Former site of the B & W Railway Station

Former site of the B & W Railway Station ~ Historic Plaque

This was the northern terminus of what was intended to be the Brockville, Westport, and Sault Ste. Marie Railway. It was built to carry passengers, mail, general freight, and agricultural products to and from the St. Lawrence River area where connections could be made for other destinations. The railway, when built, provided the first dependable year-round transportation link to this area. It operated from 1888 to 1952. A brief history of the B&W can be found near the former site of the station on the historical plaque.

B & W Trivia: Tourists and picnickers loved excursions on the B & W Railway, but it was not so popular amongst those that wanted to get somewhere in a hurry. Even though the line was only 45 miles in length, the train would take a minimum of two hours and 40 minutes to travel the distance, and much longer if the travelling conditions were poor. Making 14 stops en route (and two more for watering the engine), the train could be delayed for any number of reasons including the one year where the tracks in Westport were overwhelmed with armyworms that made the rails so slippery the wheels kept spinning and couldn’t move the train.