The education of children in isolated northern communities presented special challenges. Often there wasn't a large enough population base to support a teacher and build and maintain a schoolhouse. One way of reaching the students in theses areas was the railway school car.

From the 1920s to the 1960s there were several school cars, each considered its own school section, traveling routes ranging from 83 to 221 miles on the Canadian Pacific, Canadian National and Ontario Northern Railways. Students were taught in a railway car that had been converted into a classroom with separate teacher's quarters. Click on the image of the blueprint below to see a detailed floorplan.

A teacher would travel with the railway from community to community, stopping for several days at each to teach children who themselves would often travel up to twenty miles for the opportunity to go to school.

According to the Report of the Ministry of Education, 1951: "Teachers are chosen because of their understanding of and adaptability to pioneer life. In addition to teaching in the classroom, they do much to enrich the home life of pupils and parents, many of whom are not familiar with Canadian habits and customs."

When it was time to move on, the school car would be attached to a passing railway train and travel to the next community.

Click to see a larger image (137K)
Railway school students posed on railway hand-pump section car at Kukatush, Sudbury District, [ca. 1950]
Ministry of Education
Black and white print
Reference Code: RG 2-43, Acc.4437
Archives of Ontario, I0020867