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A desolate and eerie calm hangs over what was once a steady divisional point at Hawk Junction. The station seems all but abandoned. The unkept station platform has weeds and moss growing along the building where baggage carts once waited to aid in loading and unloading at train time, rocks and glass litter the rest. The only tenants now are the yellow jackets nesting underneath one of the green light fixtures. Isolated showers pass through the area. The mood is solemn. Barely even a chirp from main reservoir from the parked locomotive out front. These late summer days in 2021 see little action. No thru freights run anymore between Hearst and Sault Ste. Marie and the "Tour of the Line" passenger is six years removed from operating. Still being the home terminal for the few remaining former ACR employees, the crew will go on duty in the evening Tuesdays and Thursdays at Hawk, running light up to Oba to lift their traffic for Hearst and perhaps have cars destined for log loading, returning Wednesday and Fridays ex Hearst. They setoff their traffic in the yard at Oba before returning to Hawk Junction- again, usually light power. Although the sale of the line has been agreed upon, pending regulatory approval, these waning days of CN's ownership look bleak.
Copyright Notice: This image ©David Young all rights reserved.



Caption: A desolate and eerie calm hangs over what was once a steady divisional point at Hawk Junction. The station seems all but abandoned. The unkept station platform has weeds and moss growing along the building where baggage carts once waited to aid in loading and unloading at train time, rocks and glass litter the rest. The only tenants now are the yellow jackets nesting underneath one of the green light fixtures. Isolated showers pass through the area. The mood is solemn. Barely even a chirp from main reservoir from the parked locomotive out front. These late summer days in 2021 see little action. No thru freights run anymore between Hearst and Sault Ste. Marie and the "Tour of the Line" passenger is six years removed from operating. Still being the home terminal for the few remaining former ACR employees, the crew will go on duty in the evening Tuesdays and Thursdays at Hawk, running light up to Oba to lift their traffic for Hearst and perhaps have cars destined for log loading, returning Wednesday and Fridays ex Hearst. They setoff their traffic in the yard at Oba before returning to Hawk Junction- again, usually light power. Although the sale of the line has been agreed upon, pending regulatory approval, these waning days of CN's ownership look bleak.

Photographer:
David Young [276] (more) (contact)
Date: 08/29/2021 (search)
Railway: Canadian National (search)
Reporting Marks: CN 8806 (search)
Train Symbol: CN 571/ 572 (search)
Subdivision/SNS: Hawk Junction, CN Soo Sub (search)
City/Town: Hawk Junction (search)
Province: Ontario (search)
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Photo ID: 45274

Map courtesy of Open Street Map

Full size | Suncalc
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4 Comments
  1. A very sad scene for a one time busy place. Hopefully a new operator can bring some life back to the line, but I’m not holding my breath.

  2. CN knows how to suck the life out of small lines !

  3. @NiagaraMike11 Do they ever!

    @Marcus Stevens you share my sentiments to a tee.

  4. A painful read as I grew up in Wawa and a trip to Hawk was a treat after the hwy went in , around ’61?
    This was a booming little rail town in the 60′s and 70′s as the tourist traffic added greatly to the income from ore and log hauling.
    Many a teenager started their 1st job on the ACR in Hawk , usually in the tie plant there.

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