Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

Ottawa Citizen 19 March 1957

Ten Cars Of Train Off Rails 210 Passengers Escape Injury
 NORTH BAY (Special) Ten cars of the westbound Canadian National Railways "Continental" passenger train were derailed just before dawn today on a lonely stretch of main line track in Algonquin Park, near Brent, 61 miles east of North Bay.
Only Shaken Up.
None of the 240 passengers aboard the train was injured, but most of them got a shaking when the cars jumped the track ripping up ties, rails and roadbed.
Six of the cars, which included sleepers, diner, and the observation car at the end of the train, were tipped over but did not fall.
A relief train was sent from North Bay at 6.40 a.m. to pick up the passengers and bring them here. It arrived here shortly before noon.
Details of the, derailment were still sparse but CNR officials said they believed a broken rail caused the missnap.
The two diesel locomotives and the first eight cars of the train passed safely over the break, but the remaining ten were derailed.
Second In 24 Hours
It was the second derailment on that section of CNR line in 24 hours. Monday three cars of a freight train spilled off the track west of Brent, about six miles from the scene of today's accident. There were no injuries in the freight derailment and railway crews repaired the line in ten hours.
This morning's Continental was the first west-bound passenger train to pass over the line since that time.
The train, running from Montreal to Vancouver, left Ottawa at 10.45 p.m. Monday. The derail ment occurred at 4 a.m. today, half way between Pembroke and North Bay.
Other CNR trains are being re-routed over CPR lines between North Bay and Pembroke until the derailment has been cleared and tracks repaired, possibly sometime late this afternoon or tonight.
From the air, this morning, crew men could be seen swarming about the nine cars of the passenger train which are still blocking the main line. Six cars at the easterly end were lying, some on their side, and some partly upright. The last three coaches appeared to be still sitting on the tracks.

Charmed Life (with picture)
For the second time within three weeks Daniel Pickett of Capreol has been the conductor of a CNR train involved in a wreck but, remarkably, without loss of life or injury to any of its passengers. Mr. Pickett was conductor on the Continental which was derailed on tne Ottawa-North Bay mainline near Brent early this morning. On February 28 he was conductor on the Ottawa-bound Continental which hit a trailer truck at Bells Corners, an Ottawa suburb In both cases several cars were derailed. Photo by Newton
Clipped from The Ottawa Citizen, 19 Mar 1957, Tue, Page 1

Ottawa Journal 19 March 1957

CN Train Derailed In Algonquin Park
PEMBROKE, March 1. (Staff) A broken rail near Brent, 74 miles west of here, derailed' the CNR westbound Continental train at 4 a.m. today.
No one was injured
The train carried 240 passegers including, a number who boarded at Ottawa last night.Majority of the passengers were Hungarian refugeesd bound for the Winnipeg area. Ten cars jumped the tracks in Algonquin Nations! Park at a section inaccessible by road. Three of the cars were tilted a dangerous angle, prevented toppling over by the rest the train. Two. dlesel units and eioght cars passed the break and remained on the tracks.
It was the.second derailment of the Continental in three weeks. Last February 28, the eastbound train struck a transport at the Highway 15 crossing near Bells Corners. Ten cars were derailed. But only  three minor injuries were reported.
A special train picked up the travellers at the scene of this morning's derailment and continued the jouney after a delay of about six hours.
CNR spokesmen said east bound traffic, including the crack Super Continental, will be re-routed on CPR tracks from North bay.
There was little chance of repairs being made before the end of the day.
Work crews are to be flown to the scene by the Department of Lands and Forests. Others can reach the area by special train from North Bay.
Cause of the broken rail was not immediately known.
Officials were relieved that no injuries had been reported among crew or passengers.