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Caption: An old CN view at Niagara Falls, Ont. On the extreme left is the double track CN Grimsby sub., mile 0.6. That is about all that remains in 2012. The factory on the left, Cyanmid Chemicals, this infamous operation long razed. The CN yard has been torn up this fast few years. The shop building might still exist, but the track and the power is history.In this very late afternoon view, the sunset minutes away, one can see on the loco track, CN 4524, CN 4533, and of all things, Buffalo Creek #44.It eventually became Conrail #9661 in the 'big swallow-up'.
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An excellent historical photo of another fallen industry and the supporting rail infastructure. I only wish I had started shooting “Train pics” back then; there were so many more subjects.
I knew that location the second I saw the thumbnail! I used to love that spot for effortless roster shooting off railroad property. Seemed in the late 90′s there was always something worth shooting there, especially the SW1200RS’s which were getting rare by then, and of course the one Sweep I caught there. Truly sad to see what isn’t left of the yard, but at least Port Rob got a boost in the deal.
Really digging the 70′s and 80′s shots, Arnold!
I thought the Wabash/NW/NS stationed power here too in days of old?
One thing about the Cyanamid Plant. It was one disgusting bight on the landscape. Despite the fact the company made all kinds of things, too numerous to list, but included pesticides, fertilizers, plastics additives and a whole range of household cleaners & even toiletries, it was a mega-polluter back when these distasteful practises of dumping sludge and acid was not so much frowned upon.
The plant was closed somewhere in the mid-90s. I really cannot remember.
One day I went down to the yard, as Mike says, to shoot roster stuff, and holy cow….the plant was gone……..
Thanks for the comments, Fellers.
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IIRC, there was a branch off the CASO that went past that plant, and an interchange here as well.
You’re right Arnold, just looking at the factory…yuck.
Yes, there was an interchange there a long time back, come to think of it. And somewhere around this dive (home, not the plant) I have a slide showing semaphores at what I recall perhaps was a diamond out there in the ‘fields of dispair’. I recall walking thru the area; it was really a disgusting brownfield. For some reason it takes Niagara Falls a long time to clean up.
Mr. Mooney, perhaps you or someone else would answer this. There was a line that ran to the west from the CN Niagara Falls yard (perhaps a branch off the CASO?) that crossed Stanley and ran up along Fraser towards the canal that runs thru the city.
Any info on where this line went or whom it serviced?
Paul: I can remember the line that came off the CP near the Suspension Bridge and went along Park toward the CN yard. There was a yard connection but that trackage also continued across Stanley, over the Power Canal and linked up with CN Stamford Sub. But I cannot recall the industries along there. There was considerable industrial trackage around there at one time and I am guessing this was just a short cut over to CN main as well as to the CN yard. There was also a similar track farther ‘up’ around to service Cyanamid, as well as the track still in use where the Clifton Wye is.
Thank you for the detailed response! Oddly my GPS still shows all the trackage in that area, even though it has long been gone. Made me do a double take one day! The more I’ve learned, I would venture to guess you are correct that it was a short cut from the CN Yard over to the CN Stamford Sub. Makes sense.