tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post5280408161448698717..comments2024-03-29T00:38:49.531-04:00Comments on THE BEACHBURG SUB: Updated: A Most Unlikely Survivor: The Renfrew SubdivisionMichaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07917230984518214781noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post-57710303574460779852019-09-13T09:51:23.931-04:002019-09-13T09:51:23.931-04:00Thanks for the kind comments, Robert. This blog is...Thanks for the kind comments, Robert. This blog is a labour of love, as railways run very deep in my family as well.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07917230984518214781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post-55408082516195493172019-08-19T16:12:04.244-04:002019-08-19T16:12:04.244-04:00Fascinating reading. Thanks for all of this.
I c...Fascinating reading. Thanks for all of this. <br /><br />I come from a long line of railroaders going back to my Great Grandfather, who was a boilermaker and worked out of the Madawaska round house sometime in the early 1900s. My great uncles worked for the railroad. My grandfather was a railroad engineer out of Ottawa and my father was a conductor on the freight trains where he frequently travelled on the old OAPS line and later on, through the top of Algonquin Park. As a kid we used to take the old OAPS line to Killaloe Station to visit my grandmother who lived nearby. Even I worked for the railroad, albeit for a summer job on the railway section gang out of Walkley Yard. <br /><br />All of which is to say that the railroad in general and the OAPS line in particular, figures very prominently in my family history. And the older I get, the more I desire to learn more about its fast-fading history.<br /><br />Anyhow, a couple of years ago, on a crisp fall day, me and a buddy were meandering our way west towards Arnprior, taking the back roads all the way and which crosses, several times, what I was certain was an abandoned rail line. Me and a buddy stopped near the tracks and I saw what I thought was a train light in the distance coming from Arnprior direction. Had to blink twice, thinking I was seeing a ghost train but sure enough, it was the real deal and I was both shocked but pleased to know that at least this portion of the old line will survive for a bit longer.<br /><br />It was after I discovered your site that I learned the whys and wherefores of this ghost train that pretty much made my day. You also confirmed my supposition that this was, in fact, part of the OAPS line, which made me even happier at my "discovery". I took a few photos for posterity.<br /><br />Thanks so much for the time and energy you put into this site. It has been a real boon to me.Robertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post-52629213101600823442019-01-21T09:36:16.953-05:002019-01-21T09:36:16.953-05:00Thanks for all the comments, guys. I didn't wa...Thanks for all the comments, guys. I didn't want to get into the Booth history too much, since I have talked about that in the past. I wanted to focus on the latter-day Renfrew Sub history, since it has been a CN concern. I have another history-focused post coming up, so stay tuned, as it were, for that!Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07917230984518214781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post-77045981978409779492019-01-19T08:51:46.779-05:002019-01-19T08:51:46.779-05:00Definitely fascinating post, Michael! Thanks for t...Definitely fascinating post, Michael! Thanks for the tip of the hat re: loose car railroading in downtowns. Same here in Kingston, which I'm modelling in HO. Long lists of customers receiving minimal number of cars per switch!<br /><br />Interestingly, the Kingston & Pembroke with its lofty-sounding title (all they left out was &Pacific!) never reached Pembroke, only getting as far as...Renfrew! The K&P then became CP and we still have their downtown station standing.<br /><br />My Dad was pretty fascinated with the Booth operations in Algonquin Park and he photographed at least one interpretive trail walk we went on to show remaining RR traces, while we were camping there as kids.<br /><br />Interesting to learn more about the current Nylene operation, too!<br />Thanks for sharing,<br />EricErichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11822288099043790296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post-10490682763780709552019-01-16T22:28:52.320-05:002019-01-16T22:28:52.320-05:00Great post Michael!
