Comments on: A few things have changed since this photo was taken along the CSX Sarnia Subdiivsion. Abandoned: Trains no longer roll by this point, for now, and possibly for-ever – trains only run as far as mile 53, and we’re sitting at 43 or so. Also, don’t be fooled, it’s a CSX Train on CSX track using run-through power from CP with 49 cars – CP’s main job was to bridge the traffic to Detroit from Chatham since the ‘great retreat’ nearly 20 years ago which ended run-through service in Ontario. CP 5679 trailing is no longer on the CPR Roster, the leader is still here, for now, Tied Up Unserviceable (TUSV) at St. Luc. The Codeline is still in use as you can see, it’s used to power the crossing protection. The codeline was all cut up on one of my last visits so I believe they would have converted power to local hydro utility connections. What else has changed? One thing you young guys won’t think of… NO SMOG one thing I notice in my photos from this era, SMOG all the time, everywhere, especially in the Sarnia to Chatham area in the summer months. when was the last smog day??? They were constant at this point in time.. I spoke to some of the employees at the elevator on this day and they were pretty blunt ‘good riddance’ to CSX as the rumour of abandonment whirled around, they had no need for the railway. While the property has changed owners in the last 10 years, sadly for them, even if they wanted rail service they are on the CSX side of the end of track… and I don’t think they will ever get rail service again as there is significant politics involved to STOP any incursion north into Sarnia by any competitors of CSX and CN – CP came really close, three times in fact, to having a semblence of service in Sarnia and this period in time was one of them. The first was rumours CP was offered the C&O Canadian Division to Sarnia – even going as far as running a CP business train to Sarnia in 1977. The second was the time you see here – CP clearly had their foot in the door.. and CP ran trains on the PM in Michigan at the time. The third time was in 2007 when they basically purchased Chatham-Kent’s interest in the Wallaceburg to Chatham roadbed (not land) in anticipation of Shell’s failed new refinery – and this was a secret until 2014 when Chatham-Kent were told by CP, pay up or we run a rail train – they want their money and forced a decision. The region actually bought their interest back, thankfully, since there is talk of a large fertilizer company locating a plant somewhere in the vicinity and without rail service… there won’t be a plant in Chatham-Kent. Ultimately, there is hope for this line – we just have to let the hourglass of time tick on, and continue the change and see what happens. Great advice from others: Keep taking photos, because change will continue and only in time will you really start to notice the changes :)

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 02:37:24 +0000

Yes, Really. a long long time ago, presumably in the Erie and Huron days there was a Whitebread station a mile or so to the north/west.

I have been corrected though, this elevator was once at a location known as “clancy” on the C&O, so whitebread was the next station timetable north.

Whitebread line intersects the railway not far away with a few houses, google calls it “whitebread” – and I presume that’s where the ‘station’ was and is long long gone. I hardly believe a few houses counts as a station stop but in the rural pioneering railway days of Ontario (turn of the century, 1900) it can easily be imagined.

By: mberry

mberry — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 02:22:46 +0000

Cool shot, but I can’t believe there’s a place called Whitebread…..