Mclaurin's Mill at Templeton, QC.

This picture, provided by Blair MacLaurin, was found in a book by Yvette Seguin-Theriault about Templeton history, and resides in the Gatineau archives (Bibliotheque et Archives nationales du Quebec.)

The 4-4-0 was used to shuttle cars from the main line between Montreal and Hull (ca. 1900) to McLaurin’s sawmill. The sawmill was on the Ottawa River at East Templeton, Quebec, but no longer exists, nor does the track.

 I have long known about this locomotive and it is now good to have a picture, albeit a poor one, but I have no details. Can any of our readers provide any additional information.

The main line between Montreal and Hull was opened by the Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway on 27 December 1877.  The line was sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway on 3 June 1882.  It is most likely that the locomotive was of QMO&O or CP origin.  Omer Lavallee’s book on Canadian Pacific steam locomotives details the QMO&O locomotives but there is no mention of a sale to McLaurin’s mill so it is possible that this was provided on a lease/lend basis.

 Any further information would be very welcome.

Follow up letter to the editor 25 January 2015.

In the July-August 2014 issue of Branchline you published a short piece regarding a 4-4-0 steam locomotive at Templeton Quebec. Blair MacLaurin has subsequently uncovered another photo, too poor to reproduce here, of the same locomotive.  On the tender is painted "East Templeton" and there is written "East Templeton Wood Burning Locomotive Jan 1909".  On the back is written

“East Templeton Lumber Company’s wood burning locomotive – Jan. 1909” “Formerly on Toronto Hamilton Buffalo run” Rena Giles.

There is an excellent steam locomotive roster on the web site of the Toronto Buffalo and Hamilton Railway Historical Society.  From this it would appear that this is TH&B #18 which was built new by Baldwin, serial no. 8373 for the Chicago Belt Railway in 1887.  It came to the TH&B in 1899 and is shown as going to a Quebec Cement Company in 1909. (This seems to be the only locomotive on the TH&B roster it could have been). I cannot explain the reference to a Quebec Cement Company although it is possible that the locomotive was later sold to a cement quarry, possibly Canada Cement in Hull.

So, with the help of Blair MacLaurin and also Sam McLaughlan, who grew up in the Templeton area, we have uncovered a little about the history of this locomotive.  It would be good to tie down the final disposition of this interesting machine.

Bytown Railway Society, Branchline July-August 2014

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