Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

Before 1889

 1883, February 6 - Collision at Kenyon Road, Canada Atlantic, 1 killed, 4 injured.
 1883, December 20 - Passenger car derailed, turned over and fell down an embankment at Conroy's Mills, Aylmer Branch, Canadian Pacific.  There were minor injuries.

1890-1899

1900-1909

1910-1919

1920-1929

1930-1939
1940-1949

1950-1959

1960-1969

1970-1979

1980-1989

1990-1999

2000 to 2009

1885, January 24 - Derailment of a passenger train at Smiths Falls, Canadian Pacific, 2 killed, 2 injured.

Correct details of the smash up on the C.P.R.
How the accident occurred - Names of the killed and injured - the company's losses estimated at $59,000.
on Saturday last the people of this city were startled by the news that a serious railway accident had taken place on the line of the Canadian Pacific Railway at Smiths Falls and as a result two parties were killed and several others seriously injured. All sorts of rumours were current throughout the day as to the exact nature and cause of the accident.  None of these hitherto published, however, are correct.  From investigtions made by Citizen reporters, it has been found that the
are substantially as follows:  The No. 2 fast express which was due at Smiths Falls at 4.02 in the morning arrived sharp on time.  All went well until they arrived at the west switch of Smiths Falls Junction.  On arriving there, from some cause one of the axles of the baggage car was broken, the consequence was the
from the train and proceeded along the main line, the baggage car left the track and pitched into the water tank utterly demolishing it.  The suddenness of the shock caused the first and second class passenger cars to also leave the track in every direction. The two sleepers, however, were not derailed.  The whole affair took place in less time than it takes to describe it.  A scene of great confusion at once ensued, and the terrified passengers hurried out of the cars as best they could, which, not many seconds later were in flames.  The origin of the fire is not known.  The rumour which gined currency to the effect that it proceeded from the stove in the water tank is incorrect, as there had been no fire there for some time previous.  It must have originated either from the stoves in the cars or from the coal oil lamps, the probability being that it was from the latter, as the stoves are of the latest and most improved pattern, constructed in such a manner that the coals can scarcely escape from them in the case of their being overturned.  As a result of the accident two of the persons who were on the train at the time were
and a number of other parties were more or less seriously injured. The names of those who lost their lives are Baggage Master M. McDonald of Toronto and a man named Bonsecour of Ottawa.  Both of these were in the foremost car, which was a combination baggage, mail and express car.  Mr. McDonald was in charge of the Express Department.  Mr. Bonsecour, who had had his leg broken at the shanties and was returning to Ottawa, lay on a stretcher in the same car. Both these unfortunate men were entirely consumed by the flames before they could be rescued.
(details of other injured)
Mr. H.B. Spencer received a telegram informing him of the disaster at 4.47 a.m., twenty minutes later
left the Union station in this city under his charge for the scene of the accident for the purpose of carrying the passengers and their baggage to their destination.  It arrived here at 9.35 (sic) the same morning and by noon the track was clear and traffic resumed as usual.  The mails and nearly all the baggage were consumed.  Too much credit cannot be given to Mr. Spencer for the prompt manner in which he acted on this occasion.
More details of rescue
Superintendent of the Domiinion Police who was one of the passengers in the Ottawa sleeper, said that only a very slight shock was perceptible in that car.  It stopped suddenly, but not in such a manner as to alarm the inmates.  The first indication to them that an accident had occurred were the screams of the terrified passengers in the forward cars.  Mr. Sherwood , together with most of the other passengers in the sleeper, imagined that some person had been run over by the train.  On going out a terrible sight met their gaze - the shrieks of the terrified passengers, the lurid glow of the flames from the burning cars, the bleeding faces of the passengers who had escaped from them, and the small lake caused by the water which had escaped from the broken tank, all combined to form a picture which will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it. The only other Ottawa passengers on the train, so far as could be ascertained, were Mr. Cole of the National Tent and Awning Company and Mr. Dewe, Chief post office inspector.

1886, June 8 - Bridge collapse at Petawawa, Canadian Pacific, 1 killed, 4 injured.

Our Pembroke correcpondent writes: "On hearing the sad news of the accident which occurred this forenoon at Pettewawa (sic) a station ten miles west of Penbroke, I drove to the scene of the disaster (through the kindness of the editor of the Standard).  Arriving at the end of a ten mile drive we found the scene of the accident as complete a piece of train wrecking as it is possible to imagine.  The whole of the longest span of the new three-span bridge crossing the Pettewawa river had collapsed, and all its iron work, trestling etc. lay in a mangled heterogeneous mass in the water of the rapids flowing underneath the bridge, the same having been mixed up with the remains of the steam shovel and derrick, and also of a couple more flat cars; against the solid stone pier on the westerly end of the demolished arch or space stood the "conductor's van" on end, one end of the van in the rapids, the other leaning against the stone pier just as it rushed over.  The bed of the rapids was totally blocked with wreck, at the eastern pier of this demolished arch, with one end also in the waters, and the other reared up against the stone pier, stood, also on her end, boxcar No. 1762, whilst over the edge of this eastern pier hung  boxc ar No. 2918, litterally hanging over the impromptu precipice, as it were, half way coupled to car 312, which had escaped and there was standing on the sound span.  I would at a cursory glance estimate the length of the gap caused by the accident to the bridge, at say about 120 feet.  The bridge was a solid looking structure of iron in three spans and fitted into solid stone piers.  The masonry did not show the lease sign of the shock it received.  Interviewing the who found poor Williams' corpse, I learned his hat was on his head, one hand in his pants pocket, and a leather mit on his right hand, and it was evident he was about "braking" as he was instantly hurried to his cruel end.  John Holyoakes was the driver on the train, John Eldred, fireman, both escaped injury, Stewart Gthompson, in charge of the steam shovel, was badly bruised and cut.  A young frenchman from Ottawa, name, unknown, had his left arm badly smashed.  Dr. Dickson amputated it at the shoulder this evening. Three tramps said to be stealing a ride were badly injured.  Mr. C.W. Spencer and Mr. Harry Spencer arrived with a special about 5 p.m. and investigated and commenced with a gang of men to start clearing the wreck being engaged with two engines. After the inquest, Williams' body will be taken to the station by Lodge 128, A.F.& A.M., of which he was a member.

There is an account of the inquest in Journal 10 June 1886.
The evidence showed that the derrick of the steam shovel caused the accident by catching the bridge overhead --
Verdict "That the deceased conductor, Frank Williams, came to his death in consequence of a railway accident at Pettewawa Bridge on Canadian Pacific Railway on the 7th instant, said accident having been caused by the deceased having failed to take the necessary precautions in approaching the bridge in time as required by his running orders."

1892, March 30 - Derailment of Canadian Pacific "Soo" express at Hull, 2 killed.

A smash up in which one man was killed and another fatally injured, and many were badly shaken, occurred on the Canadian Pacific Railway near Hull station yesterday afternoon.
The "Soo" train from Montreal, due in Ottawa at half past three, ran through an open switch, wrecking the engine and tender, baggage express, and two colonist cars and killing the fireman Johnson Gloden of Montreal.
The train, being a through train, passed through Hull station without stopping, running at about 25 miles an hour.  About two hundred yards south of the station is a switch.  At that point begins an embankment that runs to a height of some 20 feet.  The switch was open, and the train dashing along left the rails and thundered down the embankment.  The engine tore over the earth and snow for some two hundred feet and them dug deep into the mucky soil.
Both driver and fireman stood to their posts.  The baggage car, rising up, broke its fastenings to the tender and over turning the engine and tender, was carried through the air and dropped to the ground some fifty feet further on from which place it ploughed through the ground some fifty feet further, the express and postal car following.

1892, November 16 - Derailment of a work train at Stagg Creek, Ottawa and Gatineau Valley Railway, 4 killed.

Late last night Coroner Graham of Hull received a message from Farrellton on the Gatineau Valley railway informing him of an accident by which four lives are said to have been lost and requesting him to come up and hold an inquest.
The accident spoken of occurred to a construction train which was engaged in ballasting the newly constructed portion of line north of Farrellton.
Either from a cave in or from some other cause then unknown, the train plunged over the iron bridge which spans Stagg creek, falling a distance of 30 feet and carrying to death the engineer, Soloman Wilson, fireman, R. Meagher, brakeman, W, Blakey, and a boy whose name would not be ascertained at the time of writing.
Stagg creek is about six miles from Farrellton and is a small sluggish stream emptying into the Gatineau river.  A good iron bridge spans the creek.
--
Engine and thirteen cars, another engine was employed in shoving the loaded train and the engineer of this engine did not perceive anything was wrong until rounding the curve.
--
Entire train was wrecked - piled up on top of the locomotive.

From the Ottawa Journal of Friday 18 November 1892:

