*From the Dispatching office in Smiths falls to the junction of the Chalk River and Belleville Subs north of Cornelia Street in Smiths Falls (Now called SCOTT in the timetable), there were 8 crossarms, 4 for the Chalk River, 4 for the Belleville/Havelock subs.

Bruce Chapman

In May 2017 Chris Hall prepared the following:

Beachburg Sub Mile 0 to Wass- Current pole line built around 1953 to take on circuits for the Renfrew Sub. Mainly copper wire (mostly removed) and some steel multistrand for signal power. Fibre optics lines still on poles. Remaining circuits are active today for CTC. In area of track relocation at Bank Street, signal circuits were buried. Prior to 1953 were original CNoR lines (iron wires) and poles, probably 2-3 crossarms from Hurdman to Federal. Some original 1912-1916 era insulators were re-used and are still in place. Orignal CNoR pole spacing 150 feet, current is 120 feet.

Beachburg Sub Wass-Nepean- Current pole line from around 1953, similar to line east of Wass. Still on north side. Circuits probably dead west of Federal. Fibre optics cable currently on poles, all insulators replaced during 1950's upgrade. Orignal CNoR pole spacing 150 feet, current is 120 feet. South side had CP line added around 1966 (insulators dated 1964) to replace the lost line from Bells Corners to Ottawa West. Began with 3 crossarms, reduced to 2 and still stands. This line continues east along the south side of the Walkley line through the yard to Hawthorne, then runs along the east/north side of the old NYC all the way to Ottawa Station. Line is heavily damaged in many spots and out of service. These have multistrand steel wires, likely copper core. Spacing is around 125 feet.

Walkley Line- CPR line on south side as mentioned previously, CN on north side with signal circuits. Through the yard area both CN and CP lines ran through the bush south of the yard. CN line connected to poles on Alexandria Sub east of Hawthorne. Spacing between poles around 125 feet. 

Beachburg Sub Nepean to Brent- 6 wires on north side, removed in 1996. Some iron wires remain on poles in Pembroke and Beachburg to this date. Orignal CNoR pole spacing 150 feet lasted until removal.

Smiths Falls Sub- Federal to Mile 1.0 had 20 circuits, likely for signal power and CTC approach signal. West of Mile 1.0 typically 6 wires to Napanee (probably iron) with extra crossarms for crossing circuits. Entire pole line removed from Federal to Napanee in 1973/74. Original 1912 insulators were still in use at time of removal. Orignal CNoR pole spacing 150 feet lasted until removal.

Renfrew Sub- Likely one crossarm Nepean to Whitney, pole line removed west of South March station sometime after 1968. Line from Nepean to South March is copper and fairly modern, likely upgraded for CTC approach signals around 1953. Pole spacing currently around 120 feet, original probably 150 feet.

Alexandria Sub- 3-4 crossarms, pole line likely rebuilt in 30's or 40's, some original iron wires remained until fairly recently. Pole line destroyed in many places during ice storm of 1998, disabling CTC. Worst leaning poles removed shortly after, other poles being removed slowly to date. Hawthorne to Carlsbad Springs still has poles, 1 mile east of Carlsbad does too, no poles left on most of the remainder of the line. On north side Bell Telephone had a pole line with up to 50 circuits (4-5 crossarms) which was removed sometime after 1965. Between Hawthorne and CSTM on south/west side of "old Alex" subdivision some poles remain, iron wires still attached in areas- only spot left in Ottawa with iron wires. A few original 1880's insulators were still to be found all along the entire line until recently, with many newer ones added over the years. Current pole spacing around 120 feet, original spacing unknown, but probably 150 feet.

L'Orignal Sub- 2 crossarms, some copper and some iron wires. This line likely had 2 crossarms (old air photos show 2 in shadows cast by poles in Cyrville area) as it replaced the original telegraph line along the Ottawa to L'Orignal Road (later Hwy 17) that originated in 1847. Unsure if circuits were relocated to Alexandria Sub after 1939, but likely. Circuits were still being added or upgraded after 1927 by types of insulators found. Orignal CNoR pole spacing 150 feet lasted until removal.

