Old Time Trains

Marathon Pulp Inc.
Over the years this same pulp and paper plant has had a number of names and owners, in fact, the town itself has had two names! It all began when a major industry located in Peninsula, Ontario building a kraft pulp mill. Located at Mile 63.0 CP Heron Bay Subdivision. Originally named Marathon-Canadian Pulp Mills, a subsidiary of Marathon Corp. in Wisconsin, its first bale of pulp was produced in October 1946. It was re-named Marathon Corporation of Canada Ltd. then became Marathon Paper Mills of Canada Ltd. 1957 it was sold to American Can of Canada Ltd. In February 1980 it was re-named America Can Canada Inc. In April 1983 it became James River-Marathon Ltd. owned by James River (80%) & Buchanan Forest Products (20%). Later, Fort James-Marathon Ltd. which was acquired in January 2000 by Tembec Inc. The current name is Marathon Pulp Inc. and it is jointly owned by Tembec and Kruger. At the end of February 2009 the mill shutdown indefinitely throwing 230 employees out of work in a population of 4,400. The mill produced 200,000 tonnes of bleached kraft pulp annually and provided about $1.2 million in municipal taxes.

No number, unique one-of-a-kind unit built in 1937 by NSC and powered by a Harland & Wolff diesel.
Ex CPR 7000 acq. 11/44. Re-engined 1951 with Caterpillar diesel.
Marathon, 1950. Marathon and District Historical Society
Unit has been preserved and is at Exporail.
17-101, Marathon, September 1999. MLW S-13 M3435-01 2/66
Ex Marathon Corp. 28-120
17-102 (ex CP 7024 acq.6/86) sits by huge pile of woodchips. S-2 Alco #72859 10/44 August 6, 1991 Bill Sanderson
Note the two styles of trucks. The front one is an original Blunt truck and must be a spare since the CPR had already modified 7024 with newer style trucks off a retired MLW S-3 before selling it to Marathon.
CANX 8700 (ex CN 8700 sold 8/97 nee CN 8611) S-13u MLW 83179 11/59
Leased from Canac to replace two older owned units (above) 17-101 and 17-102
This sequence of photographs shows contractor switching a cut of cars consisting of one box and eight woodchip cars.
Note the housing of this mill town in the background.
Shoving down a grade to the extensive plant. M.V. Menominee which has just berthed at the dock.
Closer view of the mill. These images taken May 23, 2005 by Chris Wilson.
CANX_8701 (2nd). Newly painted in Savage scheme, the new owner of Canac the switching contractor, worked only about three months at Marathon following wheel work and repainting at NRE Capreol in Nov. 2008. This unit had been recently acquired from Red Rock Mills Inc. 169 (formerly, Norampac previously Domtar) at Red Rock. Originally, QNS&L 169 GMD A948 6/56. It was transferred out following bankruptcy of the mill leaving the old MLW unit to finish up until closure.
This view on February 23, 2009 shows the chip unloader beginning work in the background unloading the last 9 chip cars.

The last cars (7) to leave pulp storage. Monday May, 4, 2009
Three loads and a cripple out to CP. Monday May, 4, 2009
Five loads out to CP May 7, 2009. After more than half of a century, it is all over! Chris Wilson

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Old Time Trains © 2009

Marathon Pulp Inc.

Over the years this same pulp and paper plant has had a number of names and owners, in fact, the town itself has had two names! It all began when a major industry located in Peninsula, Ontario building a kraft pulp mill. Located at Mile 63.0 CP Heron Bay Subdivision. Originally named Marathon-Canadian Pulp Mills, a subsidiary of Marathon Corp. in Wisconsin, its first bale of pulp was produced in October 1946. It was re-named Marathon Corporation of Canada Ltd. then became Marathon Paper Mills of Canada Ltd. 1957 it was sold to American Can of Canada Ltd. In February 1980 it was re-named America Can Canada Inc. In April 1983 it became James River-Marathon Ltd. owned by James River (80%) & Buchanan Forest Products (20%). Later, Fort James-Marathon Ltd. which was acquired in January 2000 by Tembec Inc. The current name is Marathon Pulp Inc. and it is jointly owned by Tembec and Kruger. At the end of February 2009 the mill shutdown indefinitely throwing 230 employees out of work in a population of 4,400. The mill produced 200,000 tonnes of bleached kraft pulp annually and provided about $1.2 million in municipal taxes.

No number, unique one-of-a-kind unit built in 1937 by NSC and powered by a Harland & Wolff diesel.
Ex CPR 7000 acq. 11/44. Re-engined 1951 with Caterpillar diesel.
Marathon, 1950. Marathon and District Historical Society
Unit has been preserved and is at Exporail.

17-101, Marathon, September 1999. MLW S-13 M3435-01 2/66
Ex Marathon Corp. 28-120

17-102 (ex CP 7024 acq.6/86) sits by huge pile of woodchips. S-2 Alco #72859 10/44 August 6, 1991 Bill Sanderson
Note the two styles of trucks. The front one is an original Blunt truck and must be a spare since the CPR had already modified 7024 with newer style trucks off a retired MLW S-3 before selling it to Marathon.

CANX 8700 (ex CN 8700 sold 8/97 nee CN 8611) S-13u MLW 83179 11/59
Leased from Canac to replace two older owned units (above) 17-101 and 17-102

This sequence of photographs shows contractor switching a cut of cars consisting of one box and eight woodchip cars.

Note the housing of this mill town in the background.

Shoving down a grade to the extensive plant. M.V. Menominee which has just berthed at the dock.

Closer view of the mill. These images taken May 23, 2005 by Chris Wilson.

CANX_8701 (2nd). Newly painted in Savage scheme, the new owner of Canac the switching contractor, worked only about three months at Marathon following wheel work and repainting at NRE Capreol in Nov. 2008. This unit had been recently acquired from Red Rock Mills Inc. 169 (formerly, Norampac previously Domtar) at Red Rock. Originally, QNS&L 169 GMD A948 6/56. It was transferred out following bankruptcy of the mill leaving the old MLW unit to finish up until closure.
This view on February 23, 2009 shows the chip unloader beginning work in the background unloading the last 9 chip cars.

The last cars (7) to leave pulp storage. Monday May, 4, 2009

Three loads and a cripple out to CP. Monday May, 4, 2009

Five loads out to CP May 7, 2009. After more than half of a century, it is all over! Chris Wilson