I moved to the Ottawa area after the Montreal-North Bay section of the Canadian was discontinued. Now with the line itself gone, this will be the only way I can experience it. I was fortunate enough as a teenager in the early 1980’s to take The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver when it was still on the CPR alignment. I had a chance to take a cab ride from Calgary to Golden, but had to turn it down because I was travelling with an elderly relative and they would worry that I missed the train! Memories of riding in the vestibule with the top half of the dutch door open, smelling the fresh air of the Rockies, hearing the burble of the headwaters of the Thompson, spiral tunnels from the diner, prairie thunderstorm while whipping past grain elevators on the prairies with an 16 car summer consist (hard to believe it was that long!). Trip of a lifetime.
@@bobjohnson205 well since that line is now a trail, hopefully the trail can keep the door open for the rail to be reinstated. A big maybe, if demand requires
I grew up on the Beachburg Sub. My father was a CN section foreman. Spent a lot of my younger years in Algonquin Park with him between Alice and Brent. Wish I would of had a GoPro back then I would’ve strapped it to the front of the motorcar and got some cool video of Algonquin Park. Most people never got to see the Park like I did. Miss them days. Anyone out there got some old videos of the Beachburg Sub please share them on RUclips. I would love to see them.
I don’t have videos, but my dad worked for CN for over 30 years, and at one point had a project in Algonquin Park. They set him and my mom and my just born older brother up in a private area of the bunk car (probably a retired diner) so that they could all be together for the month or more that the work would take. This was in the late 1950’s so there were few roads to get in and out. The cook supplied all the food and she said he made the best wild blueberry pie she has ever had. Apparently there were plenty of wild blueberry shrubs along the ROW - those and strawberries grew very well in the cinders left behind by generations of steam engines.
My grandfather was the section foreman and lived in the section house at Alice from before 1920 until 1935. He was stationed at Brent around the time the line was first built in the 1910s. I have photos of the section house, the Alice station and places like Achray and Lake Traverse.
@@johnbozak1662 what era was your father section foreman? After 1935 until he retired in 1957, my grandfather was section foreman from Ottawa to Pembroke. He shared many railway stories with us during his retirement years. Finally, drove up to Brent with a cousin, not long before the pandemic.
@ His career went from 1961-1994. He was section foreman from 1965? til 1988, when he had to demote himself back to leading track maintainer, in order to stay closer to home on account of CN cutting and cutting positions from the maintenance crews. When he left there was 2 men watching 35 miles of track. Then the whole subdivision west of Pembroke was shut down in December of 1995.
Enjoyed the video very much!! It brings back wonderful memories. In 1985 I rode across Canada from Montreal to Vancouver and back aboard VIA Rails Canadian. That trip was wonderful!! The wilds of Ontario, going along the north shore of Lake Superior , the prariries of central canada , the Canadian rockies, kicking horse pass , the spiral tunnels, rogers pass , the Frasier and Thompson river canyons , it was beautiful !!! Loved every bit of it !!! Greetings from connecticut.
I remember going to Carleton Place as a tween. I was wondering if you happen to have more Ottawa to North Bay railway footage? Like the 4 CP crossings on Hwy 17?
@johnwallington6127 what year was this taken? Noticed an SD40-2 with 5 inch stripes at 14:17 ... did not expect that as I didn't think they lasted as late as this (must be between '87 and '90 as the F40s showed up in 86-87 then and then the last VIA through here was Jan '90) Also, they were really bombing through Bonfield siding hahaha If you have more of this I would love to see it. I worked out of North Bay briefly and my grandfather was conductor from '39 to '83 out of North Bay too.
Unfornunately with the same trip out of Montreal thats all the video I have of this area, It was shot in the fall of 1989, I worked out of CN Toronto South and had bid VIA for the last time. My VIA pass was about to be cancelled when I returned to CN at the fall change of card so I thought I'd get some miles on it.
VIA Rail F40PH-2's was good during the days. I prefer FP9's, FPA-2's, FP7's. I would go to VIA Rail #1 after lunch. 12:25pm. Right at Woodroffe Avenue bridge. Standing. Waiting. Then headlight coming. First Merivale Road bridge. Then a minute later, Woodroffe Ave bridge. Taking a leisure 60 mph to the next signal......"Bells Corners". Then "Bells Junction" & diverged to the CP Carleton Place Sub. Mile 8.1. All the way to Carleton Place station. (Now Coleman Street) Thank you for the opportunity to relive the memory on VIA Rail.
