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Caption: A few years ago I offered up some pictures of a temporary detour, #328 running the Thorold Sub as a shortcut to Port Robinson on account a work block on the Grimsby Sub bridge 6 over Welland Canal. There was a cut-off time, 10AM?? after which trains would have to detour and #328 was quite often all over the place in its' morning schedule. I caught a handful of these runs; no idea how many their actually were in late 1996 and very early 1997. This one happened to be an all-CP consist, as opposed to the usual, which would have at least one NS unit.
Seen here is CP 5515, 5540 and 5526, an all-SD40 combo about to roll over Barron Rd, immediately before the Port Rob wye. The Hwy 20 bridge over the Welland Canal can be seen in the background. Today this is just a spur that runs as far as the former Thorold Pulp and Paper plant, and a yard that is currently used for storage. The railroad bridge, #10, over which this train crossed the canal was removed 20 years ago.
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So this was the Thorold sub before they cut it off after Bridge #10 was removed. This would have used the ‘up’ track at Merriton? Was the up/down track still in place at the time?
And would have had a couple miles of CTC – @jacob patterson
This was the Thorold sub, yes, from mile 9.49 on the Grimsby; paralleled the canal until it was opposite the Pulp and Paper; crossed the canal bridge 10 just to the north of what used to be the old Hayes-Dana plant. You can see the old RoW to the bridge if you drive in off Allanport Rd on Hayes Rd;(three way stop) which dead-ends at the plant where there is a security stop. And yes, it is the line with the steep grade as it struggled to maintain elevation in line with the Canal lift locks. Doubt this line has seen more than a handful of heavy thru freights like this one in the past 50 years, which made this, to me, an exciting catch.
I forgot to mention, no, this was just single track by this time, as the bridge over the CN (known locally as bum bridge) had been removed around 1976. Only access was the switch opposite the old Merritton station.
How long was the double track?
Need a railroader to answer that one. Anybody ??
Double track on the Thorold ran from the Fonthill Spur switch to Merritton.
I get the whole scene and the accompanying reasons, but ….whats with those tank cars I ponder ??
Interchange from st thomas and eastern or cn on cayuga Bruce? But from where….