While I continue to document CP Stanbridge Subdivision, I discover tidbits about operation here and there. Interestingly enough, I've been able to get a better picture of what used to be hauled by combining information from Canadian Railway Historical Society's monthly Canadian Rail magazine and BAnQ aerial picture database (macro-inventaire).
As for all these remote and rural subdivision, information isn't centralized or even compiled and digested in a global vision, but is a patchwork of partial knowledge. However, so far I gathered enough to better grasp how things worked out.
It seems the small feedmill in Bedford used to receive about 2 grain cars twice per week. This is about what I expected. I suspect the Apple Grower Cooperative warehouse and Champlain Industries were also switched on a similar frequency.
However, the case of Bedford Quarry is quite interesting. This single industry is the sole reason the line was kept alive under CP's tenure and its successors. In the 60s and 70s, it was common that 7 open hoppers full of crushed limestone were hauled directly to Farnham with a final destination to Shawinigan Chemicals. At the same time, the quarry provided high quality ballast in quite impressive quantities, often hauled in Hart convertible gondolas. Finally, according to fellow modeller Paul Trudel, the quarry also shipped lime in slabside hoppers. Paul referred to a picture shot in Bedford and found in Canadian Rail, but so far, I haven't been able to locate the exact issue.
This brings us to the conclusion traffic on Bedford subdivision was surprisingly strong given the remote nature of its location. It is fairly honest to say about 10-12 cars per train each day was a common sight, which is substantial for a short 12 miles run. However, we must keep in mind the fact it hauled high quality ballast was - according to Canadian Rail - the most important reason CP kept the line from oblivion. Given the line was in operation until 2014, it is a miracle it survived for so long.
Showing posts with label Prototype. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prototype. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Thursday, May 31, 2018
American Railways in Quebec
The history of railways in Southern Quebec is always fascinating. It is a blend of grandeur, delusion and scaled down dreams. During the railway fever, every locality in the area thought it would genuinely become the next metropolis is only it was linked to the outside world by the steel ribbon. Farmers, workers, investors, governments both local and national pledged impressive amount of money that was often wasted on pipe dreams. Other stories tell us of relatively humble local projects that found their place as a link in larger national and international trunk lines. Hard to not be enthralled by such a diversity of outcomes born from the same faith in the iron horse.
But another interesting aspect of Southern Quebec railways is how many American companies tried to control railways in La Belle Province up to Quebec City. In this short article, I won't talk about larger railroads that were only interested in linking cities such as Montreal and Ottawa, but those who truly desired to create regional networks serving the province itself. In this sense, they were much more interesting because they wanted to be much more integrated with the land they crossed.
Vermont Central then Central Vermont tried hard to create a monopoly in the second part of the 19th century. With success then failure until its absorption into the Grand Trunk network in 1899. In fact, Central Vermont was probably one of the most obnoxious company out there in Southern Quebec during la Belle Époque. Obsessed to keep absolute control and compete with regional players and Grand Trunk, they bought many small promising (and not so promising) companies only to keep the lines uncompleted and badly rail-served due to their chaotic corporate history. Like a Monopoly board game champion, Central Vermont tried to thwart every concurrent's project on its path, but while it worked for a while, it was also a seed that would spell their doom. By 1923, their remnants were integrated in the Canadian National Railways.
Rutland (1901-1963)
On a more positive note, other railroads like Rutland tried to create a substantial network in Southern Quebec and Montreal. Intermingled with Central Vermont's shaky ploys during most of the late 19th century, Rutland finally severed its ties with this problematic railway in 1901 and set a clear goal to link Canada by creating an independant line linking Canada with the USA via Lake Champlain islands. The terminal was located in Noyan, QC, a few miles from the border. This shaky financial condition of Rutland and several strikes killed the company in the long term. Rutland thus never created a real network in Southern Quebec, being more a bridge line.