The Gatineau Valley railway officials stated to the Journal today that the road at the scene of the accident Wednesday will be immediately repaired and construction trains will be running again by Tuesday.  The engine will not be raised until the water has dried up.  There would not be sufficient hold for raising machinery to work and further deaths might be caused.  The trucks of the flatcars and the good iron will be taken out and the rest of the wreck burned.  Section men are busy all along the road strengthening parts that might have been weakened by the recent rains.
--
Inquest on the bodies of the four victims.
It was an appalling sight that met the gaze yesterday at the scene of the smash up at Stag Creek on the Gatineau Valley railway, when the special car with coroner Graham, railway officials and newspaper men drew up about one o'clock yesterday afternoon.  In the chaotic mess lay piled up the ruins of what had once been an engine and tender and 13 flat cars.  On one of the cars less demolished than the others were laid out the bodies of the four victims, who had been recovered a short time before.  The faces were covered by handkerchiefs and the clothes besmeared with the soft sticky clay from which they had been dug.  All presented a ghastly sight.  Driver Sol Wilson was found in the cab of the ill fated engine which had been literally embedded in the mud.  His hand was on the lever.  The poor fellow, as shown by the story of the rear engine, had neither time to stop the train or jump for his life.
The face and chest presented a pitiable sight.  They were parboiled by the escaping steam.  His watch when opened by his brother-in-law, Mr. Ab. Hudson, was seen to have stopped at just 10 minutes past four.  Robert Meagher, the fireman, and John Hammond, the oiler, were dug out near the engine.  Both were close together.  Hammond's body was the worst spectacle of the four of them.  It was terribly scalded and swollen. The trip on which the unfortunate young fellow met his death was the first he had made.  For several weeks he had been working as a section hand on the upper end of the road, and the night before had been taken on the engine as an oiler and cleaner.  The morning of the accident he came down with the gravel train which passed the ill-fated spot without apparent danger and on the return trip met his death.  No one around knew anything of him or his parents but it was rumored that he had deserted from one of the batteries.  If friends don't claim his body today it will be buried in Beechwood.  Meagher, the fireman, belonged to St. Catharines, N.B., and the remains will be sent home.
William Blakely, the brakeman, whose home was in Aylmer, was found between the upper end of the tender and the rails, between which his head had been jammed.  Death must have been instantaneous.  One side of his head had been badly gashed.  John Blakely, a younger brother of the deceased, went up on the special.  He wept bitterly when he saw the bodies.
Hugh McCann, one of the brakemen, had a most miraculous escape.  He was hurled into the middle of the debris yet came out without a scratch.  At the time he was on the seventh car back from the engine.  According to his own statement, he was looking back towards the rear engine, when he saw the driver jump out of the cab.  But before he could think of anything, much less jump himself, he was hurled forward.  There was a crashing noise, and that was all he knew.  When he came to, he was on the top of one car with the bottom of another just above, but not close enough to crush him.  Half unconscious, he worked his way out from the ruins. 
Sam Douglas, the conductor of the train, who was on one of the rear cars, jumped when he heard the first crash, but, in falling, broke his left arm and got badly shaken up.  He is now at one of the hotels at Farrelton.  Alex White, a brakeman, also jumped but was unhurt.
The wreck presented a picture of desolation.  The land had slipped completely from under the rails a distance of 150 feet leaving them suspended in the air.  Twenty feet or more below, in a bed of thick mud, thrown on its side, lay the engine, considerably smashed, with the tender partly on top and also turned over.  In sliding, the land had carried half a dozen or more trees with it and these lay uprooted, adding to the uncanny look of the wreck.  Only three flat cars and the rear engine remained on the track.  Everywhere around the wreck it was mud, mud, mud.  Where the debris lay had been shallow water, and when the thirteen car loads of ballast were dumped into it a vast bed of liquid mud was formed.  When the engine with three of the victims went down the slope it was completely buried in the yielding gravel.  Only one of the driving wheels was left uncovered to show its whereabouts.  As one of the road hands said, the occupants of the cab had just enough time to know they were done for and that was all.
Where the accident occurred there was a sharp curve leading to the bridge, which was about 100 feet further on, and approaching it there was a down grade to always have the engine shut off steam.  But just at the point of the slide the road was level.
Fully two hundred persons, sectionmen, special hands and farmers from the surrounding district were on the spot when the special arrived.  The coroner had a jury picked from among the farmers and the following were empanelled; Wm. Farrell (foreman), Wm. Moore, Patrick Rice, Henry Beckford, David Brown, John Skillen, Wm. Maxwell, Robt. Reed, J. Cahill and S. Brooks.  The jury viewed the bodies at the bottom of the slope and the inquest was then opened in the car.  The coroner had to use as a desk the lid of one of the coffin shells which had been taken up by Mr. Maynard Rogers, the undertaker.  Sergeant Moylan of the Ottawa police force acted as special constable.
Hugh McCann, the brakeman who had the wonderful escape, as narrated above, told of it.  In addition, he said the road at that point seemed solid and good before the accident.  That day he had made two other trips.  He believed the accident was caused by a landslide, but he had not seen any washouts anywhere along the line.  It had been raining heavily off and on for two or three days.  He had only been on the road for about a month, but believed the track had been laid for several months.
He did not think any means could have been taken to prevent the accident.  That part of the road was not considered any more dangerous than any other part.
To Mr. Hudson, representing Wilson's family. - The train was running about 15 miles an hour.  If a flagman had been placed at that point the accident might not have happened, but they had no reason to suspect this part.
John Brennan, roadmaster, said that he had walked over this point at 10 in the morning and all seemed right.  The section hands were also over it about 10 minutes before the smash.  To his knowledge there had not been any slides around there before.  Trains had passed every day for two months past.  They were only construction trains, as the road at that point had not yet been accepted by government for passenger traffic.  The accident, he believed, was caused by the heavy rains though above the track no water had gathered.  A good drain carried it away to a culvert some 100 feet north of where the earth gave way.  The road there looked just as solid as anywhere else.  He thought the land had started to slide before the engine went on to it.
To Mr. Hudson. - Fifteen miles was the limit of speed allowed.  The second engine was on to push up the grade north of the bridge.  That day they had three cars less than usual.  Where the cars slid was solid earth, there was no filling. 
Mr. Rowley, superintendent of construction, stated he had not considered that point of the line any more dangerous than anywhere else.
Thos. Roy, civil engineer in charge of the section, said that part had been graded since May.  It had always been quite dry along there.  There was no springs around to douse the earth.  The roadbed was cut out of the side of a hill.  He believed the smash to be purely accidental.
Mr. Hudson asked if the accident might not have been averted if the roadbed was built 30 feet deeper into the side of the hill, as it would not then have slipped from under the tracks.  The witness said he could not answer for what might be.
Conductor McGinnis, in charge of the rear engine, had not heard any whistle for down brakes.  Steam was off at the time, and the rear engine stopped of herself just near the edge of the slip.  He had been over the ground twice that day and saw nothing to indicate danger.
John Cleary, engineer of the rear engine, owned by the C.P.R. swore positively he heard a whistle for down brakes.  The next second he saw the front engine go down.  He said to his mate "- were down on the dump" and as he did so he reversed.
Mr. Hudson - From this testimony it is plain to be seen that the slide was there before the engine came to it.
Witness - When the front engine began to go he saw the track rise up in front, Driver Wilson was too close to keep his engine from going in.  He would not have had even time to jump.
Mr. W.D. Harris, chief engineer of the road, stated the location of the section had been approved by government and built according to government specifications.  The accident was caused by a landslide which might have occurred anywhere.
This was all the evidence taken and, after some five minutes consideration, the jury brought in a verdict that the accident and death of the four men was "caused by the landslide under the railway in the township of Lowe on the 16th inst.  No blame be attached to anyone."
As soon as the bodies had been viewed the coroner gave permission for burial and they were then taken to the special car and embalmed by Undertaker Rogers of Ottawa and Undertaker York of Wakefield, the latter looking after Blakely's remains.  All of the bodies were considerably composed, the result of exposure to water and air. 
The casket for Driver Wilson bore the Masonic symbol.
At Union depot, Blakely's friends were present.

1894, September 24 - Derailment at Britannia, Canadian Pacific Railway.

1897, October 14 - Head-on collision east of Stittsville, Canadian Pacific Railway

Ottawa Evening Journal, Thursday 14 October 1897
Shortly after five o'clock this morning the C.P.R. Toronto "Cannon Ball" Exress coming to Ottawa and a freght train ran into each other about three miles this side of Stittsville.  A bad wreck resulted. 
Five are dead and one is badly injured.
The dead are:
Robt. Peden, mail clerk Ottawa.
Jas Hastey, brakeman on the express, Carleton Place.
James Tierney, of Cantley, Quebec, was on the freight and supposed to be stealing a ride.
Engineer, Frank Laurendeau, Carleton Place, of the express is under the wreck and supposed to be dead.
James Fleming of Cantley, Quebec, who was in freight.  Not known how he was on.
The Injured.
Engineer McCuaig of the freight Carleton Place. Leg broken.
Mail clerk Birchall and Expressman T.C. Hewton were badly shaken up.
The Cause.
The accident as far as can be learned was the result either of a misunderstanding or non-obeyance of orders between the night telegraph operator and the conductor of the express.
Marion McNish, the night operator at Stittsville got instructions to cross the express and a freight at Stittsville.
Why the express was not held at Stittsville as orered has yet to be ascertained but the fact is it was not held and thundering on along the downgrade met half of the freight that should have crossed it at the Stittsville switch.  The result was a terrible collision.  At the point where the accident occurred the express runs at a high rate of speed.
Stittsville is at the top of a long steep grade. Just past Stittsville the ground rises slightly and then descends so that a train going east cannot see a train coming west.
The freight train was long and heavy.
The crash
The engineer of the freight divided his train in two.  He had taken one section to the Stittsville siding and was on the up-grade with the second section when the "Cannon Ball" express came tearing down the grade and quicker than it can be written there was a head-on crash, cries of the injured and wreckage strewn all around.  The collision occurred near the Hazeldean crossing.
The wreck was piled up 30 feet high. The two engines are badly damaged and the baggage car on the express and three freight cars wrecked.  The scene was a sad one to witness.
Doctors arrive
As soon as the crash was over and a crowd gathered doctors were set for in all directions.  Soon there were on the scene Dr. Richardson of Hazeldean, Dr. Channonhouse and Dr. Danby of Richmond.  They worked hard to aid the injured.
Jumped for Life
As soon as the express appeared in sight, Engineer McCuaig of the freight put on the air brakes, but as soon as he saw a collision was inevitable he and the fireman jumped for their lives.
Pinned in the Wreck
Brakeman Hastey of the freight, who had been riding on the engine, did not jump.  When the crash was over he was found pinned down by the leg in the wreck of the freight engine.  He was conscious.  He suffered terribly but lived until 8.30. 
The poor fellow could not be taken out.  Mr. S. Mann of Stittsville was near him when he died.
"Get the stuff off me", he said weakly, and I will be all right. He then swooned and shortly afterwards breathed his last.
No Time to Think
According to the story of Engineer McCuaig, the trains did not see each other until they were less than 8 car lengths apart, and there was no time to think.  As soon as he saw the express coming he told the fireman and brakeman, he says, to jump and jumped himself, getting clear.  The air was misty at the time and still comparatively dark.
Descriptions of narrow escapes by crew members
Pen Picture of the Wreck as seen by Journal Reporters 
The wreck is a terrible looking scene. Two engines lie bottoms together, with the debris of broken freight cars and tenders piled upon them.  They are in a ditch on the south side of the track, in a swamp full of bulrushes.
The telegraph poles on both sides are bent away from the track, the wires broken and down.
The track runs through a swampy land and on both sides are low bushes.  The two engines are lying together in a ditch on the south side of the track.  The tender of the exress train was half way through the baggage car and the front of the second baggage car is also badly smashed.  Of the passenger train, only the engine left the track while the freight engine lies beside the passenger engine and the freight cars are piled in a heap on the north side of the track.  Two of the freight cars are smashed to pieces, while parts of the trucks are broken and twisted altogether out of shape.  The trees beside the engines are covered with earth for twenty feet back from the swamp and right up to the topmost limbs, while the fences look as if they had been built of mud.
The track where the engines met has been bent considerably, while the sleepers are broken and many will have to be renewed..  While the train hands at noon today are cleaning up the debris the wreckage was so entangled that many ties were further broken. Trains will likely be moving along the line before five o'clock this afternoon.
Passengers' experiences.
Ottawa Evening Journal Friday 15 October, 1897.  Extensive coverage: Victims taken home, Inquest opened.
McNish in Custody
Operator McNish of Stittsville is being kept in custody at the C.P.R. station.  The crown authorities have not yet decided to place him under arrest, but he is being held for the present. He is only nineteen years of age and feels very keenly over the accident.  An expression of opinion that he is responsible for the accident should be withheld until the verdict of the coroner'sjury is given.
First Train Through
The first train to get past the scene of the wreck was the Brockville mixed which arrived at Ottawa at three o'clock yesterday afternoon about six hours late. --
Ottawa Evening Journal Saturday 16 October 1897.
Borne to the grave.

