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sapper Canaba Eailtoap Society BULLETIN 29 THE NORTHLAND RAILWAY 3y A. ANDREW

1100 leading "The Northland" at Porquia. J. Norman Lowe Photo.

The discovery of natural resourcea in an undeveloped area As many as twenty years earlier, lumbering interests had hae in the paet been the traditional reason for the opening begun to penetrate this region to harvest the virgin pins and of the diatrict by railway construction. Few, Indeed, have apruce. Their only highways wera Lake Temiskamlng and ita been the linee auoceeBfully built on faith alone - on an tributary atreama, but these were oftan unreliable in winter, aeeumption that by providing tranaportation, settlement and SB well as during the spring break-up, and the fall freeze-up. traffic would surely follow. In this period, also, a few eettlars had made their homa- ateada at the head of Lake Temiskamlng, in the vieinlty of the The Temiakomlng & Northern Ontario, or as we now know it, present town of New Liakeard. Those hardy families wore al- the Ontario Northland, was one such lino. At the time it wae moat completely isolated from their follow men, their markets, projected through the forests end wilderneaa extending from and their sources of supply, and had for some years bean Bak• Lake Kipiesing toward , it was purely and simply a ing insistant demands for rail connection with the south. development road - built by the Provincial government because the area did not show sufficiently attractive traffic possi• A aeries of surveya conducted by the Provincial govern• bilities to attract private railway promoters. ment in the year 1900 showed, in addition to extonsiva stands of valuable timber, largo areas of arable land, and hinted at Today, the district it serves supports a prosperous and the possibility of discovering important mineral depoaite. In rapidly growing population, and whole now induatrioe previ• 1902 a board of commiaaionara, to be known as the Temiskaming ously unknown in the Province of Ontario, The railway has t Northern Ontario Railway Commission, was appointed by the repaid the vision and faith of the Province and its people a legislature, with authority to build a line of railway froB thousandfold. North Bay to a point on Lake Temiskaming. At the beginning of this century, the town of North Bay was a division point on the Canadian Pacific main line from The first contract was let by the Commission to A.R. Montreal to Vancouver, while a aocondary rout* of the Grand Macdonell on October 5, 1902, covering the complete conatruc- Trunk Railway reached up to it from far to the south. tion of the 110 miles of railway from North Bay to New Lia• No line of railway extended northward from the C.P.R. main keard, the first sixty miles to be completed by December Jit line within the Province of Ontario. 1905, and the remainder by December Jl, 1904. The formali-ty of turning the firet eod having been former Canadian Northern main line east of North Bay, thence executed with euitahle ceremony by the Hon. F.R. Latohford the T.i N.O. to Cochrane, the former N.T.R. to Winnipeg, and at North Bay, May 10, 1902, construction was commonoed on a combination of the main lines of the former Canadian October l4 of the same year, and on January l6, I905, the Northern and Grand Trunk Pacific systems to Vancouver. cranpleted railway to New Liskeard, ll4 milea in length, was turned over to the Ooramiaaion for operation. The outbreak of war in 19l4 put an end for several years to ambitious railway construction projects, and may be said In August, 1905, evan before the lino was completed, a to mark the close of the first chapter in the life of On• construction employee accidentally uncovered a slab of virgin tario' B Development Road. The second chapter opened in 1921, silver near mile post lOJ. The Investigation which followed with the approval by the Provincial government of an exten• disclosed the presence of rich mineral deposits spread over a sion of the line northward from Cochrane, with the object of large surface. The once-roaring boom town of Cobalt was eventually reaching James Bay, and of giving Ontario a sea• thus quickly bom, and prospectors and settlers flooded into port of her very own. A contract covering the construction the area. of seventy miles of line, from Cochrane to , was let on January 7, 1922, and the line was open as far ae Coral On June 7, 1904, a further contract was awarded A.R. Rapids by November 1, 192J. The building of this branch was Macdonell covering the construction of a- forty-mile extension designed to make possible the construction of a hugs hydro• northward from New Liskeard. Steal had reached Boston Greek, electric power plant in the canyon of the Abitibi River. the terminus of the contract by December Jl, I9O5, and reg• ular service as far as Englehart was established on October Also in I92J, work was started on a branch from Swastika 1, 1906. Two short branches ware also built during 1906. northeastward to the bustling new gold mining area around One extended six