A Special Day on the 2816

On September 16th, 1998, we handled a special train across the OVR.  CP had just repatriated the 2816 from the US National Parks Service Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton Pennsylvania and was moving the old Hudson across the country for a complete restoration in the BC Rail steam shops in Vancouver, B.C.

2816 arrives in North Bay, Ont. - Sept. 16, 1998

As well as the 2816, the train included other heritage equipment and we found it fitting to call one of our "vintage" crews for the trip across the OVR.  Hugh Cubitt and John Farrell skillfully commanded the train over the double sub run from Smiths Falls to North Bay that day.  Although the existence of the train was not publicized, the rail buff network was in high gear and a significant crowd had gathered to greet the train on its arrival into North Bay.

John Farrell and Hugh Cubbitt on the 2816 in North Bay - Sept. 16, 1998

2816 Arrive in Parry Sound - June 5, 2003

Five years later, the 2816 was restored and doing one of its cross Canada tours.  I was invited to ride in the head end for the trip between Parry Sound and Mactier.  CP did some pretty decent things for me in my time on the OVR, but this was certainly a highlight

In the cab at track speed on the Mactier Sub.

that I will always be grateful for.  Riding in a Hudson steam locomotive at track speed on the mainline of the CPR is an experience that doesn't present itself often.  The locomotive was in fine form that day, pulling a good looking consist free from the indignity of an accompanying diesel locomotive.

2816 on the bridge in Parry Sound - June 5, 2003.   James Brown Photo

Arrival in Mactier - June 5, 2003

The 2816 program must cost CP a small fortune.  Whether it indirectly contributes to the company's bottom line and makes sense for shareholders, I'll leave that for others to decide.  But in terms of good will, publicity, community relations, and providing employees and Canadians with a proud connection to the past, the 2816 continues to pull through for CP!

First Timber Train

Shortly after I arrived at the OVR, we were approached by a group who were interested in running a passenger excursion train between Mattawa and Temiscaming.  While these sorts of projects are typically met with much skepticism, we were in the short line business and open to any sort of new revenue.  The group had also involved a knowledgeable, experienced and highly respected railroader which certainly gave the project some legitimacy.  After several meetings, we agreed to operate a proof-of-concept train, to be run on October 5, 1997.  This was essentially the first "Timber Train", using an OVR crew, a couple of RaiLink GP-9's, and six Ontario Northland coaches.  October 5th turned out to be a beautiful fall day and the run was certainly a success.  Although I don't claim to be a photographer, I am quite proud of a few of the pictures that I captured that day.

First Timber Train at Eau Claire on the North Bay Subdivision.

Ex Southern Pacific RaiLink GP-9's on the head end.

Member of Parliament Bob Wood on the first Timber Train

The view of Mattawa from the Timber Train

First Timber Train heading up the Temiscaming Sub. into Quebec

The view from the Timber Train at MP 23

The Ottawa River and beautiful fall colors.

The original Timber Train Crew

The crew on that original train from left to right were Danny Moore, Don Cousineau, Dennis Higgins, and Angie Cerisano.

CN Detours on the OVR

* Photos marked with an asterick courtesy of Raymond Farand

For a brief period in the early days of the Ottawa Valley Railway, we would frequently handle CN detour trains.  At the time, I was the General Manager of the OVR freshly arrived from CN and Daryl Duquette was the Manager of our Rail Traffic Control Center having recently arrived from CP.

Nov. 16, 1997 - CN Train 204 in North Bay

The fellows in CN’s OMC knew me well and Daryl had all the necessary connections in CP, so it didn’t take much for us to get detours set up when a request from CN would come in.  In fact, it was often done so quickly and discreetly that CP’s Network Management Center in Calgary had no idea that we were detouring the competition’s trains over what were essentially CP lines.  Once discovered, I believe CN found

* Nov. 18, 1997 - Another 204 at Deux-Rivieres

this outlet surprisingly convenient, at least until May 14, 1998.  On that date, Fred Green had arranged for CP business car Strathcona to be deadheaded into North Bay to entertain Tembec’s president and other senior Tembec executives.  Tembec was a major CP account at the time and it must have been contract renewal time or something of the like.  I was also invited to join the group, which was a nice gesture on CP’s part.    