1898, June 10 - Ottawa and New York Railway work train derailed at Embrun, 4 killed.

This accident occurred before the Ottawa and New York Railway was opened to traffic.  It turned out to be the most serious accident in the entire life of the line.

From the Chesterville Record of  16 June 1898:

1898, December 4 - CPR freight trains runs into a CAR train at the diamond crossing at De beaujeu (St. Polycarpe)

A CPR freight train pitched into a CAR freight train at St. Polycarpe Junction yesterday morning and wrecked an engine, a number of freight cars and the station house at the junction.  Several CPR men were somewhat injured.  The CPR engine is a total wreck, several freight cars are ruined and six loaded cars belonging to the CAR were damaged.  One car loaded with hay was completely demolished and two others loaded with structural iron for the Hawkesbury pulp mills were very badly damaged.  None of the CAR train hands were hurt.
The CPR train from Toronto to Montreal had to come by way of Ottawa yesterday.

This is the account in the Ottawa Citizen of Monday 5 December 1898:

Sunday morning at 3 o'clock a C.P.R. train going east ran into a Canada Atlantic freight which was crossing the diamond at St. Polycarpe Junction, cutting though it and knocking part of the train off the track. 
The engine and part of the C.P.R. train also left the track, and struck the station, moving it about three feet.  The tracks at that point were blocked for some time yesterday, but the C.A.R. company had everything removed for the passage of the Montreal train leaving here yesterday morning at 8 a.m.
The exact cause of the collision is unknown but was probably caused by the failure of the working of the C.P.R. signals.  The C.A.R. train was moving slowly, and was almost stopped when the other engine crashed through the centre with the above results.  The trainmen on the C.P.R. engine had a narrow escape but fortunately no one was injured.

1899, August 8 - St. Polycarpe, Canada Atlantic Railway.

Although the papers reported that eight died in this wreck, the total subsequently appears to have risen to ten.  This was effectively the end of racing between the CPR and CAR, although on 17 July 1901, the largest 4-4-2 Atlantic was tested over a measured mile at 92.75 mph. However the benefits of this speed were apparently never reflected in running time to Montreal.

It also may have been the last service for the almost brand new Pullman-built car 300, which, although repaired, was apparently destroyed in the Elgin Street car shop fire of 21 March 1902 and never again appeared on the roster.

Eight dead in wreck.

Ottawa Aug. 9.  The Canada Atlantic fast train, which should have arrived here at noon today, jumped the track at St. Polycarpe Junction and Fireman Geo. McCuaig and a sectionman and a second class passenger, whose name cannot be ascertained, were killed.
It is supposed that the train jumped the track at the switch.
Engineer Orr was slightly injured and five passengers more or less injured.
The accident was the first since the inception of the road and General Manager Chamberlain was at a loss to imagine the cause of it.
The track at St. Polycarpe is as level as a floor and there are no ditches.  The track is said to be about the best piece of road on the system and is constructed with 73 pound steel rails. The fast express from Ottawa to Montreal, which leaves the Central Depot at 8.40 passed over the same track ten minutes before the ill fated express, crossing the Montreal train at Coteau Junction.
The wreck train left Montreal at 9.40 o'clock and was due at Ottawa at 12.10.  It was the fast express and was made up of a baggage car, a second class, a first class, two parlour cars, a sleeper and the Intercolonial parlour car.
Five of the cars left the track, the Intercolonial car and the sleeper being the two rear cars remained on the rails.
So far as learned, the baggage car, the second class and the engine were piled together in a heap.  All the passengers that were injured were in the second class car.
The news spread around town with wonderful rapidity, and the most exaggerated reports were prevalent.
Hundreds of people kept the telephones ringing and called at the station to get news.
Friends of the excursionists, who went to Ste. Ann de Beaupre, were especially anxious as it was feared that some of the victims were on the train.
The special train with pilgrims to Ste. Anne de Beaupre was shortly behind the regular at the time of the wreck.  It was due about two o'clock, but it will not likely reach here before six o'clock.
Within an hour after the wreck, six doctors were on the scene attending to the injured.
As the news of the accident spread around the city people flocked down to the Central Depot to await the arrival of the special train sent out to convey the passengers to the city.  Many had friends on board and were extremely anxious to hear whatever news was going.  Very little satisfactory, however, could be obtained, as the operators at the wires were, according to the rules, forbidden to impart any information.
The killed so far as identified are O'Connor, Rochleau and Roach.
Later - the identified so far are:
Joseph Rochleau and daughter, of Champlain Street, Montreal.  Ned Stairs, Ottawa. Wilson O'Connor, Ottawa.
The fatally injured are Nellie Ryan, Aridget Ryan and Ellen McDougall of Maniwaki and Mrs. Jos Rochleau of Montreal.
Most of the dead and injured were pilgrims returning from Ste. Anne de Beaupre.

1903, September 27 - Canadian Pacific collision between Soo express and a freight train at Hurdman

1904, February 9 - Canadian Pacific head-on at Sand Point.

The meet of CP trains 7 and 8 at Sand Point, Ontario. Sand Point, is a little town along the shores of the Ottawa River and is located just west of Arnprior. It was not, usually, the meeting point for trains 7 and 8. The meet we're about to read about happened in 1904, just over 102 years ago. And, it was a "cornfield meet", or head-on collision to the layman.

Mr. R. Glenn Jamieson of Sand Point sent Branchline the following article and photograph, as a result of going through the effects of his late Mother. Mr. Jamieson is a retired CN-VIA conductor and a friend of a retired CP engineman, Doug Chalmers (a former colleague of mine) who also lives in Sand Point. So, without further comment, here is the article verbatim, just as I received it:


"Thirteen Dead, 19 Hurt, Sand Point Collision". The Citizen (newspaper) Ottawa, Canada, Wednesday, February 10, 1904.
"In a head on collision between two C.P.R. passenger trains near Sand Point early yesterday morning more than a dozen lives were lost and some nineteen people were injured more or less seriously. Travelling at a rapid rate of speed, the westbound Soo train #7 in charge of Conductor Nidd with Engineer Dudley, collided head-on with No. 8, the eastbound Soo train in charge of Conductor Forester and Engineer Jackson. Failure of the up-going train to obey orders and remain on the siding at Sand Point till No. 8 passed, was the cause of the smash.

An official list of the dead follow: Joseph Jackson, engineer, Ottawa W. Mullen, newsagent, Montreal Robert Thompson, express messenger, Montreal John O'Toole, baggageman, Ottawa Ernest Dubois, fireman, Hochelaga Nelson Robertson, express messenger, Montreal Joseph Chalu, Dolphis Seguin, J. Carriere, M.  LeBrun, Wm. Pouliotte of Whitney (ON) and two unidentified.
Badly injured were G.T. Price, fireman, Brockville J.M. Dudley, engineer, Ottawa and many others (names on file)

No. 7 left Ottawa about 3 am Tuesday, February 9, 1 904, one hour late. It was given orders to meet No. 8 at Sand Point. When Sand Point was reached the engineer instead of stopping and pulling his train into the siding, went ahead.

The night was cold and frosty and the conductor said they didn't know when Sand Point was reached. The engineer either forgot himself or was unable to distinguish the siding when he came to it.


The train went on travelling at a rapid rate until at a point a couple of miles beyond Sand Point it ran on the time of the down express having the right of way. It was a frosty morning - the mercury away down below Zero - causing the atmosphere to be filled with vapour. While the windows were frosted or beclouded with steam and as a result the engineers couldn't see far ahead. A minute or two later the crash came (about 5 am). Hero that he was, Engineer Jackson shut off the steam and applied the brakes -an act which did much to reduce the momentum of the train and lessen the number of fatalities. The impact was awful but it was particularly No. 7 the up train that suffered. Nearly all the cars save the rear one, were more or less smashed though they stayed on the track space with the engines locked tightly together and badly demolished at that. Beneath the ruins were the mail, express and train hands and a considerable passenger list, largely composed, however of those travelling on No. 7. Many were wedged down and unable to extricate themselves.

On No. 8 the passengers fared much better but three being killed while the occupants of the rear cars were so fortunate as to escape with a shaking up.

No. 7 was made up of the locomotive, a baggage car, a mail car, two second class cars, one first class and a sleeper.

Engineer Jackson on No. 8 was looking for the siding at Sand Point when he saw the headlight of No. 7 approaching. He applied the brakes and reduced the speed of his train. To this is attributed the fact that No. 8 escaped with a lighter death list and smaller damage to railroad stock. Jackson stuck to his post according to Father Paradis, a passenger, who was one of the heros of the post crash, and was killed instantly. The wreckage of the locomotive and cars were piled high above him and "we could only see his hand" the priest said.

The locomotive of No. 7 mounted the locomotive of No. 8. The tender of the westbound train was thrown on top of the baggage car of the eastbound train and the baggage, the express and the second class cars followed suit and piled on top of the eastbound locomotive. It was in this mix up that the list of casualties was greeted. It was a fortunate thing that the wreck did not take fire as the lamps in the wrecked cars made this possible according to Father Paradis.

It was dark and intensely cold (-30 degree F). Some of the injured froze to death before they could be rescued even though fires were lit close by.

A hospital train was sent from Ottawa to transport the injured to that city. Wrecking crews were dispatched.

Most of the passengers on the two trains were shantymen, hired by the lumber companies in Ottawa, going to or coming from the shanties west of Pembroke and beyond."

Well, that's it. Seems to me that newspaper reports are no better (or worse) today than they were a century ago. I can't help but wonder why Mrs. Jamieson kept this old newspaper clipping and photograph. Did she know someone on either of the two trains? Or was an accident like this such a momentous event in the little community that one kept clippings of these sort of goings-on?

When I railroaded as a CP fireman on transcontinental passenger trains on the Chalk River sub. which passed through Sand Point, many years later, on Hudson and heavy Pacific locomotives, I never gave much thought to "cornfield meets" with other trains, and during my time there was lots of traffic on that busy main line. No doubt train dispatching and signal systems had improved in the intervening years. I always enjoyed working on the Chalk River sub. - it was a place for "heads-up" railroading.

My thanks to Mr. Jamieson for sending in this historical gem of a flashback to another time in the annals of Canadian railroading, and to my old colleague, Doug Chalmers, for providing Mr. Jamieson with the Bytown Railway Society's magazine, Branchline.