Carleton Place Sub- CN line on south side had 4-6 iron wires. Built in 1870's, pole locations remained unchanged, although rotten ones swapped out. Spacing about 150 feet. Removed between 1955 and 1965. CP line on north side was up to 4 crossarms, less in later years. This line replaced an earlier line on same side with poles spaced further apart. Likely revamped in 1920's, but many older insulators retained. Poles spaced about 120 feet on CP line, original CP line likely 150 feet. Date of removal of CP line likely around 1990 abandonment, poles in Bells Corners stood later, "New" line coming off Beachburg Sub still standing east of Moodie Drive.

Finding No. 23 Updated 7 November 2018

The Miniature Train at Britannia Park

Bruce Ballantyne has provided this picture of the miniature live steam train that operated in Britannia Park until the 1950's.  Bruce writes:
"Note that the photo was taken in a strategic location and time with the passing of a CP passenger train on the Carleton Place Sub with Pacific-type #1227 hauling the train (#1227 was one of the last steam engines to run out of Ottawa into early 1960). Also note the little water tank and pipe at the left for filling the little engine's tender. From the looks of the kids, I would say the photo was taken in the early 1950s. I don't know when the train and tracks were removed."

As a follow up, Bernie Geiger writes that in 1962:
1. The train was running counterclockwise (to even out the wheel wear?).
2. The water tower was still there.
3. The locomotive (4-4-0) was pulling two cars, similar or identical to the previous ones.
4. The wire fence (next to the CPR mainline) in the background has been replaced with a picket type fence.

Bernie provides this additional picture.

Al Craig pointed out that the miniature railway was operated originally on Toronto Island (about 1905), then it was put into storage for a while. After that George Cooper bought it, brought it to Ottawa, and petitioned the City to operate it in Britannia Park, which he did.
 
About 1958 or 1960 Cooper moved it with him to Orillia where it was operated in a park there at least until about 1998.

The locomotive (believed to have been built by Cagney in 1892) may now have moved from Orillia to The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum on Thompson Street in North Tonawanda.  It was restored by Mammoth Locomotive Works, Palisade, CO and placed on exhibit in 2013 by the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda, NY.

The Britannia Amusement Park is covered in this web site http://cec.chebucto.org/ClosPark#Britannia

These pictures and an explanation were provided by Bob Nash following a visit to the Herschell Carrousell factory Museum in November 2018

Finding No. 24 Updated 16 March 2003

Change of Gauge at Prescott Junction

The Bytown and Prescott Railway was built to the standard gauge (4’ 8½“) whereas the Grand Trunk Railway, with which it connected at Prescott junction, was built to the provincial 5’ 6” gauge.  Interchange of cars was not possible between the two lines and this did not, pose great difficulties at first, particularly bearing in mind that much of the traffic on the Bytown and Prescott was conveyed by car ferry across the St. Lawrence River where it was put on the standard gauge American network at Ogdensburg.

However, the Grand Trunk broad gauge system became extensive and the Bytown and Prescott (which became the Ottawa and Prescott and later the St. Lawrence and Ottawa) found itself at a disadvantage, particularly when the second railway into Ottawa, the Canada Central, was built to the wide gauge and had the advantage of easy interchange with the Grand Trunk at Brockville.  The Grand Trunk was also feeling the effects of the break of gauge with standard gauge railways and a solution was developed.

The Ottawa Citizen documents some through movements between the St. Lawrence and Ottawa and the Grand Trunk as follows:

For Chicago.  Nine cars belonging to the Canada Rolling Stock Company are at the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Railway station today to be loaded with sashes and doors to be sent through to Chicago without transshipment. (12 March 1871)

Mr. Luttrell of the St. L. & O. Railway left town yesterday after making arrangements with the wholesale merchants of this city for heavy shipments of goods for the west.  The freight will be sent without transshipment on change-gauge cars. (29 April 1871)

Seventeen cars laden with lumber were dispatched yesterday for Boston, to be delivered without transshipment via the St. L. & O. Railway. (18 May 1871)

Cars belonging to the National Car Company are at the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Railway depot, being loaded with beds, mattresses and bedsteads from Whiteside & Co.'s establishment, to be sent through to Chicago without transshipment. (7 November 1871)

This section of the Grand Trunk was converted to standard gauge on 3-4 October 1873, after which time cars could be interchanged freely.

