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Knowing that sooner, rather than later, we would be moving from Chatham to Brights Grove, and NS would begin using the new Chatham East connector to run between Fargo and Windsor South, I tried to shoot a few locations on the Chatham Sub west of Chatham. On May 7/87, westbound NS train 27 passes through CN Prairie Siding with C30-7 8027 leading SD40-2 3286. On this day, 27 had stopped to make a lift in the CN yard west of Chatham station and this afforded me the opportunity to wait him out at Prairie Siding. And yes that green CP newsprint car was included in his lift, likely being another load from one of the numerous paper companies ( Abitibi, Spruce Falls, Consolidated Bathurst, Donahue...whatever), likely for an NS delivery in perhaps Kansas City or St Louis. The first hopper also came with that lift but I'm not sure if the other 2 did. Quite possibly 27 did work at Thamesville but I wasn't there to witness it. As for the Prairie Siding elevator, only CN was ever sighted switching here, utilizing trains 421 or 422 in this timeframe. Photo taken from the shoulder of Merlin Sideroad.
Copyright Notice: This image ©Bruce Mercer all rights reserved.



Caption: Knowing that sooner, rather than later, we would be moving from Chatham to Brights Grove, and NS would begin using the new Chatham East connector to run between Fargo and Windsor South, I tried to shoot a few locations on the Chatham Sub west of Chatham. On May 7/87, westbound NS train 27 passes through CN Prairie Siding with C30-7 8027 leading SD40-2 3286. On this day, 27 had stopped to make a lift in the CN yard west of Chatham station and this afforded me the opportunity to wait him out at Prairie Siding. And yes that green CP newsprint car was included in his lift, likely being another load from one of the numerous paper companies ( Abitibi, Spruce Falls, Consolidated Bathurst, Donahue...whatever), likely for an NS delivery in perhaps Kansas City or St Louis. The first hopper also came with that lift but I'm not sure if the other 2 did. Quite possibly 27 did work at Thamesville but I wasn't there to witness it. As for the Prairie Siding elevator, only CN was ever sighted switching here, utilizing trains 421 or 422 in this timeframe. Photo taken from the shoulder of Merlin Sideroad.

Photographer:
Bruce Mercer [100] (more) (contact)
Date: 5/7/1987 (search)
Railway: Norfolk Southern (search)
Reporting Marks: NW 8027 (search)
Train Symbol: NS 27 (search)
Subdivision/SNS: CN Chatham Sub (search)
City/Town: Prairie Siding (search)
Province: Ontario (search)
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Photo ID: 28712
Map courtesy of Open Street Map

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8 Comments
  1. Stephen C. Host
    June 22, 2017 at 6:29 pm

    Nicely done. Glad you spent the time to document NS west of Chatham. Was it double track all the way at that time? I imagine the double track was no longer needed one NS/CN were off the line..

  2. rsmith
    June 22, 2017 at 7:18 pm

    Sweet!

  3. Joseph Bishop
    June 22, 2017 at 8:48 pm

    Awesomesauce!

  4. Marcus Stevens
    June 22, 2017 at 11:22 pm

    Great photo Bruce! Love seeing your photos.

  5. Todd Steinman
    June 22, 2017 at 11:38 pm

    Wow….of all places. Prairie Siding. And true to name….it was still in place in your photo! :) Love the history here Bruce.

  6. awmooney
    June 23, 2017 at 6:22 am

    Beautiful scene!!

  7. mile27
    June 23, 2017 at 7:45 am

    Very nice, Bruce. The mill isn’t quite as photogenic today as it used to be.

  8. mercer
    June 23, 2017 at 8:40 am

    I forget the sequence of events ( Geoff Elliott may be able to spell things out) but yes, the same as the Grimsby Sub at one time, the Chatham Sub (Glencoe-Windsor) was double track “dark” territory aside from interlockings. Once the Chatham East connector went in and CN trains like Flat Rock 381 and 383 starting using the Caso Sub, then the Chatham Sub was reduced to trains 421/422, or perhaps they were numbered 423/424 ( ??). Still later after NS got shifted over and those trains, 343/344, began using the connector, VIA made plans to buy the Chatham Sub, which was at such time I’m certain, still double track. However they soon made it single with CTC.
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