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Very nice picture Mr. Mooney. Most photographers photo this station looking east to get the former CN Welland Canal lift bridge in the background. This is one of the very few I have seen looking west. Another item missing (but had been missing for 15 years when you took this picture) is the parallel NS&T track with its overhead trolley wire, located on the north side of the CNR track. Up till the Mar 29, 1959, the interurban car from Thorold would end its southbound run in front of the station, stopping right where the train order signal mast is located, and passengers would walk across the CN track to the station platform. The NS&T track ended just short of the level crossing in the foreground, The location of this track would be under the vehicles parked on the right. West of the 2nd level crossing on the north side of the NS&T passenger track was a pocket track (directly opposite the parked CN diesel yard switcher) where the Robin Hood Flour Mill resident electric freight motor and orange caboose were parked on the weekends (rather than running all the way north to the St. Catherines car house). You, as a mere youngster would probably not remember this NS&T track, trolley wire and overhead poles. But for me, being there at the end of interurban service, arranging the final interurban car operation UCRS excursion on Mar 29/59, it is all very fresh in my mind. Interestingly, the order board in 1959 was at the front of the station, must have been moved once the NS&T track was removed. Thanks for the memories . . . nothing like a little reminiscing to cope with lockdown, John
Yes, THANKS, John !! So the old line that ran parallel on the west side of Elm St would have been the old NS&T line, with a branch over to Robin Hood running just north of Main St? I follow you.
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Appreciate this.
Haven’t been called a “youngster” in a long time and that should set off a round of guffaws from the readers.
Arnold, a few quick comments, interesting shot for sure, the train order signal was attached to the Station Dormer for most of it’s early life, not sure when it was moved to the north side of the tracks, so that is the first time seeing that, and nice with the Switcher in the background. By at least 1980 the Alco was replaced with SW-1200 7023 or 7024. Where the Alco sits was the CN Freight Sheds, quite a large building that was removed in the mid 60′s (?). The Elm Street NS&T tracks had a Wye, east and west coming off Elm, the western leg connected to the CNR mainline and this was used up till 1983 (or ’84) to connect to Robin Hood (NS&T Electric Motor Freight up till 1960, then Diesel). NS&T interchanged the Robin Hood Freight with CN and that was handled mostly out of Macey Yard. The foundation remnants next to Macey Yard are the former Canada Cement Plant No. 8 that operated up till 1969, and had an extensive rail network and their own line to connect to the Welland Canal (it crossed on diamond with the NS&T/CN Elm Street spur to Robin Hood). Canada Cement GE Center Cab, acquired new in 1946 went to ZALEV in Windsor but is now being restored by PSTR (it lives !). As far as the clean up of the Cement Plant property, maybe 1/3 of it was redeveloped west of Steele with townhouses but the balance of the property is owned by Hong Kong Investors, and they want far too much for anyone to touch it (it was purchased by them for something called PORTAL FASHION VILLAGE… a massive redevelopment that never happened….pie in the sky). That 1925 built CN station was at least the 3rd GTR/CN station constructed in town, it replaced another that was destroyed when the canal was widened. That location was at the crossroads of the Welland and Buffalo and Lake Huron Railways and was a very attractive building. The 1925 build is more utilitarian and similar in style to Huntsville, ON and some others of that period… thanks for sharing Arnold and John…Sincerely…Michael (a real youngster)
Again, excellent input. Yeah, I was too “young” to have a handle on the goings-on around Port Colborne but I know at one time it
was extensive. That was a very informative read and I thank you very much.
I didn’t really get ‘involved’ in what had been happening around the Port until July ’97 when I took the time to report on the Grand Opening for the Port Colborne Harbour Rwy.
I was there for the PCHR “last spike ” ceremony as well in 1997, hard to believe that is pushing 25 years…another side note, the CNR station was in terrible disrepair in the early ’90′s, a few friends and I took it on to clean up the property, paint the CN tilted herald logo on the doors, and we started an S.O.S Campaign (Save Our Station)…(I know..very original)… The NRP watched us the entire clean up day, but never once asked us what we were doing or if we had the authority to do it… in any event, the building did get purchased (Joe Feta’s out of St. Catharines), and it is fully occupied even today (even Trillium had their office in the eastern portion for a period of time). Did our efforts help, …maybe, who knows ??