Locomotive Engineer Joseph St. Denis Squeezed to Death.

Another very sad accident occurred this morning on the Canadian Pacific Railway, by which, Engineer Joseph St. Denis, of this town, lost his life.  Mr. St. Denis left Carleton Place this morning, about 7:45, after spending the night at home, taking a freight train to Smiths Falls.

Whilst crossing the switch in the yard at the later station, the engine left the rails and was like to upset after bumping on the ties for a distance, so the Driver Jumped to one side and the Fireman, Wm. Whyte, to the other. The engine was running toward the Driver's side, so, St. Denis was caught by the wheels and had the breath virtually crushed out of him.  He died instantly.  His face and limbs bore no sign of injury.  Whyte sprained an ankle in his fall.  The accident occurred shortly before nine o'clock. 

Mr. St. Denis was one of the best known Drivers on the division.  A steady industrious man highly esteemed by his comrades and friends, and his tragic death is deeply deplored.  He was married, his wife being a daughter of our townsman, Mr. Joe Girouard, and a family of three small children, one boy and two girls, with the widow, are left to mourn the loss of a fond parent and a devoted husband.  The eldest child is nine years, the youngest three.

A deportation of drivers went out on the noon train, and will likely bring the remains back on the evening train.  The sympathy of the whole town flows toward the bereaved.

Carleton Place Herald - Tuesday, November 28, 1905.

Was that of driver St. Denis, last Friday morning. One hundred railway employees - as fine a body of men as you would wish to look at - headed the procession, whilst as many more walked behind the hearse, and there was a large number of carriages.

The Engineers, Firemen, Conductors and Trainmen were all represented.  There were delegates from Ottawa, Smiths Falls, Montreal, Farnham and North Bay.  Ottawa sent some forty men and ten women, the latter representing the Women's Auxiliary of the B. of L. E.  The floral tributes were numerous and included a wreath from Capital Lodge, B. of L. E.; a cross from the Engineers of Carleton Place; a wreath from the Firemen of Carleton Place; a broken wheel from B. of R.T. 527; a heart from the G.I.A. to B. of L. E. 213 and a wreath from Mississippi Lodge, A.O.U.W.

Among the mourners from a distance were the sisters of deceased with their husbands from Montreal; a sister-in-law and four children from Point St. Charles; and Mrs. Conley, another sister-in-law from North Bay.

With thanks to Kelly St. Denis for the newspaper reports.

Here's a bit of history: CN took over operation of the BCR in 2004. About 1 00 years earlier, on the opposite side of the country, another event in the annals of Canadian railway history took place. The Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway (and its parent company, the Canada Atlantic) was taken over by the Grand Trunk Railway (and CN subsequently took over the Grand Trunk by 1923) Yeah, so what? - Read on! From the files of the Renfrew (Ontario) Mercury newspaper, dated September 14, 1906, the following story appeared:

ANOTHER SUNDAY WRECK ON THE GRAND TRUNK

"For some cause or other, since the Booth (J.R. Booth, owner of the Canada Atlantic Railway) Line has passed into the control of the larger railway, things are not running so smoothly. It may be that as part of a large machine there is too much "red tape", or the source of power is too far removed; or labour is too hard to get; or else it is hard to train. At all events, something is the matter. Grand Trunk trains do not run with the same to-the-minute regularity that Canada Atlantic trains did; and there seem to be more runoffs and smash ups. Two Sundays ago the wrecking train came up to Renfrew to raise freight cars which had jumped the track just west of Renfrew. Last Sunday it came back for several hours' work in removing the wreck from a rear-end collision.

A freight train carrying a good many cars containing lumber was stalled nearly opposite the D. Airth homestead, just east of the Fair Grounds, from a "hot box". It had trouble all the way down the line with this box, and had not got as far along in its journey as expected. Engine No. 626, running light, had come east after this freight. It was in charge of engineer Swinwood. It came down through Admaston at a good fast pace, as was observed by those who were attending the funeral of the late W.L Barr. It came through the town also at a swift pace, and on east; and although there was from a quarter to a half mile of straight track between the start of the Fair Grounds and the stalled train, engine No. 626 went dashing ahead as if there were nothing between it and Goshen. It struck the stalled freight with tremendous force. The engine crashed through the van and a flat car; making matchwood of both, and making wreck as well of the front of 626; and jambing the front of the tender close up to the engine. Several of the other cars had the couplings badly damaged as well. Fortunately, there was no loss of life. All of the freight train hands had been gathered around the hot-box, except the conductor who had gone back to flag the light engine which he knew was somewhere behind him, and engineer Rathbone, of the freight, who was under his engine. He had the narrowest escape of anybody. Under his engine, he heard the puff of another engine rapidly approaching. He swung himself out from under his engine, and hardly had his legs clear before the shock of the concussion sent his train forward some ten or fifteen feet.


Had Rathbone been a second later his two legs would have been cut off. The fireman of the light engine was stoking at the time of the approach on the freight, and the shock threw him against the boiler, and piled a lot of coal from the tender against him. He was somewhat bruised about the ribs; and he said it was the most sudden stop he had ever encountered. Engineer Swinwood was on his seat at the time and escaped without injury.

How did this accident happen? The Mercury gathered that there were possibly faults on both sides - that the conductor of the freight, relying on the stretch of straight track to the rear of his train, had not gone back far enough with his flag. Although it is said Swinwood was asleep and did not see the flag. Possibly he was asleep, or it may have been that having passed through the town safely, and expecting the freight was far ahead - not knowing of its frequent trouble with the hot-box - he had been watching his fireman at work and did not look in front. It was almost certainly one or the other, for the engine never slackened a turn of a wheel until it hit the van.

The wrecking train arrived from Ottawa shortly after eight o'clock - it was at 3:30 the collision occurred - and, working all night, had the track cleared in time for the morning express to go through on time.
People walking to the cemetery and going to the funeral had a plain view of the wreck - in fact, some saw the actual collision -  and in short order there was a crowd gathered about the trains.

One of the men had left his pocket-book in his clothes in the van. He found the pocket-book on the top of engine 626. Another had been taking home some dozens of eggs and a tub of butter. He saw them not again.

It was fortunate for Swinwood and his fireman that the flat car was between the van and the lumber cars. The flat buckled in two and acted as a buffer. Half of it, as well as the van, was thrown up on to the surrounding banks; while the other half of the flat up-ended against the lumber car. The observation cupola of the van was thrown on to the top of a car two or three lengths ahead. The front of engine 626 rose on the wheels and trucks of the van and flat; and the wheels made a great conglomeration."

The actual date of this reported incident was September 9, 1 906. I received this information from R. Glenn Jamieson, retired CN -VIA conductor of Arnprior, Ontario, with thanks.

1908, December 3 - Head on collision Pembroke, Canadian Pacific.

Head on collision between passenger train 78, engine 207 and 3 cars and extra west engine 312. This was caused by the failure of engine #312 to clear for No. 78.  The collision occurred at 07:55, the engineer's watch was found to have stopped at 07:36.  The engineer of the passenger train, Fred Rowe, was killed.


Chesterville Record 12/10/1908  Pembroke.  Another fatal wreck took place one and a half miles east of here on Thursday morning.  A light engine from Smiths Falls collided with the CPR local leaving here at 7.50 and as a result, Fred Rowe of Ottawa, engineer in charge of the local was instantly killed and R. Crawford, Ottawa fireman; Mail Clerk Purcell, Engineer Nagle, Smiths Falls, and W.C. Both, Baggageman, suffered slight injuries.  The baggage car of the passenger train was badly damaged but none of the passengers were hurt.  Both train and engine were travelling at high speed and met on a curve.  Both engines were badly wrecked.  The engines were almost to each other before the danger was noticed.  Engineer Rowe reversed immediately, and in doing so warned Fireman Crawford, who jumped and escaped with a sprained ankle and minor bruises.

Rowe was pinned beneath the engine and tender. Death was instantaneous.  His head and shoulders were above the wreckage, but were scorched.  His lower limbs were also burned and scalded.  Fireman Patton of the light engine was going to jump when he was hurled out of the window and down the bank sustaining a number of bruises,  Engineer Nagle got caught at the tender by the coal, which was piled on him.  He was quickly released by the men passengers and was able to walk to the station, as he had only a number of bruises and his leg scalded.

The light engine should have stopped at Granges (should be Graham) Station, about ten miles east of here.  Instead an effort was made to get to Pembroke and the fatal collision was the result.  The engineers watch had stopped which misled him as to the time he should make to Pembroke.

1912, March 8 - Collision between a passenger train and a freight train on the Canadian Pacific near Hull.

Almost under the shadow of the Parliament buildings this morning, five people were killed and 24 injured, some seriously, when the CP freight train ran into the rear of the Pontiac passenger train, which was backing into the Union Station here. All those killed were in the second class coach, which was completely telescoped by the heavier first class coaches and nearly entirely demolished. The dead are: John Moyles, undertaker, Quyon; John Derby, Hull; Katerine Kehoe, Quyon; one unidentified boy and John Anderson, CPR conductor from Ottawa.

There were not many people in the train, or the casualty list would have been much larger. The injured were conveyed in a baggage car to Hull hospitals. Responsiblity for the accident is placed on a mixup of orders. The wreck took place where there is a sharp curve and a deep cutting.

The official report gave two killed and 15 injured.

This accident was responsible for the installation of the Electric Token Block system between Ottawa West, Hull and Ottawa Union.  The Ottawa Citizen of 24 April 1912 explains:

Since the wreck of the Pontiac train at Hull last month, whereby five(sic) persons were killed and several injured, the C.P.R. has introduced a new block system between Hull and Ottawa which if it is strictly observed, will prevent a recurrence of the accident.
According to the rules of the present system a train cannot leave Hull or Ottawa before the conductor has obtained a staff which is locked and unlocked by an electrical arrangement.  Only by deliberately ignoring the system could another collision of two trains occur between Hull and Ottawa.  The Pontiac train still continues to back in from Hull to Broad Street station, but, by the new arrangement there is little or no danger of an accident.

1912, October 2 - Bay of Quinte Railway, Kingston.

Bay of Quinte Railway southbound train 12, BQR Engine #1, consisting of six freight cars, baggage and coach derailed 5 miles north of Kingston.. Front truck of second car left track, ditching five cars baggage car and coach.  Two freight cars, baggage and coach left the track, ran down as 12 to 15 foot embankment and finished upside down at bottom. The track was in good condition and the car that derailed first was almost brand new.  The accident was caused by the failure of the truck to right itself after coming off a curve.  This can occur with new equipment, often because of the roughness between the bottom and top centre plate surfaces. Two were killed and fourteen injured.

