Caption: Trying to find active, in service branchline railway stations, even in the seventies, was a challenge.
On my travels was fortunate to witness the still active CP Rail Ste.Agathe Subdivision.
CP Rail St.Faustin mile 57.0 Ste. Agathe Subdivision
Serviced six times per week by CP Rail Dayliner trains #164 (Tue Thur) #167 (M W F) & #172 (Sun),
(Dayliner: CPR 's term for Rail Diesel Cars aka Budd Cars),
At this time CP Rail freight service was tri weekly with power typically either MLW RS10 and / or RS18,
Last VIA Rail Passenger service: Nov 1981
By 1987 freight service was intermittent as carloads were 14 for the whole year.
The CP Rail Ste. Agathe Subdivision from Ste. Agathe mile 44.4 northward officially abandoned December 1989 ( Ste Therese mile zero )
December 1976 Kodak Ektachrome at St.Faustin P.Q. by S.Danko
what's interesting:
In 1897, the Canadian Pacific Railway Company purchased the line from St. Jérôme to Labelle from the Montreal Northern Colonization Railway Company.
The railway line from Labelle to Mont-Laurier was constructed by La Compagnie de Chemin de Fer de Colonisation du Nord. The line was completed and opened for traffic between 1902 and 1909. The Canadian Pacific Railway Company leased the line for 99 years on January 1, 1905
Only two private shippers ( businesses) opposed the abandonment application, along with a multitude of public entities and private individuals, notable: Ville du Montreal, Hydro Quebec, Municipalite de Labelle, Ministry of Transport Quebec, Transport 2000 .
Petitt Train du Nord circa 1979
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This is great! Do you have more to share anywhere on the Ste-Agathe sub? In June 1989, there was a Hydro Quebec dimensional at Ste-Agathe station that I saw (and was invited into the engine of) as an 8 year old, and that was the only time I ever saw a train on that line. It was torn up weeks later.
Nice!!! Quebec had a remarkable assortment of variety in stations. So quaint.
Awesome, wish I had been able to see a train on this line.