As background, shortly after I had taken my position with the OVR, RaiLink purchased several MLW M-420's and Bombardier HR-412’s from CN.  Three of them ended up on our roster in North Bay.

3509 in North Bay Yard

On the same evening that we were entertaining the Tembec executives in the Strathcona, the 3509, still looking very much like a CN locomotive, was busy switching the yard.  Also, on the same day, it just so happened that we were handling CN detour trains.  As we sat in the back of the business car enjoying drinks and hors-d’oeuvres , I sensed that Fred Green was getting irritated by what appeared to be a CN engine switching the yard.  Then, with classic timing, CN's train 104 appeared from the west off the Cartier Subdivision, a long and solid double stack led by impressive new locomotives.  Although he kept quiet, the look on Fred’s face said it all, “What the hell is going on here”!!  It also didn’t help matters when one of the Tembec executives asked, “Weren’t those CN locomotives on that train”?  I explained to the group that we were detouring CN trains due to a derailment on their Bala Subdivision, but Fred Green didn’t seem overly impressed.  When he got back to Calgary, he must have asked some questions because in no time we received a call from CP’s NMC asking us about these detour trains!  They made it very clear that the NMC was to be involved in any future detour arrangements, and from that point forward, the CN detours pretty much dried up.  When CN sold their Beachburg Subdivision to the Ottawa Central, it made the possiblity of future detours even more remote.  The OCR didn’t have enough crews to handle extra trains so interchanging the trains in Pembroke was no longer an option.  Despite the barriers, on November 23, 1999, a CN freight train hit a tractor trailer on a farm crossing on the Kingston Subdivision and derailed.  An opposite direction VIA train then slammed into the freight train and derailed.  It was a mess and over the following two days, we handled what would be the last CN detours across the Ottawa Valley Railway, bridging the trains over the entire route between Smiths Falls and Sudbury.

* Nov. 25, 1999 - Last Detour, CN Train 104

I always regretted the end of the detours.  When we were handling those trains it showed the true potential of the Ottawa Valley as a co-production route.  It was an exciting period, watching the trains of both railways using the most direct route between Montreal and Western Canada.  When it was finished, it just seemed like an opportunity lost.

As an aside, following the evening with the Tembec officials, CP asked if we could store the Strathcona in North Bay until its next assignment.

CP Business Car Strathcona in N.Bay Yard

We accepted without hesitation, said it would be in good hands, and took possession of the keys.  Although I was not so bold as to use the car for an inspection trip across the OVR, it sure did make for a nice setting for an OVR staff meeting!!

Ride the Rails Package

From 1991 to 1993 I was Track Engineer on CN's Saskatchewan District.  Track Engineers at the time were assigned hi-rail vehicles to encourage us to get out of the office and into the field with our employees.  Not a bad way to make a living, as long as the trains stayed on the track!  In 1992, I was assigned one of CN's first hi-rail equipped Ford Explorers .  It was a nice compact vehicle, at least in comparison to the Suburban that had preceded it, and the 4x4 really made it a good smaller inspection vehicle for two people and gear.

Before or after inspection trips, I would often take the vehicle home and have it parked in our driveway.  Our neighbours in Saskatoon were a couple of Yuppies who had everything.  Fancy home, nice clothes, European cars.  We certainly couldn't keep up with them, nor did I have any desire to try.  But despite the fact that Lisa drove a Saab, she was always commenting about that fancy Ford Explorer with the "Ride the Rails" package, and jealous that she couldn't have one.

Here are a couple of shots from one of my inspection trips with the Ford Explorer.  It is April 1992 and we are on the Rivers Subdivision in the signaled siding at Wattsview, Manitoba.  #2 is scooping us at 70 mph.