Boston & Maine, during the same era, decided to give a second life to its Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad which had no important terminus and bought the Massawippi River Railway connecting Beebe Plains to Lennoxville and Sherbrooke. While it was a good regional road linking an industrial city well connected with major players such as Grand Trunk, Canadian Pacific and Quebec Central, it seems it was no longer thought to be a strategic asset by the mid-1920s when B&M was facing a financial crisis and was sold to CP and operated by QCR. It is interesting to note Boston & Maine ran weekly passenger trains between Boston and Quebec City in partnership with Quebec Central. During the touristic season, some sleepers full of pilgrims even reached Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.
However, the most interesting and ambitious player to enter the Quebec was the Delaware & Hudson. They kind of built upon Rutland vision to develop a real main line along the St. Lawrence river. Through purchases and building campaigns, they were on the verge of achieving their dream to connect their american lines with Quebec City via the new bridge under construction. This line was called the South Shore Railway but was operated under the Quebec Montreal & Southern Railway. The D&H was dead serious with their project and made sure it would be completed swiftly. Even an out-of-place camelback locomotive retrofitted with a special snow plow made its debut. Unfortunately, in 1907 their dreams were fatally destroyed when Quebec City bridge collapsed. The disaster and slow reconstruction project meant D&H project was no longer viable since it was running through insignificant rural parishes devoid of industrial potential. From that moment, no new construction was planned and the line slowly withered into a bunch of disconnected branchlines. In 1929, D&H pulled out of Quebec and closed the era when american railroads thought they could develop international bridge lines in the province.
One could argue this is a sad story, but I believe whatever if the original goal was never reached, most of these projects did have an impact. Maybe railways weren't the ultimate solution to develop these regions and certainly too much lines were built, but at a time when no other technology existed, they were a step forward and gave an impetus that lasted a few generation.
This intricate mixture of canadian and american interest in a bunch of regional and local lines is probably what attracts me. While small and simple to understand and model, these lines were complex and compelling stories. They have a soul and are a great occasion of mixing together the common railway culture both our countries had shared since the craze started in the early 1830s. In a sense, most railways ever built in Quebec were always about connecting some place with the american market, with a specific obsession with Boston.
So don't be surprised I often visit and revisit the Southern Quebec railways time and time again.
But another interesting aspect of Southern Quebec railways is how many American companies tried to control railways in La Belle Province up to Quebec City. In this short article, I won't talk about larger railroads that were only interested in linking cities such as Montreal and Ottawa, but those who truly desired to create regional networks serving the province itself. In this sense, they were much more interesting because they wanted to be much more integrated with the land they crossed.
Vermont Central (1860s-1923)
Vermont Central then Central Vermont tried hard to create a monopoly in the second part of the 19th century. With success then failure until its absorption into the Grand Trunk network in 1899. In fact, Central Vermont was probably one of the most obnoxious company out there in Southern Quebec during la Belle Époque. Obsessed to keep absolute control and compete with regional players and Grand Trunk, they bought many small promising (and not so promising) companies only to keep the lines uncompleted and badly rail-served due to their chaotic corporate history. Like a Monopoly board game champion, Central Vermont tried to thwart every concurrent's project on its path, but while it worked for a while, it was also a seed that would spell their doom. By 1923, their remnants were integrated in the Canadian National Railways.
Rutland (1901-1963)
On a more positive note, other railroads like Rutland tried to create a substantial network in Southern Quebec and Montreal. Intermingled with Central Vermont's shaky ploys during most of the late 19th century, Rutland finally severed its ties with this problematic railway in 1901 and set a clear goal to link Canada by creating an independant line linking Canada with the USA via Lake Champlain islands. The terminal was located in Noyan, QC, a few miles from the border. This shaky financial condition of Rutland and several strikes killed the company in the long term. Rutland thus never created a real network in Southern Quebec, being more a bridge line.
