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Caption: VIA train 181, running from Toronto ON to Buffalo NY, has just passed under the Welland Canal (out of Welland, the Welland County Speedway is visible in the background). Power today is the usual Budd RDC cars, a former CP Rail RDC-2 and RDC-3 still in action red colours (possibly 9115 and 9021), both maintained by CP out of CP's John Street Roundhouse for VIA (as opposed to the dozens of VIA RDC's maintained out of CN's Spadina Roundhouse).
This train, formerly a TH&B train run with CP equipment, continued to run into the VIA era until its last run on April 26th 1981, a day before Amtrak introduced the Maple Leaf. The Budds ran on the CN Oakville Sub (CP running rights) from Toronto to Hamilton, TH&B Welland Sub from Hamilton to Welland, and Conrail CASO Sub from Welland to Buffalo, using CP Rail (Toronto to Kinnear), TH&B (Kinnear to Welland) and Conrail (Welland to Buffalo) crews for each leg of the journey.
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Mr. Thomson… I find your collection of posted images fascinating – well done!
I like this picture very much, a scene I never had the opportunity too see. The Welland Canal project took years to design and build but today is barely used.
Man, how many trains even run down these tracks anymore? Most of them are locals aren’t they?
Gents – CP Hamilton sub is extended through here to Brookfield – 6-8 trains per day. CN and Trillium use the closest track as it allows access to Feeder yard (Trillium). Middle track is gone. CP may also switch Feeder yard – so up to 10 per day if I was to guess. In 1974 when this was built about 30 trains per day used it from Penn Central (Conrail), Chessie, Norfolk and Western, CN and TH&B (Port Colborne local) plus the passenger trains which became the budds seen here.
I thought when they closed the old King St Welland station that was the end of passenger service.I wish I would have known instead of taking the yukkie buses from St.Catharines to Toronto.
Thank you for sharing this photo. I remember around 1980 or 1981 riding my bicycle to where the TH&B line passed under Highway 20 in Hamilton to see this train go by. If it was 1981 then it must have been April or sooner, as the Amtrak Maple Leaf took over in April 1981 I recall. Of course, the Maple Leaf uses the track that goes to Niagara Falls, not this TH&B track.