Where is Larchwood?

Latitude: 46.34.20 N

Longitude: 81.17.53 W

The old station and section houses south of town on the CPR mainline are long gone . But for a period of time there was an operating station with an agent and two section houses that provided homes for two CPR section men and their families . Departing Sudbury , the train travelled north to the
Chelmesford Station ...Larchwood Station...Levac Station ...then on through the muskeg country of northern Ontario through Ramsey , Biscotasing , Chapleau to White River on Lake Superior .

It was primarily used for passenger service as with most of the small stations on the Sudbury to White River run .  There were few roads
 into the north and the railroad travelled the land of no roads . There were few stations so people  in between would simply flag down the train and purchase their ticket from the conductor anywhere along the northern run .

Eventually , roads and highways replaced the need for the short distance runs and much of the passenger service became redundant except in the country of no roads . Cars and bus service took over from the train service . Now , Larchwood Station is only a shelter flag stop Via Rail Station where passengers flag down the train as needed or request a stop to disembark . Passengers must pre-purchase tickets by phone or computer and carry their own luggage to the baggage car before boarding .

All this was done by the old agent who lived with his wife in the small apartment in the rafters of the old station when Dad and Mum went to live in Larchwood in 1951.

Since we were little (3 1/2 yrs and 6 mos.) , we couldn't pronounce their name . My sister could only manage 'Kachuk' so we always knew them as Mr. and Mrs. Kachuk . I never thought to ask my parents what their real name was . The old couple didn't seem to mind and they would chuckle every time we said our name for them . They never corrected us . Neither would they let Mum correct us.

They were happy and friendly people who were pleased that little children were part of the package that arrived to live in the section house on the rise across from the station . Old Mrs. Kachuk had maintained flower beds along that rise so people looking out from the train windows would have a pretty picture to remember as they moved on . She also kept hanging pots of flowers on the station which I am sure were against CPR rules and regulations . Mum felt an affinity with her from the beginning .


pulling out of larchwood nowadays