LOST RAILS: A CN Branch: Last Train from Midland, 1994

[@rono108]

End of an era. Wonderful video. Thanks.

[@kitchener2200]

This is incredible footage. Thank you for posting.

[@HavelockYard]

Unimin/Indusmin also had an operation here. Glad you posted this. Loved the talk about the old deadman switch before cab alerters, Buildings at 15:20 at King and Bayshore still look the same.

[@meriachee]

Class lights and a van. Nicely done lads.

[@ptanger4]

Thank you for posting this video my father was one of the last track maintenance staff stationed at midland when it was shut down. He loved watching the video

[@angusdrummond6719]

Brilliant. Thank you!

[@admydragon]

This is all I could have asked for. Amazing footage, thank you for posting. I'm trying recreate this line on a simulator, and your footage will be ample help in that effort.

[@poastur]

If you contact me off-line, I may be able to help further. [e-mail]

[@glendodwell7745]

Great video, thanks for capturing the history of the last train. I’ve snowmobiled the line many times but I wish it had stayed a railway.

[@garyhersemeyer2642]

This is amazing! Thank you for capturing this special time and place on video! I remember visiting Midland in 1991 and watching the train switch the Ogilvie flour mill. If I remember correctly, there were boxcars as well as covered hoppers at the mill.

[@kristinacountrybathbombs2050]

hello from midland

[@garyhersemeyer2642]

​@@kristinacountrybathbombs2050 Thanks! I was last there in 2017 to see Sainte Marie Among The Hurons and the Wye Marsh. We had a unforgettably belly busting breakfast at Stackers too!!

[@JayJr2007]

Love this! Thank you so much for positing. J

[@lexpo181]

This is a very well documented video! A cool piece of history you got ;)

[@Mrs.EmmaPeel]

Great video, my brother Peter was the conductor on that last train, the fellow with the beard. Nice not to see rail cars all messed up with graffiti.

[@poastur]

Peter told me that he went out the night before and painted all the graffiti-marked cars! lol!

[@stevecatlin5609]

I think Ken Wilson was the brakeman that day?

[@frederickmoller]

This brought tears to my eyes, I never love seeing the last run of a train.

[@wst8340]

Fantastic and sad at the same time.Thanks 🇨🇦

[@FULLHOUSEBBQ]

Great video

[@FrogandFlangeVideo]

What a great nostalgic film. But sad even though it happened over 25 years ago. I think CN 4131 might still be running around Brantford area. At least until a few months ago. Thanks for recording that event. cheer. James/FFV.

[@brsnorthernhorsejourney3579]

I'm glad I found this, have read about the Midland Subdivision in books by Ian Wilson and Keith Hansen, and remember seeing trains on the line back in late 1980's when I first moved to the area. Admittedly it is only a consolation prize however much of this route can be travelled on foot or bicycle as it became the Tay Shore Trail and also Uthoff Trail into Orillia. Some sections of trail deviate from actual railway alignment in places but for the most part trail takes you through places seen in video such as: 3:26 Plate girder bridge over Hwy 12. 20:36 Wye Marsh trestle. 22:46 CP abutments where Port McNicoll Sub crossed Hog Bay.

[@daveyboy_]

By the early 90's there were major cuts at CN - from lines to employees, odd because this line looked like it actually had customers

[@johnwoodhouse3369]

This is excellent video footage. I've read much about this line and history over the years but not seen any video of this section until now. I live on the eastern part of the former "Grain Route" between Lindsay and Belleville and of course all Midland Railway territory back in the day. Incredible to think the line served Ontario over 100 years, and through two world wars, only to be made redundant by the St. Lawrence Seaway. Thank you Sir for sharing this 👍

[@6060don]

I liked your video. Even though I live in Western Canada today. I know the area around Midland. I recall as a young fellow my family travelled to Barrie to ride behind the steam locomotive 6167 that was on an excursion trip to Midland. We rode the train from the Barrie station to Orillia then followed the train to Midland. My father took some very good footage (Super 8 movie) of the train passing under the CPR Hog Bay trestle. It brought back more than a few memories. My father was the son of a CNR locomotive engineer and he was born in Barrie.

[@kristinacountrybathbombs2050]

hello from midland

[@daveaharonian5541]

Amazing video. Thanks for sharing.

[@caseyvillemodelrailroad3877]

Great vidio, I have lived and worked here all my life in this area the movie remindes me of just how much train traffic we had .

[@poastur]

St Anthony's or Port aux Choix?

[@caseyvillemodelrailroad3877]

Georgian triangle area , Barrie and now Wasaga Beach Ont.

[@fares-please]

Thank you for sharing this.

[@MetalTelecaster]

This reminds me of warm, dry summer days as a kid in the ‘90s in Newfoundland…even though the trains there were long gone by then.

[@poastur]

St Anthony's, Rocky Harbour or Port aux Choix?