I have a personal connection t...Great post Michael!<br />I have a personal connection to the line from the far reaches up in the valley so some digging on this line was one of the blogs I have been waiting for!<br /><br /><br />The interesting thing about Booth's line is that it was never fuly realized due to a storm (as Kevin mentioned) damaging a bridge across a lake on the west end of Algonquin. It was deemed too expensive to repair from what I understand so it never was fixed. That and Depot Harbour's trouble sank Booth's company. There was a swanky railway hotel in The Park as well built back in the day which had train excursions running to it until it was torn down back in the 60's (if I recall correctly?) and the tracks were pulled.<br /><br />Kevin was very correct in Barry's Bay having multiple sidings (my great uncle purchased a significant chunk of these sidings back in the 80's). It was a jumping off point for supplies as well as a pickup point for returning cars full of timber. The line between Whitney and Barry's Bay is particularly interesting as there was several small spurs and sidings where the train would stop at a small encampment. These would be starting points for men to walk to the lumber camps for work. The line is from what I understand almost fully used for snowmobiling/hiking with some exceptions where it was purchased for private use (I have a friend who owns a stretch towards Whitney and uses it for access to his property as well as for logging operations). Some of the old bridges (Madawaska for example) are still standing and spectacular. There are also other randoms like old grist mills and the like which are just off the tracks, so travelling on it could be a fun ride (outside of the scenery!). Frankly there is a ton of answers up there waiting to be found. <br /><br />Barrys Bay still has a lot of the infastruction including the station, the Balmoral Hotel (great example of a small town railway hotel), the mentioned water town (which has been restored) and the mentioned boxcar (which is in the middle of being restored). Can't say what the tank car was used for as you were correct in that the town has no other industries which would use it, however my guess is that it was either to be used at Madawaska Doors in Barrys Bay, or transported by truck to Murray Brothers Lumber Co. in Madawaska for use there. I might ask around and see if any of my family knows about or remembers it. <br /><br />Also you mentioned Wesley Clover park and if I recall, this section crosses Carling up past Moodie right around where that driving range is. My understanding is that this rail bridge being super narrow is also quite old and for a long time was the most narrow section of highway on the Ontario highway system (when Carling used to be Highway 7).<br /><br />Interestingly enough I also have a heads up news to offer concerning the mentioned CP Chalk River Subdivision - apparently the line is opened up (for the most part, outside of some sections around Renfrew) for snowmobiling. From what i understand, this is the first time this has been open ever legally (definitely since the tracks were pulled).AJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13805174926952294860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post-23049586575005389272019-01-15T19:25:15.788-05:002019-01-15T19:25:15.788-05:00Fortunately, at least beyond Arnprior, a large por...Fortunately, at least beyond Arnprior, a large portion of the old Renfrew Sub is still accessible as a trail. I have been snowmobiling on it for years, and last year started from Golden Lake and went west. I believe CN turned the right of way over to surrounding land owners almost immediately once the rails were lifted, and unfortunately a few of them blocked it off and it's now heavily overgrown. Great ride though, and it was fun thinking about what used to be!Keith Boardmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14221170958612825220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post-70953078420272447412019-01-14T23:32:01.913-05:002019-01-14T23:32:01.913-05:00I enjoyed this post so much that I'm reading i...I enjoyed this post so much that I'm reading it for the 3rd time today. Having spent 15 summers near Barry's Bay, the old O,A&PS line has always fascinated me. I don't mean to nitpick, but for the sake of geographic accuracy, I wanted to point out one error in fact. Whitney is not in Renfrew County. Whitney, as well as Madawaska, are both part of the Nipissing District. Kevin from Windsornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post-33206124377291203222019-01-14T21:49:38.430-05:002019-01-14T21:49:38.430-05:00The book I referenced in my earlier comment is tit...The book I referenced in my earlier comment is titled 'Over the Hills to Georgian Bay - The Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway'. The author is Niall Mackay. It was published by Stoddart (A Boston Mills Press Book) in 1981. Most of the stations on the line were the same, matching the one that still stands in Barry's Bay. Killaloe, Wilno, Barry's Bay, Madawaska, Whitney and Joe Lake (in Algonquin Park), and probably a few other villages, all had matching stations. Kevin from Windsornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post-59498353039438353122019-01-14T17:38:48.415-05:002019-01-14T17:38:48.415-05:00Fascinating post. I want to add a few facts and ob...Fascinating post. I want to add a few facts and observations. The Renfrew subdivision at one time extended all the way to Parry Sound. Actually, to a place called Depot Harbour. The line was retracted to Parry Sound after Depot Harbour was destroyed by a storm. The O,A&PS was part of J.R. Booth's lumber empire and was built to get his product to market via the Great Lakes. I've got a book on the O,A&PS and I'll make another post once I find it with the title and author. Booth Street in Ottawa? Same guy. His lumber built much of Ottawa back in the day. Remnants of the O,A&PS still stand, namely the skeleton of the Madawaska roundhouse and a preserved train station and water tower in Barry's Bay. The National Museum of Science and Technology ran steam excursions on the line from Ottawa to Barry's Bay in the late 70s and early 80s using their Canadian Pacific locomotive 1201. This was the same locomotive that provided the original excursions to Wakefield before they switched to a European steam locomotive, and before the service was suspended due to washouts. Barry's Bay had multiple sidings and a wye that were operational until the tracks were pulled up. I have photos of a CN way freight visiting Barry's Bay in summer 1977. They hauled a tank car up to Barry's Bay sandwiched between a boxcar and a flat car with stakes. Plus a caboose. They dropped the tank car on a siding near the old water tower, wyed the train and returned with the rest of the cars to Ottawa. No idea what was in the tank car, nor what industry would have used it. There were no factories nearby. Propane or maybe heating oil would be my best guess.Kevin from Windsornoreply@blogger.com