Chronology

1872

• Charter granted to the Thunder Bay Silver Mines Railroad.

1881

• Application made to incorporate the Thunder Bay & Minnesota Railway (T.B & M.R.R)

1882

• T.B & M.R.R bill thrown out of Parliament.
• Application made to incorporate the Thunder Bay Colonization Railroad Company (TBCR)

1883

• Charter granted to the TBCR on February 1st.; authorized to build From Prince Arthur's Landing to a point east of Arrow Lake on Pigeon River.

1884

• First sod turned for the TBCR on November 22nd.

1885

• The TBCR granted a Dominion subsidy of $92,000 from Murillo Stn on the CPR to the east end of Whitefish Lake.

1886

• TBCR granted an additional $179,000 subsidy for the extension of line from Whitefish Lake to Crooked Lake.
• TBCR extended to Nameukan Lake, with a branch to Crooked Lake.

1887

• Renamed the Port Arthur, Duluth, & Western Railway (P.A.,D.&W.). by Provincial Statute on April 23rd.
• Construction begun.
• First sod turned at the foot of John St. on September 24th.
• Nine miles cleared and graded

1888

• Ontario Government authorizes railway to change projected route; from Port Arthur, via Whitefish Lake to Gunflint Lake
• The P.A.D & W incorporated by the Dominion Government on May 4th, and declared a work for the general benefit of Canada
• The P.A.D & W receives a Dominion subsidy of $271,200 for 84 and 3/4 miles from Port Arthur to Gunflint Lake

1889

• Initial work abandoned; new route chosen
• Construction resumed; reaches Kaministiquia River at Stanley (mile 19) by years end

1890

• P.A.D & W given a $3200 per mile subsidy for a five mile branch to Kakabeka Falls by the Dominion Government
• The P.A.D & W signs a running rights agreement with the Ontario and Rainy River Railway
• Construction is hampered by financial problems; Thomas Marks is removed as president of the railway and controlling interest of the company passes to the "Toronto Syndicate"
• Loans from the Bank of Commerce re-start construction
• Tracks laid to Silver Mountain (mile 40) by December 20th.

1891

• A fire in January destroys the company's engine house, damaging two engines and causing $10,000 worth of damage.
• US engineers survey the Duluth & Iron Range Railroad route north to Gunflint Lake.
• Rails reach almost to North Lake by the end of the year

1892

• The Gunflint Lake Iron Company incorporated in March
• The P.A.D & W given a Provincial subsidy of $21,000 to complete the line to Gunflint Lake, as well as a $7,000 subsidy for 3 and ½ miles of the Kakabeka branch
• the Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway Company of Minnesota incorporated in Minnesota in May
• Contract signed to haul 1 million tons of ore over 10 year
• Ore docks proposed in both Port Arthur and Fort William; never undertaken
• Forest fires delay the completion of the line
• William Rees Brock elected president of the company
• Railway completed to Gunflint (Paulson) Mines

1893

• Railway officially completed on January 4
• Town of Leeblain is christened on January 4
• Publishes its first full timecard on June 16

1894

• US portion of line damaged by forest fires

1895

• The railway granted a $3,000 per mile subsidy for a 80 mile branch line to the Rainy River District

1898

• Railway sold to Canadian Northern Railway (C.N.o.R) for an estimated $250,000
• Several legal suits filed in Ontario Court to stop the sale

1899

• The bankrupt P.A.D & W is ordered sold by tender by the High Court of Ontario
• The tender of Æmilius Jarvis & Co. for $500,000 is accepted by the court; subsequently sold to C.N.o.R
• Ontario & Rainy River Railway authorized to acquire the holdings of the P.A.D & W
• Telegraph lines put up along the line

1900

• First 19 miles of PD to Stanley Junction becomes the cornerstone of C.N.o.R's O&R.R.R.
• Becomes Canadian Northern Railway-Duluth Extension

1902

• Section between North Lake Station and Gunflint Narrows is abandoned
• Plans made by the Duluth & Northern Minnesota Railway to construct north to Gunflint Lake
• Pigeon River Lumber Company constructs the Gunflint & Lake Superior Railroad which travels from the Duluth Extension at Little Gunflint Lake, 3 and ½ miles to Crab Lake

1903

• Tri-weekly service to LeeBlain is restored for the balance of the year

1906

• New C.N.o.R station constructed in Port Arthur

1909

• Railway does considerable business hauling logs from Gunflint Lake
• Forest fires cause extensive damage to the line, including the destruction of a 1000-foot trestle on North Lake; severing the line to Gunflint and the US
• The Duluth Extension becomes the North Lake Branch

1912

• C.N.o.R completes the Stanley cut-off; North Lake Branch and Main Line Section trains now diverge at Twin City Junction

1915

• All rails removed from the Minnesota portion of the line; all rails west of North Lake removed as well

1918

• The financially troubled C.N.o.R re-organized under the Canadian Government Railways

1919

• Nationalization; becomes Canadian National Railways-North Lake Sub-Division

1921

• Plans made by the Palatine Mining & Development Co to re-open the Paulson mine and re-build the abandoned section of line

1922

• Wooden trestle over the Kaministiquia River replaced with a concrete and steel structure

1923

• Forest fire destroys trestle at Mackies Siding; shortens line by 21 miles
• Section between North Lake and Mackies abandoned

1936-37

• Caterpillar infestations hamper operations

1937

• All rails west of Mackies torn-up

1938

• High water on the Whitefish River causes washouts and weakens several bridges near Hymers
• Last train runs on March 24th.; application made by CN to abandon line
• CN formally abandons the line in October

1938-39

• Rails between Mackies and Rosslyn removed; 1.74 miles of track left as an industrial spur

Design by Maxwell Potvin 2011