miles frcm Cobalt to the new mining centre Kirkland Lake and Larder Lake. This was built under the of Elk Lake, while the other, seven and a half miles long, Nipisaing Central charter, with a view to eventually entering ran from Englehart to Charlton. Quebec. This branch was completed to Larder Lake on Novem• ber 10, 1924, to the Quebec border in 1925, and to Rouyn and Between New Liskeard and Englehart the line emerges frcm Noranda in I927. the heavily forested country onto a huge fertile northern plain - the famous Olay Belt of Northern Ontario. The On NoTomber 10, 1924, a twenty-mile branch was phenomenal possibilities of growth in an area so far north completed from a point south of Cobalt to Silver Centre, in amazed both the government and the early settlers, many of the Lorrain silver mining region. This was one of the whose wildaraess homesteads have by now been developed into Commission's shortest-lived projects, however, ae it was prosperous and well-ordered enterprises. abandoned in 19J5, the mineral deposits having been foimd to be of less value than anticipated. In 1907, a contract was let to extend the line northward to a junction at Cochrane with the National Transcontinental The short branch to Kerr Lake was abandoned in Septem• Railway, then under construction by the Dominion government ber, 1927, thus becoming the T.&N.O.'s first abandonment. from Quebec to Winnipeg, there to meet the Grand Trunk The general decline in activity in the once-fabulous Cobalt Pacific Railway. The T.& N.O. reached Cochrane on November silver mining area was the reason for this retrenchment. 26, I9C8, while the N.T.R. arrived on the scene in 1910, and continued westward, reaching the Prairie gateway in I915. From 1928 to 19J2 construction was underway on the ex• Ontario' 3 development road then became an important link in tension of the Fraserdale line through barren and uninhabited transcontinental travel, through trains being routed from country to , near the ancient Hudson's Bay Company Toronto to Winnipeg over ita line. trading post of Moose , on James Bay. Steel reached the final terminus in the fall of 19J1, and on July 15, 19J2 Gold was discovered in the Porcupine area in 1909, and the golden spike was driven home by the Hon. George S. in the following year the Commission started work with its Henry, then Premier of Ontario, exactly JOO years after the own forces on a JJ-mile branch from Porquls Jet. (now called English explorer. Captain Jamas, had arrived at the spot in simply "Porquia") to ' the new mining area. This branch his sailing ship.. Among those present, and assisting at the reached South Porcupine on June 16, 1911, and on July ceremony, was Mr. Justice Latohford, who had officiated at 1, 1911. This town became a larger and much more permanent the turning of the firet sod at North Bay in 1902, barely mining camp than Cobalt, and is now perhaps the most modem thirty years earlier. A monumental job of construction and and progressive city in all Ontario's Northland. development had been accomplished in those thirty short years by the people of Ontario and their government. In 1911, also, the Commission bought all the outstanding capital stock of the Nipisaing Central Railway, which In April, 1946, the old name of Temiskaming 4> Northern operated a small electric line between the adjacent towns of Ontario was changed to Ontario Northland Railway, to avoid Cobalt, Haileybury and New Liskeard. This little line had a confusion with another railway using the Initials T.Jc H.O., Dominion charter, which gave it the right to build into the Texas & New Orleans, a unit of the Southern Pacific Quebec Province, a privilege which the Ontario road lacked. system." The present O.N.R. includes the Swastika-Noranda This was to become of value to the T.t N.O. Commissionere line of the Nipissing Central Railway, the electric operation Bome time later. In this year, also, surveys ware started of this subsidiary having been abandoned years ago. The into the country north'of Cochrane, but construction of this Ontario Northland Transportation Commission operates, in extension was not commenced until 1921. addition to the railway, steamboat services on Lake Nipissing and the Temagami chain, and a motor bus system paralelling The year 1912 saw construction orews at work on the 28.5 the main line, and replacing passenger trains on the Elk mile branch from Earlton to the mining area at Elk Lake, this Lake, Charlton and branches. Ontario's own line being opened on February J, 191J. Also during 191J a system is thus leading the way in operation of co-ordinated branch was built from Porquis Jot. to Iroquois Falls, to transportation sarvioes by different types of carriers under serve the huge plant of the Abitibi Power & Paper Co. Ltd., unified management. then under construction. This in now one of the largest newsprint mills in the world, and a great owner of trackage and railway equipnont in its own right. This branch is seven miles long, and was open for business by September 9, 191J. Bulletin 29 March, 1951

