No R ' s ▁bank rupt cy ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁line ▁ultimately ▁becoming ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Canadian ▁National ▁Rail ways ▁( CN ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 3 . ▁The ▁route ▁saw ▁little ▁use ▁and ▁was ▁abandoned ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁with ▁the ▁rails ▁lifted ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁July . ▁Only ▁a ▁short ▁section ▁near ▁B anc ro ft ▁remained , ▁operating ▁as ▁a ▁sp ur ▁on ▁the ▁C OR ▁serving ▁a ▁Dom tar ▁plant . ▁The ▁C OR ▁was ▁abandoned ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁Due ▁to ▁its ▁relatively ▁early ▁abandon ment , ▁the ▁IB & O ▁did ▁not ▁see ▁conversion ▁to ▁rail ▁trail , ▁unlike ▁the ▁C OR ▁which ▁is ▁now ▁a ▁popular ▁recre ational ▁trail . ▁Some ▁sections ▁have ▁been ▁used ▁for ▁roads , ▁but ▁most ▁of ▁it ▁has ▁returned ▁to ▁bush . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Iron ▁r ush ▁Iron ▁was ▁first ▁discovered ▁at ▁Bla ir ton ▁at ▁the ▁western ▁end ▁of ▁Cro we ▁Lake ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 6 , ▁but ▁a ▁mine ▁was ▁not ▁constructed ▁until ▁ 1 8 2 0 . ▁An ▁iron ▁sm elter ▁was ▁built ▁at ▁nearby ▁Mar m ora , ▁at ▁the ▁eastern ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁lake , ▁and ▁opened ▁for ▁service ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 3 . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁only ▁form ▁of ▁transport ▁was ▁via ▁the ▁water ways ▁to ▁rail head s ▁some ▁distance ▁to ▁the ▁west , ▁and ▁this ▁limited ▁sh ipping ▁to