 Although this was largely due to the political infighting of the time, it is fairly certain that the new railway was already obsolete, since the ownership of automobiles (many built in Oshawa) was becoming much more common at that time.The Bowmanville to Whitby section, already fully built and ready for use, was abandoned then, with the railway having never carried a paying passenger.The rails were pulled up during World War II's steel shortages, as were any steel bridges or trestles.