A CPR constable on hand to protect the travelling public at Smiths Falls - Date/Photographer unknown.

26 May 2011

Saying Goodbye to 124 Years of Service

Smiths Falls Ontario - The following is the first part of a series on the CPR railway station, located off Victoria Avenue in Smiths Falls.
 
Very soon, train passengers in Smiths Falls will use the newly built shelter of VIA Rail in the north end of Smiths Falls.
 
When the last VIA train departs Victoria Avenue, passengers will leave behind 124 years of history behind them.
 
Since 1887, the CPR station in Smiths Falls has seen countless passengers arrive and depart, and countless tons of express freight pass through it.
 
From Royalty to Royal Hudsons, the station was the host site for meeting VIP's, seeing off troop trains, and observing the evolution of our nation's train technology.
 
The building of the station was not the work of the CPR, but by a company nobody in Smiths Falls has likely ever heard of.
 
Without this company, supplying the CPR construction materials to the west (via Smiths Falls) would have ceased and Smiths Falls would have remained just another village along the Rideau River.
 
The Ontario & Quebec Railway Company was created on 21 Mar 1881, just 33 days after the CPR was incorporated.
 
The O&Q's mission was to acquire and construct railway lines in Ontario and Quebec for the CPR.
 
Under the Pacific Railway contract, the CPR was forbidden to construct railway lines east of Callander, Ontario.
 
As a result, the CPR leased O&Q lines for 999 years.
 
In 1885, surveys were made by the O&Q for an "Air Line" between Smiths Falls and Montreal.
 
The "Air Line" would be a straight and fast railway line that would head dead east to Montreal rather than via Carleton Place and Ottawa.
 
Construction of the line began in 1886 which included a new yard facility and station at Smiths Falls to replace the former facilities built by the Canada Central Railway.
 
The new station was designed by Montreal architects J.W. & E.C. Hopkins with a "Chateau Style" design in mind.
 
However, with its non-mansard roofline not broken with spires and towers, the new station was looking more like the Van Horne standard CPR stations used west of Perth and in Western Canada.
 
Even though the station was not another "Chateau Frontenac", the station's main construction materials were the same CPR standard limestone base and brick, and the interior would be brightly lit with multiple unit windows that illuminated the main waiting room and restaurant.
 
In March 1887, contraction began immediately when the CPR announced that Messrs. Tompkins of Brockville was awarded the contract to build all the stations between Smiths Falls and Montreal and many in Western Canada.
 
But before construction began, complaints were made by local contractors regarding the contract.
 
The CPR did not advertise the tender which led to some minor discontentment among local contractors.
 
As work progressed into July, an executive decision by a CPR official would see Smiths Falls itself influence the design of its station.
 
CPR's Vice-President Sir William Van Horne, the man responsible for successfully completing the construction of CPR and thus uniting provinces into a nation, looked over the station grounds with future CPR president Sir Thomas Shaughnessy.
 
Accompanying the duo was a reporter from the Rideau Record who reported:
 
"Mr. Van Horne bared his head to the breezes and looked thoughtfully down upon the busy town, listening intently the while to the hum and the buzz of activity that filled the air. It is impossible for us to say what thoughts had birth during those few minutes but turning from his meditative gaze, he ordered the workmen to tear out the end wall of the foundation and extend the work to a greater length. This is no doubt was done to ensure a station adequate to the wants of Smiths Falls for the future as seen by the Vice-President's prophetic eye."
 
This event is evidence of the burgeoning relationship that was unfolding between the town and the CPR, which would bring among other benefits to the town, a recreation park, Veteran's Club building (now demolished), first water main and fire hydrants, telegraph system, and a daily weather forecast alert system.
 
On Monday, 15 Aug 1887 at 1:15 p.m., speeding over the new line, the first passenger train arrived at the newly-completed station.
 
It took only 11 minutes to traverse the nine miles from Merrickville, with many from that village travelling on the first train.
 
Toronto and Montreal were now directly linked by rail via Smiths Falls, 1887 was to begin the start of rapid expansion.
 
Local passengers, merchants, and industries had before them direct routes to Toronto and Montreal.
 
Finishing touches like the bricking of the station would not be completed until October, however, once the new air line opened, the prestige of being a division point now passed to Smiths Falls.
 
The new Montreal "Air Line" was named "Winchester Subdivision", where in 1931 held the speed record of the world's fastest train.
 
With Smiths Falls being the busiest CPR division point in eastern Ontario, all CPR passenger trains from southern Ontario would end up at "MF" before heading to Montreal, and Quebec City.
 
ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES (and attempts to do so)
 
Once the new station was finished, passengers immediately began stopping at Smiths Falls for a rest, a bite to eat, and to connect with Ottawa and Brockville-bound trains.
 
The first three months since the station's birth was a busy time filled with new traffic.
 
The K&P (Kingston & Pembroke) Railway began sending freight and passengers through the new Montreal line, and mail was now being shipped to Ottawa via Smiths Falls.
 
But with an increase in traffic also comes an increase in the chance of an accident.
 
The first accident at the station was in September, 1887.
 
