Cape Breton & Nova Scotia

[Dava]

 

Update from the Cape Breton & Nova Scotia Central - Sydney subdivision.

 

There was a 'withdrawal of service' for the line hearing on 8-9 Dec. The operator, Genesee Wyoming, announced that the last date for rail traffic would be 31-12-2014 but the last 3 rail customers who had not been driven off the line by a 550% rate increase would have their freight delivered by truck instead. 'No railcars would move after 31-12-14'. In effect it is already closed. Most of the parked stock has been cleared except for a few remains such as these derelict CN cabooses in the abandoned Sydney yards, seen on a windy day as sub-zero gusts whipped in from the sea.

 

And yet...we held a public meeting in which there was strong support to form a rail society to campaign for the line and seek a transfer of ownership from Genesee Wyoming. They want to scrap and abandon the line. There will be counter-proposals from our local group and possibly others. There are examples of community-based shortlines in the US (Vermont Rail) and Canada (Battle River Railway). We'll see what happens, there must be scope for organising some rail awareness events, so 2015 will be interesting!

 

Dava

[Pugsley]

Good luck! It would be a shame for the railway to be lost.

 

Heading a bit (lot) further south - do you know what happened to the Windsor Junction to Windsor line? That was due to be abandoned early this year (I think, or possibly last year). Again, that would be an unfortunate loss.

Edited December 30, 2014 by Pugsley

[Adrian Wintle]

Another community purchase example: When CN abandoned the portion of the Newmarket Sub between Bradford ON and Barrie ON, the City of Barrie bought the line so that, in the future, it could be used for commuter traffic. There are now 5 GO trains a day into Toronto on that line.

 

Adrian

[Dava]

Good luck! It would be a shame for the railway to be lost.

 

Heading a bit (lot) further south - do you know what happened to the Windsor Junction to Windsor line? That was due to be abandoned early this year (I think, or possibly last year). Again, that would be an unfortunate loss.

The wikipedia info on the Windsor Junction to Windsor/Hantsport line is   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor_and_Hantsport_Railway

 

A book published in 2014 on the Dominion Atlantic Railway (Gary Ness, Nimbus Publishing) said that the line was mothballed, the gypsum mines which were the source of traffic were not producing & the lease had expired but WHRC owner Bob Schmitt was still in talks with CN over future operations. Frankly no CN line in Nova Scotia looks completely safe. Even services to Halifax are not guaranteed. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/94008-interview-with-head-of-via-rail/

 

Dava

[Pugsley]

I knew that the Windsor and Hantsport line was currently mothballed - I went and had a poke around Hantsport last September. It's the connection from Windsor to the CN line at Windsor Junction I was wondering about. CN were trying to abandon the line early last year:

http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/644183-cn-seeks-windsor-junction-line-operator

 

I can't find more information anywhere on the 'net about what actually happened, unfortunately I didn't have any time to try and find out while I was there in the September.

[Dava]

Latest on CB&NSCR Sydney subdivision: the Utliities Review Board has allowed the operator Genesee Wyoming to discontinue the rail service from 1 Oct 2015 though in effect they have already stopped it. They can then apply to abandon the line from 1 April 2016.

 

Our campaign to retain the line starts here with my interview on CBC Information Morning in Cape Breton on 16 Jan!

 

This story continues to run.

 

Dava

[Dava]

Cape Breton update

 

No trains running, the line covered with snow, there is a blizzard raging outside.

 

However we are forming the Scotia Rail Development Society to make the case for the line to regenerate the local economy - more news soon.

 

Meanwhile, I glimpsed this intermodal trailer yesterday as an example of the kind of traffic it could carry. I think Keith Richards would have liked this one. Legalisation of marijuana may be on the way and how better to transport it than...in a reefer? Skin up, guys!

 

 

Dava

[Dava]

The cape Breton line is covered in snow, but now starting to thaw so I got  a few pictures like this below

 

 

We had a meeting in North Sydney last night with folks interested in the campaign to safeguard the line

 

http://t.co/UOaJrpTzN4

 

This centres on the Marine Atlantic link ferries to Newfoundland. One was stuck in the ice for 3 days last week!

 

The Sydney Coal Railway continues to operate. I sat in a meeting with a client last week & saw 2 trains go past but could not take photos as I was working...!

 

So here are two photos of the coal terminal at Sydney from a distance, note the ice in the second. And spot the train...

 

 

 

 

[Dava]

Update from Cape Breton: the campaign to save the railway continues with formation of the Scot Rail Development Society

 

Web: Scotiarail.ca

 

Public meeting in Sydney NS on 1 May to rouse support, its coming together.

 

Dava

[Dava]

It was good to revisit the Sydney & Louisburg Station Museum at Louisbourg, NS on 1 July. The Canada Day celebrations were taking place in & around the station with practically the whole community there, waving the flag and eating red & white cake!

