Old Time Trains

Marathon Pulp Inc.

Over the years this same pulp and paper plant has had a number of names and owners, in fact, the town itself has had two names! It all began when a major industry located in Peninsula, Ontario building a kraft pulp mill. Located at Mile 63.0 CP Heron Bay Subdivision. Originally named Marathon-Canadian Pulp Mills, a subsidiary of Marathon Corp. in Wisconsin, its first bale of pulp was produced in October 1946. It was re-named Marathon Corporation of Canada Ltd. then became Marathon Paper Mills of Canada Ltd. 1957 it was sold to American Can of Canada Ltd. In February 1980 it was re-named America Can Canada Inc. In April 1983 it became James River-Marathon Ltd. owned by James River (80%) & Buchanan Forest Products (20%). Later, Fort James-Marathon Ltd. which was acquired in January 2000 by Tembec Inc. The current name is Marathon Pulp Inc. and it is jointly owned by Tembec and Kruger. At the end of February 2009 the mill shutdown indefinitely throwing 230 employees out of work in a population of 4,400. The mill produced 200,000 tonnes of bleached kraft pulp annually and provided about $1.2 million in municipal taxes. GIGI a brownfield redeveloper based in Illinois was to take over the property putting up $2.0M bond along with a $4.8M bond from Tembec to clean up property. MOE requirements to clean up property became higher due to its being located on a lake. GIGI walked away from the project. A new company Reliance Developements Corp. has taken over and the plant is being demolished as of July 2014. Sad ending after all these years.

No number, unique one-of-a-kind unit built in 1937 by NSC and powered by a Harland & Wolff diesel.
Ex CPR 7000 acq. 11/1944. Re-engined 1951 with Caterpillar diesel.
Marathon, 1950. Marathon and District Historical Society
Unit has been preserved and is at Exporail.

17-101, (Ex Marathon Corp. 28-120) MLW S-13 M3435-01 2/1966
Marathon, September 1999

Sold 2004 Trillium 101

17-102 acq.6/1986 (ex CP 7024) sits by huge pile of woodchips. S-2 Alco #72859 10/1944
August 6, 1991 Bill Sanderson

Note the two styles of trucks. The front one is an original Blunt truck and must be a spare since the CPR
had already modified 7024 with newer style trucks off a retired MLW S-3 before selling it to Marathon.

Sold 2004 Trillium 7024

American Can of Canada Ltd. #NIL MLW S-13 M3435-01 2/1966

CANX 8700 (ex CN 8700 sold 8/1997 nee CN 8611) S-13u MLW 83179 11/1959
Leased from Canac to replace two older owned units (above) 17-101 and 17-102
This sequence of photographs shows contractor switching a cut of cars consisting of one box and eight woodchip cars.
Note the housing of this mill town in the background.
Shoving down a grade to the extensive plant. M.V. Menominee which has just berthed at the dock.

Closer view of the mill. These images taken May 23, 2005 by Chris Wilson.

CANX 1349 (ex CN 1349) SW1200RS GMD A1799 7/1959 September 15, 2007

CANX_8701 (2nd). Newly painted in Savage scheme, the new owner of Canac the switching contractor, worked only about three months at Marathon following wheel work and repainting at NRE Capreol in Nov. 2008. This unit had been recently acquired from Red Rock Mills Inc. 169 (formerly, Norampac previously Domtar) at Red Rock. Originally, QNS&L 169 GMD A948 6/1956. It was transferred out following bankruptcy of the mill leaving the old MLW unit to finish up until closure.
This view on February 23, 2009 shows the chip unloader beginning work in the background unloading the last 9 chip cars.

The last cars (7) to leave pulp storage. Monday May, 4, 2009
Three loads and a cripple out to CP. Monday May, 4, 2009
Five loads out to CP May 7, 2009. After more than half of a century, it is all over! Chris Wilson

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Old Time Trains © 2009 2014 2016 2018

Marathon Pulp Inc.

Over the years this same pulp and paper plant has had a number of names and owners, in fact, the town itself has had two names! It all began when a major industry located in Peninsula, Ontario building a kraft pulp mill. Located at Mile 63.0 CP Heron Bay Subdivision. Originally named Marathon-Canadian Pulp Mills, a subsidiary of Marathon Corp. in Wisconsin, its first bale of pulp was produced in October 1946. It was re-named Marathon Corporation of Canada Ltd. then became Marathon Paper Mills of Canada Ltd. 1957 it was sold to American Can of Canada Ltd. In February 1980 it was re-named America Can Canada Inc. In April 1983 it became James River-Marathon Ltd. owned by James River (80%) & Buchanan Forest Products (20%). Later, Fort James-Marathon Ltd. which was acquired in January 2000 by Tembec Inc. The current name is Marathon Pulp Inc. and it is jointly owned by Tembec and Kruger. At the end of February 2009 the mill shutdown indefinitely throwing 230 employees out of work in a population of 4,400. The mill produced 200,000 tonnes of bleached kraft pulp annually and provided about $1.2 million in municipal taxes. GIGI a brownfield redeveloper based in Illinois was to take over the property putting up $2.0M bond along with a $4.8M bond from Tembec to clean up property. MOE requirements to clean up property became higher due to its being located on a lake. GIGI walked away from the project. A new company Reliance Developements Corp. has taken over and the plant is being demolished as of July 2014. Sad ending after all these years.

No number, unique one-of-a-kind unit built in 1937 by NSC and powered by a Harland & Wolff diesel.
Ex CPR 7000 acq. 11/1944. Re-engined 1951 with Caterpillar diesel.
Marathon, 1950. Marathon and District Historical Society
Unit has been preserved and is at Exporail.

17-101, (Ex Marathon Corp. 28-120) MLW S-13 M3435-01 2/1966
Marathon, September 1999

Sold 2004 Trillium 101

17-102 acq.6/1986 (ex CP 7024) sits by huge pile of woodchips. S-2 Alco #72859 10/1944
August 6, 1991 Bill Sanderson

Note the two styles of trucks. The front one is an original Blunt truck and must be a spare since the CPR
had already modified 7024 with newer style trucks off a retired MLW S-3 before selling it to Marathon.

Sold 2004 Trillium 7024

American Can of Canada Ltd. #NIL MLW S-13 M3435-01 2/1966

CANX 8700 (ex CN 8700 sold 8/1997 nee CN 8611) S-13u MLW 83179 11/1959
Leased from Canac to replace two older owned units (above) 17-101 and 17-102

This sequence of photographs shows contractor switching a cut of cars consisting of one box and eight woodchip cars.

Note the housing of this mill town in the background.

Shoving down a grade to the extensive plant. M.V. Menominee which has just berthed at the dock.

Closer view of the mill. These images taken May 23, 2005 by Chris Wilson.

CANX 1349 (ex CN 1349) SW1200RS GMD A1799 7/1959 September 15, 2007

CANX_8701 (2nd). Newly painted in Savage scheme, the new owner of Canac the switching contractor, worked only about three months at Marathon following wheel work and repainting at NRE Capreol in Nov. 2008. This unit had been recently acquired from Red Rock Mills Inc. 169 (formerly, Norampac previously Domtar) at Red Rock. Originally, QNS&L 169 GMD A948 6/1956. It was transferred out following bankruptcy of the mill leaving the old MLW unit to finish up until closure.
This view on February 23, 2009 shows the chip unloader beginning work in the background unloading the last 9 chip cars.

The last cars (7) to leave pulp storage. Monday May, 4, 2009

Three loads and a cripple out to CP. Monday May, 4, 2009

Five loads out to CP May 7, 2009. After more than half of a century, it is all over! Chris Wilson