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Friday September 13 to Sunday September 15, 1963 CNR 6167 Excursion
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Friday September 13 to Sunday September 15, 1963 CNR 6167 Excursion

     Beginning on the evening of Friday September 13, 1963, CNR 6167 pulled by far the most epic excursion of her career. This excursion was like no other before- a three day trip covering some 840 miles (of which 700 were steam powered), as well as two railroads, in this case, Canadian National, and Ontario Northland Railway. The train departed from Toronto shortly before midnight on Friday, and over the course of the weekend visited Ottawa, Temagami, and North Bay. Upon arriving at North Bay, 6167 was removed and ONR diesels added on, which then took the train to Temagami during the night, and returned to North Bay in the morning, giving the passengers opportunities to take photographs of the train.

     Thanks to Don McQueen for the scans of the brochure for this trip and his own notes, as well as Jim Brown for his photos.

     Don has also provided me with scans of another brochure for a similar trip that was scheduled for September 11-13, 1964. The brochure states that 6167 would doublehead the train with 6218, and the route would be Toronto-Capreol-North Bay-Ottawa-Toronto, however this trip was cancelled.


Here's news you've been waiting for...
From the Upper Canada Railway Society

SEPTEMBER 13-15


Mark these dates well, for on that week-end you are invited to ride with us on the "Ottawa - North Bay Special".
Look at these features
- 840 scenic miles over the lines of two railways!
- STEAM power for most of the trip!
- Autumn Foliage at its colourful best!
- A variety of modern, air conditioned equipment!
- Convenient departure and arrival times!
- A low, ALL-INCLUSIVE excursion fare!
- Photo opportunities galore!

Where we will be going

TORONTO
Leave TORONTO (Union Station)  11:40 p.m. Daylight Saving Time (one hour ahead of Standard Time), Friday, Sept. 13.
Departure from Toronto will be late enough for those from out-of-town points to make connections with our train. Our first night "on the road" will take us through Belleville and Smiths Falls to Ottawa; a portion of the route will follow a freight-only line through the Rideau Lakes area. Naturally, there will be steam power on the head end to lullaby you to sleep!

OTTAWA
Arrive OTTAWA 7:10 a. m. E.D.T. , Saturday, September 14th.
A two-hour stay in the Nation's Capital will provide time for you to stretch your legs and perhaps take a stroll to nearby Parliament Hill.
Leave OTTAWA 9:00 a.m, E.D.T.
From here to Pembroke, our special follows the rolling farmland's of the Ottawa Valley and affords many vistas of that mighty river. After a brief stop at Pembroke, we swing west towards Brent and North Bay, passing through the uninhabited forest and lake region of Northern Ontario.

NORTH BAY
Arrive NORTH BAY 7:50 p.m. E..D.T.
Saturday evening in North Bay is free time during which you may wish to explore this Northern Ontario city. Your train will be conveniently parked at the Canadian National-Ontario Northland station and will serve as your hotel for the night.
Leave NORTH BAY 4:00 a.m. E.D.T., Sunday, September 15th.
While most of us are asleep, Ontario Northland Railway diesels will haul our special 70 miles north of North Bay to the resort town of Temagami.

TEMAGAMI
Arrive TEMAGAMI 6:30 a.m. E.D.T.
A stop-over of one hour and a half will be made here.
Leave TEMAGAMI 8:00 a.m. E.D.T.
A leisurely return trip to North Bay will provide an excellent opportunity for you to see this rugged countryside first-hand. Special photo run-pasts will enable you to photograph the colourful O.N.R. diesels in the wilds of Northern Ontario.

NORTH BAY
Arrive NORTH BAY 12:00 noon E.D.T.
Just a brief pause here this time as we exchange our diesels for C.N.'s 6167 again.
Leave NORTH BAY 12:40 p.m. E.D.T.
On the last leg of the trip, our special will head south through the resorts of Burks Falls, Huntsville and Gravenhurst to
Toronto; our arrival in the Queen's City will be early enough for out-of-towners to make convenient connections with outbound trains.