How did the cars move from one gauge to the other?  This question is answered in:
The American Railroad Freight Car : From  the Wood Car Era to the Coming of Steel by John H. White Jr.   (John Hopkins Univ. Press,  Baltimore. 1993.) page 450.

ADJUSTABLE-GAUGE TRUCKS

“Before exploring other aspects of arch-bar trucks, we should study with greater care the 1868-1869 Grand Trunk truck mentioned earlier (Fig. 7.20). Because of its 5-foot 6-inch gauge, the Grand Trunk could not exchange cars with its connecting lines and was thus cut out from the economies of the interchange service just then developing. Just as the Union Line had experimented with broad-tread wheels to solve a similar problem, so too did the National Despatch Line, another fast freight line, develop a way to overcome the gauge difference, National Despatch adopted telescoping axles so that wheels could be reset for a 91/2-inch difference in track gauge.

“The scheme selected was patented by C. D. Tisdale of East Boston, Massachusetts, with the first patent having been issued in March 1863.  Special wheels with extra-large hubs were fitted with key wedges.  The axles were notched so that the wheels could be set at standard or 5 -foot 6-inch gauge.  The keys were locked in place by a long safety pin and giant rubber bands.  The position of the wheel was shifted by a gradually diverging or converging track.  In the shift from broad to standard, the keys would be loosened and removed at one end of the tapering track, workmen in a 4-foot-deep pit removed the keys from below the train.  A long shed was built over the pits to protect the workmen.  With the keys out, the train was slowly pushed down the track, and the wheels-would be forced inward as the train moved along the converging rails, Once at the end, the workers would reinsert and lock the wedges and the train could go on its way.  The change could be done in five to ten minutes.  When shifting to broad gauge, a third rail set inside the tapering track pushed the wheel out to the wider gauge.  Shifting stations were located at Point St. Charles, Montreal, and Sarnia, Ontario.  The plan was first tried in November 1863, yet no serious consideration was given to it until early 1868.  The tests proved so promising that by late in the following year two hundred adjustable-gauge cars were running between Chicago and Boston via the Michigan Central, the Grand Trunk, the Vermont Central, and several connecting lines in New England.  The problems of the northern east-west route seemed to have been resolved, and three hundred more cars were ordered by National Despatch.

“Just months later, however, the Grand Trunk announced plans to rebuild its entire line to standard gauge.  Major conversions were completed in 1872 and 1873, with all parts of the system having been remade to the Stephenson gauge by September 1874.  This disruptive and costly conversion might have been avoided had the changeable-gauge trucks worked as well as advertised.  Problems obviously had developed.  The keyway grooves were said to weaken the axles. Misgivings over the safety of the telescoping axles were voiced as early as 1846, long before the Grand Trunk test. Considerable skepticism was expressed as to the reliability of the workmen charged with loosening and tightening so many wheels day in and day out.  Even on the short freight trains of that time, could the men be trusted to pursue their jobs with care?  Crouching in a dank pit for ten hours with a rumbling train overhead could be tiresome and lead to boredom and negligence.  It seemed like a scenario for disaster.  Even if the axle crews proved true to their duty, the normal wear of the shifting wheels would beget loose fits, and even a slight wobble could cause a derailment.”

In spite of the potential disadvantages, the Grand Trunk felt this to be an advantage as this extract from the Ottawa Citizen of 12 July 1872 notes:

The Grand Trunk Railway authorities have recently issued a notice to the effect that the restrictions and difficulties existing hitherto at Port Huron, as regarded forwarding goods to the Western States, have at length been removed, and that the change of gauge cars of the Company enable it to ship goods, household effects, &c. to Chicago and other Western ports of entry without detention.

There is no reference in this account to a gauge change facility at Prescott Junction although this must have existed there, if only for a brief period.  Another interesting and unexpected item of our railway history.

(With thanks to David Knowles for the reference)