While running rights over the T.t N.C. were granted in UPPER RAILWAY SOCIETY 1912 to the National Transcontinental, a part of the Canadian Box 122, Terminal "A" Government Railways, these were not exaroised until I915, Toronto, Canada when a through service between Toronto and Winnipeg was in• stituted, using the T.& N.O. main line as a link between the President: John Griffin Toronto-North Bay line of the Grand Tmnk Railway and the Tioe-Prosident: William Bailey Coohrane-Wlnnipeg portion of the N.T.R. By 1922 this train Hon. Secretary: Ralph Oakley had been discontinued as a result of the construction of the Louglac-Nakina cutoff connecting the main lines of the former Publications Committee: Canadian Northern and National Transcontinental Railways. However, until 19JO the Canadian National's "Continental Lim• Wm. 0. Bailey (Chairman), L.G. Baxter, R.F. Corley, ited" continued to use the T.ij N.O. ae part of ita route H.F. Coupe, B.M. Eoadford, 6.W. Homer, J.D. Znowlas, between Montreal and Vancouver. Thie route consisted of the J.A. Maclean, J.M. Mill*. S.l. Waetland, R. Whitmore. DIBSEL-BLECTRIO LOOOMOTrVES

WHEEL YEAR SERIAL TRACTIVE EFFORT HAULAGE MAX ENGINE ROAD HDMBERS TYPE ARROT BUILT BUIIDER NUMBER (CONTINUOUS) RATING DRIVERS SPEED WEIGHT 1200 to 1202 IDOO HP Switcher B-B 1945 Alco-GE 77479-81 34000 Ihs 3¥ 60 K n 4o» 230,000 1203 " 1950 MLW-GE 77586 R R 1300 1501 to 1500 HP Road Switcher 1949 Alco-GE 76824-25 42500 435« 65 245,000 1302 to 1303 > H tt tt 1950 MLW-GE 76096-97 R 1304 to 1307 1600 HP Road Switcher " 1951 • 77742-45 52500 1500 to 1505 1500 HP Road "A" Units 1931 GM-Dies 4QD00 All these locomotives (except 1203) are equipped with multip).e-unit control. 1300 - 1307 and lyio _ 1505 have train heat boilers.

SEU-rROEET.T.ED CABS

ROAD HUMBERS YEAR CAR Original 1939 TYPE OF OAR BUILT BUILDER WEIGHT REBUILT DISPOSITION

1002 1000 73 n. Gas-Electric 1926 Brill H6400 Rebuilt to Dioeel-Eloctric oar, baggage Stored Combination Oar only, with 25O HP Cumminge engine, 1939-

1000 iOOl Storage Battery 1924 0 0 4s F 55400 Rebuilt 1939 as combination trailer for 1000 I/S Combination Oar (DE) 1001 1002 » » « " 57300 Rebuilt 1939 as first-class trailer for 1000 1/3

