There was a time when you could hop on a morning train in downtown Owen Sound and less than five hours later, arrive in Toronto. In the days of a daily train to the Big Smoke, both of Owen Sound’s train stations were in heavy use. And then, passenger service came to an end.
Luckily, we now have the Owen Sound Marine and Rail Museum to remind us what yesteryear was like.
You will see what it was like to arrive at the station and purchase your ticket. And then pick up a copy of the timetable for your run. Information about freight and package travel originating at the
CP station is on display as well. Step back in time and listen to the sounds of a steam engine as it crawls through the hills on its way to the Scenic City.
On June 12th, 1873, a rumble was heard throughout the town of Owen Sound. No, it wasn’t an earthquake. It was the sound of the flower and flag festooned steam engine, the “Owen Sound” pulling the first train into the community. For this inaugural run of the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway, the train consisted of an engine, one truck, one baggage car, and one passenger car.
The first regularly scheduled train between Toronto and Owen Sound would arrive on August 9, 1873. The arrival of a train for Owen Sound marked the beginning of the town’s growth.
Originally aired August 31st 2016
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