Then and now photos of Warneford Station southwest of the community of Beardmore, ON. Located in a fairly remote area, little has changed here in over 100 years. The first photo was taken not long after the line opened in 1915, likely in 1916, for an Ontario Bureau of Mines report on the Longuelac-Jellicoe-Orient Bay area.
The second photo was taken in October 2023 and shows the same spot with the rock cut, minus the rails, which were removed in 2010. Warneford was originally called Blackwater after the nearby river. It was located at Milepost 25.6 of the Canadian Northern Railway Nipigon Subdivision/Canadian National Railways Dorion Subdivision and later Milepost 75.3 of the Canadian National Railway Kinghorn Subdivision.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 71.8-75.4) south of Beardmore, ON. Features the grade as it parallels the Blackwater River at Warneford Station with rock cuts, a wooden box culvert and the remains of the siding. **Be sure to watch this segment of the episode where you will see the siding from the air via drone: https://youtu.be/-NalpgEiUw4
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 71.8-75.4) south of Beardmore, ON. Features the grade as it parallels the Blackwater River at Warneford Station with the start of the siding, a flanger sign and the realigned grade. This realignment was a result of a 1946 diversion which saw a 0.5 mile section of line shifted from the north bank of the river to the south bank and two trestles removed. The video is highlighted by drone flyover which follows the river from east of the first trestle to past Warneford Siding. The old grade is subtle, but if one looks carefully, you’ll see a line of poplar trees following the curve of the river.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 71.8-75.4) south of Beardmore, ON. Features the grade as it parallels the Blackwater River just east of Warneford Station with large rock cuts. This is the realigned grade following 1946 diversion which saw a 0.5 mile section of line shifted from the north bank of the river to the south bank and two trestles removed. *Be sure to watch this segment of the episode where you will see the realignment from the air via drone: https://youtu.be/-NalpgEiUw4
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 71.8-75.4) south of Beardmore, ON. Features the original section of grade and the remains of two 348-foot trestles between Mileposts 24.9 and 25.2. This 0.5 mile section was abandoned and the grade rerouted south of the river in 1946 at the request of the Brompton Pulp and Paper company. *Be sure to watch Episode IV first which explains why the realignment was done: https://youtu.be/odbV6r7QgiM **Be sure to watch this segment of the episode where you will see the realignment from the air via drone: https://youtu.be/-NalpgEiUw4 ***Apologies for the muffled audio starting at 2:53. I put my GoPro in its waterproof case to protect it from damage, forgetting that it covers up the speakers on the camera. I did my best the raise the audio levels in editing, but it obviously sounds distorted. Many thanks to Jeffrey Smith who provided the information to locate this forgotten section of grade.
Did you know that in 1940s a section of the former Kinghorn line was re-routed?
In 1946, the Brompton Pulp & Paper Company requested that Canadian National Railways realign a 0.5 mile portion of the then Dorion Subdivision just east of Warneford Station. In this area, between Mileposts 24.8 and 25.3 (74.5-75), the grade crossed from the south bank of the Blackwater River to the north bank and then back on two 350-foot trestles. The Brompton Company felt that the trestles impeded the rafting of logs on the river.
After some legal wrangling, the grade was shifted and the trestles removed, and it appears that the grade was also moved west of the second trestle to lessen the curvature on the new grade. The crossing appears on period maps and the old grade is very visible on the north bank of the river. Be sure to check our tomorrow’s post for imagery of the original route.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 71.8-75.4) south of Beardmore, ON. Features the grade as it parallels the Blackwater River just east of Warneford Station with culverts and rock cuts. Also features a 1946 diversion of the grade which saw a 0.5 mile section of line shifted from the north bank of the river to the south bank and two trestles removed. Many thanks to Jeff Smith who provided the information to locate this forgotten section of grade. *Be sure to watch this segment of the episode where you will see the realignment from the air via drone: https://youtu.be/-NalpgEiUw4
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 71.8-75.4) south of Beardmore, ON. Features the grade as it parallels the Blackwater River with rock cuts, a milepost marker, a concrete culvert, old ballast pits and the remnants of a massive 1999 forest fire.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 71.8-75.4) south of Beardmore, ON. Features the grade as it parallels the Blackwater River with rock cuts, a milepost marker, a concrete culvert, the sites of logging spurs/flags stops and the remnants of a massive 1999 forest fire.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 71.8-75.4) south of Beardmore, ON. Features the grade as it parallels Highway 11 and the Blackwater River with rock cuts, telegraph poles, a milepost marker, a concrete culvert and the remains of logging spurs.
Poverty, Agony, Distress & Want! 