Throwback Thursday 29 Bayview Memories by Keith

A while back I had a Throwback Thursday about the changes over the years at CN's Bayview Jct, in Hamilton ON. Turns out I 'scooped' my dad who was coincidentally writing a similar article at the same time. So today is part II of our Bayview documentary, written by my dad Keith. 

'Til next time,

Cheers,

Peter.

Bayview Flashback

On a clear mid spring evening freshly painted Canadian Pacific SD40's 5541 and 5514 are about to duck under the Royal Botanical Garden's Laking Gardens pedestrian bridge as they pass through Bayview Jct. and lead the ‘Starlite’ mixed freight towards Burlington, Ontario. The named freight is a carryover from the days of the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway, by this date a fallen flag having been fully absorbed by co-parent CP two years previously. Decades-old trackage rights permitted the competitor movement along Canadian National's historic Oakville Subdivision. However, nothing lasts forever and CP's trackage rights would expire approximately twenty years hence.

The right of way that the train is traversing was originally that of the Great Western Railway and dates from the mid 1800’s. In the distant background directly above the lead locomotive is the Desjardins Canal, sadly the scene of one of Canada’s first passenger train tragedies. On the evening of March 12^th 1857, as a Great Western passenger train approached the canal  swing bridge, a broken axle on the locomotive caused the consist to plummet some six stories to the frozen waters below. Some fifty nine souls were lost in the calamity, including renowned railway contractor and banker Samuel Zimmerman. A fixed replacement rail bridge replaced the destroyed movable span, preventing the passage of ocean-going schooners through the canal. In time, a consequence of that decision would be the reversal of Dundas’ industrial prominence over Hamilton in the Great Lakes shipping trade. The four-posted highway bridge in the background, known locally as the High Level bridge, was constructed in 1932 by the city of Hamilton as part of a western entrance beautification/depression era unemployment relief program.

In order to accommodate the extra mainline track the width of the supporting berm was increased and then stabilized with a series of piles along the base of the embankment at the water line. Note that the cantilevered signal mast near the cross-overs has been removed in the interim.

While the overall harbor view remains relatively unchanged decades on, the area's railway infrastructure has been substantially enhanced. In 2006 a third main track, extending westward to the junction was added to the harbor side of the existing double track right of way. Currently, in conjunction with expanded GO Train service to Hamilton and beyond, the third main is being extended further westward. Ongoing activity at the moment is focused upon an addition to the bridge structure spanning the historic Desjardins Canal.

As for the locomotives in the lead photo, CP SD40 5514 was built by GMD London in 1966. The unit was upgraded to SD40-2 specifications and equipped with Q-Tron electronics (to enhance tractive effort) prior to sale to the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad, becoming DME 6081. The new owner would subsequently upgrade the venerable unit to -3 electronics. In something of an ironic twist, CP would re-acquire the survivor, included in its acquisition of the regional road. Likewise, CP 5541 was also built at the London facility, in 1967. Similarly upgraded to SD40-2 specifications the unit’s fate would be far less auspicious; retired in 2001 and subsequently sold for scrap in 2005.

- Keith.

Mission accomplished. To further stabilize the man made addition, the geographical feature was immediately hydro-seeded. Note the substantial pile structure along the water line. Note also the natural grown in appearance of the vegetation shown in the photo below. Over time, the view (possible photo angles) on one side of the junction has improved, while the other (west side) view has been obliterated all together by the vegetation.

 

Note the start of some low-level vegetation on the hillside at left - how long until those trees obscure the view again?

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Throwback Thursday 25 Canadian Pacific DT 2 Switcher at Goderich ON in July 1964

Canadian Pacific DT-2 44-ton centercab switcher #17 work the grain elevators at Goderich, Ontario in July 1964. Except maybe for gloves, it doesn't look like there was much PPE back in 1964! CP's impressive bridge over the Maitland River can be seen in the distance at left. Uncredited Kodachrome from author's collection.

Tonight’s Throwback Thursday takes us back to July 1964 in Goderich, ON, where we find Canadian Pacific DT-2 switcher #17 switching grain boxcars. A seldom-photographed engine, CP owned 14 of these unusual little diesel-hydraulic locomotives, scattered around the system for light switching duties. The engines were built by Canadian Locomotive Company of Kingston, ON from 1957-1960, but were not a Fairbanks-Morse design, as were most diesels that CLC built. Instead, two Caterpillar D-337 engines each contributed 250 hp, routed to the inboard axles of each truck, and from there to the outboard axles by means of crank rods. A rather bold departure from the rest of CP’s diesel roster, the units proved to be somewhat of a pariah, with retirements occurring as early as 1969. Built in 1959, CP #17 replaced 0-6-0 #6275 (noteworthy as the last operating 0-6-0 on CP’s system) , itself surviving on the CP roster until a sale to Cambridge, Ontario boiler and steam energy equipment maker Babcock & Wilcox in 1974. Another sale in 1996 took the unit to Tottenham, ON where it served as a parts source for South Simcoe Railway’s other DT-2, #22. Briefly reunited with one of the few remaining DT-2’s, #17 was stripped of usable parts and eventually scrapped in 2006 once it had outlived its’ usefulness.

While photographs of CP operations in Goderich often feature the small lakefront yard or the adjacent passenger station, the grain elevators seem to have been seldom photographed. The namesake of the 111.8 mile branchline CP used to reach the town, Goderich was important enough to warrant two railroads, CN being the other line to serve the town. Salt, grain, Champion road graders (later Volvo Construction Equipment), and other industries in town contributed to the majority of the railway’s business in the town.  Gradually though, trucks and centralized manufacturing eroded much of the industry served by CN and CP, with the latter abandoning the Goderich subdivision north (west) of Guelph in 1989. In 1992, the competition also pulled out of Goderich, with CN selling the line west of Stratford to new Railtex operator Goderich-Exeter Railway. The Sifto Salt mine located on the waterfront is now the largest industry served in Goderich by GEXR. Changes in grain rates made Ontario grain less favourable in comparison to that grown on the prairies, and many Lake Huron ports including Goderich, Owen Sound, and Collingwood, faced reduced grain volumes (or a complete halt in grain shipments altogether), a problem made worse for the railroads by stiff competition from trucks. Goderich, however, faired better than some other ports, and Goderich Eleveators continues to send grain out by ship primarily to the export market. Both trucks and the GEXR serve the elevators, though modern 4650 CF cylindrical hoppers are a far cry from strings of 40’ boxcars!

Interestingly, both CP #6275 and the former CP steel bridge over the Maitland River survive today. Old #6275 resides indoors at the Huron County Pioneer Museum, never having left the city it served for many years. The bridge is now a part of a hiking trail and offers a unique view of the port and Maitland River.

A Google Streetview image in approximately the same area as our subject photo. This elevator is no longer served by rail (trucks only), though the elevator in the distance still has rail service.

A Google satellite shot of the port of Goderich, as well as the town's unique octagonally-arranged historic downtown core. The old CP line extends in an arc down and to the left from top-center, while the ex-CN (now GEXR) line extends left-right across the image to reach the Sifto Salt mine at left.

‘Til next time,

Cheers,

Peter.

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