Cold Weather Slow Order

February is a cold month on the prairies.  It is a month that tends to drag people down with winter still maintaining a firm grip over the land.  In our family, one event that would help break the monotony of February was my Grandfather’s annual birthday

Edmund Peters and daughter Marion Bailey

party in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  He loved his birthdays and he had a lot of them, 104 to be exact.  Each year, his offspring and friends would gather to celebrate the occasion and he would relish every moment.

Peter's Farm - Hanley, Saskatchewan

As background, Edmund Peters emigrated from Wisconsin and in 1917 homesteaded near Hanley, Saskatchewan.  Together with his wife, they successfully farmed and raised a family through the ravages of the depression.  He continued to work on the farm well into his 80’s.

Back in February 1989, Grandpa Peters turned 100.  I was living in Montreal at the time, my fiancé in Thunder Bay, and my brother in Denver, but we all made plans to attend his birthday party in Saskatoon as this was an event not to be missed.  We decided we would all fly to Winnipeg and from there take the Super Continental to Saskatoon, just as we had done so many times before while growing up in Winnipeg.  This turned out to be my last trip on the “Super”, and unfortunately it wasn’t the train’s finest hour.

After meeting at the Station in Winnipeg, we boarded the train late in the evening of February 16th for what was to be an on time departure.  If I recall correctly, the Super Continental originated

Gary Morris Photo (Railpixs.com)

in Winnipeg at the time, so it no longer truly lived up to its "Continental" name.  It was a bitterly cold night and a huge arctic air mass had settled over the prairies.  Despite the cold, the steam heat had the sleeping cars comfortably warm and we settled into our berths shortly after entraining.  I remember having trouble getting to sleep that night and several hours passed before we departed Winnipeg.  While trying to get to sleep, I could hear the activity of carman working on the train in the bitter cold.  Then came a late night power change.  These were all ominous signs of a bad trip to come.  Once en route, I woke up at several points through the night and lifted the blind to check our progress.  It was slow going and you could just tell it was one of those nights when the railway wasn’t running well.  We had a long delay in Rivers, Manitoba, and then again in St. Lazare.  When we got up in the morning we hadn’t even arrived in Melville yet.  Saskatoon is 191 miles from Melville, and with the 40 mph blanket cold weather slow order that was in place across the entire prairies, a quick calculation indicated that we weren’t going to make Saskatoon in time for the afternoon party.  We mulled over our options, but there was really little we could do.

I had spent a good deal of time working on CN’s Prairie Region and still knew many of the Track Supervisors across the Prairies.  When we finally arrived in Melville, I headed straight to the Track Supervisor’s office.  Fortunately my old friend Tony Chartier was there.  He was surprised to see me and wondered what I was doing in town.  I explained that I was heading to my Grandfather’s 100th birthday party in Saskatoon, and that we were worried we weren’t going to make the party.  I said “Tony, you’ve got to do something about that cold weather slow.  We’ll never make Saskatoon at this pace.”  He looked at me and said, “It’s policy, I can’t lift that slow order, it’s 38 below”.  I couldn’t argue much, being CN’s Planning Engineer at the time, but I could tell by the look in Tony’s eyes that he was thinking about it.

When we got back on the train, the “Super” pulled out of Melville and was travelling at a snail’s pace on this former Grand Trunk Pacific mainline that was designed for speed.  After about 10 minutes, we settled back into our seats relegated to the fact that we weren’t going to make my Grandfather’s 100th birthday party when all of a sudden we heard the sound of the F-40PH’s notching up.  With a puff of black exhaust we were at 80 mph in no time.  Just afterwards we overheard the conductor talking on the radio expressing his surprise that the cold weather slow had been lifted.  It seems to me there was a cynical comment, something to the effect of “CN management finally waking up”.  Little did he know!!

