Algoma Central Railway

Diesel era operations (to 1975)

by Wayne V. Brittain

EMD-built General Motors demonstrator units.

The Algoma Central Railway started dieselizing in the spring of 1951 with the arrival of four GP-7's, 150-153, from General Motors Diesel, London, Ontario. The road was completely dieselized by June 1952. The last steam engine to run was #33 on the 15.00 - 23.00 yard job at the end of June. The Algoma Central was also one of the first to be completely radio equipped in Canada.

With the coming of the diesels things changed drastically. Crews were eliminated, trains grew longer, and the attitude of the men changed. With tape equipped speedometers, speed limits were rigidly enforced, something that was unheard of before. Men just came to work every day and ran the locomotives, if they broke down, they just shut them down or set them off. They carried no tools to repair them. Some of the romance of railroading was gone.

At the same time that the diesels arrived, Algoma Steel Corporation started to expand and increased production from 60,000 tons per month to 230,000 tons per month.

As the paper companies' forest cutting limits are reached, ACR freight traffic is becoming more dependant on steel products and bridge traffic from CP and CN to the Soo Line, whilst pulpwood traffic is in general decline. Of the twelve pulp spurs (Wyborn, Mile 292, Stavert, Delray, Ripco, Coppell, Meade, Boon, Hale, Hansen, Mile 246, and Mosher), only Wyborn and Mile 246 remain. Of the ten log spurs on the Soo Subdivision (Tabor, Mile 104, Hubert, Regent, Mile 88, Mile 84, Batchewana, Mile 77, Mile 74 and Summit), none remain.

Present day (1975) operations on the Soo Subdivision are as follows: Mainline freights leave Sault Ste. Marie approximately every eight hours for Hawk Junction. Usually three SD40's or five GP7's are assigned. Due to their weight and six wheel trucks, the SD40's are confined to this Sub. The 07.00 and 15.00 trains are 99% ore empties for Wawa. The 23.00 train is a train of steel products from Algoma Steel for the CP at Franz and the CN at Oba, filling out on empty ore cars. The wayfreight runs Thursday only northbound. There is no southbound wayfreight, the crew returning as an extra train with iron ore. The 07.00 trains the little miscellaneous switching left on the subdivision. The transit time for freights from Sault Ste. Marie to Hawk Junction (165 miles) is 7-8 hours with GP7 power or 6-7 hours with SD40 power. Train lengths are typically 80 to 125 cars.

Passenger service has greatly expanded since steam days. The ACR started the Agawa Canyon Tour in 1952. For $5.00 you could take a one day round trip from Sault Ste. Marie to Canyon (114 miles). There was a two hour stop-over to enjoy a picnic lunch and children could play on the swings and slides whilst others could wet a fishing line in the nearby Agawa River. That year 450 took the trip. Since then, the railway has put on an extensive advertising campaign in the United States resulting in a vast influx in tourists to the Soo area. The most popular time of year is the fall, when the Agawa Canyon Tour operates a full 23 car consist, with overflow being taken by regular trains #1 and #2.

To make better use of the passenger cars the ACR started a winter tour called the Snow Train. Although passengers are not allowed out of the train at the north end, its popularity is increasing. Regular passenger service is seven days a week form May to November. During the winter months #1 operates northbound on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with #2 working south on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. All of this expanded service forced the railway to purchase secondhand passenger equipment from CP, DR&GW, AT&SF, GM&O and Central of Georgia. The latest to arrive were were seven sets of articulated coaches from Southern Pacific. They are 132 feet long and ride on three, four-wheel trucks. The passenger trains are limited to 23 cars. The tour train which often runs at this length is made up as follows: 4 GP7's, 1 steam generator car, 2 baggage cars, 9 coaches, 2 diners, 9 coaches. The 23 car limit is the maximum that can be run around at the station and also the capacity of the make-up track in the coach yard.

With the pulpwood business declining, only one Northern Subdivision crew is ordered at 07.00 to Hearst every day. Usually one unit is required but if needed a second is added and is given over to a southbound train at the meeting point. The trip consists of switching the new lumber mill of Dubrieul Lumber Co. at Mile 184, set off and pick up from the CN at Oba and any switching required at Wyborn. The swing crew at Hearst has benn eliminated. The three crews assigned, work first in first out as before, which works out as work two days, one day off. Passenger train crews work through from Sault Ste. Marie to Hearst. The train consist north of Canyon is usually 1 steam generator car, 2 baggage cars and 1 coach.

