Algoma Central Railway
Encyclopedia
The Algoma Central Railway is a railway in Northern Ontario
that operates between Sault Ste. Marie
and Hearst
, with a branch line to Michipicoten. The area served by the railway is sparsely populated, with few road
s. The railway is well known for its Agawa Canyon
tour train and also provides passenger train service along its entire route to canoeists, snowmobilers, cottagers and tourists accessing this high quality wilderness recreation region.
The railway was purchased by Wisconsin Central Transportation
in 1995, which was in turn purchased by Canadian National Railway
in 2001. It is now operated as part of CN's Eastern Division.
, who required a railway to haul resources from the interior of the Algoma District
to Clergue's industries in Sault Ste. Marie; specifically, to transport logs to his pulp mill
and iron ore from the Helen Mine near Wawa
to a proposed steel mill
(which was later named Algoma Steel
). The Algoma Central Railway was chartered on August 11, 1899. The railway's Dominion and provincial charters gave it authority to build north from Sault Ste. Marie to a junction
with the Canadian Pacific Railway
's main line, as well as a branch line to Michipicoten Harbour, on Lake Superior
near Wawa.
In 1901 Clergue acquired the charter of the Ontario, Hudson Bay and Western Railway, who were intending to build a line between the CPR main line and Hudson Bay
and then changed the name of the Algoma Central Railway to The Algoma Central and Hudson Bay Railway Company, anticipating a connection either to Moose Factory
on James Bay
, or to some point on Hudson Bay.
The Algoma Central fell victim to the bankruptcy of Clergue's Consolidated Lake Superior Corporation in 1903. At that time, the line reached 90 km (55.9 mi) north of Sault Ste. Marie with a 32 km (19.9 mi) segment running east from Michipicoten Harbour that did not yet connect with the main line. Construction was stopped, but was resumed in 1909 and the line was extended northward through to junctions with the Michipicoten Harbour branch (at Hawk Junction
), the Canadian Pacific Railway (at Franz) and the Canadian Northern Railway
(at Oba). In 1914 it finally reached Hearst, a town 476 km (295.8 mi) north of Sault Ste. Marie that was a divisional point
on the National Transcontinental Railway
. By that point, Clergue's dream of building a railway to Hudson Bay or James Bay had long been abandoned, and the railway's northern terminus remained at Hearst, around 240 km (149.1 mi) from James Bay. However, the phrase and Hudson Bay was not removed from the railway's name until June 30, 1965.
The Algoma Central was the first Canadian railway to fully dieselize, in 1952.
In the 1960s, the railway began to promote the natural beauty of the District of Algoma to tourists, especially the Agawa Canyon
, a canyon around the Agawa River
, 114 rail miles (183 km) north of Sault Ste. Marie that is not accessible by road. The Algoma Central developed a tourist stopover here, which was a great success for the railway. Owing to the popularity of the Agawa Canyon excursions, the Algoma Central would run the longest passenger trains in North America, often up to 20 to 24 cars long. During the 1970s and 1980s around 100,000 people per year would tour Agawa Canyon.
The railway had been in the shipping
business since 1900, when it had purchased four steamships. Starting around the 1960s, the railway greatly expanded its marine operations and diversified into trucking
, real estate
, forestry
, and mining
operations. These operations were more profitable than the railway operations, and on April 30, 1990, as part of a corporate reorganization, the name of the company was changed to Algoma Central Corporation, and the Algoma Central Railway became a subsidiary of it. A few years later the Algoma Central Railway was put up for sale. On February 1, 1995, Wisconsin Central Ltd. purchased Algoma Central Railway Incorporated, operating the railway as a separate subsidiary
, Wisconsin Central Canada Holdings. In 1998, Algoma Steel closed its iron ore mine in Wawa, and the branch line between Michipicoten Harbour and Hawk Junction was abandoned. Wisconsin Central Ltd. was acquired by Canadian National on October 9, 2001, whereupon the Algoma Central became part of CN's Eastern Division.
