{"id":5488,"date":"2020-08-18T10:19:44","date_gmt":"2020-08-18T14:19:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=5488"},"modified":"2020-08-18T10:36:08","modified_gmt":"2020-08-18T14:36:08","slug":"episode-95-algoma-land-of-mystery-and-wilderness-and-the-acr-1964","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=5488","title":{"rendered":"EPISODE 95: ALGOMA…LAND OF MYSTERY AND WILDERNESS AND THE ACR 1964"},"content":{"rendered":"
EPISODE 95   ALGOMA\u2026LAND  OF MYSERY AND WILDERNESS AND THE ACR. 1964<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
alan  skeoch<\/div>\n
August 2020<\/div>\n

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EPISODE 94   ALGOMA\u202649, 000 SQUARE KILOMETRES\u2026MOSTLY WILDERNESS, LONELY VILLAGES, ABANDONED MINES, LONELY RAILWAYS<\/p>\n
  (bigger than  some American  states)<\/div>\n

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  As I was putting  the MILE 71, SPRUCE LAKE, Paradise  Lodge story together I received this letter from friend Kent Farrow.   He has captured  the loneliness  of<\/div>\n
those railway flagstops that pop up as  those lonely trains roll through the seemingly endless Boreal forest which covers  most of  Canada.<\/div>\n
We live in the second largest country in the world, only Russia is larger, yet we are an urban  people and most of us  never see the real immensity of our<\/div>\n
land unless we  ride  The CN or CP transcontinental railways through Northern Ontario.  Or better still, take a ride on the Algona Central Railways which<\/div>\n
is  to me the loneliest railway I have ever travelled  on.  The Algoma  Central Railway remains as only a fragment of its former self.  And  even that<\/div>\n
fragment\u2026the Agawa Canyon tour train\u2026has now been cancelled  due to Covid 19.  Sorry, I spoke too soon, the ACR  seems to be closed down.<\/div>\n

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HARD  to believe but this  railway  junction is one of the historic sites in  Canada.  The place<\/div>\n
is called OBA.  Here is  where the CN track crosses the ACR track.  Isolated\u2026barely noticeable.<\/div>\n

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LETTER  FROM KENT FARROW<\/div>\n

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Hi Alan and greetings from Skootamatta Lake….  I look forward to your \u2018life recollections\u2019 and this one about the ACR strikes close to home for me.  For the summers of \u201872 and \u201873 I worked as a brakeman for the CNR and was posted to Hornepayne, Ont, which at the that time, was a bustling railway yard and town north of White River.  I worked the freight trains east to Folyet and west to Nakina.  On occasion I worked the passenger trains which  saw me going east to Capreol and west to Armstrong which is. Where the Central time zone begins.   Just east of Hornepayne at a siding called Oba, the ACR crossed the CNR line and headed north towards who knows where.  I remember the \u2018Northlander\u2019 well.  Today, Hornepayne is half the size it was then servicing half the number of CNR employees as there is only one brakeman per train plus a conductor and of course, the hogger.  Back then I was making 22 cents per mile on the passenger trains and 33 cents per mile on the freights…..that was a lot of money back then.  I enjoyed all my trips especially the ones to Nakina, the birthplace of Jan\u2019s Mom.  I would stay overnight in a bunkhouse next to their homestead which was neat.<\/p>\n
Anyways, all my railway experiences were memorable ones so thanks for relating the ACR story!  Thanks and stay safe!

<\/p>\n
Kent Farrow<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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With the closure of  the ACR all the tiny villages and \u2018f\u201d stops (flagships) were placed in jeopardy.  I  have no idea how<\/div>\n
many remain.  Below is the list as it existed  in  1975.   Today, in the year 2020, they  have been forgotten except by fishermen <\/div>\n
and fisherwomen.<\/div>\n

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\"ACRACR Local Timetable<\/h1>\n