On the Michipicoten Subdivision, things are much slower than in steam days. With the loss of the coal business and ore shipping at Michipicoten, the Brient terminal is closed. The only shipper left is Imperial Oil Ltd. When the ore bucket line as increased from one ton to three ton buckets, train service from Helen Mine and over the Helen Mine Subdivision was stopped and the track removed. At the same time a new branch starting at Mile 12.5 of the Michipicoten Subdivision was built to serve the new McLeod Mine. This was known as the Siderite Subdivision and was 3.2 miles long. Service began by running two 40 car trains for green ore per day, 7 days a week. This service continued until 1972 when it was reduced to an irregular basis. It is now out of service.

At Hawk Junction, four crews work the Michipicoten Subdivision on a first in first out basis in road switcher service. They are called in time to be on duty on the arrival of iron ore emoties from Sault Ste. Marie. The yard crew has been eliminated. Four units are customary with trains as follows: Caboose, iron ore empties, coke braize, Wawa miscellaneous, Michipicoten cars (if any).

On arrival at Wawa he spots the empties and coke braize at the ore concentrator, does some freight shed work, pulls the ore loading track, then continues to Michipicoten if needed. If not he turns at Wawa and makes a 25 car train of iron ore up to Helen (2 miles). He sets them off and returns, picks up a full tonnage train, stops at Helen for the first set of cars he brought up and continues to Hawk Junction. This service continues around the clock, sven days a week. there is no passenger service on this subdivision, it was discontinued in the mid-1960's.

The only place left with yard crews is Sault Ste. Marie. GMD SW8's 140 and 141 handle these assignments. Times of the crews are: Monday to Saturday 07.00 08.00 15.00 17.00 23.00. Sunday: 0700 15.00 17.00 23.00.

07.00 crew: Breaks up the incoming trains, pulls empty ore cars from Algoma Steel and then makes up the 15.00 train for Wawa. 08.00 crew: Delivers cars to CP interchange, switches freight shed, Dominion Bridge Co., Weyerhauser Co., Lyons Hardware, Dubrieul Lumber Co., and Abitibi Paper Co.

15.00 crew: Delivers empties and iron ore to Algoma Steel, makes up passenger train, delivers cars to CP interchange, spots bad order cars in south end of car shops. Puts caboose on 11pm train. 17.00 crew: Pulls and switches steel products from Algoma Steel. Makes up the 11pm train. Delivers iron ore and empties to Algoma Steel.

23.00 crew: Delivers empties from Soo Line and CP Rail to Algoma Steel and Abitibi Paper Co. Pulls repaired cars from north end of the carshops. Makes up the 7 am train. Takes coaches from coach yard to station downtown.

The Algoma Central Railway owns two snowplows and one snow flanger. They operate the flanger on the rear end of the passenger train. The train crews don't like it there, but it is the fastest train on the road and throws the snow the farthest from the track. Two GP7's are used on the passenger train when the flanger is in the consist. The train crews have had a running argument with the Company over this car. The crew maintain that since the car can't carry passengers, then it should be classed as a freight car and the crew should be paid at freight rates instead of passenger rates. The Company says that since it has a steam line, communicating whistle cord and could carry passengers if needed, it is a piece of passenger equipment and passenger rates of pay will prevail.

The railway operates the snowplow on the Soo Subdivsion as follows: The first out chain gang crew is called for a snow train extra. Its consist is: Snowplow, 2 GP7's, Jordan spreader, plow operators bunk car, enginemens bunk car, caboose.

This operation takes three days. The first day, the crew goes directly to Hawk Junction plowing the mainline only, and then ties up. The second day, the crew is ordered for about 06.00 and heads south plowing and spreading every siding and spur, leaving no humps of snow between tracks. They usually make Frater that evening and tie up there. The locomotives are left running in the 3rd throttle position to keep them hot. The train order operator reports the engine temperature and other gauge readings to the train dispatcher every hour. The third day, the crew is again called for 06.00 and continues south as before arriving at Sault Ste. Marie within the 12 hour limit for crew to be on duty.

The Michipicoten Subdivision is done in one day, while the Northern Subdivision takes two days using Hawk Junction crews. The yard in Sault Ste. Marie is handled by yard crews, manned off the extra board.

During severe winter conditions with lots of snow, it accumulates in the narrower rock-cuts. This in turn will catch underslung operating levers on freight cars, especially on curves. When this occurs and the slack is in, the levers will trip the uncoupling mechanisms of the freight cars causing the train to part when the slack is taken up, which puts the brakes in emergency. When this happens, a crew is called for and takes the older Jordan spreader #10475, which is fitted with 4 foot long auxiliary wings, and the crew cleans out the rock cuts. They usually make Frater the base of operation. The worst area for this problem is from Hubert to Canyon.

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