CN & Predecessor Lines East of Winnipeg

I would greatly appreciate informed answers to the following questions:

(1)I believe that the Grand Trunk Pacific originally built the CN line from La Tuque-Senneterre, Quebec, as part of its "national transcontinental" line. Is this correct?
Where did through transcontinental traffic from Montreal and Quebec City access this line?

(2)Some years ago, I rode VIA RAIL over the line from Senneterre west to Cochrane, Ontario. Is this trackage (and at least one very large bridge) still intact, or has it been torn-up? If so, when?

(3)Similarly, this original line ran west from Cochrane, via Hearst and Kapuskasing, to Longlac, where a CN mainline joined from Capreol. Is this Cochrane-Longlac trackage still intact, or has it been torn-up? If so, when?

(4)Why was a connecting track built in (I believe) the 1920's at Longlac? Was this the first time that it became possible to travel continuously from Capreol to Hornepayne and Sioux Lookout, which is the present CN mainline and the route of VIA RAIL's "CANADIAN?"

(5)Prior to the January 15, 1990 Mulroney VIA RAIL cutbacks, it was possible to take VIA RAIL's "CANADIAN" through from Vancouver to Montreal, on a line which ran east from Sudbury to North Bay, and along the Ottawa River to Ottawa and then Montreal. Is this former-CPR trackage east of Sudbury intact? If so, who operates it today?

(6)Similarly, the CNR "SUPER CONTINENTAL" used a CNR main line east from Capreol to Montreal. Is this trackage still intact, or has it been torn-up? If so, when?

(7)Clarification on which CN lines east of Winnipeg were built by the Grand Trunk Pacific, and which were built by the Canadian Northern, would be appreciated as well.

DonPevsner wrote:(1)I believe that the Grand Trunk Pacific originally built the CN line from La Tuque-Senneterre, Quebec, as part of its "national transcontinental" line. Is this correct?
Where did through transcontinental traffic from Montreal and Quebec City access this line?

The National Transcontinental Railway was constructed and operated by the Grand Trunk (not GTP) but was fully funded and owned by the Government of Canada. The line did not start/end at La Tuque but ran all the way east from Winnipeg through Quebec City to Moncton, New Brunswick. The Moncton-Quebec City segment is CN's eastern main line today. There was no direct connection north from Montreal to the NTR.

Grand Trunk Pacific funded (with government assistance) and built the line west from Winnipeg to Prince Rupert, BC.

(2)Some years ago, I rode VIA RAIL over the line from Senneterre west to Cochrane, Ontario. Is this trackage (and at least one very large bridge) still intact, or has it been torn-up? If so, when?

Most of the line between Senneterre and Cochrane was abandoned by CN in the late 1990's. I don't know whether the track was torn up or just left behind.

(3)Similarly, this original line ran west from Cochrane, via Hearst and Kapuskasing, to Longlac, where a CN mainline joined from Capreol. Is this Cochrane-Longlac trackage still intact, or has it been torn-up? If so, when?

The line west of Cochrane to just west of Hearst was sold to Ontario Northland around 1995 and the remaining trackage to Nakina (not Longlac) was abandoned.

(4)Why was a connecting track built in (I believe) the 1920's at Longlac? Was this the first time that it became possible to travel continuously from Capreol to Hornepayne and Sioux Lookout, which is the present CN mainline and the route of VIA RAIL's "CANADIAN?"

The Nakina-Longlac cut-off was constructed shortly after the Canadian Northern Railway was absorbed into the Canadian Government Railways (the combined railways were then renamed Canadian National - partially to preserve the CNR lettering) to provide a shorter route between Toronto/Montreal and points west. Previously, the only connection between the two mainlines was near Winnipeg.

(5)Prior to the January 15, 1990 Mulroney VIA RAIL cutbacks, it was possible to take VIA RAIL's "CANADIAN" through from Vancouver to Montreal, on a line which ran east from Sudbury to North Bay, and along the Ottawa River to Ottawa and then Montreal. Is this former-CPR trackage east of Sudbury intact? If so, who operates it today?

The Canadian Pacific mainline between Smiths Falls (near Ottawa) and Sudbury is still intact and owned by the CPR. It is presently leased to the Ottawa Valley Railway (Rail America) which operates local trains and also long-distance CPR trains using haulage rights.

(6)Similarly, the CNR "SUPER CONTINENTAL" used a CNR main line east from Capreol to Montreal. Is this trackage still intact, or has it been torn-up? If so, when?

The Montreal-Capreol CN line was mostly abandoned, in bits and pieces, during the 1990's. Montreal-Ottawa-Pembroke is still in service with VIA Rail owning the Coteau-Ottawa segment. CN very recently reaquired the Ottawa-Pembroke segment from the Quebec Railway Corp. after 10 years of operation as the Ottawa Central.

(7)Clarification on which CN lines east of Winnipeg wqere built by the Grand Trunk Pacific, and which were built by the Canadian Northern, would be appreciated as well.

The Canadian government's National Transcontinental Railway was the northern line from Winnipeg through Sioux Lookout, Armstrong, and Nakina through Hearst, Cochrane, and Senneterre to Quebec City and Moncton. The Canadian Northern took a more southerly route going east through northern Minnesota to Rainy River, Thunder Bay, Longlac, and Capreol and then to Toronto via Sudbury or Montreal via North Bay.

Thanks for all the detailed information.

Is there still a through rail route from La Tuque to Quebec City? If so, who operates it? If not, when was it torn up?

As far as I lnow, the La Tuque to Quebec City portion of the NTR is still part of CN's network. While looking for more information about it, I found an interesting article on the NTR at Nation Master Encyclopedia which has several links to other related articles.