C.N.Rys. in Ontario—Newspaper and magazine clippings

Board of Railway Commissioners for Canada.

Postal Station F, Toronto,

Jan. 23rd, 1913.

G-1147

Dear Sir:—

Re File 20885.

Your letter of Jan. 20th enclosing copy of objections of my recommended connections at Washago by Grand Trunk and Canadian Northern officials, received and in reply I wish to say that I place little or no confidence in the report as to the number of passengers exchanged from one road to the other at Washago. I make this statement because there is no advertised connection at the present time. Therefore, people wishing to transfer from one road to the other have to only take chances on getting trains. Southbound passengers off G.T.R. 64, leave the Grand Trunk Train at Severn and drive across to the Canadian Northern. This is a distance of about two miles. This hardship could be done away with by G.T. 64 stopping at Washago. 64 is due at Washago at 11.29 A.M. C.N.R. northbound train is due at Washago at 11.45 A.M. This would make an nice connection, if G.T.R. 64 was billed to stop at that point.

I notice by the enclosed communication where the railway officials state the G.T.R. and C.N.R. Washago Stations are a half a mile apart. This is not so. If they are one hundred and twenty-five yards, it is at the very outside mark. I could throw a stone from one station to the other.

As stated in my first report in connection with this matter, G.T.R. train 64 let passengers off at Severn, who did drive across to the Canadian Northern on date of inquiry and when 64 passed Washago without stopping the C.N.R. Washago train was standing at the station and would have willingly picked up any passengers that might have chanced to escape from 64 by an unforeseen stop. I also notice the Grand Trunk officials say that a stop at Washago would mean five minutes extra delay to their train. This is also very farfetched, as five stops could be made in five minutes, if the train is properly handled. Therefore, the five minute excuse should not be entertained. However, G.T.R. Southbound #64 and C.N.R. northbound No. 1 should without any doubt connect at Washago.

And I am also strongly of the option the C.N.R. southbound No. 6 should also connect at Washago with G.T.R. northbound train No. 65, due at 4:53. This could be accomplished by the C.N.R. train leaving Parry Sound an hour or so earlier.

If the railway companies wish to get a correct estimate of the number of people transferred at this point, this information could only be obtained after the connection had been advertised and put into effect, as at present there are no connects to speak of.

Yours truly,
J. Clarke
Inspector B.R.C.

A. J. Nixon, Esq.,
Chief Operating Officer B.R.C.
Ottawa, Ontario.