Old Time Trains

Brockville and Ottawa

Canada Central

The Brockville and Ottawa was one of the earliest railways in Canada having been incorporated in 1853 to build to Pembroke in the Ottawa Valley timber lands from Brockville. It was opened to Smiths Falls with a 12 mile branch to Perth, in February 1859 and as far as Sand Point, 12 miles past Renfrew on the Ottawa River, in 1867. It included the first tunnel in Canada; opened December 31, 1860 a 1,730 foot bore under downtown Brockville to reach the harbour and wharves, and where the railway built its shops. The B&O was built to the Provincial gauge of 5 feet, 6 inches.

The Canada Central, incorporated in 1861, built a line between Carleton Junction and Ottawa, opening it in September of 1870. It was controlled by Duncan McIntrye, biography a Montreal capitalist who soon went on to become Vice-president of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. It too was broad gauge.

In 1873 the two railways built a large stone roundhouse and shops in Carleton Junction. The latter substantial structure still remains in existence having been taken over by the CPR and used for some years.

On the way to Douglas, Sand Point had been reached in 1867, which was 74 miles north of Brockville. In November 1874 the government authorized a subsidy to extend the line westward to meet the line from Georgian Bay being built by the government. This Georgian Bay branch was an 85 mile line from the mouth of the French River to connect with the Canada Central as part of the rail and water route. The line continued from Sand Point through Renfrew to Pembroke reaching there in 1878 by which time a decision had been made to extend the rail line instead. The B&O and the CCR were amalgamated in 1878. Known as the Canada Central Extension, the CCR continued to slowly build on through Chalk River finally reaching Mattawa.

The Canada Central was still a broad gauge railway, one of the last and this presented a problem. Conversion to standard gauge was made on Easter Sunday of 1880 as far as Mackey, 46 miles beyond Pembroke where it had been completed to. Construction continued beyond this point to Mattawa using broad gauge equipment. It was changed in early 1882 when work was finished on the line. It had already been amalgamated with the Canadian Pacific Railway Company on June 9th, 1881. It became the Eastern Division.

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Old Time Trains © 2021

Brockville and Ottawa

Canada Central

The Brockville and Ottawa was one of the earliest railways in Canada having been incorporated in 1853 to build to Pembroke in the Ottawa Valley timber lands from Brockville. It was opened to Smiths Falls with a 12 mile branch to Perth, in February 1859 and as far as Sand Point, 12 miles past Renfrew on the Ottawa River, in 1867. It included the first tunnel in Canada; opened December 31, 1860 a 1,730 foot bore under downtown Brockville to reach the harbour and wharves, and where the railway built its shops. The B&O was built to the Provincial gauge of 5 feet, 6 inches.

The Canada Central, incorporated in 1861, built a line between Carleton Junction and Ottawa, opening it in September of 1870. It was controlled by Duncan McIntrye, biography a Montreal capitalist who soon went on to become Vice-president of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. It too was broad gauge.

In 1873 the two railways built a large stone roundhouse and shops in Carleton Junction. The latter substantial structure still remains in existence having been taken over by the CPR and used for some years.

On the way to Douglas, Sand Point had been reached in 1867, which was 74 miles north of Brockville. In November 1874 the government authorized a subsidy to extend the line westward to meet the line from Georgian Bay being built by the government. This Georgian Bay branch was an 85 mile line from the mouth of the French River to connect with the Canada Central as part of the rail and water route. The line continued from Sand Point through Renfrew to Pembroke reaching there in 1878 by which time a decision had been made to extend the rail line instead. The B&O and the CCR were amalgamated in 1878. Known as the Canada Central Extension, the CCR continued to slowly build on through Chalk River finally reaching Mattawa.

The Canada Central was still a broad gauge railway, one of the last and this presented a problem. Conversion to standard gauge was made on Easter Sunday of 1880 as far as Mackey, 46 miles beyond Pembroke where it had been completed to. Construction continued beyond this point to Mattawa using broad gauge equipment. It was changed in early 1882 when work was finished on the line. It had already been amalgamated with the Canadian Pacific Railway Company on June 9th, 1881. It became the Eastern Division.