A Faded Glory – Stratford Motive Power Shops – Grand Trunk Railway (1873-1964)

Looming over the edge of the downtown, the old Stratford Motive Shops has been a source of controversy and reminder of the city's rich heritage for many years with the railroad. These are the surviving remains of the largest railroad maintenance yards in Ontario, if not Canada and are now only a shadow of their former glory. Metal siding hangs off the concrete superstructure; empty windows stare out darkly. On one of the first visits I made to Stratford on my own, I was immediately drawn to this ancient giant and was even granted a single glimpse into the darkness but never made it inside (legally or illegally).

While not the most interesting angle it was the only one that I could get easily and safely.
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As I mentioned last week, the railroad arrived in Stratford in 1856 with Grand Trunk and Buffalo & Lake Huron running their lines through the town within a couple of months of each other. Within a decade, Grand Trunk had taken over the entire Buffalo & Lake Huron line. This put Stratford in a unique position as a Junction point between the two lines. As Grand Trunk began looking for space to build a new western maintenance yard, the story goes that Herbert Roberts, the manager for locomotive maintenance in Grand Trunk, attended dinner at T.M. Daily's house, Daily being the mayor of Stratford, was attempting to attract Grand Trunk to the town. Roberts fell for Daily's daughter, and the two were married. In 1871 ground broke on the new Motive Power Shops in Stratford. While there's no concrete connection between Robert's becoming Daily's son-in-law and picking the town for the unique shops, it is a local urban myth. The new shops opened in 1873 on a nineteen-acre site that included a significant rail yard near the new station. The shops had a vast locomotive shop, powerhouse, roundhouse, turntable, machine shops and worker housing. Grand Trunk closed smaller shops, redirecting the personnel to Stratford. The famous overnight jump allowed Stratford incorporation as a city. The first task for the new shops was to begin the long process of regauging the entire locomotive fleet from Provincial to Standard Gauge. The shops provided both jobs and job training, all of them good Union jobs. This influx of workers and good training opened up a new set of skilled artisans many would start the furniture industry in Stratford. Through the 1880s, Grand Trunk began a series of expansions mainly by purchasing competing railways, Great Western, North & North-Western among the largest two purchases. To help cushion the cost of these purchases, Grand Trunk began strategically closing down the larger maintenance shops of these other operators, moving talent and equipment to Stratford. The influx required significant renovations and expansions at Stratford in 1889.

You can see where the metal siding is starting to peel away.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DPart of the older section of the Motive Power Shops.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D

When Charles Hayes took over as President in 1896, he kicked off a series of modernisations across the entire network. Grand Trunk targetted their two largest shops, Stratford and the one in Battle Creek, Michigan. At Stratford, the new shops took shape around the existing locomotive shops, other buildings were torn down and replaced. One new building was a Tender Shop which opened in 1903, and in 1909 the new Motive Power Shops were completed. Charles Hayes himself was present for the opening ceremonies. Further expansions took place through the 1910s. In their final form, the locomotive shops alone took up 185,000 square feet. Electric cranes could lift the largest locomotives in the Grand Trunk fleet. Staff on-site could conduct complete rebuilds of even the worst locomotives. The shops continued to employ thousands with solid Union positions, and often these jobs were generational, with three generations of workers being in the employ of the Railroad. When Canadian National took over in 1923, they gained the largest motive power shops in Canada staffed by a highly-skilled workforce. The shops could even support the new Northern type locomotives starting to roll out of the Montreal Locomotive Works and even outstripped the expanded Spadina Yards in Toronto. Workers here would join other Unionized workers in the Stratford General Strik of 1931. By the post-war era, Canadian National had started the long process of diesel-electric as their primary motive power and large shops like Stratford were no longer needed. Through the second half of the 1950s, the shops slowly shut down, and among their final tasks were preparing several Northern locomotives for service as tourist trains. The shops closed in 1964.

Ex-CN 6213 is one of the final Northern Locomotives to receive a full refit at the Stratford Motive Power Shops.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DA peek inside back in 2009 sadly I could not fit through the hole with all my winter gear on.
Nikon D300 - AF-S Nikkor 17-55mm 1:2.8G DX

Following the closure, most of the railway buildings were demolished, including the roundhouse, tender shops, machine shops, and freight sheds. The one building that proved challenging to destroy was the actual locomotive shops. The economic impact on the city was far worse; At the same time, some employees were moved to other maintenance facilities, including the Warren Street Shops in Fort Erie, many were packaged out. Ohio based company Cooper-Bessmer established a Canadian branch of their firm using the old locomotive shops as it provided an excellent spot for the manufacture of industrial compressor engines. Many began referring to the old shops as the Cooper Site, which I initially knew for the site. While the company did bring some jobs back to the city, it remained a far cry from what the site employed. Cooper-Besser pulled out in 1984, closing the area for good. The site became a popular spot for urban explorers. However, 2003 destroyed much of the interior. At this point, the city purchased the area and began to secure the location and entertain adaptive reuse for the white elephant in their inventory. Proposals have ranged from a museum to a parking garage. The University of Waterloo looked at making use of the building but built a new structure nearby. Today the surviving Motive shops remain under constant threat of demolition despite ongoing attempts to preserve the ruins.

#afadedglory #canada #canadiannational #coopersite #crowngraphic #grandtrunk #ilfordhp5 #infrastructure #nikond300 #nikond750 #ontario #pyrocathd #railroad #railway #stratford #stratfordmotivepowershops

A Faded Glory – Stratford – Grand Trunk Railway (1913-Present)

The city of Stratford is home to some of my favourite buildings in Ontario, home to a tonne of 19th Century architecture. Still, the city's original growth is not thanks to the tourism industry but rather the railroad. However, you would not know that today, as the city's grand station sits outside the downtown but shows how important the town was to the railroad.

It took me a bit to find the right spot to photograph the station. On the narrow street it was hard to get the best angle.
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In 1856 within two months of each other, two railroads crossed their lines at the seat of Huron County, the town of Stratford. Coming from the east, Grand Trunk's push westward and from the south Buffalo & Lake Huron heading towards Goderich. The idea of a single station to serve both lines didn't even cross the minds of the rail operators—each building their stations. The Grand Trunk station followed the Carpenter Gothic style, which survives at Doon Heritage Village from Petersburg, Ontario. By 1864 the entire Buffalo & Lake Huron line had been absorbed into Grand Trunk, which raised the importance of Stratford as a junction between the two lines. With the construction of a new Motive Power Shops, Grand Trunk planned a new station for the city. Moving over operations to the Buffalo & Lake Huron Station, the second one for the operator was completed in 1861. The new station opened in 1873, a grand wooden station that followed a Gothic Revival style with a two-storey central section with single-storey wings on either side. The new station sat where the parking lot west of the current station is located. The second floor housed the offices for the Station Master and the Yard Master, while the first floor was occupied by the ticket office, telegraph operator bay. One wing houses the ladies and family waiting room along with the men's smoking room. The other wing housed the freight and baggage rooms. As the 19th Century came to a close and Stratford potentially became a stop on the new Canadian Northern Railway, a new Union Station was planned and presented in 1903 as part of the ongoing modernisation program for the operator.

