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Caption: Likley the end of an era! On Saturday February 24 2018, CCGX 4015 ran the most likley last Credit Valley Explorer from Orangeville to Slengrove and back. In the recent news that CANDO plans to cease operations completely on this line, it was said that the last Credit Valley Explorer ran February 24 and I made sure to go out and catch it!
Here we see the Credit Valley Explorer passing through the Forks of the Credit Provincal Park south and about to pass under the small wooden bridge used by hikers checking out all the different trails as well as people walking their dogs and letting them enjoy all the different scents that could be found here at Forks of the Credit.
For those of you who missed this, the window is still open. CANDO plans to operate freight on this line until June 30th unless another railway takes over which in my honist opinion, I doubt will happen because it’s very hard for any railway to make profit when you have to pay for 50+ miles of track in land taxes to only serve about half a dozen consumers so if I were you, I’d get my shots when the window is still open. Good Luck!
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One thing I forgot to add in the title, the last time I came here actually to this bridge was when I was 11 years only and in Boy Scouts. We came here a Saturday morning for a hike, stopped on this bridge for lunch and I really hoped to see the Credit Valley Explorer but it never came in the time we were there. Now it’s something eh that the next time I come here I likely see the last Credit Valley Explorer in history.
Nice going!! You’re recording history already!
Graydon – a small tidbit – while you are right if this railway was operating on a sink/swim (profit/loss) basis it would not be operating today and there would be little hope for a new operator to come forward.
What’s actually happening is the township bought the railway, the users (Companies that ship freight) pay extra fees to cover some of the losses (surcharge per car shipped) and the township is ultimately paying to operate the railway.
It does not make a profit and likely hasn’t since it was taken over in 2000, and this is by design – the purpose is to keep jobs and taxpayers in town.
The CVE was a brilliant stroke of taking advantage of god’s scenery found in the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park – founded in 2004 – and it brought more dollars and revenue to the OBRY’s balance sheet.
But CANDO Does not and never has owned this line.
Basically, CANDO operated the railway paid for by the Township, CANDO is a company like any other and has to pay their costs and make some profit (or they’d walk away from it) they simply operated it under contract with the Township. So per the contract, they gave six months notice (For reasons that only CANDO knows) and it’s now up to Orangeville to find a new operator to operate it on the loose basis given above.
Hope this helps. