Old Time Trains

The Bruce Branches were centered on Orangeville and consisted of the former Toronto, Grey & Bruce line running between Toronto and Owen Sound, and another line between Orangeville and Teeswater; along with the Credit Valley line from Streetsville to Orangeville and a branch to Elora; and finally, a branch chartered as the Walkerton & Lucknow, that stopped short of its intended destination. The CPR came into control of all of these lines not having actually built any of them.

The CPR thus had two routes to get to Orangeville and Owen Sound as can be seen above. The former narrow gauge TG&B that ran from Toronto via West Toronto, Bolton, Cardwell Jct. and the infamous Horseshoe Curve to Orangeville; and the newer former CV that ran from Toronto via West Toronto, Streetsville and Brampton to Orangeville. One line, the former TG&B continued beyond Orangeville to Owen Sound.

Orangeville was the home terminal for most freight and mixed trains, along with Owen Sound, Walkerton and Elora. All had engine houses of varying sizes, complete with turntable. Orangeville 5 stalls, 71'6" table. Owen Sound 6 stalls, 71' table. Teeswater 2 stalls, 70' table. Wingham, no engine house, 70' table. Walkerton which had a 60' table, later got a 2 stall engine house. A turntable at Cataract went out of use sometime in 1920 when a shuttle passenger service ended. The 2-stall engine house at Elora was removed, but the 70' table remained. Coal could be had at all engine houses of course. Orangeville (see below). Owen Sound had a 65 ton wooden coal chutes. Teeswater and Walkerton utilized an air hoist and buckets. Water tanks were at many points.

Rail on the Bruce branches was (1949) 85lb. on the Orangeville Sub. and a mix of 80 and 85 on the Owen Sound and Walkerton Subs. Teeswater was a mix of 56-65-72-80-85 pounds per yard. Elora was 65-72-80-85. Note: The Mac Tier Sub. was 100 lb. while the Port Mc.Nicoll Sub. was 80-85-100 lbs. In all cases, lighter rail would be used on sidings, typically 100 lb main line would have 85 lb. rail on sidings which would have been relaid from the main.

Wye tracks were located at most junctions including, Streetsville, Fraxa, Saugeen, Mount Forest, and Wingham. Cataract had none due to track elevation.

Orangeville station with large CNE poster against building, red CP Express truck.
Note the orange newspaper box (Globe & Mail). This style of open box depended upon honesty.

2664 was the only G2 class engine assigned to Lambton in the late 1950's.
It was assigned to the Fraxa Pickup ordered ex Lambton 3.00 p.m. Daily ex Sunday.
Lambton shop track August 22, 1957. Howard Davis/Bud Laws Collection

Orangeville yard was expanded in 1906 and a new station built in September. (It was eventually closed in 1983, sold and moved uptown, re-opening in May 1989 as antiques and tea room.) A new roundhouse (5-stall) was built in 1926 and it lasted until the end of steam. A new restaurant building was erected in 1943 to serve passengers since none of the trains had meal service. It later became a bunkhouse for train crews. This building remains in use by the new shortline, Orangeville-Brampton.

New style coaling plant 1952 Replaced a 200-ton wooden facility destroyed by fire which in turn replaced a 50-ton 1920 coal chute.

Built in 1943 it had two horseshoe shaped counters for the restaurant portion along with a living room with bedrooms upstairs since the station had no dwelling for the train order operator. There were extra bedrooms for a bunkhouse. A number of these facilities were built at various locations across the system often as additions such as to West Toronto station to accommodate war time traffic. The restaurant was closed in 1959 when the branch passenger services ended. It continued in use as a bunkhouse for many more years.

Owen Sound Subdivision

Owen Sound Section Special Instructions 1898 Governing operating down steep grades.

Owen Sound became a busy port for freight and passengers, with ships travelling to and from Canadian and American ports. Canadian Pacific began its steamship service to Sault Ste. Marie and Port Arthur (later, Fort William) with three new ships (Algoma, Alberta and Athabaska ), in May 1884. One ship was scheduled to leave Owen Sound every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. A 250,000 bushel grain elevator was constructed in 1884. These facilities were expanded in 1897. The first steel-hulled ship built in Canada, the Manitoba, was launched by Polson Shipbuilding of Owen Sound on May 4, 1889.

