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.
Crown Graphic - Nikon Nikkor-W 1:5.6/180 - Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-200 - Pyrocat-HD (1+1+100) 9:00 @ 20C

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.

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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.
Crown Graphic - Fuji Fujinon-W 1:5.6/125 - Ilford HP5+ @ ASA-200 - Pyrocat-HD (1+1+100) 9:00 @ 20C

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.

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