Bowmanville Railway Stations

Location: Bowmanville, Darlington Township, Durham County/Region
Name: Community named in the 1830’s for Charles Bowman who owned and operated a dry goods store, and who also purchased land
Former Community Names: Barbers Creek, Darlington Mills
Railway Companies: GTR/CNR, CPR

Bowmanville Railway Map Download

Part A – Grand Trunk Railway/Canadian National Railway

Original Railway: Grand Trunk Railway 1852 (Canadian National Railway 1923) 1856-Current
Current/Final Railway: Canadian National Railway
Location/Address: The station was located at the south end of Duke St, south of Baseline Rd/Highway 401
Railway Mileage: Oshawa Subdivision Mile 290.78
Surrounding Building Context: The community was founded as a milling centre situated between two creeks, that supported the surrounding agricultural areas. The first railway to pass through was the Grand Trunk Railway in 1856 en-route from Toronto to Montreal. The station, however, was located far to the south of the community centre. This resulted in some inconvenience for both residents and businesses travelling on this route. This problem was somewhat solved with the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1913, whose station was much closer to the commercial centre. A number of industries took hold within the community, specializing in food products, rubber and steel workings (see map for details). To service industry, a long spur was constructed from the station into the centre of town. GTR railway facilities included a separate baggage room, freight shed, stock yard and a section dwelling.

Station Origin: Original station

Construction Date: The building was constructed with the opening of the line in 1856 by the Grand Trunk Railway. A bay operators window was added later on, likely in the 1870’s. In 1911, the GTR undertook extensive renovations of the station, which included a new roof and revised window and chimney layout
Architect/Builder: The original design of the building has been attributed to British GTR Chief Architect Francis Thompson (to be proven), who may have patterned the design from a station constructed in the 1840’s in Kenilworth, England and possibly from other designs along the North Midland and Chester & Holyhead Railways. The building was constructed by the firm of Peto, Brassey, Jackson & Betts, English railway contractors
Station Style: GTR Type Two Second Class Way Side Station (Type C)
Exterior Architecture Details: The building was an Italianate style single storey low brick structure with a slate (now asphalt) gable roof broken by four end projecting chimneys. The roof provided a passenger overhang, supported by triangular brackets, over the platform area. Front and rear elevations originally were defined by seven equally spaced arched bays with round headed shuttered doors topped by a transom, with end elevations containing two arched bays with shuttered doors topped by gable bulls-eye ventilators. A rectangular frame operator window was later added, while a number of doors were converted into windows or filled in. The GTR renovations altered the roof to a hip design
Interior Architectural Details: Originally, the building contained a general and women’s passenger waiting rooms on one side of a central hallway with ticket and telegraph offices and freight and baggage rooms on the other. Modifications took place over time to the internal layout, in particular as part of the GTR renovations
Building Costs: Unknown
Destruction Date: In 1968, the building was extensively damaged by a derailment. After being repaired, it served as a home for section crews until being boarded up in 1979. It was subsequently demolished in 1981
Current Use: Not applicable
Designations: Not applicable

Part B – Canadian Pacific Railway

Original Railway: Campbellford, Lake Ontario & Western Railway 1904 (Canadian Pacific Railway 1913) 1913 – Current
Current/Final Railway: Canadian Pacific Railway
Location/Address: The station was located on the west side of Scugog at Wellington St
Railway Mileage: Oshawa Subdivision Mile 61.8
Surrounding Building Context: See above for general Bowmanville information. The Campbellford Lake Ontario & Western Railway was incorporated in September 1904 for the purpose of constructing a railway line parallel to the Lake Ontario shoreline from a point on the CPR controlled Ontario & Quebec Railway (O&Q) near Toronto, through Cobourg and Campbellford, to once again rejoin the O&Q at Blairton. CPR officials considered that the proposed route would serve as an alternative to the busy O&Q line to the north where it was expected double tracking may be required in the near future. Final construction resulted in the CPR having two separate lines within the Montreal to Toronto corridor, serving two distinct areas of the Province. As well, the completed route offered the advantage of challenging the existing Grand Trunk and Canadian Northern lines within communities along the lake shore. Known in short as the Lake Ontario Shoreline Route, the new lined offered improved grades and curves over its northern cousin. Ultimately, large portions of the O&Q route were abandoned in favour of the Shoreline tracks for these very reasons. The CPR station grounds were located just to the west of the commercial centre of the community. Railway facilities included spur tracks to various industries (see map for details) and a 40,000 gallon water tank.

Station Origin: Original station

Construction Date: The station was constructed with the opening of the line in 1913 by the Canadian Pacific Railway
Architect/Builder: The station constructed by the firm of John S. Metcalfe Co. of Montreal
Station Style: CPR Type Twenty-Two
Exterior Architecture Details: The building was a single storey brick structure with a hip roof that contained a deep overhang for passenger protection, and a rectangular operator window
Interior Architectural Details: The station contained a passenger waiting room, ticket/operator office, and a freight and express room
Landscaping & Ground Details: Cinder platform
Building Costs: Unknown
Destruction Date: Passenger service ended in the mid 1960’s. After that, the building remained in use by section crews. It was removed from the property c1978. The lands today are vacant
Current Use: Not applicable
Designations: Not applicable

Part C – Toronto Eastern Railway

Overview: The railway was incorporated in 1910 for purposes of constructing a high speed electric radial line to connect municipalities east of Toronto as far as Oshawa. Acquired by the Canadian Northern in 1911, plans were set in motion to extend the line even further east to Cobourg. Construction began in 1912, with track work completed between Bowmanville and Whitby the following year. With the commencement of the War in 1914, no further work took place. In 1923, some reconstruction and operational work occurred that included test trains by the Canadian National, who had assumed ownership with the failure of the CNoR, to run from Oshawa to Bowmanville. With a lack of funding coupled with the growth of automobile use, however, the line was never opened and rails were removed during the Second World War. Today, only limited traces of the line remain.

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