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Location DB > Canada > Ontario > Ottawa > CNOR Rideau Junction Roundhouse Ruins
 Name
CNOR Rideau Junction Roundhouse Ruins
 Viewing Options
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 Database Info
created by abacab on 10/6/2006 12:05 AM
last modified by abacab on 10/11/2006 8:09 PM
 Viewability
Publically Viewable Publically Viewable
This location has been labeled as Demolished, and therefore can be viewed by anyone.
 Overview
 Description
In the woods there are many foundations to be found. Inside them are all that remains of what were once brick walls.
 Basic Information
Type: Outdoors
Status: Demolished
Accessibility: Easy
Recommendation: check it out if you're nearby
 Physical Information
Address

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
Owner: A developer.
  • See a map of this location
  •  Hazards
  • Glass dumped into the turntable pit 40 years ago.
  •  Interesting Features
    Lots of old foundations and bricks etc.
     Security Measures
     Historical Dates
    Built: 1912
    Closed: 1921
     Required Equipment
  • Bug spray!
  •  Recommended Equipment
    A machete or long pants.
     History
    Rideau was the junction point of the Canadian Northern Railway's transcontinental and Toronto-Montreal mainlines, about 6 miles southwest of downtown Ottawa. Opened in 1912 with the completion of the Ottawa-Toronto segment, it was a major terminal with a yard, roundhouse, coal and water towers, covering a significant amount of ground. The railway's owners also acquired virtually all the land in a box formed by what is now Prince of Wales Drive, Colonnade Road, Merivale Road and McFarlane Road. Most of this land was slated for a huge townsite project. In 1916 the Ottawa-Sudbury section opened completing the entire Montreal-Vancouver mainline.

    Only a year later, the railway was crushed by the financial strain of it's exorbitant construction costs, over zealous expansion into already saturated markets, and an ailing WWI economy. The Government of Canada took over the operation of the railway under the Canadian National banner. In 1919 the competing Grand Trunk Railway also went bankrupt soon after the completion of it's transcontinental line. Also taken over by the government, it's operations were formally merged into CN's by 1923.

    Before this time rationalization had already begun with the removal of duplicate routes and services. An early victim was the complex at Rideau which except for the yard, was demolished. It was much more cost effective to use the GTR roundhouse on Mann Avenue in Ottawa East rather than the one in what was then a rural area. In 1924 sections of the Ottawa-Toronto line were abandoned until 1937 when only the Napanee-Ottawa stretch remained. 1938 saw the yards removed at what was now known as Federal, the name the junction carries to this day.

    Today VIA uses the last remaining section of the Toronto line, taking a shortcut on CP at Smiths Falls to the double track mainline of the former GTR in Brockville. The Ottawa Central Railway operates a daily train to Pembroke on the former transcontinental line. The demolished ruins have been overgrown for 85 years, with much of the land being developed, except for, that is, the area of the roundhouse and turntable.

    The circular pit of the turntable may look like a pond at first, but upon closer inspection you will see the walls and stand in the centre for the turntable. Northeast of the turntable the rounhouse stall pits radiate outward towards Hunt Club Road. Across Hunt Club you might see the filled-in foundations of a concrete hopper. Coal cars were placed on a small bridge here and dumped into a conveyor. The coal was stored in a huge overhead structure above 2 tracks to the south of the hopper where it would be dropped into the tender of steam locomotives.
     Media Coverage

     Future Plans
    Big box stores and car dealerships are the order of he day close by. Expect to see it go within 10 years.
     Stories


    Add your own story
     Photo Galleries
    Click to view gallery
    Various images from the last couple of years.
    Fri, Oct 6th, 2006
    posted by abacab
    13 pictures
     


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    Mark all galleries as Seen
     Web Links
    http://www.railway...RFederalRoundhouse
     Contribute

    Edit this Location
     Moderator Rating
    The moderator rating is a neutral rating of the content quality, photography, and coolness of this location.

    This location has not yet been rated by a moderator.
     Validation
    This location's validation is current. It was last validated by Emperor Wang on 2/10/2007 3:20 AM.

     Latest Changes
  • on Feb 10 07 at 3:20, Emperor Wang validated this location
  • on Feb 10 07 at 0:22, abacab updated gallery picture St John's Cemetery Wall 14.12.06 034.jpg
  • on Feb 10 07 at 0:21, abacab updated gallery picture St John's Cemetery Wall 14.12.06 034.jpg
  • on Feb 10 07 at 0:17, abacab added some pictures to a gallery
  • on Feb 10 07 at 0:16, abacab updated gallery Various images from the last couple of years.
  • on Dec 10 06 at 16:05, Emperor Wang validated this location
  • on Dec 9 06 at 15:31, abacab updated gallery picture station.jpg
  • on Dec 9 06 at 15:30, abacab updated gallery picture plan.JPG
  • on Dec 9 06 at 15:27, abacab added some pictures to a gallery
  • on Nov 26 06 at 4:09, Emperor Wang validated this location
  •  Forum Threads about this Location
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     SubjectStarted ByRepliesViewsLast Post
    You must log in for this feature to work.Burieddiehard06188/15/2011 2:09 PM by diehard
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