Maine Central (1890-1927)
Another player was Maine Central who leased the Hereford Railway linking the USA border to Lime Ridge, an important lime mining area. Called the Raspberry Branch - yes, even today raspberries grow on the old roadbed and I can testify they are delicious - it was a decent investment for a while and looked promising since it linked directly MEC with CPR Short Line and QCR that gave access to important mineral deposits (asbestos, lime). But by the 1920s, the gamble started to be much more a liability than a good investment since it moved very little traffic and didn't connect any town of importance. In 1927, CPR took control of the line and started to prune off several sections of the road, effectively ending its role as a connecting line. By the 1980s, the Hereford Railway and MEC were a faded page of history.Boston and Maine Railroad (1893-1926)
Boston & Maine, during the same era, decided to give a second life to its Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad which had no important terminus and bought the Massawippi River Railway connecting Beebe Plains to Lennoxville and Sherbrooke. While it was a good regional road linking an industrial city well connected with major players such as Grand Trunk, Canadian Pacific and Quebec Central, it seems it was no longer thought to be a strategic asset by the mid-1920s when B&M was facing a financial crisis and was sold to CP and operated by QCR. It is interesting to note Boston & Maine ran weekly passenger trains between Boston and Quebec City in partnership with Quebec Central. During the touristic season, some sleepers full of pilgrims even reached Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.
Delaware & Hudson Railroad - Q.M.&.S.R. (1906-1929)
However, the most interesting and ambitious player to enter the Quebec was the Delaware & Hudson. They kind of built upon Rutland vision to develop a real main line along the St. Lawrence river. Through purchases and building campaigns, they were on the verge of achieving their dream to connect their american lines with Quebec City via the new bridge under construction. This line was called the South Shore Railway but was operated under the Quebec Montreal & Southern Railway. The D&H was dead serious with their project and made sure it would be completed swiftly. Even an out-of-place camelback locomotive retrofitted with a special snow plow made its debut. Unfortunately, in 1907 their dreams were fatally destroyed when Quebec City bridge collapsed. The disaster and slow reconstruction project meant D&H project was no longer viable since it was running through insignificant rural parishes devoid of industrial potential. From that moment, no new construction was planned and the line slowly withered into a bunch of disconnected branchlines. In 1929, D&H pulled out of Quebec and closed the era when american railroads thought they could develop international bridge lines in the province.
One could argue this is a sad story, but I believe whatever if the original goal was never reached, most of these projects did have an impact. Maybe railways weren't the ultimate solution to develop these regions and certainly too much lines were built, but at a time when no other technology existed, they were a step forward and gave an impetus that lasted a few generation.
This intricate mixture of canadian and american interest in a bunch of regional and local lines is probably what attracts me. While small and simple to understand and model, these lines were complex and compelling stories. They have a soul and are a great occasion of mixing together the common railway culture both our countries had shared since the craze started in the early 1830s. In a sense, most railways ever built in Quebec were always about connecting some place with the american market, with a specific obsession with Boston.
So don't be surprised I often visit and revisit the Southern Quebec railways time and time again.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
QSSR Mark IV - St-Guillaume Subdivision - MMA
When my
friend Jérôme told me last summer operating Harlem Junction wasn’t very
practical given his available space and time, we started to discuss what could
be an interesting small layout that would capture prototypical operation, be
visually engaging, relatively simple to build and manage. On top of the list
was also minimal track maintenance and ease of staging impromptu operating
sessions lasting anything between 30 minutes up to one hour. It is also
interesting to note he favors short trains with a branchline flavour, which is
quite useful for our purpose.
While these
parameters are rather simple, they can make or break a deal quickly. Unreliable
electrical pickup and too much track to clean can easily turn a nice idea in a
nightmare. We’ve all experimented how small electrical failures can sour the
most optimistic operator on earth, particularly when dealing with low speed
switching. Furthermore, the more complex a layout is, the harder it comes to
stage efficiently and quickly an operation session. This is another deterrent
that should never be underestimated in the context of short solo operation.