The CPR announced on May 19, 1905 their intention to open a new port at Victoria Harbour (Port Mc.Nicoll). The port being closer to eastern destinations and not hampered by the steep grade climbing out of Owen Sound and a harbour unable to accommodate five ships. Thus began a decline of Owen Sound's importance. In 1907, two new, larger ships were added, Assiniboia and Keewatin, along with a later lengthening of the Athabaska and Alberta. On December 11, 1911, fire destroyed the CPR's two elevators. This brought about the decision not to rebuild. The CPR moved its steamship headquarters from Owen Sound to Port McNicoll on May 1, 1912. One ship, Manitoba, called on Owen Sound once a week.

Freight continued to be handled in considerable tonnage, especially grain, for many years, however, there was not a lot of industry in this largely rural area. The decline of the Owen Sound Subdivision began with the loss of the Federal government's "At and East" grain rate subsidy in 1989. It affected not only Owen Sound but, also the much larger Port Mc.Nicoll and Midland elevators as well as Goderich. The last grain train left in 1989. Passenger service had ended almost twenty years earlier. The last freight train left Owen Sound on October 31, 1995 with 4215-4234. The Owen Sound Sub. was abandoned from Orangeville to Owen Sound December 11, 1995. It was dismantled in late 1997 and early 1998 following failed attempts to shortline it as Ontario Midwestern. Like all the other abandoned lines in the area both CNR and CPR, the government saw no reason to preserve the right-of-way as a transportation corridor for future use however, eventually the CPR donated it for a trail which has yet to be developed. Note: February 15, 1999 the CPR donated 1000 miles of abandoned rights-of-way across Canada for trail use. Trans Canada Trail Foundation is the umbrella group.

In 1887 (opened in October), the CPR built a 3.6 mile long spur line off the Teeswater Sub. into Wingham. The Town of Wingham had sought a subsidy in 1886 for this line, but agreed to allow the CPR to build it.

The Teeswater Subdivision served an entirely rural agricultural country with little industry and had been on a long decline in the years prior to its abandonment. Its 80 and 85lb rail, ties and gravel ballast were all in poor condition and subject to a weight restriction of only 220,000 lbs. (263,000 being normal) and a maximum speed of only 15mph. Note: During the summer c.1956 work trains replaced the 65lb. 1890 Barrow or Krupp steel with relay 85lb. rail off the MacTier Sub. which had gotten new 100 lb. rail. (Recollection of retired brakeman Cliff Beagan).

The complete line remained in existence and was fairly level with a ruling eastward grade of 1.65% at Mile 16.0 and westward of 1.8% between Mile 13.0 and 14.0. The entire population of the towns and villages along it was barely 10,000 in this largely rural area. The last freight customer, a door maker, Premium Forest Products in Wingham, began using CN in 1983 after CP had built a 1, 570 foot spur to the CN Kincardine Sub. and turned over ownership to CN. No traffic had moved since then. It was finally abandoned January 20, 1988.

The turntable to the newer two-stall enginehouse is already gone in this July 24, 1957 scene of Teeswater,
although the ancient derrick for loading coal from gondolas remains as does the wooden water tank
and the bunkhouse. Collection of Al Paterson.

Originally named Cataract Junction, later just Cataract.
This view is c.1890 Ralph Beaumont collection

This branch was originally built by the Credit Valley. It was for many years a busy little line with regular passenger and freight service. A proposed 10 mile extension to Elmira never took place. In early years twice-daily passenger trains ran between Elora and Cataract (where a small turntable allowed the little 4-4-0's to be turned), to meet trains running between Owen Sound and Toronto. The 1920's saw this reduced to a Daily except Sunday mixed train carrying both freight and passengers. This mixed train continued until 1956.

For many years the biggest industry had been the Beatty Bros. (washing machines) plant which was built 1912 in Fergus (Pop. 6,000), which also had access to the CNR. Little else was located along the line other than typical rural freight of farm country. Note: By 1929 Beatty's was the largest manufacturer of washing machines in Canada out selling all other manufacturers combined! By this time they had 500 employees at the plant which the brothers had continued to expand rather than leave Fergus for Hamilton or Toronto.

Looking west across the Fergus diamond with CNR. Track curving to the left connects to CNR.
April 1986 above and below, Eugene D. Burles

Looking south on CNR to diamond. Note little silver coloured shack in both views.