Mr. Tweedy, returning from Almonte on the midnight train, stepped onto the platform close to where a yard engine began to move along the platform.
 
Amongst the shouts of other passengers, Mr. Tweedy became confused and stepped into the path of the oncoming engine.
 
The unfortunate passenger tried to grab hold of the engine but fell onto the track and had a leg badly mangled by the engine.
 
The man survived but had to have his leg amputated.
 
In October of that year, a drunken man from Kemptville tried to board a train and was nearly run over, if it wasn't for station agent Mr. Proud, who pulled him away.
 
Special trains with important people also stopped and passed by the station.
 
Since 1887, the vice-regal cars of the Governor General were a frequent appearance in Smiths Falls, stopping on their way to Toronto.
 
Funeral trains always demanded attention and respect for their special freight they carried.
 
Two important funeral trains that stopped at Smiths Falls over the years were the trains carrying the late Rt. Hon. Sir John Alexander Macdonald heading to his hometown of Kingston via Sharbot Lake and the K&P Railway.
 
The second was the funeral train of Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, the CPR's indefatigable General Manager who gave his personal direction that the station was to be as large as it is now.
 
War also saw local citizens answer the call to serve and take troop trains to the East.
 
Solders like Stewart McDonald of 4 William St. who, in 1901, boarded a CPR troop train headed for the Boer War.
 
"The train" he said was a "big picnic".
 
In World War I, Lady Superintendent of the Smiths Falls Public Hospital, Miss Willoughby, left on 23 Sep 1914 on the 3:20 afternoon train to serve as a nurse in Belgium with a large crowd wishing her a speedy return.
 
Apart from the regular visitors, there were unusual passengers that would make a stop.
 
"Colossus", the 68-ton blue whale was a visitor to the station for two days in 1936.
 
Hundreds gathered at the station to see this whale and other marine creatures.
 
However, anybody could see giant monsters visit the station every day.
 
The CPR's living machines of iron steel, like the K1a class 3100's, the famous H class 2800 Hudsons, and Royal Hudsons, also first generation ALCO diesel electric units of the 4000, 7000, and 8400 series.
 
Joyful valedictories were often met with blissful reunions at Smiths Falls, however MF had other exultant farewells which would lead to an inconsolable tragedy.
 
In the early morning of Thursday, 29 May 1914, a special train of 150 Salvation Army members arrived in Smiths Falls from Toronto for a 15-minute layover for passengers to detrain and enjoy some CPR food in the restaurant.
 
These passengers would be using the CPR to attend the Salvation Army International Congress in London, England.
 
At Quebec City, the passengers would board the CPR's luxurious and fast "Empress of Ireland".
 
The passengers were excited about their Atlantic journey.
 
They had been planning the trip for months and the children in the group were excited at the prospect of a long train trip and a sea voyage.
 
The train departed Smiths Falls amid the waving of hats and cheers from the locals calling for a safe voyage.
 
At 2 a.m., on the ship what was to make its 96th regular passage to England, the Empress of Ireland was struck amidships on the starboard side by the Norwegian collier S.S. Storstad.
 
Penetrating 18 feet into the Empress's hull, the Storstad left a gash 24 feet high and 14 feet wide in the dense fog of the St. Lawrence River.
 
Out of the 150 train passengers, 24 would return to Smiths Falls on their way back home to Toronto.
 
The Empress would also claim the lives of two Smiths Falls CPR employees, Mr. F. Hamilton, who was a ticket agent at the station, and Miss Annie Swindlehurst.
 
Both were employed on the Empress.
 
MODERNISM ARRIVES IN MF
 
Since the 1920's, middle-class Canadians could find themselves travelling across Canada in ever-increasing numbers by automobiles and buses on newly constructed roads and highways.
 
By the end of WWII, war ravaged Canadians were eager to indulge in the new wave of sleek-looking modern conveniences that were becoming ever more affordable.
 
From toasters to televisions, the streamline style affected all forms of everyday life.
 
Stripped of all ornate decorations and the elimination of sharp angles, smooth curves and lines gave the impression of speed.
 
Streamlining ironically started with the railways as a way to reduce drag on pioneer diesel-electric high-speed trains, but the aerodynamics alone could not save the railways from aircraft which use the same aerodynamics to send passengers across the country in hours instead of days.
 
Despite the fact that the CPR was losing money on passenger traffic, the railway made a big push to upgrade stations and facilities in an effort to give potential passengers the image of modernism.
 
The community of Smiths Falls became one of the first stations to be transformed into the modern image.
 
The last time the station got an addition was in 1929 with erection of an umbrella roof.
 
In March 1945, the CPR spent $55,000 to change the appearance of the interior and exterior of the station.
 
Plans were prepared in June, 1945, by Colin Drewitt, Associate Architect of C.P.R. who designed most of the post-war stations including Park Avenue station in Montreal.
 
Work commenced in June, 1946, where the entire building was lengthened to 180 feet by extending the "lean to" additions at each end of the station.
 
The base of the extension was also given limestone ashlar to match the station's base and textured brick for the entire upper portion of the building's facade.
 