@@johnwallington6127 Would love to see that again. Awesome trip. I recently watched the TVO "Tripping" documentary. Amazingly our trip was almost twenty years ago.
the last time I'd seen that branch to the Sault, speed had been reduced to some ridiculous limit of 15MPH -- this had hurt to see some years after customarily having had to change trains at Sudbury (I'd always believed Ottawa Quebec City though what with its creepily modern overhaul of some UGH ridiculously starchy station)
It is an absolute disgrace that the very historically, nationally and socially significant CPKC line running from Rigaud, Qc, to North Bay, On, was abandoned and its infrastructure destroyed. And then we wonder why Canadians know so little about their Country and its History. 2024/09/21. Ontario, Canada
That is what happens when you elect 'conservative' governments. They destroy, steal or sell anything nice that we've built under democratic governments. Maybe ask Skippy Poilievre if he is going to spend the hundreds of billions of dollars to build our own tracks if he's elected. I can almost guarantee that they will slash what's left of subsidized train travel in Canada.
I moved to the Ottawa area after the Montreal-North Bay section of the Canadian was discontinued. Now with the line itself gone, this will be the only way I can experience it. I was fortunate enough as a teenager in the early 1980’s to take The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver when it was still on the CPR alignment. I had a chance to take a cab ride from Calgary to Golden, but had to turn it down because I was travelling with an elderly relative and they would worry that I missed the train! Memories of riding in the vestibule with the top half of the dutch door open, smelling the fresh air of the Rockies, hearing the burble of the headwaters of the Thompson, spiral tunnels from the diner, prairie thunderstorm while whipping past grain elevators on the prairies with an 16 car summer consist (hard to believe it was that long!). Trip of a lifetime.
I could have been your trainman, baggageman or asst. conductor on that trip!
@@bobjohnson205 well since that line is now a trail, hopefully the trail can keep the door open for the rail to be reinstated. A big maybe, if demand requires
I grew up on the Beachburg Sub. My father was a CN section foreman. Spent a lot of my younger years in Algonquin Park with him between Alice and Brent. Wish I would of had a GoPro back then I would’ve strapped it to the front of the motorcar and got some cool video of Algonquin Park. Most people never got to see the Park like I did. Miss them days. Anyone out there got some old videos of the Beachburg Sub please share them on RUclips. I would love to see them.
I don’t have videos, but my dad worked for CN for over 30 years, and at one point had a project in Algonquin Park. They set him and my mom and my just born older brother up in a private area of the bunk car (probably a retired diner) so that they could all be together for the month or more that the work would take. This was in the late 1950’s so there were few roads to get in and out. The cook supplied all the food and she said he made the best wild blueberry pie she has ever had. Apparently there were plenty of wild blueberry shrubs along the ROW - those and strawberries grew very well in the cinders left behind by generations of steam engines.
My grandfather was the section foreman and lived in the section house at Alice from before 1920 until 1935. He was stationed at Brent around the time the line was first built in the 1910s. I have photos of the section house, the Alice station and places like Achray and Lake Traverse.
@ great! Gotta figure out a way to get in contact with you friend. I’m not on Facebook, but I am on messenger. Would love to see them photos.
@@johnbozak1662 what era was your father section foreman? After 1935 until he retired in 1957, my grandfather was section foreman from Ottawa to Pembroke. He shared many railway stories with us during his retirement years. Finally, drove up to Brent with a cousin, not long before the pandemic.
@ His career went from 1961-1994. He was section foreman from 1965? til 1988, when he had to demote himself back to leading track maintainer, in order to stay closer to home on account of CN cutting and cutting positions from the maintenance crews. When he left there was 2 men watching 35 miles of track. Then the whole subdivision west of Pembroke was shut down in December of 1995.
If this is the same rail line from my youth, then I trust you passed the big metropolis of Bonfield...lol Great video!
