Save old wood burner makes bow at reunion.
First engine ever seen in that town revisits its former haunts at Huntsville
Last of its "tribe"
Made its last run 45 years agoThis doesn't seem plausibe since the Northern, North Western & Sault Ste. Marie Railway, which was to build from Gravenhurst to Callendar, wasn't incorporated until March 21, 1881.—Is "dolled up" today in shining new paint
The last of the old wood-burning engines puffed its way this afternoon from Toronto through Aurora, Newmarket, Allandale, Barrie, Orillia, Gravenhurst and Bracebridge on its way to the Old Boys' Reunion at Huntsville this afternoon.
The old folks saw again the familiar engine with its two great driving wheels, its ballon smoke-stack and—strangest of all—a tender filled with good old cord-wood. The fireman was not caol-begrimed as most of them are today, but be probably had splinters in his hands.
Huntsville is welcoming its Old Boys during the week tomorrow and they are coming on every train from every part of Canada and the United States. The Canadian National North Bay train to-night is running in threee section.
Saved from scrap
When Huntsville learned that the old locomotive which made its last official trip 45 years ago and which pulled the first train into Huntsville in the old days when the Toronto & Nipissing Railway was completed from Gravenhurst to HuntsvilleThe railway was known as the Northern & Pacific Junction Railway., was still in existence the Old Boys' Week committee asked A. E. Warren, general manager of the Central Region, C.N.R., Toronto, if arrangements could not be made for the old engine and a train of cars to be run over the rails once more in commemoration of that first great event.
As it happened, the old engine had that day arrived in Toronto from the scrap-heap at Stratford to be broken up. A hurried stop-order was issued and the old locomotive was saved. A stgring of cars of about the same vintage was saved from the scrap-heap at Point St. Charles. But they were grimy with dust, the running gear thick with rust.
In all its glory
The Huntsville committee offered to pay for all the fitting out necessary to transform the old engine and cars into a semblance of their former glory so that when the train rattled along the rails on its way from Toronto to Huntsville to-day, it was bridge with its original colors—maroon with gilt lettering.
The train consists of engine 269, the original engine that first puffed into Huntsville, a baggage car, a combination coach and mail car and a passenger coach. Like the cars, the engine sports a coat of fresh paint—in the old days all the engines were painted the particular color used by the railway, in this case, maroon.
To-day's event forms a link with the first steam railroad to be opened in Upper Canada—the old Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Union Railway, completed May 16, 1853, from Toronto to Machell's Corners, now Aurora, a distance of 29 mniles. This line was absorbed by the Northern RailwayActually, the Ontario, Simcoe & and Huron Union Railroad, which became the Northern Railway of Canada on August 18, 1858., which extended the line to Barrie and later to Gravenhurst. The Toronto and Nipissing was built to connect Gravenhurst with Nipissing and it was also taken over the Northern Railway, which later became part of the Grand Trunk.The Northern & North Western Railway leased the the N&PJR on June 24, 1884 and became part of the Grand Trunk Railway System on February 24, 1888.
On board the "Old-Time Special," which left Toronto at noon, are A. E. Warren, general manager of the Central Region, C.N.R., and R. H. Fish, general manager for Southwestern Ontario, and a number of other officials. The Huntsville band boarded the train at Orillia.
No. 269, a class B-13-a wood-burning 4-4-0 American type built 1883 in Kingston and "Old-Time Special," on the back track at Huntsville. South River—Machar Union Public Library, Alamguin Highlands Digital Collection Image No. 68138
Ref: Huntsville