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The featured image for the linked article is a photograph of Saint Felicien Railway Station in 1959.
In the North of Québec, some 300 miles from Montreal, there is an area of extensive mining – deposits of copper, zinc, gold and cobalt wee being mined in the mid-20th century. In the first half of the 21st century, Northern Quebec's mining sector is a significant part of the province's economy, focusing on gold, nickel, lithium, graphite, iron, and copper, focusing on gold, nickel, lithium, graphite, iron, and copper, with major operations like Glencore's Raglan (nickel) and Agnico Eagle's Canadian Malartic (gold) leading the way, alongside emerging lithium projects in the James Bay region, leveraging Quebec's hydropower for cleaner operations and creating jobs in remote areas like Nunavik, despite logistical and environmental challenges.
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Looked at your site and realized it was not the railroads I was thinking about. The one I was thinking about was the QNS&L (Quebec North Shore and Labrador). Reading about its construction in Trains magazine was one of my first in starting a long interest in railroad construction, and also some of my first understandings in peculiarities of railroad of essentially single purposes with primarily one loaded and one empty direction of traffic. (For those not familiar with it, the line was built by the Iron Ore Company of Canada, opened in 1954 for the transport of iron ore from Schefferville, Labrador to the port of Sept Îles on the north side of the St, Lawrence River, a distance of 573km in a near due north direction from Sept Iles. In 1958, a 58km branch was added from Emeril Junction (also called Ross Bay Junction) to the iron ore deposits of the Wabush area around Labrador City; the distance from Labrador City to Sept Îles is 414km. The line north of Ross Bay Junction appears to be still in place but carrying very little traffic, and the mine at Schefferville closed in 1982.)
Roger Farnworth Member # 197595
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George, thank you for your response. I do not know the railways of Canada well, but enjoyed reading the article in the old Railway Magazine. I find these older magazine grab my attention more effectively than their more modern descendants.
Appreciate you taking the trouble to reply.
Best wishes
Roger
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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I can recall how I was sent off August '56 to a canoe trip - just the stuff I like
Starting at Kapitachuan Club (still a VIA Rail stop on the Canadian Northern Montreal-Senneterre line) The "little boys", i.e. moi, only went to Doda Lake , which is near the Guion Reservoir (shown on Rev. Farnworth's map), but the "Big Boys" went all the way to Chibougamau.
Back then, no paved highways and the railroad "was being talked about".
I realize some kids "eat that stuff up", but I wasn't one of them. However, the trip Montreal-KClub was behind steam - as was The Montrealer Windsor-Montreal.
George Harris Member # 2077
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The loaded versus empty direction was discussed in the Trains article I read. The upgrade limits were 0.6% southbound and 1.0% northbound, best I recall. A steeper up grade could have been chosen northbound but having steep downgrades southbound would have their own problems and there would also be some northbound loads. Talking of grades, one of the absolutely worst things in alignment is to have a small radius curve near or at the bottom of a long grade. Two reasons: derailment of an overspeed or runaway downhill train and giving away momentum due to speed reduction that could be used in saving both time and fuel consumption for uphill trains. Several years ago I was involved in explaining the load versus empty grade issues to an engineer who was to be involved in a mineral line. It seemed to come as a revelation to him. I did not tell him I learned that when I was 11 years old.
Roger Farnworth Member # 197595
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Thank you both - Gilbert and George - for your replies.
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