[@bikerheart]

They let you in the cab?! 😲🤩 Betcha they wouldn't now 🚂 Also, I thought vans were gone by then 🚃 nice little bonus 😊 This video is a nice piece of work. . .thanks for sharing

[@krazytrainguy]

Really enjoyed the video. Sad to see that most Lake Huron and Georgian Bay ports are no longer served by rail.

[@poastur]

I believe the St Lawrence Seaway was the death knell for most of those ports. That was their volume business.

[@jamesnichols2188]

Awesome thanks for sharing

[@ronhaworth5471]

My Father took me to the rail line coming into Cobourg to view the last coal train to come in.He took a picture of me as the train came by.

[@poastur]

The coal trains came by ferry from Charlotte NY.

[@ronhaworth5471]

My grandfather was fireman, then engineer with CN.Based in Toronto.Died from brain cancer at 62 just before retirement.

[@WilliamHBaird-eq2hp]

Great documentery

[@danielfantino1714]

Sad day, but a least a nice sunny one clean loco and van. Friendly crew, no graffitis, à "polite" CP that let you pass first. Only ghosts left under CP bridge abutments and CN gone track. Was there some original Midland rails ? If so i hope that they didn´t all went to foundry. Who was first at the diamond ? If it was Midland, CN should have kept it and get paif by CP every train that pass over. That would have been a revenge from CP that ask CN fees for the one in Joliette (QC)... Did the old wooden trestle is still a part of the bike trail ? Thanks for sharing that memorabilia.

[@poastur]

CNR was there first - Midland Ry/Grand Trunk. CPR didn't arrive until 1912. So, CN had ROW, CP had maintenance (and ownership?) of the diamond. The wooden trestle is part of the bike trail.

[@danielfantino1714]

@@poastur thanks for added infos.

[@burnuts007]

Great footage!! What is the history of lake freighters in and around Midland ?

[@poastur]

Harbour activity around Midland was very extensive, covered in some detail in "Steam Memories of Lindsay" by Ian Wilson ianwilsonauthor.com/canadianbranchline/lindsay I believe this work is out of print, but it should be possible to track on the web. Worth a read.

[@psimobilepressurewashing1569]

Love this video thanks

[@Ricky-manic]

I got family in midland I didn't know there was a rail system there

[@TheKnightjet]

What was the name of fhe diamond? I csnt quite hear it that well?

[@poastur]

The diamond was at Medonte, installed by the late-comer, CPR, who would have been responsible for maintaining it. I'm not sure if GTR/CNR gave it another name. It was mid-way between the wye at the CPR line to Port McNicoll, and the CPR eastbound (Georgian Bay Sub?) which was truncated at Uhthoff Quarry.

[@curraheewolf]

At 10:14, why does the handrails appear to be bent inward on the front of the locomotive?

[@stevecatlin5609]

Canadian National GPs had unique railing bends so the bends are typical. I think they were adapted for safety, considering the types of winter Canada gets.

[@Joe-d7m6k]

​@@stevecatlin5609yes, correct!!

[@carmenbejar481]

Hermosa maquina

[@PatFrenchLeafsFan1]

Any railway footage from Sudbury?

[@poastur]

cpr or CNR? Sudbury DT or Cap?

[@PatFrenchLeafsFan1]

@@poastur CP!

[@alpharomeofoxtrot]

that a gp 20m ?

[@_ford_crown_victoria_p]

And to say cn is still using these in ‘24

[@briancrews3218]

Now a walking biking and snowmobile trail

[@poastur]

Thanks for reminding me!

[@simonapeters4372]

Kind of lacks on safety every railroad these days everybody's got to wear a yellow vest

[@kristinacountrybathbombs2050]

do you mean midland ont canada

[@RobertWiddes]

To bad couldn't of kept the railway into midland as a viable railway even could of had passenger rail up to midland and maybe some industry use it as well

[@weserman95]

I never understand why they got rid of trains to carry freight from the docks in midland. Did the facility closed down or trucks took over? If trucks took over thst pretty stupid. Because they could have reduce trucks off the roads and reduce pollution and traffic jams on country roads. Sad ontario is pro roads.

[@poastur]

Trucks took over.

[@weserman95]

@@poastur That pretty stupid! Think of how much traffic we could reduce off the road if one locomotive pulls ten rolling stock! Believe me, we are better off to have less trucks on the road! Its good to have trucks in certain degree, but when there rail service to something! Might as well bring out the big boi and reduce them trucks off the highways!

[@stevecatlin5609]

there has been also a shift with "just in time" delivery, where the trucks become the manufacturer's warehouse- bringing supplies just in time for use, instead of being stored on property until needed.

[@siycles]

@@weserman95 Also worth to note that from a business aspect, it really isn't cheaper for Cn to maintain a whole rail sub and pay property taxes just to haul to that one area. Its much cheaper just to use a tax payer paid highway where vehicles don't have to pay for "their own roads"