John Train’s Reflections
KAWARTHA LAKES-As railway networks brought together most communities in North America in the second half of the nineteenth century, they were the best form of long-distance transportation available. Before the advent of the automobile, railways were far better built and maintained than common roads. Even where steamship service was available, the iron horse tended to be much faster. In 1880, a passenger could leave Lindsay on the Victoria Railway and arrive in Haliburton in 3:45. At the turn of the century, as steamship travel was reaching its peak, the trip from Lindsay to Coboconk took 4:10. A journey from Lindsay to Haliburton on foot, or with horses would take days.
The downsides of travelling by rail were that it had a fixed timetable and only stopped at certain locations. Prior to the 1950s, many families had precious little income beyond their necessities, and might hesitate to buy a train ticket unless they had to. Because the rail lines were the best routes connecting the communities they served, countless people used the allowances for transportation—they just knew they had to get out of the way when the train came—and it would be at very predictable times. Because they could not afford the fare, people would walk along the rail line from Haliburton County, all the way to Lindsay—perhaps to apply for a job at the railway! It was common for kids to walk unsupervised along the rail lines as they were out playing with friends—or jump off rail bridges for fun. Farmers might use the allowance to drive cattle or haul wood. One winter day, on the Irondale, Bancroft and Ottawa Railway, the train caught up to a farmer hauling a load of wood on the plowed tracks. The train stopped and its crew helped the farmer move his load of wood off the tracks, then after passing it stopped a second time to help him move the cargo back onto the tracks. Larger railways might not have been so accommodating!
For maintenance, rail crews often used hand cars or velocipedes to travel along the railways for maintenance. Four-wheel models commonly had a handle that worked much like a teeter totter. The passengers would stand opposite each other and push down on their side of the handle to propel the car forward. Three-wheel models, like the one shown in this picture, were much more like a hand-powered bicycle, with the third wheel for balance. The single passenger would pump and handle back and forth for motive power. They were much easier to move off the tracks if a train was coming than a four-wheeled hand car. The four-wheel models were more useful for transporting supplies for repairs, while the three-wheel model allowed one worker to inspect the line. Some people, like John Train, owned their own velocipede, which allowed them to make the most of living near a rail line.
Up to the mid twentieth century, families got by helping each other and sharing. Companies often showed the same generosity. For instance, a group of kids from Bobcaygeon might just borrow the hand car, and pump their way to Dunsford to attend a dance. When they brought the hand car back later that evening, it would not cause an issue. By the time that the railways were disappearing in the second half of the twentieth century, private groups in their own rail vehicles made some of the last trips up the railways before the rails were lifted. In the 1990s, the allowance for the Victoria Railway was transformed into the Victoria Rail Trail, allowing countless recreational travellers to enjoy the route each year.
This story is part of our partnership with Maryboro Lodge, The Fenelon Falls Museum and was written by Glenn Walker.
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