You might have been in one of my photos if you were ‘close-in’ on the side of the photographers for that ceremony!! July 2, 1997. Oh what a warm day!!
About 25 years ago I bought a pair of wood semaphore (train order?) blades from a junk shop in Welland. I think they set me back $20. The fellow in the store thought they came from a local station, and I have long wondered if they were the very ones pictured here.
Wood blades? Hmmm…a bargoon !!!
tonybock, they might very well be, but there were train order and junction semaphore blades at Welland Jct station where the CN-Wabash Air Line on its way to/from Fort Erie crossed the CNR freight line from Merritton through Welland to Port Colborne (east side of Welland Canal). As you probably know, CN’s freight trains from Toronto to Buffalo used this line taking the east leg of the Welland Jct wye to proceed on to the Airline to Fort Erie until CN diverted these trains further east along the Grimsby Sub up the Niagara escarpment to Clifton Jct and from there to Port Robinson.. The east to north leg of the Welland Jct wye along with the CN Airline bridge over the old Welland Canal are still in existence used by Trillium to go east from Feeder and then north through Welland to Thorold, Merritton and St Catherines. There were also order boards at Merritton and I believe at the top of the grade on the west side of the Canal at Thorold, so what you have could possibly be from one of these locations. Good for you for preserving these artifacts from the past.
John
Messrs. Mooney & Klaucker, to follow up with your comments, you are correct about the NS&T curving on to Elm St and proceeding north along the west side of the street. Just before reaching Sherwood Forest Lane, the line moved a bit to the west off Elm on to private right of way, and just north of Borden Ave level crossing was the switch for the Robin Hood Mill spur. It curved from south to east crossing Elm on an angle and proceeding east on the north side of Sherwood Lane and just before reaching the elevator curved northerly to the side of the elevator (believe the same elevator trackside track is still there). NS&T Employees Time Table 67, taking effect Dec 2, 1951, on page 8 under Welland Subdivision General Footnotes, provides an underlined note as follows; “Colour Light Signal – Robin Hood Spur, Humberstone. Signal is located on pole adjacent to telephone booth on Robin Hood Spur. Indications – No Light, no trains are operating between between Robin Hood Spur and Port Colborne C.N.R; Amber, trains are operating between these two points”. Although NS&T operating crews had portable telephones, they did not have radios in 1951. “This signal is for information only to indicate to Motorman of freight switching crew on Robin Hood Spur, if track between Robin Hood Spur and C.N.R. is occupied. Trolley wire contactor located just south of Spur switch, and all trains must pass under the contactor with trolley pole on wire and at a speed not exceeding 10 m.p.h.” Nearly all Robin Hood freight cars went to/from CN’s Dunville Sub and this why there was a resident electric freight motor kept in Port Colbourne. Also in the Notes, “Transfer Tracks”,- Mileage 23.20 – C.N.R-NS&T Ry. delivers cars on right hand track or second track north of C.N.R main track. The C.N.R (also TH&B Ry. with traffic for Robin Hood Mills) delivers on left hand track. Trolley wire extends 1,000 feet from East switch on both tracks.” This refers to Macey St Yard on the north side of Dunnville Sub. John
Thanks John, really appreciate the detail on this which unfortunately is being “lost to time”… I hope to post a 1956 shot of NS&T 21 Electric Motor heading south on Elm in the near future….Cheers
WOW….Arnold, when you capture history you not only capture it, but are made a part of it! Dunno how I missed seeing this one when posted around the beginning of this year, but holy smokes. Wish I was as ‘experienced’ as you ‘young ‘uns”!Yes, alot has changed in this photo. By the time I made my first visit past the station, it was around 1990. My Dad purchased a fairly new Chevy Astro from a gent just east of the Port….community called Gastown? Gasline? Gas-something-or-other…not to mean any offense….just cant remember. ANYWAYS, had to go to the license bureau, and I remember at the time it was near the crossing and station, or just past it. Nonetheless that portion of the CN Dunnville Sub I believe was still intact…including the bridge over the Welland Canal. Jump ahead a few years, and all the changes that happened when I came back to photograph the thankfully saved station (around 2002-2003). Sad that it’s not once as it is shown in your photo…but still….the memories it has had for all of us in one form or another. Love it. Priceless. Well done Arnold to document this moment.