Sunday June 7, 1964 CNR 6167 Excursion

On Sunday June 7, 1964, CNR 6167 pulled an excursion sponsored by the Buffalo and Rochester Chapters of the National Railway Historical Society from Fort Erie to Oshawa. For this trip excursionists were given the option of getting off the train at Toronto for a three-hour tour of the TTC aboard Peter Witt and Streamlined PCC streetcars, or stay on the train and ride to Oshawa. Runpasts were carried out on the Welland Sub; Jordan on the Grimsby Sub, and Pickering on the Oshawa Sub. Finally, it would seem that the trip's timetable was modified between when the flyer was and program were printed.

Thanks to Don McQueen and Doug Wilson for providing me with a brochure and program for this excursion; Ken Kraemer for his ticket stub; and Jim Brown and Charles Walker for sharing their photos.

PLAN OF OPERATION: STEAM-POWERED Special Train will leave Fort Erie, Ontario, CNR Station and proceed via Hamilton and Toronto to Oshawa and return.

PHOTO RUN-PASTS: Several photo run-pasts will be made during the trip, and there will be ample opportunities for photography at stops for the servicing of the steam locomotive. For photographic, and sound recording purposes there will be a baggage car immediately behind the locomotive, with protective bars across the doors. The first coach will be one that is NOT Air-conditioned, and the windows may be opened. The coaches following will be Air-conditioned.

MEALS: Due to the high guarantee required by the railroad we regret that we will be unable to operate diners. At arrival in Toronto there will be a layover of one and one-half hours for those who wish to eat in nearby restaurants. If you so desire, you may bring your own food, we urge that you do, so to be sure of something to eat.

ATTENTION -TROLLEY FANS: There will be a three hour chartered trolley tour on lines of the Toronto Transit Commission for those who desire it while the Special Train proceeds to and returns from Oshawa. You must indicate your desire for this side trip on the Reservation Coupon. There will be streamlined PCC type cars and Peter Witt type cars. Special trolleys will leave from the corner of Front Street and Bay Streets at 2:30 P.M.

NOTE: Bus transportation between Buffalo and Fort Erie leaves from Niagara St., and Porter Ave., at 8:45 A.M. for the CNR Station. Please indicate on the Reservation Coupon if you desire this service costing $1.00 per person for the round trip. For those driving there is plenty of parking space at the CNR Sta. on Bridge St., near the International Railway Bridge.

ROCHESTER PASSENGERS: Buses provided between Rochester and Fort Erie, leaving Trailways Bus Terminal at Midtown Plaza, Broad near Chestnut St., at 7:30 A.M. Tickets obtainable by mail from Trip Secretary, Rochester Chapter, NRHS; P.O. Box 3091 - Rochester 14, N.Y.; and in person at the following: Rowe - Photographer- 203 W. Main at Clarissa; the Clinton Book Store - 204 Court St. (open evenings).

JAMESTOWN PASSENGERS: Buses leave Jamestown Greyhound Terminal at 4th and Prendergast at 7:30 A.M. Tickets obtainable by mail or in person from H. F. Beal, 131 Buffalo St., Jamestown, Phone 38-292.

BUFFALO PASSENGERS: Tickets obtainable by mail from - Trip Secretary, Buffalo Chapter, NRHS - 55 Meadow Road, Buffalo 16, N. Y., or in person at Canadian National Railways Passenger Dept., 800 Liberty Bank Bldg. - Phone TR 6-1140.

INFORMATION ONLY - TELEPHONE -
	Buffalo	TR 3-5488 - TF 4-7809
	Rochester	ID 6-9419 - TU 9-3744 - BU 8-2649

All Aboard:

     That's a familiar cry to rail fans but today it has a special significance--you're off on an excursion to reenact a fascinating part of railroading history, you're on a trip behind steam locomotive 6167.
     To you the most important part of this trip is the trip itself, but to Canadian National the most important part of this excursion is you. That's why old 6167 has been polished up and put in prime condition for your journey with steam power and that's also why a special baggage car has been connected to the train; this car has been equipped for your safety with special protective bars, so the real rail fans in your midst can recapture all the thrills of steam travel--the clouds of steam, the smell of the cinders, and all the other features of travel behind 6167. You'll also enjoy taking scenic photos from the large open doors of this specially-equipped car.
     Many of you will recognize our old friend on the head, steam locomotive 6167 class U2e. She was built by Montreal locomotive works in 1940 and has survived dieselization at least twice.

From her builders in 1940, she was assigned to Mimico for a short time, then to Montreal and finally to Moncton where she remained until dieselization was completed in the Atlantic Region.
On completion of her eastern program she was shipped to the old Central Region (now Great Lakes) for dual service (freight or passenger) as needed. Now, as you can see she still hasn't been pensioned off, just like any other "female" she won't admit her age.
Have you ever experienced a "run-past"? If you have you know what fun's in store, and if you haven't, here's what you're in for. The train will stop and all interested passengers will disembark, the train will back up a mile or two then watch out, 'cause here she comes with whistle blowing, steam billowing and cinders flying! Now's your chance to snap that photo you've been waiting for, it's a good idea to wear slacks girls, because sometimes the best vantage point is the top of the nearest tree! The CN has arranged for three of these run-pasts to add to your enjoyment--the first at the Welland Sub, the next takes place at Jordan on the Grimsby Sub, and the third and final at Pickering on the Oshawa subdivision. There's nothing like a steam engine run-past for rail fan shutterbugs.