A Premise
Jérôme
being a real life railroader, he likes to take up operation challenges and find
ways to accomplish a task. But don’t be fooled, it’s not a matter of complexity
for the sake of it such as a switching puzzle like John Allen’s Timesaver. He
prefers situation when you have to perform optimal moves given normal life
limitation just as real railroads do. His request was timely because at the
time, I was exploring ideas for a small HO layout at home based upon the same
general ideas.
What’s
interesting with Jérôme is that he knows what he wants, what works for him and
what doesn’t bring him fun. For years, he bothered with grain cars until I
built a large replica of Quebec City’s Bunge (now G3) elevator. It was a few
weeks before we changed the club layout focus and thus, our grain cars never
saw action since we purchased them.
It is also
interesting to note Jérôme operates frequently our layout (and others too)
which helped him to shape his personal approach to model railroader. It means
he won’t ask for impossible things and knows how much action he can expect from
a given design. It’s not a matter of speculation but rather taking decision
based on experience.
A Prototype
Since last
summer, I’ve been exploring the possibility to replicate a stretch of ex-CP
track that was operated by the ill-fated Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway
in the 2000s in Saint-Pie, QC. Called the St-Guillaume Subdivision, it used to
link Stanbridge, Farnhman and St-Hyacinthe. What MMA operated was only a
remnant of yet another former grandiloquent 19th century trunk line
linking the St. Lawrence River and the United States to bring hay on New York
City markets. It was destined to fail, which took about 150 year to happen.
The last Quebec
South Shore Railway project was indeed based on St-Pie which is a small rural
community with a feed mill and an impressive concrete grain elevator. This
prototype is interesting because it is really focussed in terms of traffic,
rolling stock and industries, while being easy to replicate in HO scale in a
very standard spare bedroom. Among the prototype chief features are a nice
Pratt truss double span bridge, a weed-infested right of way, short siding and
a passing track that can barely hold more than 5 grain cars. If you add to that
a sharp 90 degrees bend, you get something that can be reasonably be modeled
without too much compromise.
 |
| St-Pie, QC (courtesy Google Earth) |
You can have a better appreciation of the prototype with these excellent pictures shot by fellow railfans Jean-François Dumont and Frank Jolin before the line demise.
Most of you
can recall I mentioned last summer I had another layout concept in mind that I
would like to share with you. It was this project. A few reasons prompted me to
develop this idea beyond just wanting to model Southern Quebec.
While
Harlem Station is a neat layout, it proved to be quite overwhelming to operate
for a single person, namely Jérôme. It also takes up a lot of space in his
office room, making it not the best way to optimize available space.
Furthermore, most of the time, you want to operate about 45 minutes or 1 hour,
maybe less. Harlem Station is quite complex, but a small rural community is
something you can interact with on a more frequent basis. Lance Mindheim often
advocated smaller layouts were indeed more engaging to operate regularly. I
fully agree with him, knowing how much my original QSSR layout has been to
operate. When you put all that together, it’s no wonder I believe Jérôme
deserves a layout better suited to his need.
St-Pie is
thus interesting because it was located on a short branchline connecting
St-Hyacinthe and Farnham, two large railway hubs in Southern Quebec. It served
several farming communities along the road, including several grain elevator
and feed mill. In fact, it was almost exclusively a grain hauling line.
Pictures and railfanning trips helps us to understand trains were short, very
short, often between 5 to 15 cars, but generally closer to five than fifteen.
It was often operated with quite weathered and faded ex-LMX GE B39-8s.
Another
interesting aspect of this prototype is how it is naturally framed in such a
way it is visually interesting. You’ll notice most of the action is near the
layout center portion which is well-framed by the bridge and the smaller feed
mill. Track ends are also hidden in tree tunnels that are a both end of the
layout, making for a natural way to hide them without complex contraptions.
From an
operation standpoint, the line can be operated westbound or eastbound.