Effective May 12th to October 13th, 1975<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
*
No. 1
Daily<\/th>\n		Miles from Soo<\/th>\nKm from Soo<\/th>\nSAULT STE. MARIE – HAWK JUNCTION<\/th>\n*
No. 2
Daily<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
0800 lv.  0833  0850    0904  0914  0925  0940    0953  f  f  1012  f    f  1032  f  1047    f  1117    f  1128  1146    1209  1224  f  1242  f  f  1308  f  1330    1343  1400 ar.<\/pre>\n<\/td>\n
\n
0  14  25    32  36  42  48    56  57  62  64  69    71  73  75  80    85  92    93  96  102    114  120  122  131  132  138  141  148  150    156  165<\/pre>\n<\/td>\n
\n
0  22.7  39.8    50.7  57.8  67.3  77.4    90.5  91.7  100.4  104.0  110.7    115.0  117.3  121.8  128.4    137.4  148.5    149.6  153.7  165.1    183.1  193.3  197.1  210.7  212.9  222.8  226.6  238.9  241.2    251.9  264.9<\/pre>\n<\/td>\n
\n
   SAULT STE. MARIE     Heyden     Northland     Goulais River<\/small>     SEARCHMONT     Wabos     Achigan     Ogidaki     S. Branch Chippewa River<\/small>     Maskode     Trout Lake     Pine Lake     Mekatina     Pangis     N. Branch Chippewa River<\/small>     Spruce Lake     Summit     Mongoose     Batchewana     Batchewana River     Rand     Montreal Falls     Montreal River<\/small>     Mile 93     Hubert     Frater     Agawa River<\/small>     CANYON     Eton     Mile 122.5     Agawa     Millwood     Sand Lake     Tabor     Anjigami     Perry     Michipicoten River<\/small>     Limer     HAWK JUNCTION<\/pre>\n<\/td>\n
\n
ar. 1800  1735  1720    1703  1653  1643  1630    1615  f  f  1600  f    f  1540  f  1523    f  1455    f  1446  1430    1405  1347  f  1327  f  f  1308  f  1249    1234  lv. 1225  <\/pre>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
 
<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
No. 1
Daily<\/th>\n		Miles from Soo<\/th>\nKm from Soo<\/th>\nHAWK JUNCTION – HEARST<\/th>\nNo. 2
Daily<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
1415 lv.  1435  1450  1504  1513  1525  1535  f  1545  f  f  1605  f    f  1639  1659    1712  f  1741  1747  1757  1811    1821  1830<\/pre>\n<\/td>\n
\n
165  173  178  184  188  195  201  206  208  210  212  217  221    233  239  245    253  262  273  275  281  288    294  296<\/pre>\n<\/td>\n
\n
264.9  278.7  286.2  296.4  303.0  313.8  323.5  331.5  333.9  337.9  341.1  349.7  356.4    375.6  384.7  393.8    406.8  421.6  439.5  443.1  452.1  462.0    473.3  475.9<\/pre>\n<\/td>\n
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   HAWK JUNCTION     Alden     Goudreau     Dubreuilleville     Wanda     FRANZ     Scully     Wabatong     Hilda     Mile 210     Mile 212     MOSHER     Price     Oba River<\/small>     Akron     Langdon     OBA     Oba River, Albany Branch<\/small>     Norris     Hansen     Horsey     Mead     Coppell     Stavert(Jogues)     Mattawishkwia River<\/small>     Wyborn     HEARST<\/pre>\n<\/td>\n
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ar. 1200  1140  1131  1119  1107  1057  1042  f  1030  f  f  1010  f    f  0935  0927    0908  f  0836  0832  0819  0805    0753  lv. 0745<\/pre>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Reference Marks<\/h3>\n
f – Flag. Stop on signal.<\/p>\n
* – Dining Car service between Sault Ste. Marie and Canyon Only.<\/p>\n
Baggage<\/h3>\n
Personal effects, such as clothing, etc. (except liquids and fragile articles), when contained in suitable sturdy luggage, trunks, etc., may be checked as baggage in accordance with tariffs. Up to 150 lbs. personal baggage may be checked without charge on an adult fare ticket, and 75 lbs. on a child’s half-fare ticket. Single pieces over 250 lbs. must be shipped in rail freight service.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
A reasonable amount of personal hand baggage may be carried into the rail coach.<\/p>\n
The railway assumes no liability for baggage other than as specified in its tariffs published and filed pursuant to law.<\/p>\n
Train Tours for All Seasons<\/h3>\n