GEHERAI, HEMABKS G. Locomotives 7OO and 70I (originally 157 and 158) ware etream- linod, painted green, given new A.A.R. front ende, Baker valve 1. The all-time roster is ccmpleta to February I3, I951. gear, BK booetere, Eleooo exhaust steam Injeotors, Barco powar reverse gear, and had tenders lengthened to give a capacity of 2. Column Details 8500 gale, and IJ tone, in December 1940 and January, 194l. H. Booster applied by builder. (e) Tractive effort, cylinders, drivers and engine weight details are for locomotivee as originally DISFOSIiriOH Qg 3TKAM LOCOMOTIVES huilt. Subsequent rebuildings of locomotives has The following locomotivee removed from service prior to changed much of this data. February I5, I95I are listed in the eame order as they appear Tractive effort shown is without booster. in the roster and by their original numbers. Locomotives Haulage rating is now haulage rating of locomotivea in service as of February I5, I95I. 1^ approx• removed after 1935 liaTS the nvimberB that they bore at time of imately equals 1000 lbs. tractive effort. Where removal shown in brackets after original numbers. two figures are given, second is H.R. with booster. 101 Sold to Canadian Equipment Co., June/20; resold to (d) Engine weight is weight of locomotive less tender. Locomotives were rebuilt by Kingston (K), Montreal (M), Alberta i> Great Waterways Rly., June 9/21 as #30; and North Bay shops (n). now scrapped. 102 Sold to Baldry, Yerburgh 5, Hutchinson (contractors on Welland canal). May 8, 19l4. 3. Renumbering Details 103 Sold to Canadian Equipment Co., June/20; reeold June 9/21, probably to contractor on Vfelland canal (a) All locomotives retained road number assigned on Sold to Canadian Equipment Co., Juna/20; resold to acquieitiou by T.& N.O. xmtil the general renumber• 104 Alberta 4s Great Waterways Rly, Aug. 19/20 ing in 1935, with the exception of the following as #29; now scrapped. special renumbaringet 105 Sold to Canadian Equipment Co., June/20; resold to - Locomotives 1 to 4 renumbered as 101 to 104 in Roberval k Saguenay Rly, July/20, aa #10; •crapped, 1905 to initiate the general nvmibering system 106 Sold to Canadian Equipment Co., June/20; resold with the coming of new locomotives IO5 to ll4. August 19, 1920, probably to a contractor on Walland - Locomotive 15O (O-6-O) renumbered as 154 on canal. Dooamber 19, 1920 when locomotives l47 to I5O 107 Sold to Canadian Equipment Co., Jtme/20; resold (2-8-2) ordered in same year. June/20, probably to a contractor on Welland canal. Sold to Canadian Equipment Oo., June/20; resold to - Locomotives l4l to I30 (2-8-2) renumbered as JOO 108 Roberval k Saguenay Rly., Sapt./20 as #11; scrapped. to 309 in 1929 whan locomotives l4l to l44 (2-8-0) Scrapped November, 1940. ordered in the same year. 109 (109) 110 (110) H H R (b) Firet general renumbering took place November 1, 1935. 111 (111) » July, 1940. (c) Second general renumbering took place in December, I940, 112 (100) " December, 1947- and is still in effect. At that time locomotives 85I to 114 (114) " July, 1940. 854 wera assigned numbers 800 to SOJ, but the locomotives 115 (215) Sold to Mattagami R.R., Smooth Rook Falls, Ont. in were disposed of without having their nxmbars changed. July, 194l ae #102; still in service. 116 (216) Scrapped July, 1940 (d) Locomotive 312 had number changed to 317 about 1943, 117 (217) " December, 1940 following collision with Jll about 1938. 118 (218) " July, 1940 119 (219) Sold to Hormatal Mining Corp., Normotal, Que., K0TE3 ON STEAM L0C0M0TIV]S3 January, 1938, aa 219. 120 (220) • Scrapped July, 1940 A. Loocmotives IO9 and 110 wera purchased in October, 1905 from 123 (202) - " December, 194?. Pittsburgh & Lake Erie H.R. 48 and 49, and wera the only 124 (203) - second-hand locomotives purchased by the T.A N.O. or O.N.R. 126 (205) - B. Valve gears on Locomotives 111 to 132 ware ohangad from 127 (102) - Stephenson to Walchaart during I9I8 to 1922. These loco• 128 (103) - " April, 1949 motivea were equipped with superheaters during I9I8 to 1923. 129 (206) - " December, 1947 132 (209) - Written off December, 1947; in storage at North 0. Locomotives IJJ to 136 were superheated when rebuilt by Bay shopa, February I3, 1951• Montreal Locomotive Works in June, 19l4. 148 (307) - Scrapped July, 1940. R U R D. Locomotives l4l to l46 originally had Russian style cabs. 150 (309) - 151 (831) - • Deoambar, 1940 E. Locomotives I50 and 157 to I60 (later 309 and 7OO to 703) R n R were first locomotives in Canada to be equipped with boost• 152 (852) - Sold to Normetal Mining Corp., June, 194l ae #853, ers; these were applied when the locomotivee were built. 155 (855) - resold to Manitoba Paper Co., Pine Falls, Man., 1946. Boosters have since been removed from 159, I60 (702, 703). 154 (854) - Sold to Abitibi Power k Paper Co., Iroquois Falls, F. Valve gears on 306, 307, 70O, 70I (foimarly 306, 308, I57, Ont., December, 194l, as ,^0; etill in service. 158) were changed from Young to Baker in 194l and 1942. 1101 (1101) - Stored at North Bay shops for scrapping, Feb. 15/51- (ei 127) at Coohrana station, hauling Ooohrane - porquia local - J. Herman Lowe photo 1500 h.p. road-switcher at Horth Bay roundhouse, July 19, 1943 - from Frank J. Bechtel (later 217) at North Bay, July, 1934 - James H. Allan photo 1000 h.p. switcher in North Bay yarda