Anyway, thanks to the removal of the slow order, we ended up making the final hour of my grandfather’s party.  As it turns out it wasn’t his last birthday, but it was my last trip on the Super Continental.  When it came time to take the train home, VIA had to put us all on a bus to Winnipeg because the “Super” was trapped behind a derailment in the Rockies!  The following winter, on January 14th, 1990, the Super Continental left in each direction from Winnipeg and Vancouver for the last time.

The Roxboro Bullet

Pictures courtesy of Raymond Farand

From 1988 until 1991 I did a stint at CN Headquarters in Montreal.  Shortly after moving there, I purchased a townhouse in Pierrefonds, not far from the A-Ma-Baie train stop on the Deux-Montanges commuter rail line.  To all of us Anglo's who worked at CN Headquarters, the train was commonly known as the "Roxboro Bullet".  The commuter rail line ran from Deux-Montanges into Montreal through the old Canadian Northern Mt. Royal tunnel and was still using the original electric locomotives and coaches that had inaugurated the service back in 1918.  It was reliable and handy , but far from modern or fancy.

My wife and I can tell many stories from our two and a half years of commuting on the "Bullet".  With no air conditioning, it was hot on the train in the summertime, and at the end of the day commuters would be in various states of consciousness.  Many would be slumped over in the cramped old seats, ties loosened, mouths open, sweating, many snoring.  I remember talking to one passenger who told me that he had been riding the train almost every day of his life, through day care, elementary school, high school, university, and now during his working life. He explained that he couldn't remember a single change through all of those years and he calculated that he had spent well over one year of his lifetime riding on that train.  Another day, I distinctly recall taking my seat on the train in Central Station.  The bench seats at each end of the coaches had quickly filled up and there was one small space left between two people on the bench across from my wife and I, perhaps 10 inches wide.  A lady then boarded the train with a derriere that was considerably larger than the gap and eyed up her opportunity to take a seat.  I'll never forget the incredulous look on everyone's faces as that lady shoe-horned herself into that gap.  I guess when you want to sit, you want to sit!!  But our most memorable moment came one cold morning standing on the platform at A-Ma-Baie.  It was a typical Montreal winter day, not unlike any other, until "low and behold" the train came around the curve pulling a string ex VIA daynighter cars.  The change in equipment had been totally unannounced and unexpected, and for the commuters who had been riding the "cattle cars" for years, you would think they were staring at a mirage.  Once on board, it was like kids in a candy shop.  Settling in to those 35 year old daynighter seats was like winning a lottery when you hadn't even bought a ticket.  It made for a very pleasant ride into Montreal

that day and in the days and months to follow.  Through the entire two and a half years of riding the Bullet, we had the same conductor.  To this day, I can still hear him calling, "A-Ma-Baie Suivant"!

CP Holiday Train

Last night Bonnie-Rae and I ventured out to catch the CP Holiday Train on its arrival into Maple Ridge.  The skies were clear and the train drew a huge crowd to the West Coast Express Port Haney station.  This was the final night of a three week cross

country odyssey that started on November 27th in Beaconsfield, Quebec with the final stop 68 communities later in Port Moody, British Columbia.  The goal of the Holiday Train is to collect food and money for local food banks and to raise awareness

in the fight against hunger. The train is highly decorated, and at each stop, it provides a box car stage, a line up of musicians, entertainers, and a CP corporate contribution to the local food bank. The communities, in turn, are encouraged to donate food and funds, all of which stays in the local communities.  The holiday train provides a very special and unique family event, particularly in the smaller and sometimes remote communities where it visits.  Running this train is a big undertaking and I am sure that it comes at no small cost to Canadian Pacific.  Kudos must go out to CP for continuing to run this program which has raised over $4.8 million dollars and 2.3 million pounds of food for the less advantaged in the twelve years it has been operating.

