Caption: A few things have changed since this photo was taken along the CSX Sarnia Subdivision. Abandoned: Trains no longer roll by this point, for now, and possibly for-ever - trains only run as far as mile 53, and we're sitting at 45.6 at Clancy (near Whitebread Line). Also, don't be fooled, it's a CSX Train on CSX track using run-through power from CP with 49 cars - CP's main job was to bridge the traffic to Detroit from Chatham since the 'great retreat' nearly 20 years ago which ended CSX Detroit-Buffalo run-through service through Ontario. CP 5679 trailing is no longer on the CPR Roster, the leader is still here, for now, Tied Up Unserviceable (TUSV) at St. Luc. The Codeline is still in use as you can see, it's used to power the crossing protection. The codeline was all cut up on one of my last visits so I believe they would have converted power to local hydro utility connections.
What else has changed? One thing you young guys won't think of...

NO SMOG one thing I notice in my photos from this era, SMOG all the time, everywhere, especially in the Sarnia to Chatham area in the summer months. When was the last smog day??? They were constant at this point in time.. and tinged blue skies a hint of brown, even looking almost cloudy!

I spoke to some of the employees at the elevator on this day and they were pretty blunt 'good riddance' to CSX as the rumour of abandonment whirled around, they had no need for the railway. While the property has changed owners in the last 10 years, sadly for them, even if they wanted rail service they are on the CSX side of the end of track... and I don't think they will ever get rail service again as there is significant politics involved to STOP any incursion north into Sarnia by any competitors of CSX and CN - CP came really close, three times in fact, to having a semblance of service in Sarnia and this period in time was one of them. The first was rumours CP was offered the C&O Canadian Division to Sarnia - even going as far as running a CP business train to Sarnia in 1977. The second was the time you see here - CP clearly had their foot in the door.. and CP ran trains on the PM (CSX) in Michigan at the time. The third time was in 2007 when they basically purchased Chatham-Kent's interest in the Wallaceburg to Chatham roadbed (not land) in anticipation of Shell's failed new refinery - and this was a secret until 2014 when Chatham-Kent were told by CP, pay up or we run a rail train - they want their rails and forced a decision to buy it back. The region actually bought their interest back, thankfully, since there is talk of a large fertilizer company locating a plant somewhere in the vicinity and without rail service... there won't be a plant in Chatham-Kent.

Ultimately, there is hope for this line - we just have to let the hourglass of time tick on, and continue the change and see what happens. Great advice from others: Keep taking photos, because change will continue and only in time will you really start to notice the changes :)

Bonus audio clip: Another change: no more RTC's (in Canadian parlance!), no more OCS - now rule 105 territory, and closing of the 'smallest Dispatcher office on CSX' which occurred in October 2013. Here's an audio clip of the RTC and Crew, recorded at 0810 (Photo time 0923) Click here for the 2 meg .mp3 file