Comments on: This view, from a hillside location now obliterated by ever expanding foliage, shows #725, “The Nanticoke” with CN4572, 4520 and 9166 the power heading West to Brantford and then south to Waterford & Nanticoke. The view was imaged with a 4×5 Speed Graphic using Kodak Vericolour III type S sheet film for anyone interested. For Mr. H.T.Greb :o) in the far distance one can see the old conveyer structure that RP.ca #7210 was imaged from; the south end long removed and screened off. Holes in the structure made for good viewpoints, holes in the floor a must to avoid. It is only grasses where the track used to run up to the large building where cars were loaded when the operation was in full swing, and just barely in the weed above the cab of the middle unit one can see where the old incline ran up the hillside. It is now a hiking path. Building and overhang removed in the mid-90s, I think.

By: Paul Snyder

Paul Snyder — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 00:56:01 +0000

Mr. Mooney thank you for the follow up. It does make sense and could only imagine now the traffic chaos that would cause in 2016 in the same area!

I’m very much enjoying and I’m lucky my fiance was very willing to tag along for hikes around Dundas this past summer and fall. Still remnants of the past to see and fun to experience!

By: awmooney

awmooney — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 00:42:19 +0000

Forgot to add, Paul; I am glad you are enjoying the photos. Especially around Dundas it is a lot of fun to hike the area and check for remnants of the past.

By: awmooney

awmooney — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 00:40:28 +0000

One thing about Ferguson Av is it made Hambone look like a mickey-mouse city having a train dissect the downtown during the rush hour. I do not know the official reason for abandonment other than the inconvenience this train caused (as CP trains in NF did) but that grade up the escarpment was very steep and a lot of the rock unstable. The train cutting thru the downtown probably did not exceed 10 MPH so it certainly was a pain.

By: Paul Snyder

Paul Snyder — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 00:25:14 +0000

Funny, Mike asked the same question I had in my mind as to when or why Ferguson Ave was abandoned for “The Nanticoke”. Another photo of yours was dated for April of the same year for the same run that peaked my curiosity. Regardless great shot. Enjoyed venturing up around Dundas after coming across your photo’s this past summer!

By: awmooney

awmooney — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:27:18 +0000

To Aleks: Of course you are correct; I was just suffering thru another brain f**t; big time problem old foamers have when they are faced with an excited mind mixed with dying memory cells.
And to Mike: I’d have to say they had abandoned Ferguson Av by this time, but really cannot recall; and the only thing worse than not remembering is finding out there is no one left to ask!!! I seem to recall something about concern of the weight of trains going up thru the cut to Rymal and thus the shift to a bit longer but perhaps safer route thru Dundas. If I get a solid answer from a geezer out there I will note it here.

By: Mike Lockwood

Mike Lockwood — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 20:22:35 +0000

Aleks, CN 725 was usually routed up the old N&NW on Ferguson Avenue to Rymal, Caledonia, and Naticoke. The trip back to Hamilton turned west at Caledonia and onto Brantford, where they ran around the train and headed for Bayview and Bayshore. At some point someone at CN realized that keeping the old N&NW in place for the train made little sense and the routing via Brantford became permanent. The N&NW was abandoned from the Grimsby Sub to around Rymal, and became the Rymal Spur.

Arnold has the iconic shot of the street running: http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=6836

By: Aleks Stefanovic

Aleks Stefanovic — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:40:17 +0000

Just to clarify routing, 725 ran to Brantford then after the power ran around the train they headed to Caledonia,Hagersville and Nanticoke. The CP steel train ran via Waterford not 725.

By: Mike Lockwood

Mike Lockwood — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:58:28 +0000

Even though 725 was best with an A-B-A of F7′s, those unrebuilt GP9′s get better and better the more time passes. Had they stopped running up Fergus Avenue by this date, or were they just taking the long road for other reasons?

As always, excellent shot Arnold!

By: awmooney

awmooney — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 01:37:15 +0000

I need to make a correction to the caption. The large structure in the background was NOT a crusher building, it was the Screening House. The crusher & secondary crusher were located up top the hill. For diagrams, google Canada Crushed Stone Ltd and check out Dundas Historical Society pages.