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Caption: Where electrics once roamed. GIO's Welland job switches out cars for Ardent Milling, to be transloaded on the westernmost track at the London Agricultural Commodities elevator, the former Robin Hood facility.
Constructed in 1940, the Robin Hood Flour Mill received rail service from the Niagara, St. Catharines & Toronto Railway via a spur from their Welland Division mainline on Elm Street. An electric locomotive was based at the foot of Elm Street in Port Colborne as an outpost assignment, servicing this facility in what was then known as the community of Humberstone, amalgamating with Port Colborne in 1952. Electric service on the NS&T ceased in 1960, with CNR diesels taking over the assignment. The yard pictured contained only the main and east siding at the time, while over on Elm Street, a short stretch of the old NS&T main was kept south of Barrick Road for switching purposes. This arrangement remained until the connection at the north end of the elevator was constructed in 1983-1984 to the Canal Sub. Per Paul Duncan, this connection appears to have been the CN Casco Lead until being handed off to the Port Colborne Harbour Railway. The connection south to the former Dunnville Sub would be built in 1997 with startup of PCHR operations.
The Robin Hood Flour Mill would be closed in 2008 by Horizon Milling, and later sold to Ceres Global Ag in 2010 to be used primarily for grain storage and export. Space in the elevator would be leased to London Agricultural Commodities effective 2019, with LAC purchasing the facility in 2023. Shortly before the end of NS&T electric operations, this unit was built. Rolling out of GMDD London in 1955 as CNR 2013, this GP9 would be renumbered in 1956 to CN 4464. In 1986, it would be rebuilt as GP9RM 7224, and sold to Lambton Diesel Services in 2021.
Looking at 1930s aerial imagery, this site can be seen prior to the elevator's construction. Steve Host's recent research pointed out the abandoned right of way from the Welland Ship Canal Construction Railway. It would appear just north of the elevator location was a dump site for earth and other construction debris, and the construction "mainline" cut across the canal near this location. Comparing 1930s and 1940s imagery, one can see this track runs along the former construction railway right of way from the point where 7224 is seen above, right to the elevator silos.
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Most interesting picture and informative caption. Thanks for posting.
Amazing write up and image…well done MIKE
Great writing, just a note it’s “Lambton Diesel Specialists” – a common mistake.
Thanks gents. Steve, noted and will update.
Is this mill still operational? Great shot and history write up.
The facility is now used for grain storage and export space rather than milling.
How do thy switch in/out the cars into the building. I noticed on Google Mapps there’s a string of cars outside the building. Is there a trackmobile or front end loader, etc or do they have to wait until Gio comes long to switch out the loaded/unloaded cars and replace with the ones outside the building?
GIO handles all switching. With the three tracks pictured above, the centre one is out of service and used for transloading to trucks. The left track is used for Ardent Milling cars, usually pressurized hoppers, while the right track is used for LAC traffic. GIO can spend a few hours here while cars are loaded/unloaded, moving them as needed.
Thanks for the info Jacob.