According to Jérome’s recollections and pictures, St-Pie’s customers were all
switched on northbound and southbound trips. This is interesting, because it
meant the runaround had to be used half of the time. Better, that passing track
was often clogged with extra cars waiting to be spotted. No need to say what
seems to be a very simplistic layout can quickly turn out to be more than meets
the eye.
A Project
To test the
idea, we decided to “draw” the layout benchwork on the floor with masking tape.
It was the best way to fine tune how track and structures would work together. Using
turnouts, flextrack and foamcore structures, it also helped to compose scenes
in a way they will look better and more realistic. Let’s be honest, you can
fiddle with 2D and 3D planning all you want, but at the end of the day, scene
composition has to be in real. With scale model or full scale. Somehow,
perception with our eyes always differs from virtual perspectives. Though my
training as an architect helps me to anticipate how things look in real life,
it’s always a tricky exercise. Better work with real stuff, particularly when
the design process has an artistic nature. Picture's subpar quality is due to a serious lack of adequate lighting in the room (which will have to be addressed when building the layout).
As for the
layout itself, it will be built in three modules (left, corner and bridge)
supported by legs. Since we hardly know the wall composition and don’t want to
risk messing up with insulation and air barrier (this is a basement after all),
making a self-supporting shelf isn’t the best solution in our case. Since
Saint-Pie is a relatively flat “urban” setting, a flat benchwork will be more
than enough. Water putty, papier-mâché mud and other such products will be used
to add some relief to the scene. Noteworthy, MMA track was buried in the ground
with almost no ballast remaining in sight. It was a common occurrence on MMA
trackage, which was generally plagued with serious speed limitations. While a
serious issue on the prototype, this makes our benchwork and track laying
process simpler. I certainly wish to build up on experience gained when add
ballast and weed to Villeneuve yard recently.
Overall,
this layout is quite focussed yet has some interesting challenges. The project
small scale make it suitable to hone my scenery and structure building skills
while providing Jérôme with something he can be proud of. To my knowledge,
nobody ever attempted to create a MMA layout and given the company’s abject
reputation after Lac-Mégatic events, it’s arguably everything except a popular
road. That said, it still has a lot of character from a modelling standpoint,
which is why I think the St-Guillaume Subdivision is worth a try.
 |
| Track plan with real structures |
Help Needed - In Search of... Motive Power
By the way, we are actively looking for an Atlas HO LMX GE B39-8 (or B-40) with the red nose to operate this layout. They are quite hard to source, but I wouldn't be surprised some are sitting indefinitely on collectors' shelves or in unsold inventory. If you have any information regarding that model, let me know!
Notice
I’m not
planning to turn this project into a regular feature of this blog. Coverage
will be sparse and it’s not my goal to unveil it until it reaches a level of
completion I’m proud of..
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Back to the Basement
After a few days, I decided to cleanup the basement and make room for working on the module. After clearing the workshop, I was able to set the layout on a table to be accessible from all side while working out the wiring and lighting.
Over the years, I found out the working condition and location have a huge impact on my motivation. Poor lighting and cluttered rooms aren't winning condition and they quickly wear off enthusiasm. For this reason, the module is now resting on a table and can be worked on while sitting comfortably on a chair. That makes tedious or precise work more enjoyable to perform.
Over the years, I found out the working condition and location have a huge impact on my motivation. Poor lighting and cluttered rooms aren't winning condition and they quickly wear off enthusiasm. For this reason, the module is now resting on a table and can be worked on while sitting comfortably on a chair. That makes tedious or precise work more enjoyable to perform.
Meanwhile, I've been looking for pictures of St-Pie on railpictures.net. Friend Jean-François Dumont and well-known photographer Frank Jolin published
many pictures of the last years of operation under MMA tenure. It is truly
fascinating and inspiring. The short but colorful grain trains are quite a
sight, including the MMA locomotives which would be nice weathering projects in
themselves.
