Comments on: One of those days today where all plans went out the window. Hearing that today would be GIO Rails last trip down the canal sub. to serve the last few customers in St. Catharines was enough to get me up early after night shift. The plan was to catch them around Allanburg then passing lock 7 both ways. Unfortunately they arrived in St. Catharines almost an hour before I arrived. I was forced to change plans and head to the spur along Yale Crescent and try to at least catch them working the old paper plant. Unfortunately the crew had to wait several hours as four boxcars were unloaded only to have RS18 1859 suffer a major oil leak prior to departing the area. In the end the train was forced to call it a day parking everything on the spur and draining the unit. Not sure what the plan is now as far as heading home eventually. Nevertheless there was a good railfan turn out for the activity despite the bitterly cold weather. Here 1859 is seen with the compartment doors open preparing to shut everything down after retrieving the last two boxcars from the paper plant.

By: Noe

Noe — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 14:32:25 +0000

Thanks for the info guys.

Stephen C. Host — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 23:08:02 +0000

According to GIO sources Dunn paper is moving transload to HOPA Thorold (gio operation)

Steelcon also relocated to Welland Tube spur, another GIO operation.

The rest are on their own.

Jacob Patterson — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 19:58:46 +0000

Marcus Stevens — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 18:54:13 +0000

From what I head CN will serve this section for now but the paper company is considering trucking loads from somewhere to its plant.

Noe — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 01:24:50 +0000

Nice photo of the last GIO train Marcus.

So I guess the trackage sits as is until CN determines it’s future??