Enjoyed the video very much!! It brings back wonderful memories. In 1985 I rode across Canada from Montreal to Vancouver and back aboard VIA Rails Canadian. That trip was wonderful!! The wilds of Ontario, going along the north shore of Lake Superior , the prariries of central canada , the Canadian rockies, kicking horse pass , the spiral tunnels, rogers pass , the Frasier and Thompson river canyons , it was beautiful !!! Loved every bit of it !!! Greetings from connecticut.
This is bringing back a lot of memories growing up in the upper valley. Just amazing and heartbreaking to see. Hope to see more of your videos.
Don't really have much more cab rides.
Great video. I worked as a brakeman/conductor out of North Bay in the eighties. Worked 1 and 2 a few times.
Nice to see an older crew
Great video
Cool CP hotbox detector 👍👍
I remember going to Carleton Place as a tween. I was wondering if you happen to have more Ottawa to North Bay railway footage? Like the 4 CP crossings on Hwy 17?
Sorry, that's it for that area.
So beautiful...
We lost so much...
and we did it to ourselves.
pure idiocy, shortsightedness, and greed.
You can blame Myron Baloney and Bandit Bouchard for a lot of that!
Don't vote Conservative if you want to keep nice things.
Really enjoying these videos! , keep those postings!
What a great throw back ride.
@johnwallington6127 what year was this taken? Noticed an SD40-2 with 5 inch stripes at 14:17 ... did not expect that as I didn't think they lasted as late as this (must be between '87 and '90 as the F40s showed up in 86-87 then and then the last VIA through here was Jan '90)
Also, they were really bombing through Bonfield siding hahaha
If you have more of this I would love to see it. I worked out of North Bay briefly and my grandfather was conductor from '39 to '83 out of North Bay too.
Unfornunately with the same trip out of Montreal thats all the video I have of this area, It was shot in the fall of 1989, I worked out of CN Toronto South and had bid VIA for the last time. My VIA pass was about to be cancelled when I returned to CN at the fall change of card so I thought I'd get some miles on it.
Great video. I subscribed to your channel as well!
Such a shame that both CN an CP have abandoned their tracks up the Ottawa Valley.
I would love to take this trip in a train cab.
VIA Rail F40PH-2's was good during the days. I prefer FP9's, FPA-2's, FP7's.
I would go to VIA Rail #1 after lunch. 12:25pm. Right at Woodroffe Avenue bridge. Standing. Waiting. Then headlight coming. First Merivale Road bridge. Then a minute later, Woodroffe Ave bridge. Taking a leisure 60 mph to the next signal......"Bells Corners". Then "Bells Junction" & diverged to the CP Carleton Place Sub. Mile 8.1. All the way to Carleton Place station. (Now Coleman Street)
Thank you for the opportunity to relive the memory on VIA Rail.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Was the engineer from the east coast? Sure sounded like it. Great video.
I don't know the answer to that. I'm not even sure if they were an Ottawa or North Bay based crew.
@johnwallington6127 lol - could be from the Valley
Thank you.
Any railway footage shot in Sault Ste. Marie?
Non near Sault Ste Marie.
@@johnwallington6127 What about Sudbury?
@@PatFrenchLeafsFan1 The train got there after dark, thus no video. I do have some from the White River Budd Car.
@@johnwallington6127 Would love to see that again. Awesome trip. I recently watched the TVO "Tripping" documentary. Amazingly our trip was almost twenty years ago.
the last time I'd seen that branch to the Sault, speed had been reduced to some ridiculous limit of 15MPH -- this had hurt to see some years after customarily having had to change trains at Sudbury (I'd always believed Ottawa Quebec City though what with its creepily modern overhaul of some UGH ridiculously starchy station)
LOL I love the gratuitous power braking.
It is an absolute disgrace that the very historically, nationally and socially significant CPKC line running from Rigaud, Qc, to North Bay, On, was abandoned and its infrastructure destroyed. And then we wonder why Canadians know so little about their Country and its History. 2024/09/21. Ontario, Canada
That is what happens when you elect 'conservative' governments. They destroy, steal or sell anything nice that we've built under democratic governments. Maybe ask Skippy Poilievre if he is going to spend the hundreds of billions of dollars to build our own tracks if he's elected. I can almost guarantee that they will slash what's left of subsidized train travel in Canada.
That ol boy probably seen some chit
Cp crew?
Yes, it was a CP crew.