Video of the former Grand Trunk Pacific Railway-Lake Superior Division, Canadian Government Railways-Fort William Subdivision, Canadian National Railways-Fort William/Lake Superior/Graham/Raith/Graham Subdivision (MP 4.7-9.4) at Sunshine, ON. Features the grade on the west side of Ellis Road as it runs backward, northeast, to help mitigate some gradient issues in the area. Includes the site of a washed out box culvert which occurred in the last four years and has been partially repaired.
Video of the former Grand Trunk Pacific Railway-Lake Superior Division, Canadian Government Railways-Fort William Subdivision, Canadian National Railways-Fort William/Lake Superior/Graham/Raith/Graham Subdivision (MP 1.8-4.7) at Sunshine, ON. Features the grade as it passes through the remains of the siding at Ellis Station with rock cuts, high embankments and a rare wooden box culvert to a crossing of Ellis Road.
Video of the former Grand Trunk Pacific Railway-Lake Superior Division, Canadian Government Railways-Fort William Subdivision, Canadian National Railways-Fort William/Lake Superior/Graham/Raith/Graham Subdivision (MP 1.8-4.7) at Sunshine, ON. Features the grade as it passes through the station at Ellis, which became more important following the rerouting of the line in 1924. Remains of the station, siding, a well and possibly the water tank and other objects are visible.
Video of the former Grand Trunk Pacific Railway-Lake Superior Division, Canadian Government Railways-Fort William Subdivision, Canadian National Railways-Fort William/Lake Superior/Graham/Raith/Graham Subdivision (MP 1.8-4.7) at Sunshine, ON. Features the grade as it passes along several cuts and high embankments as it approaches Ellis Station.
Video of the former Grand Trunk Pacific Railway-Lake Superior Division, Canadian Government Railways-Fort William Subdivision, Canadian National Railways-Fort William/Lake Superior/Graham/Raith/Graham Subdivision (MP 1.8-4.7) at Sunshine, ON. Features the grade as it passes along several cuts and numerous high embankments with concrete rail pedestals and a rare, wooden box culvert. \
Video of the former Grand Trunk Pacific Railway-Lake Superior Division, Canadian Government Railways-Fort William Subdivision, Canadian National Railways-Fort William/Lake Superior/Graham/Raith/Graham Subdivision (MP 1.8-4.7) at Sunshine, ON. Features the grade from Sunshine Crossroad west along a high embankment with a rare, concrete culvert that was constructed in 1917.
Video of the former Grand Trunk Pacific Railway-Lake Superior Division, Canadian Government Railways-Fort William Subdivision, Canadian National Railways-Fort William/Lake Superior/Graham/Raith/Graham Subdivision (MP 0.3-1.8) at Sistonens Corners, ON. Features the grade as it parallels the Matawin River to Sunshine Crossroad with large embankments, rock cuts and a part of a rare concrete rail holder.
Video of the former Grand Trunk Pacific Railway-Lake Superior Division, Canadian Government Railways-Fort William Subdivision, Canadian National Railways-Fort William/Lake Superior/Graham/Raith/Graham Subdivision (MP 0.3-1.8) at Sistonens Corners, ON. Features the grade at Dog River Station/Junction and a short distance to the west parallels the Matawin River with ties, coal and iron ore pellets. For a brief time, Dog River was the junction point between the original eastern portion of the grade, which would be abandoned in the spring of 1925 and a new section of line which connected with the CNR Kashabowie Subdivision. *The iron ore pellets came from the Griffith Mine near Red Lake, ON.
Video of the former Canadian National Railways Graham Subdivision near Sistonen’s Corners, ON. Features the grade from the Matawin River Bridge west to Dog River Station/Junction. This is the last portion of a 1924 rerouting of the former Grand Trunk Pacific Lake Superior Division which eliminated some duplicated trackage in the CNR network in the area. At Dog River, the new section of grade would join the original right of way and continue to the west (everything east of Dog River on the original grade was abandoned in the spring of 1925.
Then and now photos featuring Conmee Junction, which was located near Sistonens Corners, Ontario. Conmee was created in 1924 when Canadian National Railways rerouted its lines in the area.
Following nationalization, the company found itself with two lines running somewhat in the same direction for about 30 miles west of what is now Thunder Bay; the former Canadian Northern Port Arthur Subdivision and the Grand Trunk Pacific Lake Superior Branch. To consolidate operations, it was decided that the old Canadian Northern line, now the CNR Kashabowie Subdivision, would be doubled tracked to a point 35 miles to the west, which would become Conmee Junction. Traffic for the old Grand Trunk Pacific line, now the Graham Subdivision, would follow this route to the junction. To link to its original trackage, CNR realigned nearly 2 miles of the Kashabowie Subdivision, running it further along the Matawin River to the junction point and there building a 630-foot bridge across the river. The 28 miles of the original GTP line to the east was abandoned in 1925.
As the the junction point between two rail lines, Conmee Junction was a busy place for the next 70 years. Sadly, in 1994, the Graham Subdivision was abandoned by CN, its rails lifted in the next several years. Because of the loss of traffic, the Kashabowie Subdivision was reduced back to a single track and Conmee Junction ceased to have any relevance and was eventually removed as a station. The older photo, courtesy of L. Nevins, shows the area in 1982.
Conmee Junction, 1982. (L. Nevins)Conmee Junction, May 2020.Conmee Junction, May 2024.
Poverty, Agony, Distress & Want! 