To Hearst and back on the Algoma Central Railway

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• published: 23 Oct 2014
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We start our trip in Sault Ste. Marie, where we take a look at CN Train 631, the Algoma Central Railway train to Hearst. This train, for all intents and purposes, is not a tourist train. People take this train to go between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst, as well as points between to hunting camps and the Chapleau Game Reserve. This is train is essentially the lifeline to Northern Ontario. A lot of the places this train serves are far from any roadways, and are otherwise isolated. The train has come into some rough times lately, as CN has already made plans to stop running the train under their company, as they want to focus solely on freight. The train was supposed to have ended last year, but was given a brief reprieve, and is financially assisted by the Government of Canada. However, if something isn't done soon, the train might stop running as early as the end of March of 2015. That being said, let's get to the videos. In the first scene, we start in the yard in Sault Ste. Marie, where we walk along the entire train, which consists of a former Amtrak F40PH in the Agawa Canyon Train color scheme, a baggage car, two coaches, and a generator car. At the 8:20 mark, we're under way and going over some grade crossings just outside of Sault Ste. Marie. At the 18:00 mark, we cross the high bridge over the Goulais River. At the 18:45 mark, we cross the Montreal Falls on the Montreal River, before coming to a stop just across the bridge to pick up a couple of hikers at the flag stop called Awana. At the 22:45 mark, we get to one one of the jewels of the line; the Agawa Canyon and the multiple waterfalls that flow into the Agawa River. The first waterfall is the bridal veil falls, while the other noteworthy one is the pair of waterfalls called the twin beaver tails. At the 26:20 mark, we pass the Agawa Canyon Train, which is preparing to depart back to Sault Ste. Marie. That train departs about an hour and a half prior to ours, travels the 114 miles up to the canyon, lets the tourists off to walk around the park up there, and then departs about 2 hours later to come back. That is a day trip, and it's a splendid one at that. However, we continue past the canyon. The Canyon Train consists of F40PH's 104 and 105, both ex-Amtrak. They're pulling a diner car, and 7 coaches. At the 31:00 mark, we have come to one of the few stops where a station actually exists; Hawk Junction. Here, we see CN Train 573, the local freight out of Sault Ste. Marie, as it drills the small yard in Hawk Junction. They came north before we did, but will end up following us up the rest of the way to Hearst. 573 consists of SD60F 5544 and C44-9W 2692. C40-8W 2178, originally of the Santa Fe, will remain in the yard to be used as a drill engine. Once the paperwork is done, we get back on the train and continue north. At the 33:15 mark, we get to hear one of the handful of CN defect detectors on the line, this one being at MP180.6, which is between the flag stop at Goudreau, and the timed stop at Dubreuilville (we didn't stop at either place heading north). The detector gives a good read out, and we continue on our way. At the 33:42 mark, our train gets track clearance between MP246 on the Soo Sub in Oba to MP294 at Wyborn, which is about a mile and a half outside of Hearst, which is MP296. Outside of two or three signals, one for crossing the diamond with CP at Franz, and one for crossing the CN at Oba, the line to Hearst is single track with passing sidings, and is a completely dark/paper route with clearance paper being the only thing giving permission on the tracks, one section at a time. At the 35:25 mark, we cross the CN main at the location known as Oba. Oba used to have a small town there, but it's been reduced to nothing more than a small yard and a couple of ramshackle buildings. Parked in the yard, we see a bunch of MOW equipment, as well as some camp cars, with the MOW workers inhabiting them, as they are doing some track work along the line we are crossing. At the 37:27 mark, we see Ontario Northland GP40-2 2202 as it drills the yard in Hearst. At this point, we are getting ready to depart back for Sault Ste. Marie as Train 632. While we watch the cars get drilled, notice the power from Train 573 from the day before, the SD60F 5544 and the C44-9W 2692 as they sit in the yard. In the last scene at 38:40, we see a bit of fun action at Hawk Junction, where we watch a hunter take his ATV off the baggage car with the help of a portable ramp which is stored on the car. Three different people then drive their dirt bikes onto the train. That's the way of life in Northern Ontario. If the train doesn't get saved, a lot of people will not be able to reach civilization. If you have any questions about the video, feel free to message me. Comments are welcome. The videos were taken on October 13th and October 14th, 2014.