Having the Express Building separate from the main station seemed a popular choice in the 20th Century. Today it houses a commercial lease space.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DOne of the few surviving original doors from the station.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D

The plans changed when in 1906, Canadian Northern chose an alternate route; Grand Trunk planned a far smaller station for Stratford as a result. While disappointed that Stratford would not be housing the western Union Station, the city could have little about the change having no real influence or control over what the railroad decided. A new smaller station was presented in 1910, far from the majestic stations being planned for Guelph and completed in Brantford earlier in the century. The new station followed the Prarie Style coming out of Chicago and popularised by Frank Lloyd Wright. However, a Gothic Revival tower embellished the main entrance. Red bricks were provided by the Milton Brick Works and used on the station's exterior. At two stories, the station looked similar to the 1871 station but lacked the two wings. The first floor included a ticket office and telegraph operator bay, a general waiting room and a separate men's smoking room. There were also separate washrooms for men and women. A small kitchen and lunch counter was installed, and a separate express and baggage office was connected by a breezeway. The second floor contained the station master and yardmaster offices. The public spaces were handsomely decorated. With oak benches and wainscoting. Terrazo floors and electric lighting. The new station opened in 1913, Charles Hayes planned to attend the opening, but he never returned from England, sinking aboard the RMS Titanic. When Canadian National took over operations in 1923, operations at Stratford continued without interruption.

You can still see the shadows of the original Grand Trunk sign behind the modern letters.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DWhile greatly reduced the CN yards behind the station continue to operate. The day I was there I was treated to seeing a pair of GP40-2LW locomotives, CN 9449 and CN 9639.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D

The 1960s brought a great deal of change to the railroad in Stratford. When the motive power shops closed in 1964, Canadian National also made several changes to the station. The biggest was removing the Gothic tower at the entrance and the exterior painted in a grey colour with new Canadian National signage installed. The first-floor lunchroom and kitchen were closed and converted into offices for the rail yard, and an employee lunchroom and kitchen were installed on the second floor. The entire waiting room was covered in wooden panelling. When Canadian National moved all their passenger services over to VIA, the Stratford Station was among those assets transferred over to VIA in 1978. VIA conducted a significant overhaul of the station's interior in 1989. Gutting the second floor, they transformed it into new offices for the Victorian Order of Nurses, installed a separate staircase and entrance to the outside, removing the smoking room in the process. The women's washrooms were expanded, and new men's washrooms were installed to accommodate handicap access which took over the old yard office on the first floor. The wooden panelling was removed and painted; the oak benches were replaced with modern plastic chairs. Aluminium doors and windows replaced the original wooden doors and windows. The station received local heritage status in 1988 and Federal heritage status in 1993. This allowed the exterior paint stripped and the actual brick restored. Today the station operates as an uncrewed VIA station running four trains daily. While the interior lacks the historic charm, the exterior provides a glimpse at the last-ditch efforts of Grand Trunk to at least show Canada they were still a viable railway operator.

#afadedglory #canada #canadiannational #crowngraphic #grandtrunk #ilfordhp5 #infrastructure #nikond750 #ontario #pyrocathd #railroad #railway #stratford #trainstation #viarail

A Faded Glory – Uxbridge – Grand Trunk Railway (1904-1996)

When it comes to unique station styles in Canada, the one that stands out the most is the Witch's Hat; these were popular among all major railway operators through the early 20th Century. Sadly, there is only a handful left standing, but the only one still operates as a train station, which is the station at Uxbridge.

The Uxbridge station is one of many examples of a Witch's Hat style station and remains in railway use unlike the others.
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The first railway to arrive in Uxbridge was the Toronto & Nipissing Railway. A narrow-gauge line chartered and supported by George Laidlaw to access the agricultural and timber resources in northern Ontario and access a potential transcontinental railway at Lake Nippissing. The line originating in Cannington started construction in 1869 but faced construction troubles heading south towards Toronto. Being situated on the second wedge of the Oak Ridges Moran, Uxbridge caused many ground quality issues for the railroad, but it would reach the small community in 1871. One of the biggest projects was a wooden timber bridge over the creek running through the town. A simple carpenter gothic shed style station was completed in 1869 along the rail right-of-way running near the town's core. The station is similar to those found in Unionville and Markham, both of which survive today. In addition to the station, Toronto & Nipissing established their headquarters in Uxbridge and constructed small maintenance and switchyard, although their primary roundhouse remained in Toronto. Operations started in 1871, with the line reaching its northernmost point at Coboconk a year later. Finances and lack of interest saw the line extend beyond Coboconk instead of branching at Stouffville to Jackson Point at Lake Simcoe that opened in 1875. Toronto & Nipissing in 1882 became a part of Midland Railway which in turn became part of Grand Trunk in 1893.

Close Up details of the hand-painted Uxbridge sign under the Witch's Hat.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DA prime example of what Insulbrick looks like, ugly eh?
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D

During Grand Trunk's modernization project of the early 20th Century, while diminished, the railway yard at Uxbridge saw continued use by Grand Trunk. To recognize the importance and the status of Uxbridge as the area's major urban centre, Grand Trunk decided to replace the old Toronto & Nippissing Station. The new station would feature a large baggage room along with a freight shed and express office. A single general waiting room with a station master's office and telegraph bay. The master's office and telegraph bay sat in a round front section with a witch's hat styling with the station carrying the Queen Anne Revival architectural style. The station began operations in 1904, with the original station being demolished shortly after. While constructed primarily of wooden board & batten, the foundation was of pressed red brick. Canadian National continued to operate the station and yard when they took over in 1923. In the 1950s, Canadian National covered the station's exterior walls and painted it a railroad red. Passenger service ceased in 1978, although Canadian National continued to operate the line for freight services and used the old station as an office. But the line had become redundant, and in 1987, operations ceased on both the line and the yard. Rather than let the station meet a wrecking ball, the town of Uxbridge purchased both the yard and station from Canadian National for a dollar in 1988.

Passenger Car 1462, acquired in 1992 by YDHR is a Montreal built passenger car from 1926, it is one of the earliest passenger cars acquired by the YDHR.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DYDHR Locomotives 22 and 1310 are a pair of ALCO RS-3 road-switchers. Locomotive 1310 was completed in 1951 and Locomotive 22 dates to 1955.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D

But the town did little for the station, and in 1992 Canadian National tore up the tracks north of Uxbridge to Coboconk and selling the rail line south to GO Transit in 1993, who retained the possibility of extending their line to Uxbridge from Stouffville. GO had started operating a commuter train to Stouffville in 1982 and ran buses to Uxbridge. Since 1987 a small group of railroad enthusiasts had been growing in Uxbridge with the desire to preserve the local rail heritage. The opening of the Port Stanley Terminal Railway encouraged the group to start their own short-run heritage railway. The York-Durham Heritage Railway received its own charter in 1993 and two years later took possession of its first functioning locomotive. Numbered 1310, a Montreal Locomotive Works built RS-3. Locomotive 1310 had originally rolled onto the tracks in 1954 for Ontario Northland before serving Abitibi-Price, who sold it to York-Durham. GO Transit agreed to lease the line between Uxbridge and Stouffville, allowing the group to run tourist trains after a dedicated station was completed at Stouffville in 1997. The group used the Uxbridge Grand Trunk station after restoration efforts. The station again was in jeopardy in 2013. Thankfully, the community rallied, and repair work again preserved the station. In 2015, extensive repair work preserved the 1872 wooden trestle bridge, which continues to be used as part of the Uxbridge rail trail. The York-Durham Heritage Railway operates its short line from Uxbridge to Stouffville, operating several mid-century road-switcher locomotives and various historic passenger cars. The old yard operates as the main maintenance and storage yard for the railway. The 1872 bridge is also still standing in near original condition, which is one of the many walking trails through the community of Uxbridge.