The Bay of Quinte Railway train inbound from Tweed this morning jumped the track.  The second car from the engine and four freight cars, the mail car and a passenger car were hurled down an embankment.  The engine remained on the track and brought the news to Kingston.
Mrs. Alfred Brown of Moscow was killed.  Two women were seriously hurt, Mrs. Fahland of Clam Falls, Wis., who suffered terrible cuts about the head in addition to internal injuries.  She is likely to die.  Mrs. A.A. Yourex of Moscow received severe injuries to the back.
There were fifteen passengers on the train at the time and it is a miracle that several were not killed.

1913, January 12 - Rear end collision, Prescott, Grand Trunk.

Train 1273 east (#96) stalled and doubled into Prescott.  The first portion of train, consisting of 20 cars, was placed on westbound main track while the engine returned for the rest of train and train extra 2515 and 1220 coupled west collided with these cars.  The yard limit boards were subsequently moved.  The engineer in charge of engine 2515 had been on duty at the time of the accident 28 hours and 10 minutes.  He had left Brockville on an extra for St. Albans and made a good run.  He turned back from St. Albans without taking proper rest.

1913, February 27 - Derailment at Maxville, Alexandria subdivision Grand Trunk.

In an accident which fortunately caused no loss of life but in which scores of passengers had miraculous escapes, not a few of them, however, without serious injuries, Grand Trunk Pacific (sic) train No. 23 Montreal to Ottawa, was wrecked about a mile east of Maxville station at 11.45 a.m. this morning.  Twelve were injured.  Stopping dead in a distance of twenty yards when at a speed of about 30 miles an hour the wrecked train tore up the rails at the scene of the accident, one of them piercing the second car along its full length.
---
The cause of the wreck is supposed to have been the washing away of the ballast by the recent bad weather.  The three passenger coaches and baggage car and tender left the right of way and turned over on their sides, but the engine, though turned almost to right angles to its course did not leave the track.  One car had to be partially chopped open before some men could be rescued.

1913, June 25 - Derailment of a Canadian Pacific passenger train at Mckellar near Ottawa.

A Winnipeg bound Canadian Pacific passenger train, the Imperial Limited, was derailed at McKellar (Westboro), near Britannia, on the Carleton Place subdivision.  Eleven people were killed and 40 were injured in this accident which was caused when a track crew had not completed repairs.  Three colonist, one first class, one tourist and one dining car were derailed, several lying close to the Ottawa River.  All the dead and practically all the injured were immigrants, principally from the British isles.

1913, August 16 - Rideau Canal swingbridge

F. Merino, in company with six others, were members of a lifting gang that took a handcar during the absence of the Foreman after they had quit work on Saturday afternoon.  They left Chaudiere Junction after 19:00 and went to Ottawa to get provisions, leaving there about 21:00 or 21:15 to return.  The accident happened about 21:30. 

The bridge over the canal at mileage 2 had been opened to permit three small motor boats to pass and was being closed when the handcar approached the bridge and ran into the canal.  Mr. Merino was on the front of the car and had no opportunity to jump off.  He sustained a cut on the right side of the head and was probably stunned although the actual cause of death was drowning.
The semaphores were set at danger and shewed red and the signal light on the bridge itself was burning brightly and shewed red on the side towards the track.

The brakes on the handcar were in perfect order and the accident seems to have been due to the fact that none of the men on the car noticed the bridge was open until they were within a few feet of it.

1914, January 22 - Derailment at Meath, Canadian Pacific, Chalk River subdivision, 1 killed, 11 injured.

Train #19, engine 2609 and six cars derailed as a result of a broken rail at Meath, about mileage 96 (from Broad Street), some of the cars plunging down the embankment on the north side of the track.  Sleepers "Bolton" and "Guernsey", first class  1597, second class 1991, baggage 4159 and mail car 3492.  The engine remained on the track while the rest of the train derailed. The ars were all in good condition.

1916, December 27 - Rear end collision at De Beaujeu, Canadian Pacific Winchester subdivision, 6 killed, 5 injured.

Five people are dead and another at an early hour this morning was not expected to live more than a few minutes as the result of a bad railway smash on the CPR line at St. Polycarpe Junction.  The Chicago-Montreal train, through failure of a switch, it is reported, crashed into the rear of the Cornwall local telescoping the rear four cars.  Four people were in addition seriously hurt and another slightly injured while all passengers got a bad shaking up.

The coroner's jury concluded that neither the brakeman, Arnett of the Cornwall train nor the operator for Soulanges Junction were to blame but that it was a clear case of misunderstanding.  The brakeman phoned Arthur Lalonde, Assistant Agent at St Polycarpe and asked if the Chicago express had passed.  The jury recommended that the CPR should have a man stationed at Soulanges Junction.

1921, April 30 - Derailment at mile 119.7 Beachburg subdivision, Canadian National.

A rock from the side of a gravel cut fell on the track and rolled under engine, cutting the ties and allowing the track to spread derailing engine tender, baggage car 8647 and leading truck of colonist car 2786.  The train was travelling about 25 mph when about 1600 feet east of mile 120 engine 5138 struck a stone 24x33 inches square which demolished the pilot and went under engine.  The engine ran into side of curve and down a 10 ft dump and turned on its side, tender going crosswise of track and leading truck of baggage car 8647 going nearly down a 25 foot embankment on north side. Occurred at 1.30 a.m.

The Track Foreman inspected the cut 8.15 previous day and did not consider there was any danger of rock becoming loose.  Roadmaster Ogden also passed this point at 9.00 a.m. on the previous date at which time there was no apparent danger of rock falling.  This is the first time that a large boulder had become dislodged in this cut.

An examination of the rock in the cut immediately after the accident plainly showed that a portion of rock became detatched from a large rock that was lodged near the top of the cut apparently caused by severe electric storms which occurred during the night of the accident. The crack in this rock took place approximately 12 inches under ground from slope of cut and could not be seen by ordinary inspection from track.

The Section Foreman was assessed thirty demerit marks.

1922, January 21 - Derailment at Ellwood, Canadian Pacific Prescott subdivision

"Jump for your life" cried Engineer White to Fireman Elliott as he felt his engine wheels leave the track about a quarter of a mile south of Ellwood (formerly Chaudiere Junction about five miles from Ottawa) at 4.35 Saturday afternoon.  Elliott leapt from his cab and fell bruised in the ditch on the left hand side of the embankment.  White applied the brakes. The engine bumped along on the ties pulling the rest of the train consisting of the mail and baggage cars and a second and two first class cars as they swayed along the ties for 500 feet.  Then the engine and tender veered to the right, plunged down the steep 15 foot embankment with a hiss of escaping steam it turned a somersault and imprisoned the faithful engineer in his cab.  He was instantly killed.

The baggage car followed the engine and fell on the side while the mail coach shoved its nose in the ditch but stood up.  The two rear first class coaches in the meanwhile lurched over on the left hand side of the embankment and toppled on their sides.  The second class coach and smoker, which came immediately behind the mail coach did not leave the embankment.

The accident was due to a defective rail.

Although there were 175 passengers on board it is marvellous that only 15 were injured and most of these but slightly.

That the second class coach didn’t follow the other coaches in their headlong fall into the ditch is due to the quick action of brakeman John Riordan. He was in the vestibule of the second class coach when he felt the wheels on the ties.  He immediately applied the brakes.  This quick action, no doubt, saved many lives, and there were 80 pasengers in this coach.

The official accident report gives the number of injured as 21.

Unforgettable scenes as Pres. Cosgrave stands beside dying engineer

Entire train derailed.

Locomotive uncoupled

Rumors Disposed

Threw on Emergency

President Renders Aid.

A Touching Scene

Doctor on Hand-car

Tribute to bravery

Sleigh runner caused wreck.

August 28, 1930 - Canadian Pacific - Pembroke
http://news.google.ca/newspapers?id=U_cuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2tsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6447,93847&dq=railway+|+railroad+|+train+|+cnr+|+cpr&hl=en
Tidbits by Duncan du Fresne, Branchline September 2006

March 31, 1941 - Canadian Pacific - Inkerman

Inkerman - 60 Years Ago

By Duncan du Fresne

Inkerman is a small village in eastern Ontario, 33 miles east of Smiths Falls. At the time I'm writing about it, it was located at mileage 91.1 on Canadian Pacific's Winchester subdivision. Nearly 60 years ago Inkerman was made famous, on an international scale, by its junior hockey team, the "Inkerman Rockets". That team, and succeeding ones for the next decade, were the talk of the hockey world, but that's not the reason why I'm writing this Tid Bit. The year 2001 is the 60th anniversary of a terrible train wreck that took place at Inkerman back on March 31, 1941.

Canadian Pacific passenger train No. 29, known along the Winchester sub. as "The Perth Local", was on the westbound side of the double track main line on its way to Perth, Ontario, from Montreal behind light Pacific No. 2658. The local had slowed down to make its station stop at Inkerman at about 6:30 P.M. There would be a few passengers and the ever present milk cans, now empty, to unload after their shipment earlier in the day on train No. 30 to various Montreal dairies. As the local was about to make its station stop an eastbound 68-car freight train, making good time, was passing the local on the eastbound track, - and then it happened. A broken axle (according to the Ottawa Journal and the Winchester Press) on a car well back in the freight train resulted in 24 cars of the freight to start piling up. Of course some of the cars ended up on the westbound main line, sideswiping the 2658 in the process. This resulted in the 2658 rolling over on its right side right in front of the station. The local's engineer, Fred Plato, and fireman Wallace Plunkett, both of Smiths Falls, were killed. Inside the station were two C.P. employees, William Maxwell, a C.P. Section Foreman from Mountain, Ontario, and Edward Pennett the Station Agent. Both these men got out of the station, which was physically moved and structurally damaged by the impact. Maxwell and Pennett went through two windows to escape. Unfortunately, both were seriously injured, Pennett losing a lot of blood from a bad cut in his arm and suffering also from burns and shock, while Maxwell, who was badly scalded, was also suffering from burns and shock as the station was immediately filled with smoke and steam from the overturned locomotive. Pennett, taken to Winchester for medical treatment, lived through the ordeal, however. Maxwell, who was taken to the Ottawa Civic Hospital, died the following night from his injuries. Apparently Plato was seen trying to get out of the cab of the overturned engine but just couldn't make it and died in the scalding steam.

In the meantime the crew in the van (caboose) on the freight train got bounced around pretty good but the van remained upright so they got out more or less unscathed. Train 29's conductor, H. Guppy, and brakeman C. Riley suffered minor injuries, but nothing worse - lucky!