The railway is the subject of the song Algoma Central 69 by Stompin' Tom Connors
.
s along the ACR route are named, from south to north: Odena, Northland, Wabos, Achigan, Ogidaki, Mashkode, Pine Lake, Mekatina, Pangis, Mongoose, Batchewana, Rand, Regent, Montreal Falls, Hubert, Frater, Canyon, Eton, Algoma Central, Agawa, Millwood, Sand Lake, Tabor, Anjigami, Perry, Limer, Hawk Junction
, Alden, Goudreau, Wanda, Franz, Scully, Wabatong
, Hilda, Mileage 210, Mileage 212, Mileage 215.5, Mosher, Price, Akron, Dana, Langdon, Norris, Hansen, Hale, Horsey, Mead
, Coppell
and Wyborn
.
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
that operates between Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
and Hearst
Hearst, Ontario
Hearst is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in Northern Ontario, approximately west of Kapuskasing, approximately north of Toronto and east of Thunder Bay on Highway 11...
, with a branch line to Michipicoten. The area served by the railway is sparsely populated, with few road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
s. The railway is well known for its Agawa Canyon
Agawa Canyon
The Agawa Canyon is a shallow canyon located deep in the sparsely populated Algoma District in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created 1.2 billion years ago by faulting along the Canadian Shield and then enlarged by the erosive action of the Agawa River...
tour train and also provides passenger train service along its entire route to canoeists, snowmobilers, cottagers and tourists accessing this high quality wilderness recreation region.
The railway was purchased by Wisconsin Central Transportation
Wisconsin Central Transportation
Wisconsin Central Ltd. is a railroad subsidiary of the Canadian National Railway. At one time, its parent Wisconsin Central Transportation Corporation owned or operated railroads in the United States, Canada , the United Kingdom , New Zealand , and Australia .- Overview...
in 1995, which was in turn purchased by Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
in 2001. It is now operated as part of CN's Eastern Division.
History
The Algoma Central Railway was initially owned by Francis H. ClergueFrancis Clergue
Francis Hector Clergue was an American businessman who became the leading industrialist of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario in Canada, at the turn of the 20th century....
, who required a railway to haul resources from the interior of the Algoma District
Algoma District, Ontario
Algoma District is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1858 comprising territory as far west as Minnesota...
to Clergue's industries in Sault Ste. Marie; specifically, to transport logs to his pulp mill
Pulp mill
A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fibre source into a thick fibre board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. Pulp can be manufactured using mechanical, semi-chemical or fully chemical methods...
and iron ore from the Helen Mine near Wawa
Wawa, Ontario
Wawa is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within the Algoma District. Formerly known as the township of Michipicoten, the township was officially renamed for its largest and best-known community in 2009....
to a proposed steel mill
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
(which was later named Algoma Steel
Algoma Steel
See also Algoma Essar Steel Algoma is an integrated primary steel producer located on the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Its products are sold in Canada and the United States as well as overseas. Algoma Steel was founded in 1902 by Francis Clergue, an American entrepreneur...
). The Algoma Central Railway was chartered on August 11, 1899. The railway's Dominion and provincial charters gave it authority to build north from Sault Ste. Marie to a junction
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
with the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
's main line, as well as a branch line to Michipicoten Harbour, on Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
near Wawa.
In 1901 Clergue acquired the charter of the Ontario, Hudson Bay and Western Railway, who were intending to build a line between the CPR main line and Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
and then changed the name of the Algoma Central Railway to The Algoma Central and Hudson Bay Railway Company, anticipating a connection either to Moose Factory
Moose Factory, Ontario
Moose Factory is a community in the Cochrane District, Ontario, Canada. It is on Moose Factory Island, near the mouth of the Moose River, which is at the southern end of James Bay. It was the first English-speaking settlement in Ontario and the second Hudson's Bay Company post to be set up in North...
on James Bay
James Bay
James Bay is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean. James Bay borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay are part of Nunavut...
, or to some point on Hudson Bay.
Hawk Junction, Ontario
Hawk Junction is a community with a local services board in the Canadian province of Ontario, located just north of Highway 101, about east of Wawa....
