Comments on: I have submitted a photo or two from this location before, but I feel this image best shows the scene from Hayes Rd (named for the Hayes-Dana plant that this road once led to)looking toward Bridge 10 over the Welland Canal and the City of Thorold. Due to work being done on CN’s Bridge 6, CN Grimsby Sub, in the early winter of 1996/97 a handful of St. Thomas/Buffalo NS #328 trains were rerouted down from the CN connection at mile 9.49 (Merritton Sta) to Bridge 10 over the canal on the Thorold Sub and down to connect the CN Stamford sub at Port Robinson. The trains were rerouted only if they were later than approximately 10am. Once AMTK #97 cleared thru around 10 AM the work block went up. I know of only about 5 reroutes. So this was a rare catch; even more so because not long after this, Bridge 10 was deemed redundant and dismantled. The former CN line on the west side of the canal is now used by Trillium, and on the east side, the trackage from Port Robinson connects with Resolute, the big forestry plant in Thorold South. The track in this photo was pulled up a number of years ago as well. Power on this #328 is CP 5521, GATX 7371 and NS 6215. The view at this location today is just field and weeds. One would have to consider this an alternate route to alleviate the bitching and complaining by the mayor of Niagara Falls in regards to CN trains breaking down passing thru the city; that is, if the bridge and track had only been left in place. Much shorter route, too.

By: DoctaPinklaces

DoctaPinklaces — Mon, 08 May 2023 14:30:48 +0000

Years later, this photo still blows my mind. Love whenever it comes up in the top photos, it’s where it belongs for sure.

By: Benjamin.

Benjamin. — Sat, 30 Jul 2016 15:27:20 +0000

Great photo, love that location and locomotivesee. I wish this line was still is service today.

By: awmooney

awmooney — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 00:53:11 +0000

AGAIN, thanks, Brad. Interesting detail of old lines on this map. So much of the trackage has disappeared over the years. I wish I could find my own paper topo maps of this region but I am afraid the great black hole of the den sucked them all in……..

By: BradKetchen

BradKetchen — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 12:22:43 +0000

FYI, I found a good link to maps of The Escarpment with good rail detail. Here’s the Niagara region: http://escarpment.org/_files/file_nep_map1_official_dec2013.pdf

By: awmooney

awmooney — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 01:20:26 +0000

Thanks, Brad; for your kind comment. The “trail” you can see is probably a canal access road, covered in snow, I am not familiar with what trackage used to be there, if any. And Doc., thanks for saving me the bother of trying to research info. ) I knew it was steep, but not THAT steep.

By: DoctaPinklaces

DoctaPinklaces — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 00:23:59 +0000

Yes, the CN Thorold Spur between Thorold and Merriton is the steepest grade on CN tracks in Canada. The sound of the alcos climbing it is great. And the curve, as far as I’ve seen, didn’t see much action, and the most it saw other than the reroutes were small local freights.

By: BradKetchen

BradKetchen — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 14:10:47 +0000

@awmooney, Congrats of one of the highest rated photos. And great thread too!

@mikelockwood The line along the Canal was the steepest grade along the CN mainline anywhere? Does this mean in Ontario or all of Canada? You’d think BC would have some some of the biggest grades. I was reading the climb up the Escarpment from Hamilton to Brantford is the biggest East of the Western Provinces. So the line along the Canal it must have been climbing the Escarpment there too?

And is it me or does the curve leading to and from the Canal, the abandoned portion, look like a kind of tight curve for a mainline route?

By: awmooney

awmooney — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 18:46:38 +0000

M.Smith: An old girlfriend who works in a doctor’s office that faces the tracks ! in Niffles rats on CN to me when things go wrong.
She commented “well, its their own fault for removing the overpass”……..and I got to thinking it used to be on Morrison Av.; I do remember it somewhere…I’ll have to check with her…she is currently out of town. Pete Hoople who is on this group got caught in that Saturday traffic mess too and he said it was chaotic.

By: smithgl

smithgl — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 17:52:18 +0000

Very nice Arnold!

The Stamford Sub through the NF sees 4 freights a day – 330/331 and 421/422 plus the odd extra. The latter pair are the troublemakers, often running 10,000+ feet with autoracks and parts boxes… they have suffered hose-bags, broken knuckles, and pull-aparts easily once a month for the past year or so… the last one as Arnold mentioned cut a lot of streets off on a busy Saturday morning and the Mayor heard about it. I think the fact that CP left town so easily makes the city think they can do the same to CN… I don’t think so!

BTW – the only grade-separated crossing on the Stamford Sub in town is the 420, which is not easy to get to for in-town drives. Which bridge was removed?

By: awmooney

awmooney — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 17:35:04 +0000

Mike: The Thorold sub route would be torturous at best. Grades and curves. The Vinemount grade on CP much more doable but Bratina packed it in last election and did not run again. (Back when he was with 900 CHML he used to stop and chat trains with us at Bayview trainwatching spots when he was on his daily distance-running schedule) That Niagara mayor who is wetting his pants over CN in his town really got ruffled when 2 trains in a matter of days died right in the middle of town. One, an 11,300 ft behemoth, experienced a pull-apart; and another almost same location experienced operational problems of some sort. The town was completely cut in half, which would have been very serious if there had been an emergency response affected. I might add that NF removed an overpass rather than rebuild, so they can blame themselves as well. You’re so right. All these guys seem to specialize in is making noise.