There were two other people whose number hadn't yet turned up that evening. One was Asa Hanes of Inkerman, a mailman who was standing on the station platform waiting to collect mail bags off train 29. Hanes, who had bent over to pick up his mail bags, was thrown over by flying ballast as the engine and rolling stock starting flying around. A military truck from a flatcar went right over Hanes' head and he lived to talk about it! Another individual who escaped with his life was Danny McDonald, a 50 year old hobo who had climbed onto the back of the tender of No. 29's engine at Chesterville hoping to ride to Smiths Falls in search of a job. McDonald escaped the wreck with severe bruises to one of his legs and required medical attention. Seems ironic that McDonald was subsequently charged with vagrancy and spent 10 days in a Cornwall (Ontario) jail cell.

There was an eye witness to this terrible affair. He was George Suffel. George lived and worked on the family farm adjacent to the track and was only 35 yards from the station building when the wreck occurred . He and his family had been listening for the local train to arrive, a habit common to farm folk in those days. Usually George would have been at the station to help unload their milk cans but on this particular occasion it wasn't necessary as they hadn't shipped any milk out that morning on No. 30. This might very well have saved George's life. George remembered seeing Maxwell and Pennett running away from the station. Both were covered with black soot and were obviously in need of medical attention. George and his father ran to the wreck site along with their hired hand, Donald Burleigh, to give whatever first aid they could. George remembered putting a tourniquet on Pennett's arm and removing clothing to relieve the pain from scalded wrists and hands.

Other crew members on the train were A.J. Slack of Smiths Falls who was the mail clerk and Fred Forrester of Smiths Falls who was the C.P. Express messenger. Slack had a fractured rib and Forrester was uninjured. About 25 passengers on the local were also uninjured.

It was the best part of a week before the wreckage was cleared and the track rebuilt. In the meantime Toronto - Montreal passenger trains were rerouted through Bedell, utilizing the Prescott sub. and passing through Ottawa. About 75 yards of main line track had been torn up and wrecked cars and lading were scattered all over. Two auxiliary cranes, one from Smiths Falls and the other from Montreal, were sent to the site for the cleanup. Thirty yards from the point of impact one freight car crashed through the platform of a feed storage building, reducing the platform and building to kindling wood. According to the Winchester Press in 1986, the old station, which had been rebuilt, was sold off a few years later and moved to the village of Mountain to be used as a private residence. It was still extant in 1998, on County Road 1. This rebuilt station bore little resemblance to the one in the wreck, however. Its order board was removed (along with its operator), the bay window was gone, as was the extended front roof over the platform.

1942, December 27 - Almonte, Canadian Pacific, Chalk River subdivision.

By Duncan H. du Fresne

As I write this Tid Bit it is just over 57 years since tragedy struck on the evening of December 27, 1 942, at the Canadian Pacific Railway station in Almonte, Ontario, when a Canadian military troop train operated by Canadian Pacific struck the rear of a local C.P. passenger train.

Thirty six people died and 207 were injured, many very seriously, when the regular first class passenger train, No. 550, "The Pembroke Local", hauled by light Pacific No. 2518 and consisting of ten wooden cars was proceeding eastward toward Ottawa from Petawawa. At the time operation on the Chalk River Subdivision was by Timetable and Train Order, there were no automatic block signals. The train was crowded as a result of holiday traffic, the weather, and wartime conditions, and was consistently losing time at each station stop. If that wasn't enough fireman Frank Dixon was having trouble keeping the boiler pressure up on the 2518 due, in part, to a leaking flue in the rear tube sheet. The engineer on train 550 was Joe. Sauve and the conductor was M. O'Connell, assisted by J. Morris with Trainmen J. Tunney and T. Gilmar. The weather certainly wasn't helping, in addition to it being dark, there was a rain and sleet storm to contend with.

Following train No. 550 was a 13-car troop train from western Canada, bound for Montreal, via Chalk River, Carleton Place and Smiths Falls on the Chalk River subdivision, and then via the Winchester sub. to its destination. It was designated by C.P. as Passenger Extra 2802 East, (2802 being its engine number, a C.P. Hudson [4-6-4] type locomotive), crewed by engineer Lome Richardson and fireman Sam Thompson. Train 550's engine and train crew were unaware that they were being closely followed by a passenger extra but, even so, at Almonte, under the rules of the day they should have been "protecting" (with fusees) the rear of their train as it was outside "station limits" by 170 feet (as defined by the rule book). At Almonte the local was 40 minutes late, arriving there at 8:32 P.M.

The crew of Passenger Extra 2802 East, with conductor John Howard in charge, were aware that they had been closing up on No. 550 since the operators at both Renfrew and Arnprior had been ordered by the dispatcher to hold their train in order to maintain the required 20 minute "block" behind the local. In fact the troop train had arrived at Renfrew only five minutes after No. 550 had departed and arrived at Arnprior only eight behind the preceding train.

Approaching Almonte, Passenger Extra 2802 East was proceeding at about 45 MPH at which time speed was reduced to about 25 MPH after a 12 pound brake pipe reduction had been made. The approach to the Almonte station is on a left hand curve approaching from the west, followed by the crossing of the swift flowing Mississippi River. The train order (board) signal at Almonte was briefly observed by Sam Thompson through the mist from the river and the rain and sleet as being "green" (indicating that no train orders were to be picked up). Lome Richardson, on the right side of the 2802 as it rounded the left hand curve could not see the signal or the rear end of train No. 550 because the length of 2802's boiler obscured his view. It wouldn't have mattered much anyway as a train order (board) signal has nothing to do with indicating whether or not the track is clear. In addition to those other restrictions to visibility, 550 was also partially obscured by escaping steam from the tail end car heater line. On the assumption that train 550 had left the station at least 20 minutes before, engineer Richardson released the brake to drift through. As it turned out the train order was green alright, however, this was because the rear end of No. 550 had not yet passed it, the train still being stopped at the station, so the operator had not yet changed it. Neither Richardson nor Thompson saw the local until they were only about 400 feet from it when 2802's headlight reflected off the glass in the rear coach door. Richardson put the brake in emergency, but it was too late. At 8:38 P.M. it happened, engine 2802 struck No. 550, completely telescoping the last car, coach 1028, and partially telescoping coach 1516, the second to last car, stopping midway through it. Both of these cars were reduced to scraps of metal and kindling wood. The troop train consisted of engine 2802, 1 3 heavy steel cars and a caboose, and weighed more than a thousand tons. The elderly wooden coaches offered little resistance to the onslaught or provided safety for the passengers. Fortunately, there was no fire as a result of the collision and there were lots of rescuers. A not-to-heavy jolt was all that was felt by engineer Joe. Sauve and fireman Frank Dixon on the 2518 which shows the frailty of those wooden coaches.

Lome Richardson suffered an injured chin, inflicted by flying debris from the wreckage of 550. Sam Thompson came through it without a scratch. Military personnel on the troop train got a minor shaking up, probably as much from the emergency application of the brake as the collision itself. On the local, things were very different. A massive rescue operation began, first by local people in Almonte and the surrounding area, by military personnel from the troop train and Sam Thompson off the 2802. Soon local doctors and nurses arrived and later medical people from Carleton Place, Smiths Falls and Ottawa. A nurse I know was ordered to come to work sometime after midnight at the Ottawa Civic Hospital from her home in Ottawa, as were other nurses and doctors. She didn't know why, and didn't ask, but responded to the call. An Ottawa to Petawawa passenger train was turned into a hospital train at Carleton Place, and the remains of train 550 was similarly made into a hospital train to transport the injured to Ottawa. The town hall and the O'Brien theatre in Almonte were turned into temporary morgues and a place of refuge for the injured. The Smiths Falls auxiliary was called out, however, it wasn't until after 5:00 a.m. the following morning that the line was cleared. Despite the amount of damage to the wooden rolling stock, the rails and ties were, basically, left undamaged. The 2802 had its pilot damaged and the engine truck derailed, really quite minor. Without a doubt it was one of the worst train wrecks in Canadian history.

Looking back at that terrible night, from the year 2000, the thought of wooden coaches being used as late as 1942 seems incredible to most outsiders, but was quite well accepted by railwaymen and the rail travelling public alike. Those old cars would outlast the wartime years and still be in service into the very late 1940s, and many into the 1950s.

A coroners inquest was established, with a jury of five men, and was held immediately after the tragedy. It was headed up by Dr. Smirle Lawson, the Chief Coroner of Ontario who, after hearing the evidence, was convinced that the C.P.R. should shoulder all of the blame. Obviously the Company disagreed, as did the Board of Transport Commissioners, who blamed many of the employees involved for rules violations.

"The inquest concluded that the blame for the wreck must be placed entirely on the Canadian Pacific Railway Company for three reasons:
First, they had no operator stationed at Pakenham when in (our) opinion the accident might have been avoided by the 20 minute block system.
Second, there was no protective signal at a most dangerous curve, at the entrance to the town (Almonte).
Third, the green light showing above the Almonte station gave the engineer of No. 2802 the impression that he might proceed. Had this signal been red, according to the testimony of the engineer and fireman, this train could have been stopped.
We place no blame whatever on the crews of the trains No. 550 and No. 2802, but we do feel that an effort could have been made from Smiths Falls to call an operator at Pakenham and Almonte.
We recommend that in order to prevent the occurrence of a similar catastrophe and to safeguard the travelling public, especially under wartime conditions:
(a)  That an operator be placed on steady duty at Pakenham.
(b) The immediate installation of an automatic station protective signal west of Almonte.
8 That a standing order be issued for a speed limit not exceeding 25 miles per hour through Almonte and that this order be strictly enforced by the railroad officials.
(d) That the block signal device at the station here be changed to give protection to standing trains".

At the inquest a great deal of the time was spent discussing the operating rules used by Canadian railways and by which train operation is governed. It is obvious the Chief Coroner didn't understand train operation, or the rules, and became very agitated when they were cited over and over by the various witnesses. In inquest recommendation d) it is obvious he had still not found out what the "block signal device" as he called it, (train order signal), at the station signified. Of course, it only signifies that there are, or there are not, orders for a train. It conveys no meaning whatsoever as to the status of the railway. In retrospect, it could have been a much more meaningful inquest in the opinion of this writer at this late date.


Parties involved at the inquest were, of course, passenger survivors of the wreck, the railway employees involved, the Brotherhoods representing the running trades employees, both minor and major officials of the railway, the Dominion Board of Transport, and others. The Brotherhoods put the blame on the C.P.R., mainly for not keeping the operator on duty at Pakenham, the first train order station west of Almonte. Had that operator been on duty the dispatcher might have had him hold the troop train at that location. The second war years and the holiday season presented a busy time on the railway with extreme demands on the system, as well as the men and equipment, even the Coroner said that current conditions demanded new rules and equipment. Had the troop train been following the rules, to the letter, they should have been able to stop, and had the crew on the local made an effort to protect the rear of their train, there would not likely have been a collision. Fault all round? Probably.

