Little Bear (train)
The Little Bear was the name for a Canadian mixed freight-passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Northern Ontario.
It operated three days per week year-round and connected Cochrane with Moosonee.
During the summer months, the Polar Bear Express dedicated passenger train operated over the same route 6 days per week with no flag stops, whereas the Little Bear was a flag stop train.
The Polar Bear Express was expanded to a year-round service on June 5, 2007 after increased funding from the Government of Ontario to ONR was announced in March 2007. It resulted in the discontinuation of the Little Bear mixed freight-passenger service and there are now dedicated separate freight and passenger rail services to Moosonee.
The Little Bear transported passengers as well as supplies to locations between Cochrane and Moosonee and was particularly popular with canoeists and hunters; the train had a dedicated freight car for carrying canoes.
Some of the numerous stops for the Little Bear mixed freight and passenger train included:
- Cochrane
- Fraserdale
- Otter Rapids
- Moose River
- Moosonee