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

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Toronto, Ont., March 5th, 1913.

R-H 33718

Memo. to Mr. R. H. M. Temple.

Replying to your memo. of February 29th, file 1046-26-86, re complaint of J.H. Thomson, Bracebridge, regarding train connections at Washago; there are many serious objections to starting our train No. 6 from the North in time to connect at Washago at 4.54 with G.T.R. train No. 65.

Train No. 6 now leaves Ruel, 327.4 miles from Toronto, at 8.25. We have another 26 miles of track north of Ruel which we expected to take over almost any time now, which will occupy at least another hour, so that train No. 1 will not arrive at the end of track until 24.15, and would have to leave again at 6.15, which would make a very short lay-over for the train and engine crew.

Leaving Ruel an hour and 10 minutes earlier would effect the Sudbury-Sellwood service, as the Sudbury-Sellwood train has to get to Sellwood and back to Sellwood Jct., in time to meet No. 6. The Sellwood train now leaves Sudbury at 6.15, making a possible connection with the C.P.R. Toronto to Sudbury night train, due at Sudbury at 5.55 (we hold for this connection on request); but the Sellwood train would have to leave at 5.05 A.M. to get to Sellwood and perform the same service as at present.

Another serious objection would be that we would not be able to double back to No. 6 the equipment arriving at Parry Sound on No. 3 of our summer schedule. Our parlor car traffic during the Muskoka season is particularly heavy, and at other times very light on the North line, so that it is particularly desirable that we should be able to make the fullest possible use of our parlor cars during the summer tourist rush. If No. 6 left Parry Sound an hour earlier, it would leave before the arrival of No. 3, and it would even be a difficult matter to get the equipment arriving Parry Sound on No. back on No. 6 if that latter train left an hour earlier.

The time of this train No. 6 is well established, and it would be an objectionable thing from a traffic point of view to make the change on that account alone, and in the summer months the hour cut off would be a loss to the summer travel. Besides it would bring two of our southbound trains in the summer timetable closer together. The present service makes a better distribution of train service.

It should, of course, be remembered that the connection proposed is to enable a reverse movement to be made; that is, a passenger travelling north on the Grand Trunk is to be able to transfer to a southbound C.N.O. train, or a passenger from a southbound C.N.O. train to transfer to a Grand Trunk northbound train; so that, to make an actual connection, both would have to arrive practically at the same time and actually wait until the passengers had transferred from one station to the other, which would mean a stop for each train at Washago pretty close to 10 minutes, and apparently there would not be made gained unless each train waited for the other if late.

I cannot see how there is possibly enough business to justify this change, particularly when it is considered that passengers would only move by means of this connection during the winter months, as, during the open season of navigation on the Muskoka Lakes, a passenger would go across to Bracebridge by boat, any in any case, our train No. 4 on the summer card arrives at Washago at 2.28, which would enable passengers to take Grand Trunk No. 65 north if desired.

As previously stated, our service on this line will be affected by the opening of through train service to the west, and it is possible that we may have a southbound train all the year round that will enable this connection to be made, but in the meantime it would be a serious hardship to this Company to be asked to advance the time of our No. 6, and I submit that there is no justification for so doing.

A. J. Hills
Superintendent.