For me, last night brought back memories of Holiday Train 2002, when in cooperation with CP, we ran the train across the OVR, drawing huge crowds in each of the historic Ottawa Valley communities where we stopped.  Thanks to the efforts of our Trainmaster Bob Jackson, CP was convinced to leave the train in

our hands on December 8th, 2002 handing it over to us in Smiths Falls, Ontario.  We promptly applied our smartly decorated RaiLink GP-38's to the head end of the consist and headed west with the train early that morning.  It was a bitterly cold day and if memory serves me correctly we made stops in Arnprior, Renfrew, Pembroke, Petawawa, Chalk River, Mattawa, Bonfield, and North Bay.  The crowds at each stop surpassed our wildest imaginations.  Obviously these towns needed some entertainment and there was a terrific line up on the 

Holiday Train that year including Tom Jackson, Beverly Mahood, Duane Steele, and Amanda Stott.  Some of the shows were done from the stage car, others were shorter shows done from the back of CP business car Van Horne.  I can’t verify this fact but I have been told that this was and continues to be a record for the most entertainment stops in one day for the

CP Holiday Train.  We also had our Santa, veteran CP and OVR locomotive engineer Hugh Cubitt.  I can still remember Hugh as he relished his ride in the Van Horne, heading out onto the vestibule to wave at onlookers as we made our way through the Ottawa Valley.  A ride in the Van Horne was a most fitting tribute for this old hogger.  After all, how many tons of freight had he hauled through the Valley for CPR during his long railroad career?

In 2002, set up of the stage car was nowhere near as refined as it is now, and I can remember the feeling of relief when we completed the last show in North Bay on time and successfully.  It was a tough and stressful day, opening and closing that

boxcar door in the freezing cold temperatures, setting up the speakers, trying to keep the sound system working, and keeping the train on time.  Watching last night’s polished and organized set up and take down made the show look like a cakewalk, a far cry from 2002. 

I still have my Holiday Train CD from that year, signed by all of the entertainers who participated.  It is still, by far, our family’s favourite holiday CD.

An Intruder in Sacred Territory

Back in 1996, we moved from Vernon to Edmonton.  After the moving van was all packed up, we said goodbye to Vernon and headed off in our mini-van to Edmonton by the Rogers/Kicking Horse passes.  On the way through Field, B.C., Bonnie-Rae and I spotted an eastbound CN freight train leaving the yard.  It was July 7th, 1996 and obviously CN had some sort of problem because they were detouring trains over the CP.  Now this would warrant a stop at Morant's curve, the famous viewpoint between Banff and Lake Louise where world renowned company photographer Nicholas Morant captured so many breathtaking images of CP trains snaking their way through the "S" curves along

the Bow River with the magnificent Canadian Rockies in the background.  We perched Douglas on the side of the hill for his first train watching experience and waited for the train.  By the looks of his smile, you can tell

that he was born into a railway family.  After a brief wait the sound of the approaching eastbound became louder.  As the train made its way by us, I snapped this photo.  A true intruder in sacred CP territory!

Last Train by the Station

In 2001, Canadian Pacific, the City of North Bay, and the Ottawa Valley Railway undertook a yard rationalization project which would see the old CP station in North Bay and a sizable portion of the CP rail lands released to the City for future development. The City paid for everything including the redesign and reconstruction of a smaller yard as well as building a new office building for the OVR. As part of the yard redesign, the original main line running by the station was relocated towards the lakeshore in the hopes that the redeveloped lands would not be separated from the City by a rail line. As it turned out, the commercial development never happened and the lands are now largely being redeveloped as a park. In hindsight, had everyone known this was going to happen, it would probably have been better to leave the main line where it was so that the park would not be separated from the lakeshore by a rail line!!

Anyway, there was a lot of activity in North Bay Yard that summer culminating in a final crew change ceremony in front of the old CP station on September 29th. To start the ceremony we pushed the T&NO #503 up to the station

for display. After that we used the CP track geometry train (which conveniently happened to be in town), a retired CP crew, and a working OVR crew to do the ceremonial crew change. Following the crew change,

we had retired CP Roadmaster Armand Huard pull a spike in front of the station to officially close the track. We then had Armand drive a last spike in the new main line and unveiled station name sign "Huard" at the new relocated terminus of the North Bay Subdivision and start of the Cartier Subdivision. It was quite a day, enjoyed by all.

