Virtual Railfan Tour - Last Day on the Thurso and Nation Valley Railway

 

Flooded track on the last day of operation

It was announced in February 1986 that the line would close later that year. A full account of the operations leading up tp closure can be found here:


We made several trips up the line with car 27 and the BRS van.

Gaetan Lafleur, the superintendent of the railway, had given us every assistance to rebuild car 27 and helped us to explore his railway
The last day of operation was Friday 26 September, 1986. Locomotive #12, three flatcars and the rail mounted crane with clamshell attached, went as far as Duhamel to pick up salvageable materials. Car 27 and the BRS caboose brought up the rear. Two beaver dams had to be broken out with the clamshell. In one place the track was flooded to two inches above the rail. At Singer they picked up two overturned log cars in the loading area. These had been cut up into pieces as it was easier to this than to bring them back to Thurso on wheels.
We stopped by a stream and enjoyed a steak lunch prepared by me and my son Paul.
It was an emotional occasion

Coupling up for the last time

We had a sombre return to Thurso

At Thurso we took a picture in front of locomotive #10 which had thrown a driving rod that very day.

After this we made sporadic visits to the yard to continue work on car 27.  I also visited to work on my research into the history of the railway. As part of this work Gaetan Lafleur gave me a diary which had been written by his father Damien Lafleur, the only other superintendent of the railway. This documents, in great detail, the day to day work required to run the railway. It covers the period 1932 to 1943. I transcribed this incredible record and it can be found at:

Car 27 and the BRS van were moved to Ottawa in 1988. Thanks to Raymond Farand I will be able to cover this in my next blog.








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