#afadedglory #canada #canadianhistory #canadiannational #crowngraphic #grandtrunk #history #ilfordhp5 #infrastructure #midland #nikond750 #ontario #pyrocathd #railroad #railway #torontonipissing #uxbridge #yorkdurhamheritagerailway

A Faded Glory – Unionville – Toronto & Nipissing Railway (1871-1991)

Amazingly, many historic railway stations still exist in Ontario. And while many still operate, some of the oldest stations no longer operate as railway stations and are no longer in their original location. And then there's the Unionville Station. While it no longer operates as a railway station, it remains in its original location and is only one of two surviving stations from Toronto & Nippissing.

Looking out along some active tracks towards the historic station with the saved Stiver Mill which are both community buildings today.
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Following Confederation, in 1867, a second railway boom was starting. Scottish businessman, George Laidlaw who worked for the Gooderham & Worts distillery in Toronto, began chartering new railways. But unlike most railways in Ontario that stuck to Provincial Gauge or Standard Gauge, Laidlaw championed Narrow Gauge. Laidlaw would charter three narrow gauge lines out of Toronto, with only two built to that gauge. The biggest of the two are the Toronto, Grey & Bruce Railway and the Toronto & Nippissing Railway. While Toronto, Grey & Bruce proved a far more popular line, Toronto & Nippissing is an equally important attempt to reach a potential transcontinental line. The construction of the Toronto & Nippissing line started in 1869 in the community of Cannington, Ontario. From Cannington, the line extended north towards Coboconk and south to Toronto. The line constructed a station and small roundhouse near the Gooderham & Worts distillery on Mill Street in Toronto. The original line never planned to run through the small village of Unionville. Still, like many communities before, the business owners of the village saw the railroad as a way to improve their economic standings. Together they purchased 500$ in shares in Toronto & Nippissing to have the line run through Unionville and construct a station. Resident A.T. Button undertook the construction of the station that opened before the line saw completion. The Unionville station followed the Carpenter Gothic Style and was a simple shed type station. There was a general waiting room and baggage and freight room; there was also a station master's office with a ticket window and telegrapher bay. Being located in a town, the Unionville station lacked a second storey that would have served as living space for the station master in a more rural station. Sadly, none of those stations left, the one in Coboconk having burned down in the early 20th Century. Operations on the Toronto & Nipissing line opened in 1871 and would reach Coboconk in 1872.

A preserved freight and baggage door that opens up to be a window today.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DThe Station platform offers little in the way of shelter.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D

Unforntantly the line would not reach the desired goal of Lake Nippissing. Instead, they opted to complete a branch line Jackson Point from Stouffville that opened in 1875. And the Unionville station operated well, and the community was pleased to have access. Despite being a narrow-gauge line, Toronto & Nippsissing reached a track sharing agreement with Grand Trunk Railway to lay a third rail and access the newly opened Second Union Station in downtown Toronto. One of the more unique locomotives for Toronto & Nipissing is the Shedden Locomotive, an articulated 0-6-6-0 wheel configuration locomotive. Sadly that is lost to the scrap yard. But the narrow gauge never took off as Laidlaw had hoped. As more and more operators moved towards the Standard Gauge to improve interfacing with American lines, Toronto & Nippissing lagged, having little cash. While they were not financially rocky, they managed to get by without pulling a profit. In 1882 Midland Railroad purchased the entire Toronto & Nipissing network and began converting all its holdings to Standard Gauge. They did continue to operate both freight and passenger service through Unionville. Midland, like many small operators, fell under the Grand Trunk banner in 1893. There is a good chance that under Grand Trunk, the station received a repaint to the early 20th Century colour scheme but never saw replacement under the major renovation efforts conducted by Grand Trunk during the Hayes years. This is not surprising considering that several low traffic stations remained original in the area. Under Canadian National operations continued in 1923. In the 1950s, Canadian National covered the station in insulbrick and painted it that railroad red colour.

Silly tree blocking the town name. That wouldn't go over well when the station was active.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DCloseup detail on the carpentry of the station's overhang.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D

The station's fate seemed sealed in 1971 when a fire caused minor damage to the historic station. And with passenger service on the line winding down, Canadian National aimed to demolish the old station. But the community of Unionville, despite being swallowed up in Markham, had a certain view of their historic buildings. They rallied around the old station and raised funds to repair and restore the station for continued railroad use, which ended in 1978 when Canadian National ended passenger services. However, the line saw continued use, and in 1982 GO Transit began operating out of the old station. But showing its age, Unionville again undertook a major renovation and restoration project in 1989. The station was stripped to the original wood and repainted to original colours. GO Transit ceased operations in 1991 after constructing a new station further south with more parking. Remember, the original station had been constructed in the days before widespread commuter traffic and personal automobiles. Instead of demolishing the station, it was sold to Unionville. The village converted the station and nearby Stiver Mill into a community centre which it still operates as today. The nearby rail line remains in active use by Metrolinx that operates as far north as Stouffville. Oddly enough, the Markham GO station remains the only active Toronto & Nippissing Station in Ontario.

#afadedglory #canada #canadianhistory #canadiannational #crowngraphic #gotransit #grandtrunk #history #ilfordhp5 #infrastruture #markham #nikond750 #ontario #pyrocathd #railroad #railway #torontonipissing #unionville

A Faded Glory – Aurora – Grand Trunk Railway (1900-Present)

When it comes to Aurora, Ontario, unless you take public transit regularly, the old train station may not even be in your mind. Even then, you may not realise the importance of this small community regarding the impact the community had on Ontario railway development, as in 1853, it was the first destination for the first steam train in the province.

With all the additional pillers and displays and security eyeing me this was the safest vantage point for the Aurora station.
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As I spoke of last week, Ontario, Simcoe & Huron faced plenty of problems in getting their line constructed. The biggest problem that came after securing the needed funding came to construction. Starting in October put them already at a disadvantage, running north from their railhead at Toronto's harbour at Front Street, the going was slow. The cold and frozen ground quickly gave way to the even poorer ground quality of the Oak Ridges Moran. But Ontario, Simcoe & Huron had another trick up their sleeves. Rather than import a locomotive from England, they contracted a Canadian firm to complete their first locomotive. The Toronto Locomotive Works would receive the contract to build that first engine. First opening in 1840 by Irish immigrant James Good, the foundry started constructing household goods before moving onto boilers and stationary steam engines. The jump to a railway locomotive was no easy feat, but the Toronto Locomotive Works completed the appropriately named "Toronto" with hundreds of workers on 16 April 1853. The Toronto was a 4-4-0 locomotive known as an American or Bogie class. For two days, the locomotive was displayed with pride outside the works for the public. Among those who came to see this was former Toronto Mayor and Rebel leader William Lyon MacKenzie. MacKenzie went on to say that the Toronto was a "Truly beautiful piece of machinery powerful and handsomely finished." It took five days to move the locomotive from the works at Queen and Yonge to the railhead on Front Street. And in May of 1853, with the Toronto in the lead, the first steam train, a mixed passenger and freight run, left the Toronto station and arrived a few hours later in the small community of Machell's Corners to cheering crowds and fireworks. The community had constructed a simple wooden station that same year following the standard design of F.W. Cumberland, who favoured function over form. While there are no surviving photographs or images of the first station, it is safe to assume it looked similar to the surviving King City Station. The railroad's arrival gave the community of Machell's Corner an economic boost, and soon a lot of businesses formed around the station, located a short distance from the village centre. And a year later, in 1854, the community took the modern name of Aurora. The station continued to serve under the banners of Northern Railway of Canada and North & North-Western Railway until coming under the control of Grand Trunk Railway in 1888 with little change.