Although the ceremony was on the 29th, the true last train to run by the North Bay station on the original mainline alignment was CP train 211 on October 1. There was no fanfare that day, but knowing that it would be a bit

of a historic event, I grabbed my camcorder and filmed the train as it pulled by the station for the last time. 211 that day wasn't the prettiest train that CP had ever thrown together, but it was a whopper and took a full 10 minutes to pass by, probably in the order of 8,000 feet in length.

Dressed for the Occasion

It was 50 years ago today and my brother and I were dressed for the occasion.  The date was April 20th, 1960 and Canadian National Railways Mountain Class 4-8-2, Engine 6062 was being prepared to pull train #10 from Saskatoon to Humboldt and then on to Winnipeg for the last time.  The following day, diesel electric power would appear on the head end of #10 and the age of steam in Saskatchewan would be gone forever.

I don't remember the event and only have pictures.  I am told that apart from the plaque mounted on the front of the engine and the railway men who ceremoniously gathered to mark the occasion, the departure was met with little public fanfare or notice.  However my Father obviously recognized that this was a significant day and made sure that my brother and I were full participants.

It did rate for a photo and story on the third page of the Saskatoon Star Phoenix on April 22, 1960 and I still have the old yellowed newspaper to prove that we were priviledged to have experienced the end of steam like few others of our generation.





Left to Right
Conductor Charlie Lindsay
Grant Bailey (2 years old)
Locomotive Engineer J.B. (Scotty) Lees
Bill Bailey (4 years old)

Moosonee by Motorcar

In September of 2006, Ontario Northland Railway hosted a track motorcar excursion trip from North Bay to Moosonee and return.  The group being hosted was the North American Rail Car Operators Association (NARCOA), a fringe group dedicated to the preservation and safe legal operation of railroad equipment historically used for maintenance-of-way.  NARCOA consists of members from all over North America and from all walks of life, individuals who for whatever reason have taken an interest in acquiring, restoring and operating railway track motor cars (sometimes otherwise known as speeders) on excursion trips hosted by whatever railway can be convinced to let them run on their tracks.  The Town of Moosonee is located on the Moose River, 12 miles south of James Bay at a latitude of 51° N 07' in the wilds of Northern Ontario.  Originally settled as a fur trading post by Revillion Freres of Paris in 1903, the town grew in importance with the arrival of the Temiskaming & Northern Ontario Railway in 1932, after which it became a transportation hub for the James Bay coastal communities.  A trip to Moosonee makes for an interesting journey, and over the years thousands have made this trip on Ontario Northland’s Polar Bear Express.  A trip to Moosonee by track motor car makes for an adventure, and this excursion, or at least a portion of it, was one that I couldn’t pass up.  Fortunately my position with Ontario Northland at the time allowed me to participate, and it would be a great opportunity to give my young son an experience of a lifetime before he would succumb to the inevitable temptations of hockey, skiing, and girls.  But before we get into the trip to Moosonee, let’s step back a few years.  

As a kid, I had some exposure to track motorcars.  My Dad used to make an annual spring inspection trip on the rail lines through Northern Manitoba, and each year he would set aside a weekend on one end of the trip for fishing.  My brother and I would join him for that portion of the trip and we would fish at a particularly good fishing hole at milepost 44 on the Chisel Lake Subdivision (which is now long gone).