), the Canadian Pacific Railway (at Franz) and the Canadian Northern Railway
Canadian Northern Railway
The Canadian Northern Railway is a historic Canadian transcontinental railway. At its demise in 1923, when it was merged into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonton.-Manitoba beginnings:CNoR had its start in...
(at Oba). In 1914 it finally reached Hearst, a town 476 km (295.8 mi) north of Sault Ste. Marie that was a divisional point
Divisional point
In Canada, a divisional point is a railway depot that includes more than just a basic siding or station.- Overview :In the coal and steam era, a divisional point would include such amenities as a substantial passenger station, freight and baggage sheds, a roundhouse, water tank, coaling and sanding...
on the National Transcontinental Railway
National Transcontinental Railway
The National Transcontinental Railway was a historic Canadian railway between Winnipeg and Moncton. Much of the line is now operated by the Canadian National Railway.-The Grand Trunk partnership:...
. By that point, Clergue's dream of building a railway to Hudson Bay or James Bay had long been abandoned, and the railway's northern terminus remained at Hearst, around 240 km (149.1 mi) from James Bay. However, the phrase and Hudson Bay was not removed from the railway's name until June 30, 1965.
The Algoma Central was the first Canadian railway to fully dieselize, in 1952.
Agawa Canyon
The Agawa Canyon is a shallow canyon located deep in the sparsely populated Algoma District in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created 1.2 billion years ago by faulting along the Canadian Shield and then enlarged by the erosive action of the Agawa River...
, a canyon around the Agawa River
Agawa River
The Agawa River is a river in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada which empties into Agawa Bay on Lake Superior at the community of Agawa Bay, south of Wawa, Ontario.-History:...
, 114 rail miles (183 km) north of Sault Ste. Marie that is not accessible by road. The Algoma Central developed a tourist stopover here, which was a great success for the railway. Owing to the popularity of the Agawa Canyon excursions, the Algoma Central would run the longest passenger trains in North America, often up to 20 to 24 cars long. During the 1970s and 1980s around 100,000 people per year would tour Agawa Canyon.
The railway had been in the shipping
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
business since 1900, when it had purchased four steamships. Starting around the 1960s, the railway greatly expanded its marine operations and diversified into trucking
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
, real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
, forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, and mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
operations. These operations were more profitable than the railway operations, and on April 30, 1990, as part of a corporate reorganization, the name of the company was changed to Algoma Central Corporation, and the Algoma Central Railway became a subsidiary of it. A few years later the Algoma Central Railway was put up for sale. On February 1, 1995, Wisconsin Central Ltd. purchased Algoma Central Railway Incorporated, operating the railway as a separate subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
, Wisconsin Central Canada Holdings. In 1998, Algoma Steel closed its iron ore mine in Wawa, and the branch line between Michipicoten Harbour and Hawk Junction was abandoned. Wisconsin Central Ltd. was acquired by Canadian National on October 9, 2001, whereupon the Algoma Central became part of CN's Eastern Division.
The railway is the subject of the song Algoma Central 69 by Stompin' Tom Connors
Stompin' Tom Connors
Charles Thomas "Stompin' Tom" Connors, OC is one of Canada's most prolific and well-known country and folk singers.He lives in Wellington County, Ontario.- Early life :...
.
Rail sidings
Rail sidingRail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
s along the ACR route are named, from south to north: Odena, Northland, Wabos, Achigan, Ogidaki, Mashkode, Pine Lake, Mekatina, Pangis, Mongoose, Batchewana, Rand, Regent, Montreal Falls, Hubert, Frater, Canyon, Eton, Algoma Central, Agawa, Millwood, Sand Lake, Tabor, Anjigami, Perry, Limer, Hawk Junction
Hawk Junction, Ontario
Hawk Junction is a community with a local services board in the Canadian province of Ontario, located just north of Highway 101, about east of Wawa....
, Alden, Goudreau, Wanda, Franz, Scully, Wabatong
Wabatongushi Lake
Wabatongushi Lake is a lake in Northern Ontario, Canada, fully within the Chapleau Crown Game Preserve. It is a long lake with many deep bays and a narrow middle section, making it seem like 2 separate lakes. Its outflow, the Lochalsh River, is a tributary of the Michipicoten River via Dog Lake...
