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  • CN in Algonquin Park

  • Discussion relating to the Canadian National, past and present. Also includes discussion of Illinois Central and Grand Trunk Western and other subsidiary roads (including Bessemer & Lake Erie and the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway). Official site: WWW.CN.CA
Discussion relating to the Canadian National, past and present. Also includes discussion of Illinois Central and Grand Trunk Western and other subsidiary roads (including Bessemer & Lake Erie and the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway). Official site: WWW.CN.CA

Moderators: Komachi, Ken V

 #678173  by MikeCDN
 
I'm going on a canoe trip in the north end of Algonquin Park and was wondering if anyone knew of anything of CN's history running through there.

It has been a while since I have last been on this site and it's nice to see there are other train buffs like me out there.

M
 #678275  by Ken V
 
CN's route through Algonquin Park was the original Canadian Northern (CNoR) main from Montreal going west through Ottawa and North Bay before joining the Toronto main at Capreol. It was used by CN through the early 1990's until it was mostly abandonned in 1995 in favour of routing the remaining transcontinentals by way of Toronto. What's left of the Beachburg Sub (Ottawa to Pembroke) was used by the Ottawa Central for many years but it is now back in CN hands.

http://www.cta-otc.gc.ca/doc.php?did=490&lang=eng
 #678463  by MikeCDN
 
Thanks Ken!

I appreciate it the information.

We'll be going on a canoe trip in that region of Algonquin this August.

Does anybody know if any of the stations exist? Are there any links to pictures of trains running in Northern Algonquin Park?

Better yet - Has anybody ever taken a train through this section of Algonquin?
 #683096  by erie2521
 
The CN had two routes through Algonquin Park. One has already been mentioned and went through the northern part of the Park. The other ran fairly close to the present Hwy 60 and ran between Ottawa and Georgian Bay. This latter route was part of the Grand Trunk which they in turn obtained when they took over the Canada Atlantic. Information about this line may be obtained from the book "Over the Hills to Georgian Bay" by Niall MacKay. According to this book, in 1910, the line handled approximately 70 trains a day. It was abandoned in pieces but the last part inside the Park was taken up in 1959.
 #684845  by BR&P
 
I have a few B&W negatives taken in 1962. Poor quality due to age (my age when I took them). One I recall shows the back half of a loco which turns out to be a C-Liner, but I knew nothing about composition and chopped the front half off. :(

FWIW, there was also a logging railroad through what later became the park. I recall seeing a few rotted ties along the ROW and somewhere they had a loco - saddle-tanker maybe? on display. I asked a park ranger about the line at one of the evening campfire talks - don't remember what the details were, but my mother used to say she could see me mentally building a pedestal for the guy because he knew the history of it.
 #684897  by erie2521
 
There were at least two lumber roads connected to the Canada Atlantic (later Grand Trunk, later CNR) line. One of these was the Macaulay Central built in 1899 which originally went from the Egan Estate Station north to Macaulay Lake, four and a half miles. It was later extended another 8 to 10 miles to Hardtack Lake.( Egan Estate was between Madawaska and Whitney.) I don't know when it was abandoned but much of the right of way is now a road into a remote part of the Park (Crotch Lake IIRC).
The other one was the Whitney and Opeongo which ran from Whitney north to Lake Opeongo -14 miles. It was built in 1902 and remained in operation until 1926. The Canada Atlantic also built a spur to service another lumber operation at Canoe Lake around 1896 but this only lasted about four years.