The station name sign under the Porte-Coche.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DExcellent cornice details along the station's exterior.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D

But Grand Trunk, like Ontario, Simcoe & Huron, did not have the best financial track record, at least until the arrival of Charles Hayes in 1896. As Grand Trunk began to turn a profit, Hayes undertook a major modernization and standardization project at the turn of the century. One thing that was done is updating many older stations. Grand Trunk spoke poorly of the early Cumberland stations, one executive mentioning that the person who designed the stations should be jailed. The station followed the Queen Anne Revival architectural design, being off a major branch of the Grand Trunk network and in a smaller community, the station's footprint would be small. Construction was of board and batten with elegant wooden trim with a distinctive porte-cochere. Inside the station was a baggage and freight room, station master's office with a telegrapher bay that jutted onto the station platform with a ticket window and a single general waiting room. The station was painted in the traditional grey, green, and mauve colour scheme. The new station opened in 1900 and was among the first updated stations completed by Grand Trunk. The new station was completed right near the old station, which was quickly torn down. In 1923, Canadian National took over the Grand Trunk network. They continued to operate the Aurora station with little change. Canadian National covered over the original wood station with insulation material and painted the station a railroad red through the mid-century. Given Aurora's status, in 1953, Canadian National pulled two former GTR steam locomotives from their mothballs. It ran a special 100th Anniversary train from Toronto's Union Station to the Aurora Station, installing a plaque at both points to commemorate the occasion. The town also installed a former steam locomotive bell in a small parkette near the station. In 1971, with the possibility of ending passenger service, the station received a Provincial Heritage status. Canadian National passenger service slowly declined through the 1960s, and the final passenger train passed through in 1978.

Looks like the station could use a new coat of paint.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DThe historic steam locomotive bell memorializing the first steam train through in 1853.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D

Canadian National, however, continued to use the line for freight operations and continued to use the station for that purpose. When GO Transit decided to expand its commuter service, they leased a station section from Canadian National in 1982. When Canadian National ceased operations, the station fell under GO Transit in 1992. It received a Federal Heritage Status and through the mid-1990s underwent full restoration and renovation. Today most of the station is a general waiting room with a small ticket and security office. The outside was stripped of the coating and painted historic colours. Additionally, external screens allow for easy viewing of trains and buses. While the station has survived and still functions as a GO station, the locomotive Toronto met its end in 1881 and hit the scrap heap. The small parkette is also nearby the station that houses a provincial historic plaque and the steam bell memorial to that first railway trip.

#afadedglory #aurora #canada #canadianhistory #canadiannational #crowngraphic #gotransit #grandtrunk #history #ilfordhp5 #infrastruture #nikond750 #ontario #pyrocathd #railroad #railway #simcoehuron

A Faded Glory – King City – Ontario, Simcoe & Huron Union Railroad (1853-1967)

It's hard to believe that a single station would provide the same service for over a century by a decade. But when it comes to the King City train station, that is the absolute truth. While its railway days are over, it is also surprising that the station survived this long in near original condition and without demolition at any point through the three railway operators that used the station. Still, King City survives as the oldest train station in Ontario.

It's amazing that the King City station remained in operations for over 100 years before closure and still survives today.
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It is amazing that a railway even saw completion. The concept of a railway between Toronto and Georgian Bay can trace itself to the pre-rebellion days of the 1830s, imagined by Frank C. Capreol. But like anything, the line was delayed due to the civil and political turmoil of the 1830s and 1840s. In 1848 Capreol would form the Toronto, Simcoe & Huron Railway but be forced early to recharter. The reason being that the City of Toronto was not happy with the lottery method to raise startup capital. Capreol would form the Ontario, Simcoe & Huron Union Railroad. As a result, using standard investment methods and money from the Provincial government. But a few days before construction started in 1851, Capreol was ousted from the company. The grand ceremony took place in October of that same year with the wife of the Governor-General, Lady Elgin turned the ceremony first dirt. Also present was chief engineer Sir Sandford Flemming (who would go on for a long, rich career in Canadian Rail). Entertainment took place that night at Toronto's St. Lawerence Hall, with P.T. Barnum putting on a show. Progress was slow, as winter set in frozen ground and the Oak Ridges Moran proved slow going. While Ontario, Simcoe & Huron focused on building the rail line, communities along the planned routes put up cash bonuses for the railway to establish a stop in their town. Recognising the value of a railroad station, the small community of Spring Hill put up the cash. Local hotel proprietor Issac Dennis donated a section of land to build the station. The plot was, of course, right next to his hotel. F.W. Cumberland, the chief architect for Ontario, Simcoe, & Huron, provided the simple station design and contracted the work out to local labour. The new station opened in 1853 in time to see the first steam train roll through in May.

Showing the squared off telegraph operator bay that was added at the turn of the century.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DThe faded name sign, and yes, the line did reach North Bay.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D

The station design is a simple design for a small rural community. Constructed wood using board and batten methods. Inside the station had a small station master's office that doubled as a ticket office and telegrapher bay. A baggage office and general waiting room took up a majority of the space. The station followed a simple design of early Victorian architecture with little ornamentation or embellishment. A single stove heated the station, and big windows provide plenty of natural light. A simple white and green colour scheme was applied. Being a rural and low traffic station, it continued its life unnoticed. Trains would roll through under the Ontario, Simcoe & Huron name, then Northern Railway of Canada and after 1879 North & North-Western Railway. By 1888 Grand Trunk had taken over the line and built a separate freight shed for the location. By the turn of the century, the station had a new Grand Trunk colour scheme, and a renovation added the square telegrapher bay. Despite the move to build a new station, Grand Trunk never replaced the King City Station, and it served even into the Canadian National after 1923. In 1950, Canadian National painted the station the typical railroad red. But by this point, the station had become underused, having only four trains daily on Monday through Friday and a single southbound train on Sunday. Passenger service ceased in 1967. Rather than demolish the station, the local conservation authority moved the station to the Boyd Conservation Area.

The Local Heritage designation plaque.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D These doors seemed a little narrow to me.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D

In Boyd, the station sat exposed to the elements without any efforts to restore the station. Only the bare minimum to keep the station from falling apart; it was at this point over one hundred years old. Passenger service returned to King City in 1982 when GO Transit extended their line north and constructed a modern station near the location of the first one. By this point, Black Creek Pioneer Village, a living history museum in Toronto, began expressing interest in the old station wanting to add it to its growing village as an example of an early railroad station. But the community rallied around and had the station moved to King Heritage and Cultural Centre and secured local heritage status. At the King Heritage and Cultural Centre, the station was restored to its original colour scheme and is one of several buildings on-site and can be visited by those experiencing the museum. Today, the station needs a fresh coat of paint and some interior work but remains in excellent condition. The museum is off the beaten path, and you do need to know it is there to visit it, but even when the site is closed, the building is easily seen from the road and is a proud part of the early days of Ontario Railway heritage. In a strange twist, the new GO Station completed in 1982 is similar to the original station that once served the city and is located on the opposite side of station road where the original train station sat.

