Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 102.5-106.1) west of East McKirdy, ON. Features the grade as it passes the spur at Paju with cuttings, signage and the level crossing at Mileage 56 Road.
Part 4 of 4.
Active, 1914-2005.
Then and now photos featuring Iron Range Hill west of Thunder Bay, ON. In the first photo, a 2-6-0 Mogul of the Canadian Northern Railway (either 107 or 108), is stuck in the snow on the hill sometime in late 1915 or early 1916. The railway was built as the Port Arthur, Duluth and Western in 1893, but at the time was known as the Canadian Northern Railway North Lake Subdivision.
Iron Range Hill, located between Mileposts 59 and 60.5, was the steepest grade on the line at nearly 2 percent. It can be found southwest of Thunder Bay between Sandstone Lake (known as Sand Lake at the time) and Iron Range Lake. Brakeman Jack Lalonde leans against the stack, while passenger J.T. Greer is the middle of the three men standing beside the boiler. Greer is headed to the station at North Lake (MP 71), from where he will proceed to his logging operation further west on the lake.
Today the hill is much quieter (photo taken March 2020). The North Lake Subdivision eventually became part of the Canadian National Railways network and in 1923 this section of line (Mackies to North Lake) was take out of service. The rest of the subdivision was abandoned by CNR in October 1938 and the rails pulled up in 1939.
Picture courtesy of Mary Wilson.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 102.5-106.1) west East McKirdy, ON. Features the grade with cuttings, culverts, signage and an old level crossing.
Part 3 of 4.
Active, 1914-2005.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 102.5-106.1) wets of East McKirdy, ON. Features the grade as it skirts the north shore of Wanogu Lake with cuttings, culverts, signage and unique concrete curb/rail in a rock fall area. *The hike occurred on June 5th, not May 5th.
Part 2 of 4.
Active, 1914-2005.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 102.5-106.1) west of East McKirdy, ON. Features the grade as it skirts the north shore of Wanogu Lake with cuttings and a unique stone-lined dual culvert creek crossing.
Part 1 of 4.
Active, 1914-2005.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 99.4-102.5) near East McKirdy, ON. Features the grade west of the McKirdy Pit with cuttings and telegraph poles.
Part 6 of 6.
Active, 1914-2005.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 99.4-102.5) near East McKirdy, ON. Features the grade at the McKirdy Pit with signage, telegraph poles and the remains of the ballast pit spur.
Part 5 of 6.
Active, 1914-2005.
Then and now photos featuring the McKirdy Pit/McKirdy Station north of Nipigon, Ontario. The first photo, taken circa 1996 by Mike Ročnik, shows a westbound passing the station, spur and ballast pit at McKirdy. McKirdy was one of the original stations when Canadian Northern Railway opened the line in 1915 and was located at Milepost 50.1. Nothing more than a siding and a whistle stop, its mileage changed to 99.9 after CN merged lines in 1960 and became part of the Kinghorn Subdivision. In 1965, the station and its siding were removed from the line.
McKirdy was resurrected in mid 1980s but not at its original location, but a few miles further west at the site of a large ballast pit at Milepost 102. A several thousand foot through spur serviced the pit, which apparently had been in use since the 1960s or before, though the spur only appeared in timetables in the early 1970s. Today the pit remains, though it is much quieter after service on the Kinghorn was terminated in 2005 and the rails removed in 2010.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 99.4-102.5) near East McKirdy, ON. Features the grade at the McKirdy Pit with signage, the remains of the spur and drone views of this large ballast pit.
Part 4 of 6.
Active, 1914-2005.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 99.4-102.5) near East McKirdy, ON. Features the grade west of McKirdy Station with milepost markers and culverts, in particular a very rare wooden box culvert.
Part 3 of 6.
Active, 1914-2005.
Poverty, Agony, Distress & Want! 