The Canadian (CPR) in Ottawa

Clip from 1955 promo film "The Canadian".

Sorry no sound.

I love seeing old films and photos of Ottawa, especially of the old Union Station which is right downtown (like the majority of cities around the world) where it should have stayed. The building exists as a government conference centre, but the tracks have all been removed. A major shopping mall, Department of Defence HQ and the U of Ottawa are all there now, as well as Colonel By Drive, a scenic parkway. It would be virtually impossible to restore even one set of tracks to the old station.

The Canadian began it's trip west in Montreal QC, but I'm not sure what route it took to stop in Ottawa: Whether it took the Alexandria-Maxville-Casselman line, or a northern route (Rigaud-Vankleek Hill-Plantagenet line?) thru eastern Ontario. After stopping at the Union Station downtown, it crossed the Ottawa River on the Interprovincial (aka Alexandra) Bridge, made a quick stop in Hull, then crossed back down into Ontario over the Prince of Wales Bridge. From there I don't know how it made it's way to Sudbury, ON to join the second section of The Canadian from Toronto, and continue it's journey to Vancouver, BC.

If you happen to know the exact route the old Canadian took from Montreal to Sudbury, let me know! Thanks!

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• The
• Canadian
• Pacific
• Railway
• CPR
• CP
• Rail
• Ottawa
• Canada
• Ontario
• Union
• Station
• Grand
• Trunk
• Colonel
• By
• Drive
• NCC
• Rideau
• Canal
• Interprovincial
• Alexandra
• Prince
• of
• Wales
• Montreal
• Sudbury

[dpkeys]

Where are all the previous comments going? A lot of Conrail's posts are gone.

[ConrailSD70MAC]

The Chalk River sub isn't abandoned. CP rerouted traffic to through Toronto

[dpkeys]

My replies aren't coming up on the page the way I would like. Not exactly like a forum.

Anyways I could see that the Chalk River sub has spectacular scenery. It twists along the river and through the hills with few straights. Would need a tilting train to get up to a decent speed. ;) It wraps right around the shore at Pembroke!

[dpkeys]

So what's happening to the Chalk River Sub then?

[ConrailSD70MAC]

I knew exactly where the Carleton Place sub travelled.

I have a 1962 CP timetable that shows the whole route including train schedules. :)

[dpkeys]

What I meant to say is "I see what you mean, I can see it on the maps now that you told me". Don't be mad, this stuff is awesome.

[ConrailSD70MAC]

At one time, the Canadian was discontinued from capreol to Montreal and RDCs were used.

Between capreol and Ottawa. This was shortlived. The Canadian was reinstated within weeks.

[ConrailSD70MAC]

I got to see VIA Rails Canadian run through Ottawa in the 1980's.

Would see it at 12:25PM westbound past Merivale Rd and 8:28PM eastbound.

It was great seeing FP9s and FPAs pulling stainless steel cars with domes and park cars.

[dpkeys]

Never got to see The Canadian here in Ottawa. I would have been 11 years old at the last chance. I remember when I was at school (grade 4 I think) in Barrhaven I saw a SS train go by going to Smiths Falls but that was the last one I ever saw running through Ottawa.

[dpkeys]

Definitely if I could be "James Almighty" I would restore the station downtown and 4-6 covered platforms, but get rid of the ugly yard that was next to it, and create a staging yard at tremblay. Only 2 tracks max to feed into the station. Delete Nicholas Street, getting rid of the Rideau & King Edward truck traffic. Restore the Alexandra tracks. You can see where the tracks arched up and over in Hull though Parc Dupuis. Oh I wish.