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The Irondale, Bancroft and Ottawa Railway

Location: The railway is located in Central Ontario, extending between the communities of Howland Junction on the Victoria Railway (just north of Kinmount), and Bancroft on the Central Ontario Railway .

History: The Toronto & Nipissing Railway, which eventually became part of the Midland Railway system, was originally projected to extend northeast from Toronto to the Ottawa River Valley. When it became clear that such would not take place (ending in Haliburton), the Toronto & Nipissing Extension Railway Company was incorporated in March 1880 by Americans H.S. Howland and C.J. Pusey to complete the originally envisioned project. Their intention was to construct a 50 mile (80 km) line from a point in or near Kinmount east to the Canada Central Railway through land that was percieved to contain great potential for iron ore reserves. After remaining dormant for several years, the promoters renamed the project in 1884 the Irondale, Bancroft & Ottawa Railway. In that money was not forthcoming from both the public and private sector, however, things remained at a standstill.

In the spring of 1886, a contract was finnaly placed for construction of a line east from Howland Junction to York River on the Central Ontario Railway . The first ten miles to Irondale were completed and opened for traffic in February 1887. From there, construction proceeded slowly with the next 20 miles of track to Wilberforce not being opened until 1894. In 1899, a further 15 miles of track were completed to Baptiste with a short extension eastward opening up later that year to within 3 miles of the Central Ontario Railway at Bancroft. There it stopped. Over the next decade, the railway barely managed to survive as the expected mineral claims did not materialize. Upon the death of the original promoters, the line passed into the hands of Z.A. Lash, legal council for the Mackenzie and Mann group and the Canadian Northern Railway. In October 1906, the company was transferred to Canadian Northern ownership as a feeder line for its Toronto to Ottawa mainline, a deal that was completed by 1909. The gap between York River and the end of steel was finally completed in July 1910 in connection with the upgrading of the track bed and rolling stock. Ownership of the line was assumed by Canadian National upon their creation in 1923. Construction never proceeded any further east towards Ottawa.

Approximate Milage: 48 miles.

Current Status: The line was known to Canadian National as the Irondale Subdivision. The entire route was abandoned in March 1960.

Principle Stations: Howland Junction, Irondale, Gooderham, Wilberforce and Bancroft.

Remaining Stations: There are two remaining railway stations left on the IB&O (not including the Central Ontario Railway station in Bancroft). They are as follows:
1. Howland Junction: Moved to property nearby on Howland Junction Road as a shed.
2. Gooderham: Moved to property nearby as a residence.

Last Updated: January 1, 1998

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