#afadedglory #canada #canadianhistory #canadiannational #crowngraphic #grandtrunk #history #ilfordhp5 #infrastruture #kingcity #nikond750 #ontario #pyrocathd #railroad #railway #simcoehuron

A Faded Glory – Palmerston – Wellington, Grey & Bruce Railway (1871-1996)

If you haven't heard of Palmerston, Ontario, that is perfectly understandable. It is a small historic town tucked away in the rural areas of Wellington County. But the town owes its existence in a major form thanks to the railroad and is one of a few communities that can claim that. At the railroad's height, Palmerston was a major centre for Grand Trunk and later Canadian National during the golden age of rail and also found a place in history as the location of one of Canada's first vaccine farms because of the railroad.

Given the station's age, location, and passing through four operators it is amazing that it has survived to this day!
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The Wellington, Grey & Bruce Railway starts during the waning days of the first railroad boom in the pre-confederation years. The original charter stated that the mainline would run from Toronto to Southampton with options for branch lines to Owen Sound and Guelph. While originally chartered in the colonial era, it would lapse in 1861 before being picked up by a new group of investors in 1864. The new investors decided on a shorter run starting in Guelph, terminating in Southampton, and accessing Toronto through a traffic sharing agreement with Great Western. Construction would start in 1867, with Great Western taking over the incomplete network in 1869. Right away, Great Western would decide to build a branch line from Harriston to Kincardine with a route running through the small farming settlement. The branch line would start construction in 1871 and settle in 1874. The sudden arrival resulted in the quick growth of the community, thanks mainly to the donation of land by the area's two prominent landowners. The name Palmerston was chosen and, in 1875, incorporated as a town. A station had been completed in 1871, a simple board-and-batten one-storey building. The station featured a single general waiting room, station master's office, and baggage room as a branch line. There was also a ticket window and telegrapher bay. The mainline from Guelph to Southampton saw completion in 1872 and the branch to Kincardine in 1873. The same year, Great Western purchased a majority share in the company. The geographical placement of Palmerston proved that the town was to become a major railway hub. By 1876, the station had a second floor added, the first-floor waiting for the area, telegrapher bay, and ticket window expanded. At the same time, the station master's office and other administrative functions of the new yard moved to the second floor. A roundhouse, coal and freight sheds and a turntable were added. Palmerston proved a major junction in the Great Western network but always remained a financial burden. When Grand Trunk Railways purchased Great Western in 1882, they gained the Wellington, Grey & Bruce network at the same time. And while the operation of Wellington, Grey & Bruce proved a financial burden, the importance of Palmerston was truly realized by Grand Trunk, who had extensive western holdings and found itself a key division point with sixty-five divisions. Grand Trunk would drop the Wellington, Grey & Bruce name in 1896.

Close Up details that show off the early 20th Century colours of the Grand Trunk Railway.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DA beautiful rounded section that was a part of the station's function as both a passenger station and rail yard traffic controller.
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The dawn of the twentieth century saw a great deal of work done at Palmerston. Grand Trunk would repaint the station in its own colours of grey, green, and mauve and build a tower to provide better traffic direction for the yard. The tower would burn down in 1912, but the station itself was saved. To prevent injury and death, Grand Trunk completed a pedestrian bridge over the massive rail yards. The reason being that the fastest route for students to get from their homes to school was through the rail yards. In 1895 the first Vaccine farm in Ontario opened in Palmerston; the rural setting and the divisional crossroads allowed smallpox vaccines to reach every point in Ontario and some even in the US quickly to help control the deadly virus. Even when Canadian National absorbed Grand Trunk in 1923, Palmerston remained an important junction in their massive network. The large station proved expensive to heat, and drop ceilings were installed in 1936 to save money during the great depression. The 1950s brought further changes with the station getting a new railroad red paint job. The end of steam motive power in 1960 saw many of the support buildings at Palmerston demolished, the coal sheds and roundhouse were demolished, and the turntable removed. Canadian National would donate the last steam locomotive to operate at Palmerston, Old 81, a 2-6-0 Mogul locomotive for display downtown. All that remained were kilometres of tracks, the pedestrian bridge and the station. The final passenger train to roll through Palmerston was in 1970. Canadian National began abandoning unused or duplicated lines in 1982; the old Kincardine branch was among those, and the last parts of the tracks were torn up by 1996.

Old 81, a 2-6-0 "Mougel" originally operated by Grand Trunk then used by Canadian National. It was donated to the town in 1959 after it was retired.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DWhile hard to notice, this war memorial was installed by Grand Trunk Railway in 1920 dedicated to those from the railway who died in the Great War.
Nikon FM - AI-S Nikkor 35mm 1:2.8 - Fomapan 100 @ ASA-100 - Rollei Supergrain (1+15) 7:30 @ 20C

Canadian National maintained ownership of the old station but left it closed and abandoned in all but name. Rather than attempt to sway Canadian National, the community rallied around the old station central to the town's development. Roof repairs were needed by 1998, and the community raised the required funds to complete the job. And in a twist, Canadian National offered the station to the community and the sale was completed that same year. But it was not only the station but the entire railyard. Palmerston's historical society and the municipal government began the long process of rumination. The station itself was restored to early 20th century colours and some tracks and out-buildings preserved. Most of the land became green space, known as CNR Park, with one entrance still flanked by the preserved Old 81 locomotive. The pedestrian bridge also underwent repairs and remains open to the public, with the station becoming home to a railway museum that seeks to preserve and tell the area's history related to the railroad. The Palmerston Railway Heritage Museum is the only surviving Wellington, Grey & Bruce Railway station in Ontario. Many were demolished during the abandonment of the branch line in 1982, although some sections have been turned into walking trails. The museum boasts some examples of rolling stock, and of course, Engine 81 remains on display. The park offers up much needed green space, and the pedestrian bridge offers one of the best views of the entire park and surviving tracks. It's not hard to imagine the space once crammed with cars and locomotives at the height of railroad usage.

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A Faded Glory – Guelph Central Station – Grand Trunk Railway (1911-Present)

The interesting thing about the Guelph Central Station is that I have walked past it many times but have never been drawn to the structure. I'm more likely to walk past it to get a better angle on the armoury or move past towards the old city hall turned courthouse. But Central Station is one of only a few surviving propaganda stations built to instil confidence in the railway operator in the second decade of the new century.