That particular spot on the shore of the Grassy River would produce a pickerel almost every cast and we would always return to Winnipeg with enough fish to last until the following spring.  Our accommodation on those trips was in the section house at Chisel Lake and each morning we would make the trip to mile 44 on an old Fairmont M-19 track motorcar.  The M-19 was a one lunger that was started using a hand crank.  It had a belt drive and it was operated backwards by reversing the rotation of the engine by changing the timing of the ignition.  Reversing the engine was an art that took an experienced hand.  It involved shutting off the ignition on the running engine and waiting for the momentum of the flywheel to subside, then just at the right moment before the engine died one had to switch the ignition back on and reverse the timer.  Without perfect coordination, the engine would stop and one would then have to restart the engine using the hand crank.  Anyone who couldn’t do this trick hadn’t paid his dues on a railway track gang!

Later in life, working on the section at Red Pass Junction in the mountains of B.C., I would periodically get assigned to the patrolman’s position at Mt. Robson.  This job entailed using a similar old M-19 motorcar to patrol a tough stretch of the Albreda Subdivision to ensure that no rocks had fallen onto the track between trains.  It was then that I mastered the art of reversing the old one lunger without letting it die.

Fast forward a few more years to 1997 and I was appointed to the position of General Manager of the Ottawa Valley Railway.  In one of my first trips across that territory, I found a derelict old M-19 track motorcar languishing in the station in Mattawa.  It used to be the Signal Maintainer’s car, but by this time, hi-rails were in vogue and no one had any use for old motorcars.  No one except for me that is.  In short order I had that motorcar running and made a few inspection trips with it on the North Bay Sub., one with my Dad accompanying me in the fall of 1998.  In 1999, I loaded up the motorcar and took it home to start a major restoration process.  I stripped off the cab, disassembled the entire car, and rebuilt everything.  Instead of restoring it back to its former glory as a CP maintainer’s car, I restored it as an open motorcar, similar to the one that had transported us to mile 44 on the Chisel Lake Subdivision all those years ago. 

The first trip after restoration was up the Temiscaming Subdivision with my son.  Being both General Manager and rules qualified, I did not have to grovel with the management of a railway or fork out exorbitant fees to find tracks to run on, and this made for great weekend fun, sometimes running with other Ontario NARCOA members.

In 2005, I made the move to Ontario Northland Railway and the Temiscaming Subdivision was no longer accessible to me.  So when the opportunity came up to join the NARCOA group on the excursion to Moosonee, I was in.

The trip from North Bay to Moosonee is 438.6 miles, no small distance.  Even for an enthusiast, that is a long trip in an open motorcar.  Then there is the risk of weather.  The difference between sunshine and rain in an open motorcar is the contrast between pleasure and pain.  In addition, although the excursion was on the railway that I was working for, I could hardly justify 5 days of gallivanting around in a motorcar as honest work.  So I decided to trailer my motorcar half way up the route to Cochrane where my son and I would join the group up to Island Falls, a distance of 43.1 miles.  From there I could have someone pick us up with my vehicle and trailer, and we could call it a day.  A nice manageable trip that wouldn't take too much of my time, but would get us out in the motorcar for a short run with the NARCOA group.

On Friday morning Sept 1, the sky dawned clear in Cochrane.  It was a cool morning and all of the owners and their motorcars assembled in front of the station for the mandatory safety briefing.  Then it was off to Island Falls for the first leg of the journey that day.  And what a day it turned out to be.  It started cold, and Douglas and I had to borrow a few extra jackets from some of the other participants to keep the chill from cutting right through us.  As part of the safety briefing, we were instructed not to stop by an old shack on the west side of the track around Clute, where a recluse lives with his 40 or 50 dogs.  Sure enough, when we passed that location, old Johnny was out there to wave us on with the dogs snarling and chasing track motorcars with reckless abandon.  Also en route, we passed a picturesque small lake graced by the presence of a classic Canadian floatplane tied up on the shoreline, a pretty deHavilland Beaver.