MMA 8569 (train 811) ready to switch St-Pie
MMA 8546 (train 811) passing by Moulée St-Pie Inc.
MMA 8546 (train 811) switching St-Pie grain elevator
MMA 8569 (train 811) pulling a few cars near Canrobert StationMMA 8569 (train 811) ready to switch St-Pie
MMA 8546 (train 811) passing by Moulée St-Pie Inc.
MMA 8546 (train 811) switching St-Pie grain elevator
Pictures
also give a glimpse at how operations were handled. It appears Moulée St-Pie was switched at the same time as the other town elevator by the train bound to
Farnham (East side). On the other hand, for the sake of visual interest, I
planned to switch the layout from the west. My motivation was because the grain
elevator better frame the scene from that side and there is also a
loading/unloading door on the warehouse which adds a second car spot to the
layout. If switched from the east, this part of the layout wouldn’t be easily
accessible or visible.
Funny to
see how real-life operations, again, change my perception of a scene. To
decide, I will have to build a grain elevator mockup and move things around
until I find what fits best my space. Also, problem such as backdrop and roads
can be tricky and kill the illusion.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Limited Space Prototypes
Moulée St-Pie Inc. in Saint-Pie, Quebec, on old Montreal Maine & Atlantic defunct branch between Farnham and Ste-Rosalie (former CPR) is a great source of inspiration.
This small locality is served by 2 unusually located feedmill and elevator built in the middle of the town. One of them, the oldest, is built tightly against the mainline. This is what I'd like to reproduce on the layout.
The space between the building and the right of way limit is about 55 feets, thus 7-1/2" in HO. Walthers Farmers Coop elevator is about 4-1/4" deep, so it bring the total layout to about 12" wide. That means my earlier estimates were right.
On the prototype, a nice and tall hedge is growing along the track which could provide visual interest.
At this point, I consider I've planned enough the layout. No need to go further, only a real mock up with tracks, structures and freight cars will help me to find the best balance for this scene.
This small locality is served by 2 unusually located feedmill and elevator built in the middle of the town. One of them, the oldest, is built tightly against the mainline. This is what I'd like to reproduce on the layout.
The space between the building and the right of way limit is about 55 feets, thus 7-1/2" in HO. Walthers Farmers Coop elevator is about 4-1/4" deep, so it bring the total layout to about 12" wide. That means my earlier estimates were right.
On the prototype, a nice and tall hedge is growing along the track which could provide visual interest.
At this point, I consider I've planned enough the layout. No need to go further, only a real mock up with tracks, structures and freight cars will help me to find the best balance for this scene.
Friday, April 18, 2014
A New Story...
In 1908, Quebec Parliament voted subsidies to build 25-miles of main line between Lac-Frontière and St. Pamphile with the ultimate goal to link Chaudière Subdivision with an interchange point with Temiscouata Railway at Cabano, QC. The line was never built because of WW1 but the project was revived during the early 30s to fail again in 1932. What would have happened if Quebec Central Railway did extend the Chaudière Sub up to St. Pamphile, QC, during WW1 as planned? We will try to answer that question while discovering a fascinating rural community bordering the State of Maine.at the time of Quebec Central Railway's slow demise during the late 80s.
*****
What should have been a dot on the line became an improvised terminal of an avorted main line whom last half-mile of track was converted into an industrial siding serving a sawmill; The 25-mile St. Pamphile Spur was born.
Rail facilities were spartan; a short passing track and the feed mill siding. No way to turn a steam locomotive up there; running reverse at slow speed down to Lac-Frontière was to be the rule until diesels roamed the place from the early 60s onward.
*****
In April 1986, nobody could tell if rail service was going to last until the end of the decade. The average Joe couldn't predict the 1987 recession would be the last nail in the coffin of the line.
*****
There was rumours of abandonment of line during the last few years. Last passenger train was in 1949 and the mixed train service ended back in 1967 for Canada's Centennial. Talk about an ironic coincidence for a country built by rails!
