Moosonee trains
Waiting for the train to leave, 2008 June 27
Moosonee is the northern terminus of the Ontario Northland railway (fomerly
Temiskaming and Northern Ontario) which
begins at North Bay, Ontario. The railway is owned by the Government of the
Province of Ontario and operated by the Ontario
Northland Transportation Commission. Until June 2007 the ONR ran a year round (three days per week) mixed train
(Little Bear) which carried
both freight and passengers plus the summer time Polar Bear excursion train (six
days per week) between Moosonee and Cochrane.
On March 23, 2007, the Ontario Government announced that mixed train
operation would be replaced by a freight only train twice a week (419/621)and passenger
service (421/622) five times a week in each direction, increasing to six times a week
during the summer. The new service began in June 2007. There is no longer be a separate excursion train in the
summer. The new train (Polar Bear/Little Bear sometimes called the Super Bear
because of the amount of switching it involves) includes chain cars (flatcars) for light vehicles, baggage
and express cars, a couple of box cars for larger items such as boxcars as well
as passenger cars. Additional passenger cars, including domes, are added in the
summer. The separate freight trains has carried double stacked containers, fuel
tankers and variety of other cargo. Because it is a "pure" freight train it is
not subject to the same length restrictions as the Little Bear was. Some of the
freight brought up to Moosonee is transferred to trucks on the winter road,
aircraft and barges for shipment further north to Fort Albany, Kashechewan,
Attawapiskat and the Victor Diamond Mine west of Attawapiskat.
In Moosonee the tracks run past the station out to the airport and also along
the river (beside Revillon Road North) for bringing freight to the barges.
Additional photos (often in higher resolution and with detailed captions) of trains in Moosonee may be found at
http://paullantz.com,
http://www.pbase.com/paullantz/trains and
http://www.pbase.com/paullantz/switching .
Tuesdays and Fridays,
freight train 419 brings
the freight that used to
come on the Little Bear
mixed train. |
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Cochrane
2007 December 27 |
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Waiting for evening departure of train 622 as freight service 1801 waits to
left |
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Christmas in July 2007 |
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First new train |
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Last mixed train |
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December 24-27, 2006
ONR in Cochrane and Englehart |
SD75i |
Northlander departs
Englehart |
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Englehart Station |
Northlander arrival |
Freight 214 |
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Efficient crew change |
Northlander departs
Cochrane |
Northlander crosses
Englehart River |
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No baggage car on
Northlander |
ONR six axle units |
Cochrane Station |
Northlander waits to
depart from Cochrane |
Northlander arrives in
Cochrane |
Platform activity in
Cochrane |
Switching in Cochrane |
December 19, 2006 |
View from end of platform |
Fueling auxiliary power |
Farewell at station |
November 18, 2006 |
Freight section |
Rear end of passenger
section in station |
Containers ready to go
up north |
Little Bear Mixed
November 13, 2006 |
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Swastika
ONR
station
Oct 9,
2006 |
Longer consist for
Thanksgiving Northlander |
Street side of station |
Platform view of
station |
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Looking to platform |
Waiting room |
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Store Creek rail bridge |
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Gravel cars derailed on airport spur 2006 June 8 |
Polar Bear Express 2005 August 5 |
Railroad display |
Inside museum car |
Lead engine |
Cochrane
August 3rd
2005 |
Northlander leaves for
Toronto |
GP38-2 waits to lead
Northlander south |
Passengers watch Polar
Bear Express |
First excursion train of 2005
June 24th |
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Sidings along the Moose River |
Just one trailer this morning |
Auxiliary power unit 203
just before dawn |
Early morning yard |
Starting switching |
Pulling away from ramp |
GP38-2's |
Track to airport |
Trailers on flatcars |
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Remnants of former siding |
Contrast paint schemes |
Mixed train |
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Yard at sunrise |
Mixed train about 1982 |
GP40-2 2200 crosses Bay Rd |
Crossing Store Creek bridge |
Hunters loading |
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1800 crossing Bay Road |
View from the south end
of the winter road |
Trailers stacked three high |
Switching in Moosonee
yard |
Making up mixed train at Moosonee
for more pictures click
here |
Trucks departing south
as winter road season ends. |
Coming off the wye |
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Vehicles at train station |
End of track bumper |
Turnout to wye |
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Snowmobile car at front of
passenger section of mixed
train. |
Passengers wait by end of
mixed train. The freight section,
seen at right, will be pulled
forward and added at the front
of the passenger section. |
End of freight section. |
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This is not a great railfan photo. It shows two Ontario
Northland engines switching along the Moose River. In the left part of the
picture is part of a "tractor train" that is used on the winter road going
north from Moosonee. Tractor trains have been the means by which large
quantities of goods have been transported on temporary winter roads. The
trains include various units for accommodation, merchandise as well as fuel
tanks, all on skis and pulled by tractors or bulldozers. In recent years the
quality of the winter roads has increased to the point where tractor
trailers, pickup trucks and even cars can sometimes use them. |
Tank cars along Ferguson Road North. Moosonee is a transshipment point
for many commodities including fuels. |
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Switching oil tanks |
Transport waiting for train |
GP38-2 1800 |
Butler Creek bridge |
Polar Bear Express excursion train at Moosonee July 10, 2004 (large file). |
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All that is left of siding to fuel depot at former base. |
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farewell to excursion train as it heads north |
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southbound regular mixed meets excursion Aug 21 2003 |
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Moose River bridge Aug 25 2003 |
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Regular train Aug 21 2003 |
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Excursion and regular train July 4 2003 |
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Switching along Ferguson Road North |
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Switching onto Revillon Road North |
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Regular train parked Sept 10 2003 |
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Switching along the Moose River Sept 10 2003 |
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Santa Train November 29, 1998 |
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Tank cars alongside Ferguson Road North Apr 16 2004 |
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Track heads towards former base and airport April 23 2004 |
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Towards Revillon Road North offloading. |
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Towards Revillon Rd N offloading showing Ferguson Rd and Revillon Rd sidings. |
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Moosonee station from north. |
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Moosonee station from south |
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South from Store Creek rail bridge |
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Moosonee station from south |
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Atim Road bridge from rail bridge over Store Creek |
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Special train for Attawapiskat evacuation May 21 2004 |
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Attawapiskat Evacuation train |
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Attawapiskat Evacuation train |
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Due to flooding, Attawapiskat residents flown to Moosonee by Canadian Forces and on to Timmins by rail. |
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GP 38-2 1801 running along Ferguson Rd N |
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