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Caption: Welland-bound NS&T car 83 has just crossed Ormond Street and is seen trundling over the first/second Welland Canal on the old swing bridge. Substation Junction is the point where the Welland Sub, running from the jct to Port Colborne, branched off from the Falls Sub (St. Catharines - Niagara Falls). With no date provided, it is estimated this shot was taken during summer 1955, as 83 would be repainted to CNR green by March 1956.
This Arnold Mooney shot from 1999 shows the same location from Ormond Street. Where's the canal Filled in. The line, at that time the CN Fonthill spur, was cut short at it's namesake town and by 2000 would be operated by Trillium Railway. Reportedly the line last saw service about 2019, and the rails lifted early 2021, removing the last piece of all the activity that once was.
Original Photographer Unknown, Al Chione Duplicate, Jacob Patterson Collection Slide.
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Note, brick building directly behind 83 is the NS&T substation.
Great picture Jacob. Not only a good view of #83 in NS&T red and cream paint scheme, but shows detail of the swing bridge over the old Welland canal. Note some new bridge ties have been recently installed. Also clearly seen is the wye track around the NS&T substation building. It’s hard to believe the bridge is gone and the canal filled in. Question, has the Substation wye track been lifted up ? Thanks for posting, John
John, I’m surprised those new ties appear untreated. The full wye has been gone for many years. Under Trillium, the only track remaining was what is in the photo (out of service 2019, removed early 2021) curving off to the right towards the CNR/NS&T yard connection. The yard remains and is used for car storage.
Update: Fonthill spur removed late August 2021.
Thanks for update Jacob. So much has changed since my first visit in Mar 1955. It was an automobile trip in John Mill’s parents’ car with Bob Sandusky and John, and our first stop was at Thorold NS&T station, and then Fonthill station to photograph car 80 on a southbound run. These pictures bring back those good memories from some 66 years ago. Very interesting that the little NS&T yard just off the Falls line south of Substation Jct where CN interchanged with NS&T is still in existence and use. Again, thanks for posting, John
Really amazing photo… the entire area is not even remotely recognisable today…
@John, glad to hear they’re enjoyed.
I have some more on the way for down the road…
@Klaucker… Shoutout to whoever layered 1934 aerials into Google Earth, really helpful for a number of these shots. It is rather stunning considering the amount of infrastructure that existed, all wiped away without a trace.