An American entrepreneur wants to get the Wakefield steam engine back on track and tonight he is asking Chelsea's municipal council for support.

The train went out of business five years ago after heavy rains washed out a stretch of track just outside Hull.

The company in charge couldn't afford the repairs, but Matt Armitage wants to bring the train back, from Chelsea to Wakefield, above the destroyed section.

Armitage said the company that owns the railway, Compagnie de chemin de fer de l'Outaouais (CCFO), is on board with the project but he still needs Chelsea's approval to move ahead.

"The tracks go through two different municipalities. One is La Peche and the other is Chelsea. And Chelsea has the most scenic part of the line and so it's important that we have both municipalities on board."

Looking for private-public partnership

Armitage, who is a former steam locomotive engineer, fireman and conductor on the Georgetown Loop railroad in Colorado, said he wants to preserve one of the last functioning steam engines in Canada.

"The fact that it's operational is a very unique thing. Most of these things are on pedestals in parks now. I would like to see it operate again rather go to a park."

Steam-train enthusiast Matt Armitage will be addressing Chelsea municipal council tonight about a plan to bring back the train. (CBC) Armitage says he expect the project's initial costs to be around $500,000 to $600,000 and is looking to enter into a private-public partnership to have the train operating again.

"I would bring money to the table to get it going and I would hope that we could also get provincial and federal funding to help out with re-building of some of the infrastructure, such as moving the train around the washout and re-installing a turn-table in Chelsea."

CCFO President Louise Boudrias said the project is a great opportunity to keep the train in the region.

"We have someone who's ready to put his cash on the table. Who is willing to invest. Who's willing to make it happen. He has a lot of experience. He has train experience. He even has steam train experience, which is very, very rare."

On Thursday night Armitage will be making a presentation to Chelsea's council in hopes of getting its support.