Late Arrival, Early Departure:

A Brief History of Trains in Owen Sound

Richard J. Thomas

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From the arrival of trains in June, 1873, to their final departure in the mid 1990s, Owen Sound’s history of rail travel has been fraught with drama, backroom meetings, cash bonuses, and double dealings. Late Arrival, Early Departure is by no means an exhaustive history of those relationships – it’s more of a snapshot look at the dreams and disappointments of the characters who were involved in both aspects. In many ways, the history of Owen Sound has been shaped by the comings and goings of rail service.

In his Foreword, train enthusiast John Christie writes, “Late Arrival, Early Departure looks in detail on how the railways in the Georgian Bay district were originally won, and ultimately lost. In it, there exist background details of which I had until now been unaware. Have a look at how routes were considered but never happened, at how interests on all sides didn’t always compliment each other, and at the people who, way back when, and not so long ago, fought for what they deeply felt was important.”