The beautiful Central Station show's Grand Trunk's last ditch efforts to show off their (false) prosperity in the final days of their operation.
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Guelph and the railroad share an interesting relationship since the first Grand Trunk Railway line rolled through 1855. Having acquired the Toronto & Guelph Railway, Grand Trunk recognizing a line from Toronto to Guelph will provide access to the West. The line was immediately extended from Guelph out to Sarnia by way of Stratford and St. Marys. While the railroad offered up several economic perks and the local population enjoyed the easier means of transportation and businesses the capacity to bring in materials and send out goods, there was always a disconnect; Grand Trunk put the right-of-way right through the downtown, cutting through the carefully planned out public green space which had been set aside by John Galt the founder and planner of Guelph. But Grand Trunk usually got its way. The company at least provided a single storey brick station, located where the bus depot sits today. The original 1855 station was designed by Francis Thompson and followed an initial Italianate design with five bays, five large windows. A single waiting room, station master's office, and baggage room. A separate freight shed was also constructed. The station was then updated in 1870 to a more Second-Empire style roof similar to what happened in Kingston before a fire destroyed much of that station. But by the 1880s, the city and residents were started to feel the pinch. The city had grown, and despite some piece-meal efforts by Grand Trunk, they felt it was unnecessary to build a new station or expand their line. There was also the matter of safety; the level crossing downtown proved a bit of a hazard. It also didn't help that Grand Trunk was the only major operator for freight. In 1884 the City established the Guelph Junction Railway to build a short line from the city to the Credit Valley (Canadian Pacific) mainline at Campbellville then promptly invited Canadian Pacific to operate on the short line and use the Priory as their station only a few blocks away from the Grand Trunk Station. Now having some clout, the city's businesses again approached Grand Trunk in 1887 to built a new station. Grand Trunk, still financially unsound, responded by doing minor repair work. When Canadian Pacific began the process of building new stations across its network starting in 1890, Grand Trunk was shaken into action; it also helped that Charles Hayes, now installed as President, saw this as a chance to modernize and unify the entire Grand Trunk Railway starting in 1896. At Guelph, they decided to reuse the old station as a freight office and build a new fitting station for the city in a new location and offered up 5,000$ for a small piece of land, the last public park in the downtown. The city refused the offer, and Grand Trunk went instead to the Federal Government. In 1905 they were granted permission to expropriate the land, and the city had no choice.

A Closer look at the Central Station.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DDetails of the brick and limestone work that were well preserved during the station's restoration.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D

With the matter of land settled, there remained the matter of design and cost splitting. The city had already launched a lawsuit against Grand Trunk in 1908 for hazards and noise complaints. And the city looked towards the new station at Brantford as a shining example of grand railway architecture. The early 20th Century favoured a blend of Italianate and Romanesque design, which was seen clearly in the 1905 Brantford Station, with towering passenger waiting room and simple baggage space; it was everything that Guelph wanted in their station. The city did win the lawsuit, and Grand Trunk was required to build above grade crossings in a couple of places to ensure a safer downtown. But it also allowed them to reduce the size of the new station. The city was less than pleased when the new plans were published; the look of the Brantford Station was there, but not the size. Construction began that same year; the new station featured a limestone foundation and a buff brick exterior. Ironically, Grand Trunk tore down the old station, using its limestone to form the new station's foundation. Architectural details included the traditional Romanesque building with a grand Italianate tower and a large porte-cochere. Inside was a general waiting area and a separate lady's parlour. Spacious baggage and express room were included. A station master's office, ticket office, and a telegrapher's bay that jutted out onto the platform finished off the interior. Wooden wainscoting and terrazzo floor with attention to details on the ceiling provided a touch of class. The Guelph Mercury went so far as to describe the new station as handsome, but most in the community saw it as underwhelming. The new station opened with little fanfare in November 1911. Only a handful of Grand Trunk brass was on hand to watch the 1 pm train roll through the new station for the first time. Despite the mixed response, the new above grade rail bridges did improve traffic flow through downtown and reduce accidents and injury. The station continued under Canadian National in 1923 and only saw minor renovations completed, notably the installation of a drop ceiling during the depression to save on heat and elimination of the ladies parlour in favour of washrooms.

The station's primary detail the Italinate styled tower above the main entrance.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DThe MacDonnel Street bridge, the support pillars date to the late 1850s, while the deck is from the 1930s.
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When Canadian National eliminated passenger services in 1978, the station was placed under VIA Rail, taking over passenger services across Canada. Being on the main route between Toronto and the United States, the station hosted the International Limited from 1982 to 2004, a jointly operated VIA/Amtrak train running between Toronto and Chicago. GO Transit began operating trains from Toronto to Guelph in 1990, but budget cuts saw the service end after only three years but would see restoration in 2011 and Extention to Kitchener. In 1992 the station received heritage status under the Federal Heritage Railway Station Protection Act. Since the 21st Century, the Station has become a major transit hub in downtown Guelph, a focal point for GO Services (bus and train), VIA Trains, and local transit buses, with an expanded bus depot being completed in 2012. The old station underwent extensive restoration and renovations in 2016 to ensure full accessibility and restoration of key architectural elements; this work saw completion in 2017. Guelph Central remains one of several significant historic buildings in the downtown of Guelph. And it looks like its service to the railroad is not done yet. Metrolinx is planning to improve GO Train service into and out of Guelph. While these improvements will see little effect on the historic train station, the historic railway bridge originally completed in 1857 remains under threat. The bridge decking dates to 1948; however, the bridge supports remain original and could be demolished to build an improved railway bridge. Today, despite having different names and banners, Guelph remains a city rooted in railroad heritage; many rail lines criss-cross the downtown and outskirts of Guelph, although the wealth of structures is greatly diminished, thankfully Guelph Central is not one of them.

#afadedglory #adoxfx39ii #canada #canadianhistory #canadiannational #crowngraphic #fujiacros100 #grandtrunk #guelph #guelphcentralstation #guelphtransit #history #ilfordhp5 #infrastruture #mamiyam645 #nikond750 #ontario #pyrocathd #railroad #railway #viarail

A Faded Glory – Milton – Grand Trunk Railway (1906-1961)

Most people would drive past a small red building sitting along Highway 25 south of the Canadian National train line running over the roadway heading into downtown from Highway 401. The red building has the appearance of a railroad station. Still, the rail line is sitting high above, and there is no way for the station even to serve the line when Canadian National operated passenger services. The building is Milton's third train station. It is not so far from its original location located on the outskirts of the downtown next to Milton's claim to fame, the P.L. Robertson factory, maker of the Robertson screw.

Today the former GTR station is home to the local chapter of the United Way. From this angle you get an excellent view of the projecting telegraph operator's bay.
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Founded in 1820, the town of Milton missed the first railroad boom in Ontario. Despite being named (over Oakville) as the seat of Halton County in 1857, the railroad had no reason to pass through the rural backwater town. It wasn't until the second boom in the post-confederation decades that the railroad arrived in Milton. The Hamilton & North-Western Railway had been chartered in 1874 to construct a line running from Hamilton's industrial sectors to Collingwood as a direct competitor to Northern Railway of Canada, formerly Ontario, Simcoe & Huron. Like many railways, Hamilton & North-Western suffered financial troubles early on, and construction ran in fits and spurts, but in 1876 had passed through Burlington and arrived in Milton. The line running right through the downtown, crossing the Sixteen Mile Creek and the Mill Pond via a simple rail bridge before pushing through reaching Barrie in 1877. At Milton, the Credit Valley Railway intersected the Hamilton & North-Western line, a bit west of Martin Street, and a watch town had to be constructed to ensure trains would not collide in the middle of town. Starting in 1879, Hamilton & North-Western began constructing simple shed type stations, including one in Milton. The Milton station sat north of Victoria and Bronte Streets intersection, close to but a bit outside of the downtown. How the station originally looked remains a mystery as there are no known photographs in its original form. But it probably had a single waiting room, station master's office and baggage room. By June 1879, Hamilton & North-Western, along with the Northern Railway of Canada, merged into a single corporation, North & North-Western Railway. The merger remained an unhappy one, but operations continued. North & North-Western remained a popular freight line but offered little to passengers. At the same time, Credit Valley had a link between Toronto and St. Thomas, with a connection there to the Canadian Southern Railway provided more popularity for passengers. But as North & North-Western pushed further north towards the promised Canadian Pacific line at Callendar, they exploited the popularity of the growing cottage industry in Muskoka. By 1886 the line hit Callendar, and two years later, exploiting the continued disagreements between managers in the operator, Grand Trunk Railway purchased the whole network.

