A historic locomotive that carries tourists on excursions in western Quebec has been shut down until at least the weekend after a landslide along its route.

Officials from the Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield Steam Train Company aren't sure when the landslide took place, but were alerted to the possible hazard earlier this week by engineers hired to inspect the rail line.

The engineers had noticed that the earth about 10 metres from the train's track had given way and slid down a hillside close to the border between the municipalities of Chelsea and Gatineau.

Jean Perras, head of the train company, said Wednesday that engineers were subsequently inspecting the rail line to make sure it is safe and the company is awaiting their report before resuming tours.

"I don't want to be pessimistic," he said. "I'm hopeful that our engineers are going to find a solution."

However, he said he hopes this type of landslide won't start happening more frequently as weather patterns change.

So far this spring, unstable slopes have forced the temporary closures of two roads in the Outaouais region, Highway 105 and the road to Meech Lake, as well as the permanent evacuation of six homes in Gatineau.

Mamadou Fall, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Ottawa, said this year's combination of weather and soil conditions could lead to more landslides in the coming months.

"Here the type of soil is [leda] clay, and this type of soil is very dangerous," he said. "This year we had a lot of snow, and now through the melting of ice, we have more water, and the water will decrease the resistance of the soil."

The Wakefield steam train was built in Sweden in 1907 and has been run by a private tour company in Gatineau since 1994. It carries tourists between May and October.