material about the period when railways played a central role in connecting Durham’s rural communities.
Small museums and heritage sites can sometimes be overlooked by residents and tourists. Organizers hope the augmented reality format will attract new audiences and encourage more people to visit these locations in person.
The technology allows historic stories to be presented in an accessible and engaging format without replacing the museums, archives and volunteers who preserve the original records and artifacts.
Tourism project encourages exploration
Railway Roots was designed as more than a digital history lesson. Organizers want the experience to support tourism and encourage visitors to spend more time exploring north Durham.
Stacey Jibb, Durham Region’s agriculture and rural economic development manager, said the project offers an engaging way to experience moments from the region’s past while highlighting the communities and heritage sites that make rural Durham distinctive.
Participants can plan their route through the Durham Tourism website before downloading the free application. Railway Roots signs and QR codes are installed at each participating stop.
Visitors should check the individual museums’ operating hours before travelling, as admission schedules may vary by location.
By combining historical research, mobile technology and local tourism, Durham Railway Roots gives residents and visitors a new way to understand how railways shaped Brock, Scugog and Uxbridge.
