The Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway company
The Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway company

The Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway company

The Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway company

Bankruptcy and other disasters

Eastern Townships (Quebec), Canada

Well, to be honest, the railway Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway site we visited is not a real urbex site. At least not yet. But between you and me, it should not take long.

A story that everybody hear about

Whether you live in Quebec or not, you've probably heard of this tragedy in Lac-Megantic where a railway convoy of the Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway (MMA) has literally destroyed the city in an explosion that  killed more than 47 people. Since then, the company faces prosecution, had to be placed itself under the bankruptcy protection law and its poor crisis management has enrages all the country.

In short, the company is in big trouble and, after fired most of its employees, it is unclear how the company will get out of this situation. The many sites owned by the company are now deserted and many of them were vandalized by an angry population that holds the company responsible for the tragedy.

There was therefore no one during our visit in this Saturday afternoon, and even if we found few buildings (which will surely be abandoned in the coming weeks), we rather focused on trains and different rusted structures we could find on the site. I will have the chance to come back for the buildings by the end of summer when the activity of the company will be completely stopped.

This choice was the good one, because several trains could be visited. While some structures had no interest, others against, were very informative. So here is some pictures of this little trip where I will, for sure, be back in the coming weeks.

Related content

Singer's abandoned plant
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec (Canada)

Destroyed by mechanical shovels in 2011, it is a true slice of history of the city of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu who was destroyed that day in February. The adventure of the Singer factory has lasted over 100 years and has gave work to thousand of...

Northern View
Montréal, Quebec (Canada)

Used as a snow dump, the site of the former Francon quarry (now known as the Saint-Michel quarry) looks like a huge crater of greenery in the heart of Montreal. This area covers approximately 20% (17% to be exact) of the district of Saint-Michel...

The old board mill
Estrie, Quebec (Canada)

It was October 3, 2014 when it has been heard for the last time the siren for the end of the work shift. The last 180 employees picked up their belongings and closed the door behind them, thus ending an industrial history of over 125 years.

...
The abandoned paper mill
Outaouais, Quebec (Canada)

This is one of the oldest stationery in Quebec. Founded in 1851 by a american businessman, the company is composed of a half-dozen buildings on a fifteen hectares site. Saying that the site is large is an understatement, not only because it has a...