ADDHI33ES OF PHOTOGRAPH CONTRIBDTOHS

James H. Allen, 67 Indian Rd.. Orea. , Toronto, Ont. Frank J. Bechtel, 83 Water St. South, Gait, Ont. John R. Lee, P.O. Box 115, Comber, Ont. Detail and locational maps of Ontario Northland Railway J. Norman Lowe, 489S Walkley Ave., Apt. 17, N.D.G. , Montreal, qua. ONTARIO NORTHLAND RAILWAY

TOP - 314 at Englehart, about to be coupled to a Timmins freight. J. Norman Lowa photo

RIGHT - 700 before removal of streamlining. From John R. Lea

LEET - 110 at North Bay in July, 1934.

BOTTOM - 136 on train 18 at New Liskeard, July 24, 1934.

Jamee H. Allen photoa ALL-TIME LOCOMOTIVE ROSTER

STEAM lOCOMOTIYES

ROAD HUMBERS WHEEL TEAR SERIAL TRACTIVE HAULAGE CYLINDERS ENGINE Original 1935 1940 ARRGT BUILT BUILDER HUMBER EFFORT RATING D X S DRIVERS WEIGHT BEBUILT NOTES DISPCS]

1 & 101 4-6-0 1903 Kingston 611 23671 lbs 19" X 24" 56" 135000 Sold 2 & 102 • R R 612 n " K Sold 5 A, 105 R R 613 R " Sold II 4 & 104 • R 6l4 R " • Sold 105 N 1906 R 689 « " 158000 Sold 106 R R R 690 R " a Sold 107 » R 691 R R Sold 108 1 R 692 t " H Sold 109 4-4-0 1892 Pittaburgl' i 1295 13240 17' X 24" 68" 88500 A Scrap 110 R R R 1296 R " R A Scrap 111 111 iM5-0 1906 Montreal 40873 23400 19" X 24" 62" 1A2000 B Scrap 112 112 100 R R R 40874 R * R M 1919 B Scrap 113 113 101 R R R 40876 R " H M 1919 B 1/8 ii4 114 R • R 40877 « " N B Scrap 115 215 H 1907 R 44165 ^740 57" 145000 B Sold 116 216 R R n 44166 R " H B Scrap 117 217 H R R 44167 H " M B Scrap 118 218 R R R 44168 R " H B Scrap 119 219 R R " 44169 R " 1 B Sold 120 220 R H R 44170 R " R • B Scrap 121 221 200 R 1908 Kingston 841 26301 56" 145800 K 1918 B 1/3 . 122 22? 201 H R R 842 R 26f. R K 1922 B 1/8 121 221 202 R R 843 R R K 1922 B Scrap 124 224 203 » " R 844 R " R K 1922 B Scrap 125 225 204 R R R 845 R 2(^ " R K 1922 B l/S 126 226 205 R " R 846 R 1 K 1922 B Scrap 127 127 102 R 1909 H 905 23379 63" 150200 M 1919 B Scrap 128 128 103 R R R 906 H " n M 1919 B Scrap 129 229 206 » R " 907 25840 57" 149000 M 1919 B Scrap IJO 230 207 R U R 908 a a M 1919 B I/S 131 231 208 R H R 909 •R " a M 1919 B l/S 132 232 209 R H " 910 R R M 1919 B Stored R 133 633 600 4^-2 1911 961 30422 33^ 21" X 28". 