Three rules violations were cited in the Board of Transport Commissioners report. First, the crew of No. 550 did not follow rule #36, which states that "a red or yellow fusee, as the case may require, will be used for protection of a train which is not making the speed required by schedule or train order and is liable to be overtaken by a following train". The Board's report also stated that: "The crew of No. 550 had no advice that passenger extra 2802 was following them, but in view of the fact that the train was losing time due to the very heavy traffic incident to the holidays, and having in mind that the rear end of the train was two car lengths out side the west switch at Almonte, good judgment should have dictated to the crew of this train that some protection was necessary, and fusees should have been dropped in accordance with the above mentioned rule".

Secondly, rule 91, paragraph 3 states: "Schedule speed must not be exceeded by schedules of trains other than the first section, nor may a train following a train carrying passengers, exceed the schedule speed of such train unless clearance shows arrival at a station ahead". In the Board's report, they elaborated by saying: "This rule was applicable to passenger extra No. 2802 immediately that train was stopped by the train order signal at Renfrew for the twenty minute block on No. 550. It again became applicable when this train was stopped by the train order signal at Arnprior, as has been pointed out [supra] in both instances, namely, between Renfrew and Arnprior, and Arnprior and Almonte. The schedule speed of train No. 550 was exceeded in the first instance between Renfrew and Arnprior by six minutes, and in the second instance between Arnprior and Almonte by five minutes. These two instances of exceeding the schedule speed of train No. 550 form a clear and most serious violation of the said rule, and a major contributing factor to the accident". And, in addition, they also said: "It does not appear that there was any determined effort on the part of the engineer or conductor of passenger extra No. 2802 to actually check their times with the schedule speed of train No. 550, which they knew was ahead of them".


Without a doubt the worst of the three rule violations cited by the Board was rule 93a which states, in part: "The outer main track switches of passing tracks will be considered 'station limits', and main track may be used inside of such limits by keeping clear of first and second class trains. All trains except first and second class trains must, unless otherwise directed, approach and pass through such limits, prepared to stop unless the main track is seen to be clear..." They also said: "It is abundantly plain that the main track ahead had not been seen to be clear and it is equally plain that passenger extra No. 2802 did not approach the 'station limits' prepared to stop".

While I have only quoted the most salient points from the Board's report I am going to quote the Board's findings in total so that the reader may compare them with the findings of the Coroner's Inquest, which are very different:

"There can be no other conclusion drawn from the facts but that had the rules been observed there would have been no accident. Departure from the rules, resulting in the accident, may be summarized as follows:

30. Failure of the crew of passenger extra No. 2802, and in particular the engineer and conductor thereon, to observe the provisions of paragraph 3 of Rule 91 and Rule 93(a) of the General, Train and Interlocking Rules of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, in that passenger extra No. 2802 exceeded the schedule speed of train No. 550, and that the engineer of passenger extra No. 2802 did not have his train under control and prepared to stop as he approached Almonte Station. It is also felt that the company's official who was riding this train at the time erred inasmuch as he failed to take such necessary action as would ensure compliance with the rules.

31. Neglect of crew of first-class passenger train No. 550 to provide protection by way of red or yellow fusee, as required by Rule 36 of the General, Train and Interlocking Rules of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, to the rear end of No. 550 when it was known that their train was not making the speed required by schedule, and that the rear end of the train while standing at the station at Almonte projected some 170 feet west of station limits.

32. The west approach to Almonte Station is on a curve, and under certain weather conditions a mist arises from the falls near this west approach to the station. The combination of these facts having been disclosed, it appears that the erection of a station protection signal west of Almonte would be an additional safeguard to a train standing at Almonte Station. A direction to this effect will go to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company accordingly".

Engineer Richardson was taken out of service. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers fought long and hard to have him reinstated and were moderately successful in getting him a job as a permanent locomotive fireman on a yard engine in Prescott, Ontario. Sam Thompson went on to finish his career as an engineer working out of Ottawa West. The conductor of passenger extra 2802, John Howard, became victim number 37 when he took his own life (by drowning) before the inquest got underway. He left his son a letter which stated that taking the blame for the disaster was more than he could bear. Nine months short of retirement, John Howard had never been involved in an accident of any kind after 40 years of service. Truly a night, and a nightmare, to remember.

One night, about 10 years later, I was the fireman on one of those late night westbound through "western" passenger trains. The engineer I was with, whose name I have forgotten, said he felt sick, probably his heart, after leaving Carleton Place. In any event he stopped the train at the Almonte station, got off the engine and asked the station operator to get help and medical attention, which he did. In the meantime the Smiths Falls dispatcher, after an hour or so delay, got another engineer out to the train and we continued on to Chalk River. I'm sorry that I no longer remember any further details of that incident, but don't think I didn't remember the "Almonte Wreck" on that terrible night 10 years earlier while I was sitting on that engine at Almonte, protected, I might add, by automatic block signals.

As an occasional visitor to the town of Almonte, well over 50 years after that fateful night, when I cross the tracks on the road crossing immediately west of the location where the station used to stand, and where the Almonte town hall building still stands, I think about the infamous Almonte wreck and its devastating horror, shattered lives, broken bodies, and the sadness it brought to so many innocent people.

The story of the Almonte wreck was first printed in Branchline in December 1988 and was written by Ron Ritchie. Ron, a BRS member and friend, finished up his railroad career as Assistant to the President of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company and now lives in Hudson Heights, Quebec. I have somewhat embellished his original story with details I have learned in the interim, and remembered, and thank Ron for his diligence in keeping so many of the facts of this incident logged as well as so many other "happenings" on the railway. A big tip of the old Tid Bitter's cap to Ron.

Tid Bits by Duncan du Fresne, Bytown Railway Society,, Branchline, April 2000, pages 8-10.

1943, December 30 - Canadian National - Alexandria

1944, December 21 - Rear end collision on the bridge at Casselman

1946, May 10 - Canadian Pacific - Renfrew.

On May 10th, 1946 Canadian Pacific passenger train #7, 'The Dominion', westbound, hit an open vandalized switch just west of Renfrew station and the locomotive, Royal Hudson 2858 and a baggage car rolled onto their sides.  There were no injuries. Auxiliary cranes from Smiths Falls and Chalk River rerailed them. 2858 is currently sitting in the locomotive bay at the Canada Science and Technology Museum, Ottawa.

1948, January 27 - Canadian National - Derailment of a passenger train on the Alexandria subdivision

1948 , July 6 - Canadian Pacific Runaway on the Cornwall Street Railway Tracks

26 August 1948 - Railway Crane Topples from Trestle at HEPC Fitzroy.

1950, March 18 - Canadian Pacific - Ashton.

Extract from an article by Duncan duFresneBytown Railway Society,, Branchline, January 1982, Pages 10-11-12.

But Travie Short is remembered better for another story. Ironically train number 83's return from Smiths Falls as an extra is involved, as is Fourth Class train number 89 3 another Ottawa West - Smiths Falls via Carleton Place job that also handled much of the CIP production from Gatineau. On the night of March 18, 1950, 83's extra and 89 were to meet at Ashton, Ont,  The extra had a car to set out at Ashton anyway, on the business siding parallel to the passing track. The extra planned to pull their train into the passing track, cut off head end cars to the one they had to set out, pull out through the east end switch and then back into the business track. It was a bad night, a heavy March snow storm with very high winds was lashing the valley.  The extra pulled slowly into the passing track, 89 was west of Stittsville and eating away the time and distance over to Ashton. The crew of the extra had correctly left their headlight on as they were not "in the clear". The story goes that the wind was whipping the smoke and exhaust, as well as the snow, around the extra's front end. As westbound 89 got the extra's headlight in sight the wind caused the smoke, steam and snow to obscure the light, then clear up, then obscure it again. In the cab of the onrushing 89 this was mistaken for a deliberate "highball" signal indicating (illegally) that the extra was "in the clear". The hogger on 89 opened, up his throttle and roared past the east passing track switch not knowing that just ahead, obliterated by the flying snow, was the tail end of the Extra, still foul of the main line. Standing on the west switch was a ballast car of rock. The 2624 plowed into it, rolling over in the process, cars piled up in all directions. The little station on the south side of the main was demolished. When all motion had ceased, 89's engine crew were dead and her head end brakeinan, Tom Gilmer, had saved his life by jumping just before the collision. The dead fireman was George Hannam, - the engineer was Travie Short.

Smashed and tossed by the trenendous impact of tons of steel, the wreckage of CPR freight No. 83 lies scattered across the main transcontinental line at Ashton, 20 miles southwest of Ottawa.  The broken cars spew their cargo across the snow, the one in the right upper background spreading hundreds of cases of beer about.  Seven cars, the engine and the tender are spread around in much the same confusion as would result if a small boy in temper had upset his toy train.  The early morning collision Saturday of No. 83 with the rear end of an eastbound freight affected train schedules and connections from Montreal to Sudbury, while dispatchers rerouted freight and passenger to by-pass the smash-up in which two crewmen died and two others were injured.  The wreckage was cleared, 250 yards of ripped up track replaced and the line opened for traffic again late Saturday.  At either end of the torn right-of-way, the railway wreck-clearing cranes can be seen beginning the job of working their way to the centre of the pile-up.

From Stittsville/Richmond Region EMC 22 March 2012

Collision of Freight Trains at Ashton on 18 Mar 1950

Ashton Ontario - March 18 was unseasonably warm this year, one day in an extended warm period that has seen most of the snow disappear from the landscape. But March 18 has not always been so lamb-like. Indeed, back in 1950, it was a March lion, with a blinding snow storm hitting the Stittsville and Goulbourn area.
 
And it was in this blinding snow storm that a fatal and tragic collision between two freight trains happened right at the Ashton train station. Two of the freight cars were thrown into the Ashton station, track was torn up for more than 200 yards, the area was littered with splintered ties and twisted steel rails, and, most tragic of all, two railway employees died.
 
This all happened about 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, 18 Mar 1950, with a blinding snowstorm taking place.
 
An extra eastbound freight train from Smiths Falls was pulling into the passing track at Ashton. At the time of the collision, its engine, tender, and several freight cars were already on the siding but the remainder of the freight train, some 15 cars, was still on the main line when a westbound freight train on that main line sliced into these freight cars.
 
The impact from the westbound engine slamming into these cars threw two of them against the Ashton station, after which the engine toppled end over end, tearing up track.
 
Two men on this westbound train died in the collision. One was the engineer who was found half buried in the snow while the other was the fireman who was found in the wreckage of the cab. Two others were injured.
 
The contents of the damaged freight cars were scattered about the site. One had a cargo of beer while another had a load of ladies' sample shoes, all for the same foot.
 
