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Caption: Switching Airboss in Kitchener, the hogger is gingerly guiding his train on track rated for 5 MPH maximum speed. Lifting one car out of the plant door, the hopper is likely an idler. There wasn't a heck of a lot of sunlight left by the time I found this scene..
This shot has taken quite a long time for me to achieve - seeing that Airboss is normally switched either first thing in the morning or late after dark and the light is only good late in the evening. What's neat about this location? The ancient factory - built in 1913 - formerly the Dominion Tire Plant (click for more) it hasn't really changed much since then. -This is probably one of the oldest factories still receiving somewhat continuous rail service in this area - and to make it even more dramatic - and this plant is very close to condo development where similar factories have been converted over and continue to be.
Secondly, this plant would have had electric overhead wire for the motors of the Grand River Railway (thusly the CP Waterloo sub). While the electric overhead was removed in 1961 when the GRR dieselised, CP continued to serve this plant until 25 July 1991 (Last move - thanks to George Roth for the info) and the spur in the foreground is the track that led to CP.
And one tidbit we locals know - back in 2005 when EMD was going gangbusters pumping out new CSX, UP, and BNSF SD70ACe's the facility behind me where this spur leads to was used to finish SD70Ace's for EMD - never did catch an engine going in or out of here, from what I recall the moves were done very 'hush hush' or in darkness at the time. A little known fact, mind you..
What old factory do you wish you could see a railcar coming in or out of that still has a chance of happening?
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Nice work Steve. How the hell did you get in here? I tried back on Aug. 5 when they were switching (remember the shot I submitted of 4001 heading back; they just switched this place). Also neat that it has three units.
Actually the hopper was loaded there, Kraehling Farms uses the lead of this spur for loading, approx 1 or 2 car loads of Alfalfa every couple of weeks.
The spur in the foreground did not lead to CP, it goes into the western most part of the former Uniroyal complex, or the warehouse section. Kumpfort Zone is the customer that uses that building now for general warehousing. Up until a few years ago they still reviewed rail service.
The lead to CP actually came in around that area but crossed the spur in the foreground on a diamond and continued curving to the left and deeper into the older section of this complex, some of the track is still in the pavement around that curve.
It seems like a lot of motive power for a switch job.
There was 40+ autos to take down to CP that evening as well.
Nice, Thanks for the info Jon. I saw the autos, shoved down the east end of the siding. The empty business has really picked up in the last couple years.
Kevin Glasgow St, bud.
Nice work Steve!
Thanks marcus.
Kevin – Mark Paterson and I got in there February 15, 2016, and took some pictures. We just stopped at security and asked them if we could look around. We told them why we were there and they allowed us in. I have some pictures of the trackwork that remained as of that date if you’d like to see it. RLK2211 is correct, the CP lead track that came onto the property did in fact cross the CN spur track using a diamond. I have no pictures of that, though.
You can drive in now all the way. Airboss is still in business but the warehouse is now tech offices so no security as it is a parking lot right to the tracks.
The tracks are also still in place including the switches to the former warehouse and cp. Frog is removed on the cn mainline switch. Where I’m standing above, where the warehouse track (as pictured) is is all still there but it ends at what is now a curb!
Tracks to Airboss lead to a new gate as they added new fencing around what remains of their property. The rest of course sold off/leased to new tenants.
They could yet return to rail service. Its not over yet.
Note 2: you can see all of this on Google Street view – you can virtually drive through most of that parking lot.