69' 203100 M 1914 0 l/S 134 634 601 R R » 962 R 3095 " M 1914 0 1/3 135 .635 602 « R n 963 R 50^ " H M 1914 0 1/3 136 636 603 R R R 964 R 30^ R M 1914, 30 0 1/3 R 137 437 4oo 2-8-0 1912 1039 42598 h% 23" X 50" 57' 210600 l/S 138 438 401 • R II io4o R 43?« * R l/S 139 439" 402 R H R io4i R 43JS • R I/S l4o 440 403 II R R 1042 R 42^ II 1/8 R l4i & 300 300 300 2-8-2 1916 1343 45530 43« 25" X 30" 65" 258040 D 1/3 i42 & 301 301 301 R II R 1346 t 45^ R D I/S i43 & 502 302 302 R R II 15*7 H 45/. " R D l/S l44 & 305 303 303 R II R 1348 11 45^ " R D l/S l45 & 3o4 304 304 N " U 1349 a. 459^ R D l/S R R R l46 & 305 305 305 1350 42< R D l/S R • l4l 541 500 2-8-0 1930 1899 45030 23" X 30" 258250 l/S l42 542 501 R H R 1900 R m R l/S R R R R 143 543 502 1901 m R R I/S 144 544 503 » 1 • 1902 R R R 1/3 1 l47 k 306 306 306 2-8-2 1921 1688 45535 51^ 25" X 30" 261800 N 1923 F l/S 148 4. 307 307 R R R 1689 M R Scrap l49 k 308 308 307 R R R 1690 N 45^ 1 l/S 150 k 309 309 R R n 1691 H H E,H Scrap .R 151 851 (800) 0-6-0 1906 747 31913 19" X 26" 50" 121000 Scrap 152 852 (801) R R II 748 R R Scrap 153 853 (802) R 1909 R 903 31286 51, 123200 Sold 150 k 154 854 (8O3) » R R 904 H R Sold 155 955 900 0-8-0 1920 Montreal 62498 42570 ^% 23" X 28" 5?" 208500 .1/3 156 956 901 R R R 62499 R h% R 1/3 157 757 700 4-6-2 1921 Kingston 1692 36493 38-4€?< 69" 250500 N 194a E.F.G.H l/S 158 758 701 R R H 1693 38-4a5{ • R H 1941 E.F.G.H l/S 159 759 702 H H R 1694 R 369? • a E,H l/S 160 760 703 R • R 1695 R 2^ R R E,H I/S R 310 310 310 2-8-2 1923 1740 45500 51-619S 25" X 30" 63" 278700 l/S 311 311 311 R H R 1741 II 5l-6lS« « l/S 512 312 317 » 1924 » 1742 R 51-61??; R R l/S 313 313 313 R R n 1743 R 5l-6i;t R R l/S 314 314 314 R 1925 R 1770 R 51-619S • 272700 l/S 315 315 315 R R R 1771 R 51-615? • R l/S 316 316 316 R R R 1772 R 51-615? a R 1/3 1100 1100 4-8-4 1936 n 1919 54500 53-659? 22^ X 30" 69" 371320 H l/S 1101 1101 • R H 1920 H H Stored 1102 1102 R 1937 R 1921 R 55-6^ " R H l/S 1103 1103 II R R 1922 R 55-6^ " R H l/S