Rail Scenes in Latchford, Ontario:

last updated 08/23/04

(Click here for a Short Rail History of Latchford)

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Around the Station:

        The Old ONR Station- Latchford Ontario.  Built 1905, removed 1966. 
                                                Photo: Frank Vollhardt Collection. 

                The platform, facing north.  Figure unknown
                                               Photo: Frank Vollhardt Collection

                Lil, Waiting for the Train- north platform and view north of station,
                                            Latchford Station, February 1956.  
                                            Photo: Sheila Godby

      Canadian Pacific's Canadian, detoured to ONR tracks, possibly
                                                                 due to a derailment, late 1950's.  Photo location: Bay Lake, south
                                                                 of Latchford.  Highway 11 is in the foreground.
                                                                 Photo: Sheila Godby

          Temiskaming and Northern Ontario (T&NO) 700 hits T&NO 316 March 5, 1941
                                        700 and 316 lived on until the end of steam in 1957.  Note that damage is relatively
                                        slight, indicating a low speed collision. 
                                        Photo:  Frank Vollhardt Collection

    Locomotive 1103 arrives in Latchford.  View south of station.
                                                Photo from Patrick Dorin's book "The Ontario Northland Railway".

          Locomotive 1103 takes on water at water tank, north of station.  Railroad
                                                 section house in the background.
                                                Photo from Frank Vollhardt's book "Locomotives of the Ontario Northland
                                                 Railway".    

       Locomotive 1103 at Latchford, January, 1948. Locomotive 1103 hit ONR locomotive 312 at 35 mph on 1-1-48 at Pickerel lake. 3 people were killed.  The hulks were parked at Latchford en route for repairs at North Bay.  Both locomotives had the dubious distinction of being involved in two wrecks in their careers.  312 had been involved in another head on collision on a New Year's Day, on 1-1-34.  After the collision in 1948, it was renumbered 317 to break the jinx, and wore the number until the end of steam in 1957.  1103 also collided head-on with diesel locomotive 1201 later at Temagami.  1103 hit diesel 1201 in front of the Temagami station 5-26-51 while 1201 was on a work extra and 1103 was on Extra 1103 south. 
Photo:  Frank Vollhardt Collection.    

         Locomotive 312 at Latchford, January, 1948. This Photo shows 312 after the wreck described above that occurred on 1-1-48.  Extra 312 North met head on with 1103 on train 416 at 0612 at Pickerel Lake, milepost 101, two miles out of Cobalt. At 35mph, 3 men on the 312 were killed.  The photo shows the rear of the cab, which is crushed inward.   From this and the damage to the front of the locomotive, it is possible to determine that 312 climbed up upon 1103, and in doing so the tender compressed its cab, likely causing the fatalities.  On January 1st, 1934, 312 collided with ONR locomotive 311. At 0922 at South Tomiko Yard, the 312 Extra South was stalled in the snow.  The Second #47 (northbound) pulled by 311 struck the stalled train.  The Fireman on 311 was killed in the accident.
Photo and story details:  Frank Vollhardt (photo from his collection).  

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