TORONTO
Arrive TORONTO 10:20 p.m. E.D.T.

Special Note 
for Ottawa-Montreal Area enthusiasts

A sleeping car will be added at Ottawa to make the complete round trip with our special; following our arrival in Toronto, this car will be transferred to Pool Train 34 for movement to Ottawa Sunday night. Should you desire accommodation in this car (roomettes only), please indicate this on the reservation coupon. Fares are the same as those from Toronto.

For Ottawa area fans who would like to participate in the first steam operation in the vicinity in four years, we will be adding coaches at Ottawa for a one-day, 320-mile round trip to Brent. Six run-pasts will be featured on the westbound steam-hauled portion of this trip, while diesel power will return the coaches to Ottawa!

The date? Saturday, September 14th.
The time? Leave Ottawa at 9:00 a.m. E.D.T.
The fare? A modest $7.50, meals not included.

Want to Visit Ottawa?
Should you wish to spend more time in the Capital City, arrangements may be made for you to leave our special at Ottawa, spend the day sightseeing, and leave Ottawa at 7:20 p.m. E.D.T. on C.N's "Super Continental". You will arrive at North Bay at 12:00 midnight and may again occupy your reserved sleeping space aboard the special. However, arrangements for this stopover must be requested in advance. If desired, please show this request in the "Special Instructions" space on the Reservation Coupon.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
You will want to bring plenty of film along on this excursion; fifteen photo run-pasts and numerous stops will provide many chances for you to photograph both our train and the surrounding fall-coloured countryside.

EQUIPMENT

Of course, steam power is booked for the 700-mile Canadian National portion of the trip; 6167, the U-2-e class Northern type is being groomed especially for this, the longest excursion of its career. The red, yellow and green diesels of "Ontario's Development Road" will handle our train over the rugged Ontario Northland Railway.

A variety of modern sleeping cars, plus an air-conditioned, reclining seat coach will ensure that you ride in comfort. Two 40-seat dining cars will keep you from going hungry (and incidentally, all meals in the diners are included in your ticket cost!). If you prefer the open air approach, the usual open baggage car (with 110 volt power for your tape recorder) and an open window coach will be there too. And to finish the train off in the grand manner, the last car will have lounge space and an open observation platform, open to all passengers.

Here are descriptions of the accommodations available:

-Reserved coach seats; the most economical way to ride our special a coach reservation will give you a double seat in this coach.
-Upper berth; for those on a budget who like to lie horizontally at night, the upper berth is just the thing. At night, you have a completely private full-length bed, while by day, you have a reserved seat, at a large picture window.
-Lower berth; slightly more costly than the upper, the lower berth gives you the added convenience of having a window beside you as
you sleep, and it's a little more roomy too.
-Roomette; the roomette is a self-contained room for one person having a foldaway bed and complete toilet facilities; a sliding door
ensures privacy, even during the day, should you want to take a nap.

FARES
The following table gives adult and child fares for each of the types of accommodation described above. Please remember that these fares are ALL-INCLUSIVE; your transportation, accommodation, meals and tips are all incorporated in the ticket price!
Adult Child,
(5-12 years)
in own space
Child with
parent, in
parent's space
COACH $49 $33

$25

UPPER BERTH $57 $42 $25
LOWER BERTH $63 $48 $25
ROOMETTE $69 $56 $25

Two adults sharing the same seat or bed may do so at the following fares: Coach $45, Upper $49, Lower $52, Roomette $55. However, as the width of beds in the sleeping accommodations is only single bed size, this arrangement is not recommended. All above fares, per person.

-Infants under five years of age may travel at a fare of $5 which does not include meals. We ask you to bear in mind the fact that this excursion will be under way for almost forty-eight hours, during which time the children may become restless.
-Fare for the one-day Ottawa to Brent coach excursion is $7.50 return, not including meals.

