Comments on: I am not sure of this photo and am asking for viewer input. Back in 1977 when I shot this scene, I only wrote in my notebook “N&W Slip” referring to the fact I thought this the old Pere Marquette/Wabash/N&W rail ferry slip. Looking at the provided map, I can only find “CN levelling ramps” and I know CN went out of this business here long before this photo was taken. So, do we have an N&W rail barge on the Detroit River which connected with the USA at this location? Interesting piece of railroad history non-the-less.

By: awmooney

awmooney — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 13:37:27 +0000

THANK YOU very much for information regarding the ferry/barge traffic at Windsor. This is sincerely appreciated.

By: mile27

mile27 — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 04:19:12 +0000

The attached information was provided by Ted Hanifan, retired Captain on the N&W tugs.

“The barge in the picture is the former car ferry Windsor built in 1930 for the Wabash RR. It was acquired by the N&W when they leased the Wabash in 1964. In 1969 they decided to convert all three of the ferries, the Detroit, Manitowoc and Windsor to barges and purchased two tugs, the R.G. Cassidy and the F.A.Johnson to handle the three barges. The two slips at Windsor were on CNR property. They were never used by the Pere Marquette RR. The ferry service was abandoned in April 1994. The property was acquired by the city of Winsor for park use.

By: Mitchell Gault

Mitchell Gault — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 21:28:13 +0000

I don’t think they did. CP had their own barge down by the CBC building, the bridge is still there where Windsor yard used to continue down to the riverfront. So CN had their own 2 docks and barges and CP had their one. The loading ramps for the CN barges are there right down by where CN 5588 the steam locomotive sits but the CP one is gone. On tuesday I will talk to one of the guys at the WMRC (Windsor Model Railroad Club) who used to work on the barges about them.

By: awmooney

awmooney — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 20:46:27 +0000

Perfect. I was wondering if each RR had had their own facilities. THANKS for helping out, Mitchell.

By: Mitchell Gault

Mitchell Gault — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 18:54:28 +0000

Ok, now get what you’re asking. Yes I am pretty sure they were N&W ramps at one point. CN was the final owner of them and was the one to rip them out. Now CP and CN had their rail tunnel where CP’s Windsor sub ended and the CASO ended. CN got the west portal of the tunnel and CP got the right portal. With the cars getting bigger CP and CN had to send their cars across on a barge because the tunnel wasn’t big enough. CP did measurements and discovered that they could modify the East portal of the tunnel to fit the bigger cars. CN backed out of that and moved to Sarnia. Here’s a link about that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnSfOuCJdR4. So yes CN did own the barges.

By: awmooney

awmooney — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 14:04:27 +0000

Thanks for you comment. I guess I should have been a bit more specific in my questioning. When I put this photo up, I wondered whether this indeed was an N&W barge (there could have been CN or CP…I didn’t know) and whether I had checked on the map the correct location for where I had taken the photo. A major problem with locating so many photos on the map supplied is that the railroads or facilities have been gone so many years I have to guess where I might witnessed the scene, and of course the track/facility in question has long been removed from said map.

By: Mitchell Gault

Mitchell Gault — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 05:40:33 +0000

I am not sure what you are trying to ask. But here is my answer, we did have a rail barge. I am not sure when they sopped using the barges but they are not in use anymore. The docks for them here in Windsor are still there but I’m not sure about Detroit. We are now currently using the CP Rail Detroit/Windsor train tunnel to get cars across the river. CP is building a new tunnel shortly.