The main change to the station reflected flow and accessibility for the passengers.
 
Bay windows were installed on the east and west side of the main waiting room, allowing natural light into the waiting room.
 
In the interior, acoustic ceilings, fluorescent lighting, and tiled floors gave better ambience, and chrome-plated padded leather seats helped the passengers wait for their trains in comfort.
 
Keeping with the tradition of the segregated sexes, the ladies sitting room gave the impression of being at home with its chesterfield, table set with a rug.
 
Dining at the station changed dramatically.
 
Under the supervision of A.B. Smith, General Superintendent of the Sleeping, Dining, and Parlour Car Department, the dining room and kitchen changed greatly with all electrical equipment, sandwich, and soda counters running the entire length of the room, 12 padded chrome stools running along the counters.
 
The dining tables were reduced to three, giving more standing room for passengers who must eat and run.
 
Other rooms that were re-done were a sitting room for the restaurant employees, storage room, and baggage room.
 
The second floor was overhauled as well, with eight bedrooms, two sitting rooms, and two washrooms.
 
The flat-line roof with curved corners expressed the "modern style" which the C.P.R. wished to evoke.
 
As a final crowning to the project, the station possessed a 20th Century Mono-type header "CANADIAN PACIFIC" aimed towards Daniel Street.
 
Passengers got to see what the CPR looked like with their restaurants, trains, and trucking in Smiths Falls, but in the station, beside the passengers, resided the station operator and this is where the action of moving trains took place.
 
OPERATING AT MF
 
In the fast hustle of a division point, Smiths Falls was the communication hub for train operations from Toronto, Montreal, Chalk River, Kingston (via K&P tracks), Brockville, Prescott, and as far north as Maniwaki and Waltham.
 
Operators at the station worked in three shifts called "tricks" first trick 00:01-08:00 hours, second trick 08:00-16:00 hours, third trick 16:00-23:59 hours.
 
In the station, the operator's office was located in the bay window 30 feet from the north end of the station.
 
When the pool trains ended, the CPR moved the operator's office to the north of the booking-in rooms.
 
This decision was made so the operator could give the train crews their orders and not have to walk 10 feet every time the train dispatcher wanted an OS "on sheet" from the train registers.
 
Morse code was still being used in Smiths Falls until 1971.
 
In the operator's office, you had to listen intently to several Morse code relays from different operators and dispatchers from other subdivisions for your call "MF" which was two long dashes, a short, a long, and a short, and answer them promptly.
 
The crews would arrive 30 minutes ahead of their call to check incoming trains from Montreal, Toronto, and Chalk River, compare watches, read bulletins, and check the list of crews being out and sign themselves out in big yellow register books and read their orders.
 
Until the pool trains came off in January 1966, operators also sold tickets, and answered the bell telephone from passengers as to whether their train was on time or late.
 
Occasionally, local reporters would often stop by the station to ask the operator to send a news story over the teletype to newspapers like the Ottawa Citizen and the Ottawa Journal.
 
The station operator was the human contact that employees and citizens relied on for information.
 
This occupation was abolished on 3 Feb 1991 when CPR Operator Harold Daber "H.D." signed off, giving way to the Manual Block System which is still controlled in Montreal by Rail Traffic Controllers (RTC's).
 
THE LAST RUNS
 
With the pressure of the aircraft industry and automotive industry, the CPR was ready to shed the money-losing yoke of passenger service.
 
One by one, the regular trains that endured passenger rate wars with the Grand Trunk, the Great Depression, two World Wars, and The Korean War called Smiths Falls for the last time on a frigid Sunday, 23 Jan 1966.
 
The Toronto-Peterborough-Ottawa trains 33 and 34 left at 10:15 and 13:00, Ottawa-Brockville trains 261 and 262 left at 19:05 and 21:15.
 
The last CPR conventional passenger trains to call at "MF" were the Toronto-Montreal trains 21 "The Royal York" and 22 "The Chateau Champlain".
 
During the days of steam, the CPR's two only Northern Type steam locomotives 3100 and 3101 were the motive power for this assignment on the overnight runs.
 
On this cold evening, General Motors diesel-electric locomotives 1412 and 1903 did the honours at exactly 21:47 hours, finishing off 79 years of CPR passenger service.
 
The very next day, the CNR operated its Ottawa-Brockville passenger train 45 and 46 through Smiths Falls to Brockville.
 
In 1977, the Federal Government regulated passenger service in Canada by creating a government-owned subsidiary called VIA Rail.
 
This new company took over the CNR and CPR passenger services.
 
VIA trains today still hold the original CNR numbers, 40 and 41, 42 and 43, and 45 and 46 of the Ottawa-Brockville-Toronto train.
 
Soon, the Smiths Falls Community Theatre will have the old VIA waiting room to incorporate into their remarkable complex, and VIA passengers will arrive and depart along Highway 15.
 
The new station will continue the railway tradition in Smiths Falls, becoming part of the 95 mph line between Ottawa and Brockville, a speed that would have been laughed at 124 years ago.
 
Rian Manson.

The new VIA Rail station at Smiths Falls - 26 Mar 2011 Fred Mills.