Restored original sign-boards are an excellent touch. Although they do lack distances to the next stops like many other stations.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DWhile heavily painted over, this exterior box is an excellent survivor of the railroad days.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D

While Grand Trunk continued to use the old Hamilton & North-Western station, the efforts of Charles Hayes in 1896 saw a series of modernizations completed on the network. Hayes did eliminate several duplications on the network and removed references to several older lines that continued to operate under their original liveries, including North & North-Western. Starting in 1900, they also began constructing new stations to replace several older ones. Despite being a low traffic line, Milton would receive a new station in 1903. A simple station with a small footprint. Constructed in the Queen Anne Revival style and board and batten construction. The new station was painted in the grey, green, and mauve colour scheme. Internally the station had a single general waiting room, station master office, which acts as a ticket office and telegrapher's bay which jutted out from the station. The rest of the station was taken up by the baggage and express room. The original station was left in place and renovated into a freight shed. Milton remained primarily an agricultural community but the increase in manufacturing, namely the opening of the P.L. Robertson plant, made heavy use of the freight options for the railroad. Grand Trunk would also construct a new bridge and update the old rails at the same time. Freight remained king; passenger service by 1904 had been reduced to two trains daily, one heading towards Barrie the other towards Hamilton. Canadian National took over operations in 1923 after Grand Trunk went bankrupt and was absorbed into the new railway operator. They maintained the status quo at Milton. In the 1950s, Canadian National painted over the Grand Trunk colours with the standard railroad red that proved popular across all operators. The low traffic on the line saw the introduction of the early Rail Diesel Cars (RDC) to run mixed passenger and freight cars on the Hamilton to Barrie Run. But as passenger traffic continued to drop, passenger services from the Milton station ceased in 1961. This was preceded by Canadian National intended to move their line through Milton outside the downtown; the town council approved the change. The change proved controversial it did result in a much quieter downtown. The Milton bypass opened to rail traffic in 1965. A majority of the downtown line was torn up with only a small section left intact and turned over to Canadian Pacific, who connected it to their line running through town. Oddly enough, if you look at a satellite view of the modern town, you can still see where the original line ran through the downtown.

A plaque thanking the financial contributions of John Tamai for the Station's preservation.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DThe former GTR bridge over the Mill Pond, the bridge is original to the GTR and even the ties and tracks were never replaced. Today it is part of a walking trail.
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The original Hamilton & North-Western Station was torn down in 1971; rather than let the Grand Trunk Station meet the same fate, the town purchased the station from Canadian National and moved it out of downtown to Unity Park. Restoration costs were mainly covered by Lois and Henry Nadlin, with the heavy work being completed by inmates from the Mimico Reformatory. Rather than restore the station to Grand Trunk colours, they went with the mid-century railroad red colour. The station opened as the Milton tourist information centre in 1975. Later that year, a narrow-gauge steam locomotive was put on display. Locomotive 4103 had never served in Milton or on any major railroad. Rather the 1930 constructed Vulcan locomotive had served in quarries in the United States and Canada. After spending time at the Ontario Science Centre, it was restored in Oakville and put on display. After years of neglect, the locomotive was most likely removed in the early 2000s and moved to Iowa and restored for service on a hobby railroad in Oregon. The station itself remains today and is now home to the Milton chapter of the United Way. The park has changed names since then and is now named Chris Hadfield Park. Milton's other surviving railroad station, the original 1879 Credit Valley Station survives as a private home on Commercial Street having been moved there after being replaced by a Maxwell style station by Canadian Pacific in 1914. The Canadian Pacific Station ended up being demolished in the late 1960s. On another interesting note, a GTR station was moved to Milton from Bronte when GO Transit opened the Milton line, it has also been demolished.

The former Milton Credit Valley Railway station, today a private residence on Commercial Street.
Nikon D750 - AF Nikkor 35mm 1:2D

#afadedglory #canada #canadianhistory #canadiannational #crowngraphic #eastmandoublex5222 #fppd96 #grandtrunk #hamiltonnorthwestern #history #ilfordhp5 #infrastructure #milton #nikond750 #nikonf5 #northnorthwestern #ontario #pyrocathd #railroad #railway

A Brief History of the Railway in Canada – Part IV – A Golden Age (1900 – 1950)

The late 19th century brought the final push to extend out the transcontinental line. The arrival of the 20th century, the Canadian Pacific Railway was the only line that extended across Canada, at least from Vancouver to Montreal. In Ontario, Grand Trunk managed to secure itself as the big player in the province by absorbing all the competition but could not do that with Canadian Pacific finding itself against a competitor that it simply could not buy out. This was the golden age of rail travel when mighty steam locomotives travelled across the country; rail networks connected people and places, mail and cargo were easily moved. Trains opened up northern Ontario and made the Silver Rush at Cobalt and later the Gold Rush in Timmins possible. But the change would be coming sooner than anyone would think.

The Stratford Motive Powershops were one of Charle Hayes' big projects to improve Grand Trunk.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DAnother of Hayes' grand projects was the 1905 new station for the city of Brantford.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DTemiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway had its start in 1902 as a way to expand north beyond the Canadian Pacific line at North Bay. Locomotive 701 served from 1921 to 1957 a 4-6-2 "Pacific" Locomotive.
Nikon D300 - AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8G

By the start of the new century, Grand Trunk, captained by Charles M. Hayes, had finally started to turn a profit. Under Hayes, the rail operator began a large scale modernization effort. Older stations were replaced with new ones, plans were made to update the extensive maintenance facilities, and more importantly, new faster locomotives to run longer, heavier trains further. Similar projects were undertaken by Canadian Pacific, but unlike Grand Trunk, their station modernization, especially at further afield, a more uniform approach to station design was taken. To construct an alternative transcontinental line, Canadian Northern Railway reached further west, and their line from Manitoba reached Port Arthur (modern-day Thunder Bay) in 1901. Seeing the advantage of a second transcontinental line, the federal government decided to approach Canadian Northern and Grand Trunk to work together to complete such an effort, with heavy funding from the government. While Grand Trunk was not opposed to such a project, they had no desire to work with another company. Instead, they extended an offer to Canadian Northern to outright buy their network. Canadian Northern's shareholders turned down the offer. In response, Grand Trunk chartered Grand Trunk Pacific, and the federal government now funded both Canadian Northern and Grand Trunk Pacific. By 1904, Michigan Central's hold over Canadian Southern would see a 99-year extension, making a rail tunnel under the Detroit River between Detroit and Windsor a wise idea. The Great Toronto Fire of the same year destroyed a great deal of the city's downtown, but the one building that escaped the fire was the eye-sore Union Station, but it did open up a large amount of property next door. Grand Trunk and Canadian Pacific struck a deal to construct a third union station next to the second, forming the Toronto Terminal Railways, each operator holding 50% of the shares. The trouble was that neither could agree on the design and layout and faced difficulties from the city on track routing. Grand Trunk also began working on a new Union Station in Ottawa, Headquarters in Montreal, plus opening a vast expansion to their Stratford Motive Power shops. Work on the Grand Trunk Pacific line began in 1907 while Canadian Pacific improved their route through the Rockies. Much of the work involving blasting new spiral tunnels to replace former steep grades. Both Canadian Northern and Grand Trunk Pacific moved fast to complete their lines, but to the surprise of Canadian Northern, Grand Trunk moved far quicker than they expected, sinking both companies deep into debt. The Michigan Central tunnel opened to train traffic in 1910, allowing a far easier way to move goods across the river than even a bridge or rail ferry. The Kingston & Pembroke Railway ended up in the pocket of Canadian Pacific. The reason is that easy access to the Canadian Locomotive Company produced many locomotives for Canadian Pacific. In 1912 the sinking of the RMS Titanic and the mass loss of life took the world by surprise. Among the lost, Charles Hayes travelled back to Canada to look at the new financial crisis brewing within Grand Trunk. Despite these cost overruns and falling deeper into debt, the Grand Trunk Pacific line hit the west coast in 1914.

