McKirdy
McKirdy was a series of stops named likely named after William McKirdy, a prominent official and businessman in the Nipigon/Lake Nipigon area at the time. It was composed of two stations/stops, located at Mileposts 49.7 and 50.1, and a ballast pit located at Milepost 52.3.
East McKirdy was a flag stop, while McKirdy was regarded as a station (likely without any formal structure) and both had small sidings (approximately 1300 feet) until the late 70s. A section house was located a quarter-mile east of East McKirdy. Why there were two stops each with its own siding located less than half a mile apart is unknown.
The McKirdy Pit was in operation for many years, likely from before the 1960s until the line was discontinued in 2005. A 2500-foot through spur serviced the pit, which interestingly does not appear in the 1979 edition topographic map.
- Grade south of Orient Bay at Keemle Lake, 1940s postcard.
- McKirdy Pit, circa 1996. (M. Ročnik)
There are several videos of the McKirdy area in the YouTube playlist below.