Comments on: Looking down the wide gauge southward at the Skyway Railroad (yes, I am making this up) we see sole motive power ‘Industrial Crane” assisting on the superstructure for the new Skyway bridge on the Burlington Beach strip back in 1984. At the time the original bridge was beginning to get congested, hence the demand for a twinning structure. Now what? It is just over 30 years later and both bridges are jammed with traffic most days. What do we do? There really isn’t any room for a third. This was an ingenious way of having a tall crane make the ’rounds’ though. After all, the beach strip is all sand. And I daresay this image qualifies as a ‘railroad’ scene. :o) http://www.railpictures.ca The BEST Canadian photos on the Internet, eh? Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:38:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: mercer http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=30299#comment-22799 mercer Tue, 08 Aug 2017 17:29:12 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Skyway-RR516-edited.jpg#comment-22799 Daniel, the "wide gauge" would be private track servicing that substation between Castlefield and Roselawn. Much of the time each substation had their own little "carrier" flatcar for handling incoming and outgoing transformers etc. They were wide gauge in most cases, in order to spread the weight evenly. I've never been up close and personal with one of these but they likely operated by winch and cable, or even a small gasoline engine and gears. For the one you have mentioned, the spur would have gone south of Roselawn to the old Belt Line and then ran parallel to CN for maybe 100 feet in order to transload from one flatcar to the other. So depending on who's substation that is, is probably the answer as to why those rails are still in the pavement. Daniel, the “wide gauge” would be private track servicing that substation between Castlefield and Roselawn. Much of the time each substation had their own little “carrier” flatcar for handling incoming and outgoing transformers etc. They were wide gauge in most cases, in order to spread the weight evenly. I’ve never been up close and personal with one of these but they likely operated by winch and cable, or even a small gasoline engine and gears. For the one you have mentioned, the spur would have gone south of Roselawn to the old Belt Line and then ran parallel to CN for maybe 100 feet in order to transload from one flatcar to the other. So depending on who’s substation that is, is probably the answer as to why those rails are still in the pavement.

]]> By: awmooney http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=30299#comment-22750 awmooney Fri, 04 Aug 2017 22:52:49 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Skyway-RR516-edited.jpg#comment-22750 Oh, don't get me going on this Daniel. I have been bitching about it for years. You probably know in the days of old there was a direct track from Stoney Creek across the beach and connected where the Burlington GO is now. If they had not screwed up in their long range thinking, Ontariowe governments might have seen the need to keep that RoW open for the future. Niagara to Toronto EXPRESS GO trains could take that route instead of going all the way thru Hambone, taking up valuable time. (I envision 2 reg and one express each day from NF to T.O.) But no, the highway was raised up and now the former underpass is gone, and apartments have infringed the former RoW in Burlington. As far as cottages and homes go on the beach, well in Maine the Downeaster (AMTK) runs along the waterfront daily without problems. They did what GO hasn't done yet.....FENCE OFF the track from drunken wandering or indifferent trespassers. Glad you like the photo. It's different. Oh, don’t get me going on this Daniel. I have been bitching about it for years. You probably know in the days of old there was a direct track from Stoney Creek across the beach and connected where the Burlington GO is now. If they had not screwed up in their long range thinking, Ontariowe governments might have seen the need to keep that RoW open for the future. Niagara to Toronto EXPRESS GO trains could take that route instead of going all the way thru Hambone, taking up valuable time. (I envision 2 reg and one express each day from NF to T.O.) But no, the highway was raised up and now the former underpass is gone, and apartments have infringed the former RoW in Burlington. As far as cottages and homes go on the beach, well in Maine the Downeaster (AMTK) runs along the waterfront daily without problems. They did what GO hasn’t done yet…..FENCE OFF the track from drunken wandering or indifferent trespassers.
Glad you like the photo. It’s different.

]]> By: Daniel Odette http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=30299#comment-22749 Daniel Odette Fri, 04 Aug 2017 21:19:50 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Skyway-RR516-edited.jpg#comment-22749 This is awesome. There's a wide gauge track that crosses Castlefield Avenue just west of the Allen Expressway in Toronto. Why it hasn't been ripped out yet is a mystery. As they say, more lanes = more traffic. You can't solve traffic congestion with more lanes because then more people will just drive. The 401 is a perfect example. Then there's the TTC. They complain that ridership isn't increasing anymore. That's because it can't! Nobody else can cram into the sardine can during rush hour guys. Anyone that's had to wait 5 trains to get on during rush hour may consider just riding their bike or taking Uber. I chose my bike, so the TTC lost me as a rider. As for the skyway thing though, if Wynne didn't keep putting off the Niagara GO train, it might help. A significant slow down on the bridge into Niagara is the Red Hill Valley parkway. Lets face it, Hamilton has a very large population and covers a massive area. It has no rapid transit, and only two GO stations around the city's center. Hamilton's highways are within short distance of the majority of the city however. Surprise... There's a jam up at the QEW interchange. This is awesome. There’s a wide gauge track that crosses Castlefield Avenue just west of the Allen Expressway in Toronto. Why it hasn’t been ripped out yet is a mystery.

As they say, more lanes = more traffic. You can’t solve traffic congestion with more lanes because then more people will just drive. The 401 is a perfect example. Then there’s the TTC. They complain that ridership isn’t increasing anymore. That’s because it can’t! Nobody else can cram into the sardine can during rush hour guys. Anyone that’s had to wait 5 trains to get on during rush hour may consider just riding their bike or taking Uber. I chose my bike, so the TTC lost me as a rider.

As for the skyway thing though, if Wynne didn’t keep putting off the Niagara GO train, it might help. A significant slow down on the bridge into Niagara is the Red Hill Valley parkway. Lets face it, Hamilton has a very large population and covers a massive area. It has no rapid transit, and only two GO stations around the city’s center. Hamilton’s highways are within short distance of the majority of the city however. Surprise… There’s a jam up at the QEW interchange.

]]> By: Ralph Lauren http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=30299#comment-22748 Ralph Lauren Fri, 04 Aug 2017 20:50:29 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Skyway-RR516-edited.jpg#comment-22748 crane train! crane train!

]]> By: Stephen C. Host http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=30299#comment-22747 Stephen C. Host Fri, 04 Aug 2017 18:46:57 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Skyway-RR516-edited.jpg#comment-22747 This is great! Stuff like this happens fairly often but is rarely photographed. Well done. This is great! Stuff like this happens fairly often but is rarely photographed. Well done.

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