This made for a post card shot and I snapped the photo as we admired the scene.  When we reached Island Falls, we took to the siding to let the northbound Polar Bear Express scoop us.  This was supposed to be the end of the journey for Douglas and me, but the sun was now warming things up, we were having a terrific time, and all of the NARCOA members were urging us to stay on for the remainder of the trip.  
As we visited with all of these interesting people and checked out their motorcars, I contemplated what do.  Douglas was having no part of going home.  Although I was tempted to continue on to Moosonee, the thought of turning around the next day and making the 186 mile trip back was a bit more than I had bargained for.  Then, the idea of returning to Cochrane on the Little Bear Express came to mind as a possibility.
Now that would be fun if I could just figure out what to do with the motorcar.  Sure enough, as soon as I mentioned the thought, one of the NARCOA members gladly volunteered to tow our motorcar back to Cochrane which would free us up to take the train.  Case closed, it was on to Moosonee.
After a bit more visiting, the headlights of the Polar Bear appeared and we all enjoyed the first of three encounters with ONR's unique northern passenger trains of the day.  With the Polar Bear gone, it was off to the next stop on our journey, Otter Rapids.

Otter Rapids is the site of a major hydro-electric generating station on the shore of the Abitibi River.  It is a pretty spot, and again we visited and traded stories as we waited for the second train of the day to scoop us, the northbound Little Bear Express.  The Little Bear was a true mixed train, probably the last of its type in North America.  

Where else could you find a train such as this, one that consisted of double stack containers, reefer cars, fuel cars, canoe car, auto carriers, baggage car, dining car, and other assorted passenger and freight cars, a train that would stop at flag stops for passengers needing transport in and out of the wilds?  This was a form of railroading seldom seen anymore, and it was nice to have been part of it for a few years while I was at the ONR.

With the Little Bear gone, we continued on to Onakawana where the outfit cars for an ONR tie gang were conveniently located.  We had been invited to stop in, and the cook and cookee were happy to host the group serving up refreshments and pastries.  

The old ONR dining car was far from eating in the Waldorf Astoria, but the food certainly hit the spot and this made for another rich experience in a wonderful day.  After leaving Onakawana fully refreshed, we were in for one of the biggest highlights of the day, the crossing of the Moose River Bridge at mile 142.7.  

This is a big river and a big bridge, and the scenery was spectacular.  There was still not a cloud in the sky and by now it was unseasonably warm.  We passed over the bridge at slow speed, enjoying every moment.  What a great experience, and what a great way to see the north.  

As we continued on, it became obvious that we would not make Moosonee before the southbound departure of the Polar Bear, which meant another meet, the last of the day.  At Galeton, it was into the siding again where we all waved as the southbound Polar Bear rifled by us on its way back to Cochrane.  
This train also had some interesting equipment, most notably a full length dome car originally built for the Milwaukee Road and used on the Olympian Hiawatha running between Chicago and the Twin Cities.  The car was a long way from Chicago, but likely happy just to be in service after all those years.

Finally, in the early evening we pulled into Moosonee.  This had been a long day and the thought of a bed by this time was pretty enticing.  Douglas and I checked into the Polar Bear Lodge, enjoyed a quick supper, then hit the sack.

The following day, we walked over to the station and watched as the Little Bear was readied for the trip south.  Canoes and supplies were loaded and it was obvious by the activity around the station that train time was still a big event in Moosonee.  Just prior to departure, we climbed aboard the baggage car for the trip south to Cochrane.   

Douglas perched himself on a cooler and through the open baggage car door, we enjoyed the breeze, views, and activities along the line as we made our way south.  These were a couple of great days, the circumstances and conditions which probably won’t be repeated for me anytime soon.  My old motorcar is now stored in an aircraft hangar in North Bay, and even if I had it here in Vancouver, I would have a tough time trying to operate it on the Canada Line mixing in with light rail transit trains running at 3 minute headways.  Whether I get a chance to use the motorcar again doesn't really matter.  I had some great trips with it and the journey to Moosonee will always be a highlight.  Who knows, perhaps some day Douglas will dig it out of the hangar and consider joining NARCOA. 

Click here to see the sights and hear the sound of an M-19.

Click here to see the crossing of the Moose River Bridge.