TH&B Locomotive 103 constructed in 1910 is a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" that served until the full retirement of steam from T,H&B in 1954, today on display at Westfield Heritage Village.
Graflex Pacemaker Crown Graphic - Schneider-Kreuznach Symmar-S 1:5.6/210 - Kodak TMax 100 @ ASA-64 - Blazinal (1+25) 5:30 @ 20CGrand Trunk wasn't the only one improving Canadian Rail facilities, Michigan Central opened their brand new locomotive repair shop in St. Thomas.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DThe former Leaside shops opened by Canadian Northern Railway in 1916 two years later ended up in Canadian National's hands.
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And in time, Canada went to war, almost every industry moved quickly to get onto a war footing, and soon capital and workers dried up as the war in Europe escalated well beyond the ending in Christmas of 1914. Troop trains moved the Canadian Expeditionary Force members from across the nation to embarkation points at Canada's coasts. The new Union Station project ground to a halt, having started that year, leaving the existing station groaning under a daily trainload of 150 trains and 40,000 passengers. Trains also moved food, goods, war materials and eventually those labelled enemy aliens to internment camps. Despite this, as the war dragged on, Canadian Northern completed their line in 1916, and Canadian Pacific opened their new North Toronto flagship station to take some of the pressure off the Grand Trunk Union Station. Canadian Northern wanted to continue extending east opened a new maintenance facility in Leaside. But the money was gone, and even when the government came calling to collect, Canadian Northern had nothing. Ottawa had the answer, not wanting to lose a valuable asset and, more importantly, losing it during wartime seized Canadian Northern and put it under national control using their management firm, Canadian Government Railways. The firm, nearly a loosely connected group of defunct railways, continued to operate independently but with government-appointed boards. With Canadian Northern, they could dump everything on a tested operator. Grand Trunk Pacific quickly joined Canadian Northern in the Government hands. When the war ended in 1918, even Grand Trunk was on the ropes, and the government soon took action to prevent a significant disruption with the largest operator in Ontario. The trouble came when the British investors raised being paid for their shares, eventually taking the matters to the courts. It was here that the truth about Grand Trunk came out, they were cooking the books, and the investors walked away with nothing. In 1923 Canadian Government Railways received a full charter as a Crown Corporation, calling themselves Canadian National Railways. And the new companies first monumental task was the centralization and streamlining of a vast and complex network of trains, rails, and properties. And they moved quickly, duplications were removed, surplus equipment sold off, and properties demolished. The project that did get moving again and had a grand opening in 1927 was the new Beaux-Arts Union Station in Toronto, attended by King Edward VIII. Although work continued into 1931. In 1929 Canadian National introduced a pair of diesel-electric locomotives, running an eight-car train from Montreal to Vancouver with minimal interruption. Quickly smaller branch lines became proving grounds for a new idea, the self-propelled car, rail diesel car (RDC) or more familiarly doodle-bugs.

In addition to taking the same reporting mark, Canadian National Railway also took on the Canadian Northern Railway's slogan.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DCN Locomotive 6400 a heavily modified 4-8-4 "Northern" Locomotive produced in 1936 and then streamlined by the National Research Council, it would serve as motive power for the train that carried the King and Queen during their 1939 tour. Today it is on display at Ottawa's Museum of Science and Technology.
Nikon D300 - AF-S Nikkor 17-55mm 1:2.8G DXThe grand Concourse Hall at Toronto's Union Station, one of the big projects to modernize rail travel in Toronto.
Nikon F5 - AF Nikkor 35mm 1:2D - Ultrafine Extreme 100 @ ASA-200 - Ilford Microphen (Stock) 9:00 @ 20C

The 1929 stock market crash sent ripples around the entire world; soon, everyone, including the railroads, suffered from the economic downturn. It also did not help that crops also began to fail through the prairies and long trains carried those looking for work, often riding without a ticket. Michigan Central and, by extension, Canadian Southern ended up under New York Central's control. The two big ones, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, had become financially stable and debt-free for Canadian operators. But even then, the depression caught up; both began to cut low-traffic lines and even entered a traffic sharing agreement at the darkest point of the downturn. But despite this, both began to use the vast quantities of unemployed citizens to construct grand new stations as make-work projects or improve tracks and other infrastructure on their lines. Canadian National built a brand new station in Hamilton and restored the 1879 Bridge Street Station in Niagara Falls. Both would be visited in 1939 by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (The Queen Mother) during their Royal tour; both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific would provide the trains to carry the monarchs across the nation. The tour also saw the end of a short piece, and the world again moved to war that same year. Both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific moved to a war footing; trains moved soldiers and materials to ports for the war that spanned the globe. Canadian Pacific's Angus Shops constructed Valintine Tanks for the effort. During the war, vast new Northern and Pacific type locomotives were used with the significant effect of pulling longer, heavier trains. But also saw an increase in the use of diesel-electric locomotives for switching duties in yards. Despite needing the same materials for the war effort, these locomotives required less maintenance, crew, and material to operate.
The post-war era saw a changed world; countries like Canada rode high as a new standard of living ensured that many found new homes in the growing suburban spaces outside the large smokey cities.

CP Locomotive 7020, served from 1941-1986 as a yard switcher in Toronto, an ALCO S-2 unit, seen here in its original 1940's livery on display at the Toronto Railway Museum.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8DThe surviving front cab of CN 9159 an iconic F-7 road locomotive.
Rolleiflex 2.8F - Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm 1:2.8 - Kodak Tri-X 400 (400TX) @ ASA-320 - Ilford Perceptol (1+1) 12:00A pair of ALCO RS-3, these were the third generation road-switchers completed today these two serve as part of the York-Durham Heritage Railway.
Nikon D750 - AF-S Nikkor 28-70mm 1:2.8D

While the jobs remained in the large urban centre's railways that once used for long-distance travel began to adjust their operations to commuter traffic. These runs were covered by self-propelled Rail Desiel Cars that were once passed off as curiosities formed a new type of passenger traffic. And full out diesel-electric locomotives were starting to replace steam. And as iconic as the steam locomotives were, the new F-Unit road locomotives coming out of General Motors Desiel showed off a new streamlined style. And other traditional locomotive makers were starting to produce locomotives that could work both as yard switchers and on mainline service, with the release of the ALCO RS-1. By the middle of the century, it became clear that steam motive power would be on its way out. Even passenger traffic spiked during the war was starting to decline in the face of improvements in air travel, personal automobiles and more importantly, better-limited access freeways.

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