RESERVATIONS

The Reservation Coupon is provided for your convenience. Please indicate in the appropriate squares the number of spaces desired, and enter the totals in the right-hand column. Any special instructions you may have (for example, the location of two roomettes relative to one another) should be placed in the space provided.

While we will attempt to fill your requests as completely as possible, some types of space may be sold out at an early date. When your reservation coupon is received, we will immediately send you a letter confirming your reservation, or will suggest alternate space.

To insure the best selection of accommodations, you are urged to reserve early. RESERVATIONS CLOSE SEPTEMBER 1st, 1963.

Tentative reservations will be accepted prior to August 1st, but to secure these, at least one half of your total ticket cost must be in our hands by that date. All accounts must be paid in full by September 1st, or reservations will be released. Refunds will be made prior to September 1st, but only under exceptional circumstances after that date.


Running Extra

  September 13-15: Upper Canada Railway Society will sponsor 840-mile tour of Ontario's northland from Toronto to Ottawa, North Bay, and Temagami via Canadian National and Ontario Northland railways. CN portion will be handled by 4-8-4 No. 6167. Consist will include open baggage car, coach, diners, sleepers, and open observation car. Tickets will be sold on all-space-reserved basis. For Ottawa-Montreal area fans, coaches will be added at Ottawa for 320-mile one-day trip to Brent and return. Special will make connections at Toronto for out-of-town passengers. All-inclusive fares start at $50. For further information and reservations, contact Trip Committee, Upper Canada Railway Society, Box 122, Terminal "A," Toronto, Ont., Canada.

Trains Magazine August 1963, Pg 57
Trains Magazine September 1963, Pg 57
© 2011, TRAINS Magazine, Kalmbach Publishing Co., reprinted with permission.

Routing
Toronto to Belleville via the Oshawa Sub
Belleville to Napanee via the Gananoque Sub
Napenee to Ottawa via the Smith Falls Sub
Ottawa to Brent via the Beachburg Sub
Brent to North Bay via the Alderdale Sub
North Bay to Temagami and Return via the Ontario Northland Railway
North Bay to Nippising via the Alderdale Sub
Nippising to Gravenhurst via the Hunstville Sub
Gravenhurst to Washago via the Newmarket Sub
Washago to Toronto via the Bala Sub


Don McQueen's Notes

-The headlight from TH&B 15 was used on the rear of Burrard for Right-of-Way illumination.
-At Ottawa three E.M. and one open-window coaches were added in Ottawa for a total of 17 cars.
-Five coaches and a Cafeteria car along with an FP9A later returned to Ottawa from Brent as 2nd #1.
-An ONR FP7A was used for the North Bay-Temagami-North Bay segment.
-Upon arrival North Bay, there was small display of equipment TEM 2-8-0 137 and ONR FP7A 1521.
-The initial consist for the trip was:

-BE 9166
-PB 5620
-DA 1347
-Sleeper-Grill Whitelaw
-DA 1296
-4-8-4 PS Enfield
-22 roomette PS Val St. Patrice

-22 roomette PS Val Brilliant
-22 roomette PS Val Rose
-4-8-4 PS Edmonton
-4-8-4 PS Emerald
-4-8-4 PS Ekhart
-Compartment-Buffet-Lounge Burrard


CNR 6167 at Bristol, Quebec, September 14.
This run up the Beachburg Sub saw 6167 pass through Quebec for the first time since she began her career as an excursion engine.
Photo courtesy of James A. Brown

CNR 6167 at Kathmore, Ontario, September 14.
Photo courtesy of James A. Brown

CNR 6167 approaching Radiant, Ontario, September 14.
Photo courtesy of James A. Brown

CNR 6167 at Kennedys, Ontario, September 15.
Photo courtesy of James A. Brown

CNR 6167 at Utterson, Ontario, September 15.
Photo courtesy of James A. Brown

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