A later coroner's jury, held in Carleton Place to look into the cause of the collision, did not declare any identifiable cause for the crash. However, confusion in the orders to the crews of these trains and poor visibility due to the snowstorm were both cited as contributing factors.
 
And the situation could have been even worse, and possibly more tragic, had it not been for quick action taken by Percy Illingsworth, the station agent at Stittsville, that night.
 
A westbound Montreal-to-Vancouver passenger train had left the Ottawa West station before news of the collision was received there. It was thus racing toward Stittsville and beyond that Ashton, with its operators unaware of the fright cars littering the track there.
 
Mr. Illingsworth, who had been notified by phone of the situation with regards to this approaching train, pulled some clothes over his pyjamas, grabbed a flashlight, and dashed through the snow drifts to reach the train track. Visibility was poor because of the heavy snow storm but when he saw the glimmer of the headlight of the approaching train through the swirling snow, he started signaling with his flashlight for the train to stop. Fortunately, the engineer on the train saw and understood the signal and the passenger train stopped. Had Mr. Illingsworth not taken his action or if his signal had not been seen, this passenger train would have roared into the Ashton station and its carnage with who knows what kind of disastrous and tragic results.
 
Percy Illingsworth served as the station agent at Stittsville for about 20 years, succeeding the famous A.G. Appleby who was termed "the governor" for his leadership in the community.
 
Craig Hobbs was the last station agent to serve at Stittsville, holding the position from 1962 to 1968. After that, the station was closed, the land sold, and the building was removed in 1969.
 
There were extensive tracking systems for the railway at both the Stittsville and Ashton stations. The station at Ashton was on the south side of the track, just west of the Goulbourn/Beckwith town line road. Indeed, the station platform extended to within a few feet of the townline road.
 
There were switches and a siding at the Ashton station as well as stock yards used by local farmers for when they shipped their cattle to market. In the early 1900's, horses were frequently housed in these stock yards as farmers shipped them out west.
 
The Ashton station at harvest time also witnessed lineups of farmers with their teams of horses and wagons full of grain, waiting to deposit their loads in waiting freight cars.
 
The Ashton station handled both passenger and freight traffic and was as telegraph office as well.
 
The train was a vehicle for travel, not only by individuals and by students attending high school in Carleton Place, but also for groups such as Loyal Orange Lodge members travelling to special events. In 1872, for instance, just two years after the rail line was opened, members of the Stapleton Orange Lodge No. 471 west of Richmond travelled to the Ashton station in order to catch the train into Ottawa for a 12th of July celebration.
 
The 1981 book "Remembering Our Railway" by the late Grace Thompson of Stittsville, which outlines the history of the railroad in Stittsville and also Ashton, features a cover photo of the 1950 Ashton train wreck as published in the former Ottawa Journal on 20 Mar 1950. This book, which can be found in the reference section at the Stittsville branch of the Ottawa Public Library, remains the most authoritative published account not only of Stittsville's railway history but also this tragic train crash at the Ashton station on 18 Mar 1950.
 
John Curry.

1951, January 20 - Canadian Pacific, Churchill Avenue, Ottawa.

The Westboro Wreck
By Michael Iveson.

Canadian Pacific Train No. 8, "The Dominion" was better than an hour-and-a-half "off the advertized" on January 20, 1951 when it crested the grade near the suburban Ottawa station of Westboro and struck a coal truck at the Chuchill Avenue crossing, just east of Westboro Station.

The truck driver and his helper, employees of  the nearby Independent Coal and Lumber Company,  were  able to jump clear  of  their vehicle and were uninjured. The train and its crew were not so lucky.

Powered by Royal Hudson No. 2821, the "Dominion" was rolling along at better than 70 mph when the collision occured. Upon impact, the truck was thrown against a switchstand just at the crossing. The force of the blow opened the turnout, diverting the train into the siding of the Cummings Coal Company.

The engine was unable to negotiate the tight curvature of the siding. It derailed and ploughed down the track embankment on its side, coming to rest some 500 feet from where the Westboro transitway station is now located.

The wreckage also included a heavy weight baggage car, a 2200-series coach, a heavy weight diner, and a sleeper. The balance of the train stayed on the rails.

The train's Engineer, Albert Scharf, was trapped in the cab of the 2821, suffering fatal burns. His Fireman, Earl Fergus, miraculously survived, retiring from CP engine service a couple of years ago. In all, some 30 passengers and crew members were injured that day.

The 2821 was hauled out of the mud and snow and rebuilt. Ironically, it was involved in yet another collision - a cornfield meet with sister 2823 on the North Bay Subdivision. She was rebuilt after this incident, and was scrapped in December of 1959.

On a personal note, my mother and I had just waved at the crew of Number 8 as it had passed our home not two minutes before the accident. My father, who worked on Saturday morning in those days, was driving down Churchill Avenue and witnessed the accident. He was one of the first to reach the crew trapped in the cab.

I spent the next few days after the accident watching the equipment being rerailed. After its retrieval, the 2821 was stored on a siding at Westboro Station until it could be shipped to Montreal for repairs.

To this day, as I approach the intersection of Scott Street and Churchill Avenue, I still think of that awful wreck of January 21, 1951.

1951, February 11 - Derailment of ten freight cars at Pembroke, Canadian Pacific

1951, February 16 - Tank truck loaded with fuel oil hits Canadian Pacific Ottawa to Maniwaki passenger train.

1953, October 11 - Derailment of a Canadian Pacific passenger train on the Castor grade, Maniwaki subdivision.

1955, July 18 - Locomotive and 25 freight cars derail at Maxville, Canadian National Alexandria subdivision.

1956, May 9 - Head-on collision between two passenger trains at Brockville - one fatality.

1957, February 28 - Canadian National Continental hits a truck at Bells Corners, Beachburg subdivision, and derails two diesel units and ten passenger cars.

 




Public Archives PA-208687-90

1958, April 13 - 13 cars derailed half a mile east of Morrisburg, Canadian National Kingston subdivision

1958, December 6 - Canadian National passenger train derails about one and a half miles east of Vars after hitting a broken rail.  Ten people were injured.

1959, January 26 - Derailment west of Aylmer, Quebec, Canadian Pacific Railway.

The Ottawa Citizen noted a derailment on Monday 26 January some7 miles west of Aylmer, on the rock bluffs just east of Breckenridge, due to a broken rail; the temperature the previous night had been -20F/-30C. One load of oil for the Hilton mine and 18 empty hoppers went off. Passengers from the morning train from Waltham were taxied to Ottawa presumably from Breckenridge.  The Ottawa West auxiliary was ordered at 08:45 with diesel 8707 and the Smiths Falls auxilliary was ordered at 12:45 with diesel 8701.  An additional work train was ordered at 13:45 with steam locomotive 2207.  The work trains returned to Ottawa West late in the evening of Wednesday 28 January 1959.

1959, May 20 - 30 cars derail in a Canadian national freight train at Dunrobin, Beachburg subdivision.

1959, September 14 - A wayfreight side swiped the diner of the pool train, #559 at Brockville, Canadian National, Kingston subdivision.  3 killed, 14 injured.

1960, January 28 - 15 cars derailed when a freight train hit a tanker-transport truck at Morrisburg, Canadian National Kingston subdivision.  No injuries.

1960, October 14 - 11 cars derail in a freight train near Malwood, Canadian National Beachburg subdivision.

1960, December 30 - four people killed in a vehicle-train collision on the Canadian Pacific Carleton Place subdivision in Britannia.

1961, October 13 - 11 cars derail when a car plows into the rear of a freight train at Carlsbad Springs, Canadian Natinal Alexandria subdivision.

1962, January 7 - "The Dominion" derails at St. Eugene, Canadian Pacific, M and O subdivision and derails the three diesels (8474-1902-1910) and several cars.

Looking towards the rear of the train shows the extent of the damage to  mostly head-end equipment.	The Smiths Falls auxiliary on the left and the St Luc auxiliary on the right grapple with the lead unit of train No. 8, MLW RS-10 8474.

In this scene we see the two auxiliaries lifting wrecked GMD F7B 1910.	GMD F9B 1902 is just about back where she belongs in this Don Gaw shot, albeit not on her own trucks. All the units involved had their trucks ripped off.

1962, January 24 - a  freight train derails at Hyndford, Canadian National Renfrew subdivision and demolishes the station.

1964, August 21 - Leonard, Ontario, Canadian Pacific Railway.

The morning express to Montreal (No. 232) was struck behind the engine by a northbound [gravel] truck at the crossing in Leonard and the coaches and heavyweight parlour cars derailed.  At least one 2200-class coach (no 2294) rolled on to its side and skidded several hundred feet before coming to a stop (end-on) against large trees, the only thing that protected an occupied CPR house.  As this coach bounced along the roadbed, passengers were ejected through the shattered windows and crushed or severely injured.  The number killed was 8 immediate, possibly more afterwards.

Bill Linley went to the wreck scene and took these photographs:

	The Montreal, St. Luc auxilliary arrives at Leonard  behind 4083 and 8203 on 21 August 1964. The auxiliary arrived at Ottawa West from St. Luc from the Lachute Sub with 8203-4408 (GP-35/FB-1), but as there was nowhere to turn they took off the B unit and it left Ottawa West with 4083 (FPA-2) which had arrived on #75 from Montreal and 8203.
	Smiths Falls auxilliary at Leonard. 21 August 1964.

  

1967,  February 2 - A CNR freight train hits a double oil tanker truck at Woodroffe Avenue, Beachburg subdivision. The truck burst into flames which covered the locomotive.

1967, May 25 - Canadian Pacific train #85 hits work equipment near Calumet, Lachute subdivision and derails two locomotives.

1972, February 11 - 36 cars derail at Morrisburg, Canadian National, Kingston subdivision.

1972, February 28 - an oil tank truck hits a train and bursts into flame at Carp, CNR Renfrew subdivision.  Three cars derailed, one killed

1972, August 11 - A truck hits a dayliner, RDC-1 No. 9066, on train 132 at highway 8/148, Calumet, Canadian Pacific Lachute subdivision, 3 killed, 26 injured.

1976, July 5 - CP Train 904 derailed 30 cars 4 miles east of Perth on the Belleville Subdivision.

Bruno Leroux, retired CNR superintendent for the area, said that he had to go out on a cold winter’s morning to see what was going on, as the Capreol train dispatcher had some work for him..  The sectionmen on the Beachburg Subdivision reported a boxcar of grain heading to Montreal was out in the ‘bush’, somewhere between Nepean and Fitzroy on the Beachburg Subdivision.  

The train crew on the manifest train, #302 or some such, reported that the train had gone into emergency during the night.  When they reached the pull-apart, nothing seemed amiss, so they coupled up, tested the air, and took off for Walkley Yard.