That said, most of the line trafic dried out when the forest resources depleted during the last two decades and the agricultural optimistic forecasts never quite materialized. One's would be a fool to expect Prairies-like outcomes from a rocky mountain plateau.
However, business is still strong in that small but industrious village. Sure the feed mill have been a loyal customer for more than 50 years now, but nobody could have expected the sawmill to grow that much when others were closing one after one. A big thanks to that big company that purchased it when it was on the verge of bankruptcy. Even the railway company had already pulled out the siding, sure this industry had dried out for good!
And finally, the unexpected provincial subsidies voted in 1985 to recommission the hydroelectric dam were like a God sent gift. For once, trucking can't beat the rail in such a remote place. Iit should last for two years, but who knows what will happen after that point? At least, the railway company will have hard time for while prooving Canadian Transportation Commission the line isn't profitable anymore and should be abandoned.
*****
November 1986, the last pulpwood shipment to Trois-Rivières paper mill convinced the company to abandon the line once for al.
March 1987, the railway company is trying to settle an agreement with the dam contractor to cease shipment of bulk material by rail. There will be penalties if they do so, but some people think it would be cheaper than running a bankrupt line until the end of the year.
December 1987, the die has been cast. The feed mill and the sawmill have switched to trucks over the last months when abandonment talks resumed. The rail line is now doomed by the recession and lack of clients. The railway company doesn't see any profit keeping the line open during the winter months.
April 1988, an important flood down severed the line down from the main network in the Chaudière valley near Beauceville. It's a matter a months before the official abandonment is effective. It's the end.
*****
What should have been a dot on the line became an improvised terminal of an avorted main line whom last half-mile of track was converted into an industrial siding serving a sawmill; The 25-mile St. Pamphile Spur was born.
Rail facilities were spartan; a short passing track and the feed mill siding. No way to turn a steam locomotive up there; running reverse at slow speed down to Lac-Frontière was to be the rule until diesels roamed the place from the early 60s onward.
*****
In April 1986, nobody could tell if rail service was going to last until the end of the decade. The average Joe couldn't predict the 1987 recession would be the last nail in the coffin of the line.
*****
There was rumours of abandonment of line during the last few years. Last passenger train was in 1949 and the mixed train service ended back in 1967 for Canada's Centennial. Talk about an ironic coincidence for a country built by rails!
That said, most of the line trafic dried out when the forest resources depleted during the last two decades and the agricultural optimistic forecasts never quite materialized. One's would be a fool to expect Prairies-like outcomes from a rocky mountain plateau.
However, business is still strong in that small but industrious village. Sure the feed mill have been a loyal customer for more than 50 years now, but nobody could have expected the sawmill to grow that much when others were closing one after one. A big thanks to that big company that purchased it when it was on the verge of bankruptcy. Even the railway company had already pulled out the siding, sure this industry had dried out for good!
And finally, the unexpected provincial subsidies voted in 1985 to recommission the hydroelectric dam were like a God sent gift. For once, trucking can't beat the rail in such a remote place. Iit should last for two years, but who knows what will happen after that point? At least, the railway company will have hard time for while prooving Canadian Transportation Commission the line isn't profitable anymore and should be abandoned.
*****
November 1986, the last pulpwood shipment to Trois-Rivières paper mill convinced the company to abandon the line once for al.
March 1987, the railway company is trying to settle an agreement with the dam contractor to cease shipment of bulk material by rail. There will be penalties if they do so, but some people think it would be cheaper than running a bankrupt line until the end of the year.
December 1987, the die has been cast. The feed mill and the sawmill have switched to trucks over the last months when abandonment talks resumed. The rail line is now doomed by the recession and lack of clients. The railway company doesn't see any profit keeping the line open during the winter months.
April 1988, an important flood down severed the line down from the main network in the Chaudière valley near Beauceville. It's a matter a months before the official abandonment is effective. It's the end.
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