Algoma Central Railway Scenes

The Route of the Black Bear

Agawa Canyon on August 17, 1997.

Algoma Central Railway's Agawa Canyon tour trip is a great, all-day train ride if you're not the impatient type.

The familiar walking bear logo has long been a symbol of the northern Ontario wilderness that the railway passes through.

Financially struggling for years, the ACR was purchased by CN Rail and absorbed into their system. Passenger trains continue to operate northward from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, but no longer with the colourful F units.

Working as the trailing unit northbound, 1752 becomes the lead unit for the southbound train waiting to depart for Sault Ste. Marie.

An old ACR bulkhead flat being put to use...but not for passenger service as this scene may indicate. This car was set out at Canyon for hauling out garbage containers.

Train 3 was still operating on the same schedule a few years later after this employee time table expired.

Southbound train waiting for passengers to board minutes before departure. No welded rail here and very little elsewhere on this route.

Scenes captured from a moving train rarely work well but with the assistance of technology some improvement is possible. Northbound passenger train slowly rolling off the north end of the bridge crossing the Montreal River. That trailing unit is 1752.

ACR passenger train. Caption details missing.

The Oddblock Station Agent

Addendum March 31, 2014

A look at a few more scenes of the Algoma Central Railway

ACR really means All Curves... Right?

A few more scenes from a 1980's day the life of the railway

A scene from the history books. Actually this photo came from one of the ACR's annual reports.

This is not a scene that is normally associated with the Algoma Central Railway known for carrying tourist passengers into Agawa Canyon. Tie replacement in the northern Ontario wilderness is a real and necessary part of what goes on with a railway... any railway... and to allow trains to safely operate.

Not much glamourous about Steelton Yard in Sault Ste. Marie, but loaded railcars means needed income for the railway to earn its keep.

No shortage of autumn colours or passengers this morning as evidenced by a lengthy Train 3 heading northward.