Crown Gypsum

York, Ontario

Non-common carrier railway 3 miles narrow gauge (36" ?) serving mine near York
connecting with Michigan Central at Lythmore Station. 1908-1932

Map Haldiman

Research by Jean Farquharson courtesy of David O'Reilly.

 

The Martindale Mine was opened about 1846-7 by Thomas Martindale on his farm ½ mile below the village of York,
on the opposite side of the Grand River. The works extended under five fields of farms (25-30 acres and later further).
In 1896 it was closed.

In 1908 it was reopened by Crown Gypsum Company. A narrow gauge railway 3 miles in length was built from the mine
to Lythmore Station on the Michigan Central where the mill for grinding the gypsum was located. The rock was handled in
small cars with a capacity of 3500 pounds each hauled by horses, on rails underground.
A small locomotive hauled about 10 tons per trip. The first engineers were Grant Herod and Earn Young.
It was also used by local families for transportation, visiting neighbours etc.

Earn Peart remembers having two teams working on the grading of the Dinky track,
at $4.50 per day, good pay in those days.

The last gypsum processed at the plant came from Squire Peart's farm (later, Jack Styma's)
via a shorter dinky track and oil-fired locomotives. Operations stopped in 1932.

 

Crown Gypsum 2 one of two unidentified narrow gauge 0-4-0T dinkys.

 

 

---

Back (Use your browser Back button)

Old Time Trains © 2017