One unique change that happened was the diversion of the line in 1942 for the construction of the Shand Dam for a water conservation and flood control project on the Grand River, said to be the first of its kind in Canada, which resulted in a new lake where the old line had been between Belwood and Spires. A new line was built around the lake and across the top of the dam. More than half a Century later, the abandoned right-of-way can be seen during low water levels in Lake Belwood.

The Elora Subdivision lost most of its freight traffic until by 1987 traffic had declined from an average of less than one car per week to less than two per month. Rail was a mixture of 72, 80, 85 and 100 pound, in poor condition as were the ties and gravel ballast. It had a 15 mph maximum speed with a number of restrictions of 5 and 10mph. and a weight restriction of only 220,000 pounds. Ruling grades were eastward 1.63% at Mile 26.5 and westward 1.49% at Mile 0.21, Cataract. It was all abandoned (Mile 0.0 to 29.5) by NTA Decision issued December 21, 1987. The right-of-way has since become a trail.

Gartshore Street looking east. Looking west. GSW station grounds now parking lot.

The turntable remained serviceable but little used like everything else including the tracks themselves
since trains seldom ventured beyond Fergus in the last years of the Elora Sub. July 1962 R.L.Kennedy

Plan of Walkerton station area at the end of the Subdivision. The engine facility was located on the east side of the Saugeen River. Note that the CPR property is outside of the town limit. January 14,1916.
This is a linen white print. Collection of Jim Griffin

The Walkerton Subdivision was the first branch line to be abandoned following a decline in freight traffic. Hanover, (also served by the CNR) was long famous for its furniture factories that provided traffic for many years. Durham, was the location of a major gravel pit (2000 acres) that had its own dinky engine (0-4-0T). The Walkerton Sub. was abandoned August 29, 1983 between Mile 30.8 and 37.3, with the balance abandoned October 8, 1984.

The earliest abandonment (March 1884) was the 3.3 miles from Melville Jct. to a dead-end in Orangeville on the north side of Broadway and Fourth Street, west of Highway 10. (This duplicated the TG&B which continued on beyond Orangeville.)

As early as 1891 the CPR proposed closing the Bolton-Melville line with its difficult 2% grade and dangerous horseshoe curve. Again in 1897 three surveys were run to re-route the old TG&B line from Mono Road to the old CVR line around Cheltenham or Inglewood. Nothing was ever built and eventually the 19.1 miles were abandoned July 18, 1932 but, not before a serious wreck took place killing a number of people.

In 1909 a spur was built from the south end of Orangeville yard to the abandoned CVR right-of-way, continuing northeastward next to Hockley Road to reach the Owen Sound Quarries. For many years stone was shipped out over this long spur until the quarry was closed.

An electric staff block system was in use between Melville Jct. and Fraxa Jct. Following abandonment in 1932 of the old line from Melville to Bolton the staff was eliminated between Melville and Orangeville. It remained in use into latter years between Orangeville and Fraxa, where the grade was 2%, until it was removed in 1966. (Time table effective October 30th.).

Originally, freight traffic available to the Toronto, Grey and Bruce was primarily cord wood used for fuel in Toronto homes and even the locomotives themselves that hauled it! Gravel pits, marl pits and stone quarries were also an early source of freight tonnage as was cement. Grain and other farm products were soon added as was sand and gravel and stone. Furniture factories were also important for many decades. Even bottled water (see, nothing much is really new!) was shipped from a small plant near Cataract (White Mountain Spring Water) under the name of John J. McLaughlin's Hygeia Waters which he formulated in 1890. (Hygeia: ancient Greek Goddess of health). Later, in 1904, he concocted Canada Dry Pale Dry Ginger Ale! He soon branched out into the United States. Canada Dry still owns water rights at this location.

LCL, livestock, sand and gravel and grain all left the rails in the 1980's. Gradually, other freight as well as passengers left the rails resulting in the abandonment of the Walkerton, Teeswater and Elora branches followed by the Owen Sound in late 1995.

The Orangeville Sub. was combined with the Owen Sound Sub. under the latter name effective June 1, 1985.

A further change took place when on September 29, 2000, the Streetsville to Orangeville portion of the then Owen Sound Subdivision became a new shortline, Brampton-Orangeville, owned by the Town of Orangeville and operated under contract by CANDO Contracting. Note: The CPR retains the first 2.4 miles at Streetsville to serve local industries.

The Bruce Branches were dieselized with these GMD SW1200RS a Canadian-only model
and referred to by the CPR as a BLU: Branch Line Unit. Orangeville, c.1960. R. L. Kennedy