Local Railway Items from Area Papers - Chalk River subdivision 15/02/1861 Perth Courier Chalk River Smiths Falls (excerpt from B&O superintendent’s report) The want of water supply at Smiths Falls and Franktown is a cause of considerable detention to the trains in winter as it is not unusual that it is necessary to run five or six miles expressly for water. Were there tanks at these places, the men at the stations could do the pumping and therefore save the expense of keeping a man at Montague Ballast Pit. A statement of the various works necessary to be done during the present year, with the estimated cost of the same is hereby appended. 1861 Estimated Expenditures Tank Houses and fixtures at Smiths Falls and Franktown -..$1000 03/04/1868 Perth Courier Chalk River Almonte (excerpt from B&O annual report for 1867) …the tank-houses at Bellamy’s and Almonte were destroyed by fire, and had to be rebuilt; … 30/06/1871 Almonte Gazette Chalk River Almonte WIND MILL. – A windmill has recently been placed on the tank in this place by the B. & O. R. Co., for the purpose of raising water to the cistern. An immense amount of manual labor will be saved by thus utilizing the airy element. 30/06/1871 Almonte Gazette Chalk River Almonte Almonte Gazette 30 June 1871. WIND MILL. – A windmill has recently been placed on the tank in this place by the B. & O. R. Co., for the purpose of raising water to the cistern. An immense amount of manual labor will be saved by thus utilizing the airy element. 11/12/1879 Ottawa Free Press Chalk River Sand Point water The Canada Central Railway have constructed a new water tank at Sand Point. The water is pumped from the lake by a powerful engine. 06/02/1880 Ottawa Citizen Chalk River Franktown Brockville 4th. It appears that the train which arrives here at 7.40 in the evening is timed to cross the express going to Ottawa at Carleton Place Junction but last evening the Grand Trunk train was over an hour late and the Ottawa train waited for it. After waiting at Carleton Place for some time, the conductor of the express coming south received an order from the train dispatcher to cross the Ottawa train at Franktown. The above train proceeded to Franktown and the conductor and engineer went into the station to receive their orders. The station master was out, he having gone down the track to signal the train coming from the south. The conductor and engineer on coming out of the station house heard the other train coming, when the engineer jumped on his engine and reversed her, but by this time the train from the south was in close proximity and a collision could not be avoided. The engineer and fireman of the express coming south jumped and the two engines came together with a crash. The engine on the Ottawa train was not much damaged but the other was badly smashed, but not bad enough to stop its backward motion. It ran the train back for nearly two miles, the only employee on board being a brakeman who at last succeeded in stopping the train. The night was very stormy and signals could only be observed a short distance. An investigation will be held when further particulars may be expected. 23/08/1881 Ottawa Citizen Chalk River Pembroke Pembroke Post. A train of thirteen cars containing the first of Mr. Allan Grant's timber from Kippawa passed through Pembroke last Friday about noon. The timber was driven down in single sticks from Kippawa to Mackie's station where it was loaded on the cars and goes direct to the Commissioner's Wharf at Quebec by rail. It is a splendid lot of very fine white pine of good girth and dimension and in excellent condition. Quite a crowd of lumbermen viewed it while it stopped here and their comments and opinions on the manufacture and appearance after such a long drive were exceedingly complimentary. It will no doubt find a ready market when it reaches its destination. An extra engine had to be put on the train between here and the Government Road. There will now be a continuous freight travel between Mackie's eastward until the timber is all taken down, the authorities having promised to send down if possible two trains a day containing about 600 feet, to carry down the timber of the Scotch Syndicate represented by Mr. Allan Grant. Another train of cars went own last Saturday. 31/08/1881 Ottawa Citizen Chalk River water The Canadian Pacific Railway is finding some trouble in securing an adequate supply of water from the tanks along the line as for the past fortnight there has not been sufficient wind to move the mills with force enough to pump the water. The result has been that train hands have been compelled to pump the water into the tanks by hand. This is the first time in the history of the road that such a contingency has arisen. 19/04/1882 Ottawa Citizen Chalk River Upwards of 500 men arrived by the QMO&O at the Union Station at a late hour last night from Montreal on their way too commence work on the extension of the Canadian Pacific Railway near Pembroke. They proceeded by special train to Pembroke at an early hour this morning. 19/05/1882 Renfrew Mercury Chalk River Pembroke The railway company intend to straighten the track on the east end of the railway bridge at Pembroke. This will necessitate the removal of the present station and wood shed. The change will be made about the end of this month. 19/05/1882 Renfrew Mercury Chalk River Arnprior The C.P.R. is putting in another siding at the Arnprior station. The business of the road has been largely increased of late, and new sidings have been added to nearly all stations on the line. Arnprior Chronicle. 26/06/1882 Ottawa Citizen Chalk River Sand Point Sand Point. William O'Connor, working at the ballast pit at this station was accidentally run over by a ballast train this afternoon and only lived about thirty minutes after the accident. It seems that during the dinner hour this train was lying in a pit siding and the deceased laid down under one of the cars and fell asleep. 30/06/1882 Ottawa Citizen Chalk River Out of consideration for the wants of the public the Canadian Pacific Railway have put a mixed train on that portion of their line between Carleton Place and Pembroke. The new arrangement is a great boon to the travelling community. 14/08/1882 Ottawa Citizen Chalk River Trains are now running as far as Callendar on the CPR for conveying passengers. The telegraph has been constructed to that point to operate the road. September-21-21 Colin J. Churcher © Page 1 of 119 17/08/1882 Pontiac News Chalk River Sand Point The railway authorities have opened a gravel pit at Sand Point and now have a considerable number of men at work therein. It makes quite a stir in this little village. 07/09/1882 Pontiac News Chalk River Lumberman's Train Next week the Canadian Pacific will run a lumberman's train service, conveying lumbermen, employes, teams and supplies in the one train, making the distance to Mattawa Station from Ottawa in 12 hours. This will prove a very great accommodation and saving to the trade. Not many years ago the same distance took a couple of weeks. 23/11/1882 Ottawa Citizen Chalk River Almonte It is understood by the Almonte people that a new iron bridge will shortly replace the one at present spanning the river there, and that other important railway improvements are contemplated by the Canadian Pacific Railway authorities. The depot will in all likelihood be removed to the opposite side of the track from where it at present stands. 02/02/1883 Renfrew Mercury Chalk River Almonte The Almonte Railway Bridge. The wooden bridge on the Canadian Pacific railway over the Mississippi river there was removed on Sunday last, and replaced by an iron structure consisting of ten spans. The time occupied in removing the old bridge and completing the new one was only 20 hours. Considerable indignation was expressed by the citizens that the Sabbath should have been chosen to accomplish this work. 09/02/1883 Renfrew Mercury Chalk River Pembroke On Wednesday morning a smash up occurred on the railway at Pembroke which caused a temporary commotion. A number of cars were shunted out on to the pile bridge on Tuesday night and left there. Next morning, before daylight, the Mattawa train with a number of cars attached, came along and ran into them. There were a number of men sleeping in the stationary cars at the time. The men were heaved around the cars with much velocity, but fortunately none were seriously hurt. The cars were considerably wrecked. Had the engine been running at full speed the accident would have proved more serious. Observer. 15/03/1883 Ottawa Free Press Chalk River Carleton Place Messrs. Baker and Blackwell of the C.P.R. were in Carleton Place a few days ago. A local paper said their object was to consider the removal of the heaviest of the machinery in the works there to the new shops at Hochelaga. Since the destruction of the shops at Brockville the entire repairs and new work have been done at Carleton Place.