 

 

Almost exactly a year after my first visit, at the start of this thread, it was clear that the station building, the other buildings and especially the rolling stock parked outside are suffering from the weather, and a lack of conservation and protection. This is not a criticism of the S&L Railway Historical Society, but there does not seem to be the means to raise the money needed to conserve what is here. Some of the items, such as a wooden caboose and steel passenger car, may deteriorate beyond the point of no return in another winter and there must be concerns for the buildings if they cannot be weatherproofed.

 

 

Hopefully it will all be here next year. http://scotiarail.ca/  has the news on the campaign to save the Cape Breton rail line, another long-running story.

 

Dava

[Dava]

A visit to another Cape Breton railway station museum....

 

As part of a long day in which I made the case to retain the Cape Breton Rail Line to a government committee, on behalf of our Scotia Rail Development Society, I visited the Orangedale Station Museum which is on the threatened stretch of line.  

 

It was a more heartwarming experience than Louisburg (see above). There is a community group who really love and care about this museum. The restored stationmasters flat in the building shows this.

 

Just a few photos here, for now.

 

CNR slogan on an old caboose has resonance today - if only.....

 

 

The station building; the Genesee Wyoming tracks, occasionally used, no service but not abandoned which we are trying to save, run past.

 

 

The operational GE loco and train (with nowhere to run).

 

 

The pitch to the committee went well, more soon.

 

Dava 

 

[Dava]

Today was the final loco movement on the Sydney Subdivision of the CB&NSR. The operator Genesee Wyoming has not reinspected the line on which they ended freight services last December. So no further movements after today.

 

Locos 1504 (hauling) & 3366 were returning from maintenance in Sydney at (we think) the Victoria Junction depot of the Sydney Coal Railway. The convoy snuck out of town at 8am without a train whistle. So that's it folks, the last train really has left town on the old Intercolonial Railway. The campaign to retain the line will continue and politics will drag on but its rumoured that GW will sever the line. Dirty tricks a distinct possibility.

 

Thanks to Jason Morrison for the photo at George's River.

 

 

Dava

[david12345]

Sorry to hear another part of Eastern Canada's railroads are about to vanish, Dava. I spent some of the summer in Annapolis Royale, down near Liverpool and up north of Dartmouth on the Southern and Eastern shores of Nova Scotia and it seemed I was never far away from an abandoned line. It is good they are in use as cycle ways and hiking routes.

Edited August 14, 2015 by david12345

[Dava]

Sorry to hear another part of Eastern Canada's railroads are about to vanish, Dava. I spent some of the summer in Annapolis Royale, down near Liverpool and up north of Dartmouth on the Southern and Eastern shores of Nova Scotia and it seemed I was never far away from an abandoned line. It is good they are in use as cycle ways and hiking routes.

If we cannot keep the Cape Breton line operating then it must be retained as a cycleway, the waterside stretches along Sydney harbour & Bras D'Or are amazing and would be the best train ride in Eastern Canada.

 

Dava

[david12345]

We hopefully will be back next summer, Sydney sounds like a place that wpuld be worth a few days visit. Hopefully the trains will still be there.

 

David

[Dava]

Last news on the Cape Breton rail line? You never know! Plug for the Orangedale station museum too.

 

http://bit.ly/1UaVugC

 

Dava

[Dava]

The very latest news on the local rail line here in Cape Breton is that the reports which will inform decisions about its future have at long last been published.

 

Lots of information, but the business case to retain & reopen the rail line is a long way from made.

 

http://novascotia.ca/tran/rail/

 

Having got these released, its a good point to bring my own involvement to a close, for now at least.

 

More personal news in my layout thread.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/96750-easy-low-cost-micro-layout-baseboard-ideas/page-3&do=findComment&comment=2019062

 

Dava

[GW Jim]

Hiya.

 

Hope you don't mind adding these details but for anyone interested in this please see

 

http://scotiarail.ca/

 

It seems people think this line has a future after all, I wish them well.

 

James

 

 

 

The very latest news on the local rail line here in Cape Breton is that the reports which will inform decisions about its future have at long last been published.

 

Lots of information, but the business case to retain & reopen the rail line is a long way from made.

 

http://novascotia.ca/tran/rail/

 

Having got these released, its a good point to bring my own involvement to a close, for now at least.

 

More personal news in my layout thread.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/96750-easy-low-cost-micro-layout-baseboard-ideas/page-3&do=findComment&comment=2019062

 

Dava

[Nova Scotian]

Shame these photos were lost in the server crash - maybe the OP can upload again one day or has an external site available?

 

The state of this rail line continues to deteriorate. To me, Fiona was the last nail in the coffin for anything being salvageable, but I've not been up to see the line since (only heard of the significant washouts).

[Dava]

Thanks Nova Scotian, I do have the photos from this thread in my offline archive. But I dont have time to reload them to the thread. Ive also lost confidence in online photo album sites being available long-term but will explore alternatives.

 

Dava