, Hilda, Mileage 210, Mileage 212, Mileage 215.5, Mosher, Price, Akron, Dana, Langdon, Norris, Hansen, Hale, Horsey, Mead
Mead, Ontario
Mead is a siding along the Algoma Central Railway in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the unincorporated geographic township of Lowther in Cochrane District. Along with a few isolated farms, the only other building at Mead is a former forestry company, which is at the southern terminus...
, Coppell
Coppell, Ontario
Coppell is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the unincorporated geographic township of Lowther in Cochrane District. The community is located along Highway 583 and the Algoma Central Railway, several kilometres south of Jogues....
and Wyborn
Hearst, Ontario
Hearst is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in Northern Ontario, approximately west of Kapuskasing, approximately north of Toronto and east of Thunder Bay on Highway 11...
.
Schedule
| W ↓↓↓ | S ↓↓↓ | CITY/TOWN | W ↑↑↑ | S ↑↑↑ | NOTES | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | 09:20 | DP | Sault Ste Marie | AR | 17:40 | 18:10 | |
| 10:05 | 10:25 | Searchmont | 16:25 | 16:55 | |||
| 10:15 | 10:35 | Wabos | 16:15 | 16:45 | |||
| 10:25 | 10:45 | Achigan | 16:00 | 16:30 | |||
| 10:40 | 11:00 | Ogidaki | 15:50 | 16:20 | |||
| 10:50 | 11:10 | Mashkode | 15:40 | 16:10 | |||
| 11:10 | 11:30 | Mekatina | 15:20 | 15:50 | |||
| 11:25 | 11:45 | Summit | 15:05 | 15:35 | |||
| 11:40 | 12:00 | Batchewana | 14:50 | 15:20 | |||
| 12:05 | 12:25 | Montréal Falls | 14:20 | 14:50 | |||
| 12:15 | 12:35 | Hubert | 14:05 | 14:35 | |||
| 12:35 | 12:55 | Frater | 13:50 | 14:20 | |||
| 13:05 | 13:25 | Canyon | 13:25 | 13:55 | |||
| 13:20 | 13:40 | Eton | 13:10 | 13:40 | |||
| 13:45 | 14:05 | Agawa | 12:50 | 13:20 | |||
| 14:05 | 14:25 | Tabor | 12:35 | 13:05 | |||
| 14:20 | 14:40 | Perry | 12:15 | 12:45 | |||
| 14:40 | 15:00 | AR | Hawk Junction | DP | 11:50 | 12:25 | |
| 15:00 | 15:20 | DP | Hawk Junction | AR | 11:30 | 12:00 | |
| 15:30 | 15:50 | Dubreuilville | 11:00 | 11:30 | |||
| 15:45 | 16:05 | Franz Franz railway station Franz railway station is a railway station located in the community of Franz, Unorganized North part Algoma District, northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is a Via Rail flagged stop station on the Sudbury – White River train, and a station stop for the Algoma Central Railway passenger train.-External... |
10:45 | 11:15 | Connections to Via Rail VIA Rail Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec.... |
||
| 16:10 | 16:30 | Hilda | 10:20 | 10:50 | |||
| 16:30 | 16:50 | Mosher | 09:55 | 10:25 | |||
| 17:10 | 17:30 | Oba Oba railway station Oba railway station is located in the community of Oba, Ontario, Canada. This station is currently in use by Via Rail. Transcontinental Canadian trains stop here.... |
09:15 | 09:45 | Connections to Via Rail VIA Rail Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec.... |
||
| 18:20 | 18:40 | Wyborn | 08:10 | 08:40 | |||
| 18:40 | 19:00 | AR | Hearst | DP | 08:00 | 08:30 | Shuttle to the Northlander Northlander The Northlander is a Canadian passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Ontario.It operates 6 days per week year-round in both directions and connects Cochrane with Toronto... (Ontario Northland) |
| S - Summer | W - Winter |