For your convenience the following is the schedule of today's steam excursion:

     The line between Fort Erie and Welland Junction, for instance, our Cayuga Sub, was originally called the Canada Air Line Railway, according to the Department of Transport's historical map.
     While records on the Canada Air Line road are practically non-existent (it isn't mentioned in Dorman's "Statutory History of Steam and Electric Railways of Canada"), we do know it was built as the result of bitter competition between the Great Western and the American interests which built the Canada Southern between Detroit and the Niagara frontier, south of the Great Western's line.
     The Great Western's promoters got their competitive line, but it failed to put the Canada Southern out of business, it contributed to the decline and fall of the Great Western, and the latter was amalgamated with the Grand Trunk in 1882.
     The road from Welland Junction to Port Robinson, CNR's Welland Sub, was built by the Welland Railway, one of the many "city" railroads of the era.
     Incorporated in 1853 as the Port Dalhousie and Thorold Railway Company, it built from the Port to Thorold through St. Catharines, and later to Port Colborne. In 1857 its name was changed to the Welland Railway Company, and in 1884 it was sold to the Grand Trunk.

Lv. Fort Erie

8:30 AM EST

Sunday June 7, 1964

Lv. Fort Robinson

9:05 AM "

Lv. Merritton

9:30 AM "

Ar. Hamilton

10:40 AM "

take on water

Lv. Hamilton

11:10 AM "

Ar. Toronto

11:55 AM "

take on coal and water

Lv. Toronto

1.30 PM "

Ar. Whitby

turn at wye and back to Oshawa

Ar. Oshawa

2.50 PM "

Returning

Lv. Oshawa

2:50 PM EST

Ar. Toronto

4:45 PM "

change engine for diesels

Lv. Toronto

5:00 PM "

Ar. Hamilton

5:55 PM "

Lv. Hamilton

6:00 PM "

Ar. Fort Erie

7:30 PM "

On your trip today you will travel over several subdivisions of the Canadian National, and, historically many original railways.

     The Welland line provided what you might call ship-to-shore and shore-to-ship service for grain between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, when the old Welland Canal lacked the capacity to handle all traffic offered. However, the high hopes of the Welland line foundered. Its owners spent a lot of money getting into the ship-owning business and building grain-handling facilities, but the line never made any real return to its shareholders, and the GTR picked it up cheaply.
     From Port Robinson to Merritton, still on the old Welland Railway, you are crossing what is now the CNR's Thorold Sub.
     At Merritton you cross onto our present Grimsby Sub, originally part of the Great Western. The Niagara-Falls-Hamilton segment of the Great Western was the first section of that line opened to regular traffic, and on November 10, 1853, an Opening Day celebration train left Hamilton with six cars of vintage railfans to mark the event. Their destination was a dinner at Niagara Falls, but the train broke down and the first run had to be completed by road. The Great Western, along with its sister lines, was absorbed by the GTR in 1884.

     From Hamilton to Toronto, you are riding over one of
the busiest stretches of track in North America. Our present Oakville Sub was incorporated in 1852 as the Hamilton and Toronto Railway, to build from the Great Western terminus in Hamilton, to Toronto.
     The Oakville Sub runs through the heart of Canada's "Golden Horseshoe" of industry--a tribute to the foresight of her builders.
Owned outright by the CNR, with running rights granted
to the CPR, the line carries more than 28 passenger trains daily over its 39.3 miles between Toronto and Hamilton. On the freight side of the ledger there is an average of 10 CPR and 30 CNR trains each day each way. About 2,000 commuters daily use the four trains the CNR provides, and an average of 45,000 passengers a month pass over the line. Freight tonnage amounts to about 148,000 tons daily.
     From Hamilton to Port Credit the work load is carried over double track, while from Port Credit to Toronto there are three sets of tracks. The entire section is protected by automatic block signals, and CTC is in operation from Hamilton to Bayview and Oakville to Clarkson.

     Like a river, the mainline has tributaries--branch lines which serve industry. On the mainline section, excluding trackage extending from CNR yards at Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville and Toronto, there are 20 major industrial sidings, in addition to the dozens of other spurs which make up a rail network.
     From Toronto to Whitby, where your train will be "wyed" you are traveling on the Oshawa sub which was originally a portion of the Grand Trunk railway linking Toronto via Port Hope, Cobourg, and Belleville to Kingston, thence via Brockville and Prescott to Montreal. By 1860, seven years before Confederation, the Grand Trunk had linked the principal communities in the provinces of Canada.
     Although a Canadian railway, the Grand Trunk saw its larger opportunities for profit by fitting into the United States economic pattern. It created terminals on the Atlantic seaboard, at Portland, New London, (with a steamship line to New York City) and at Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee in the interior. In 1923, the Grand Trunk became part of the new Canadian National System.

Running Extra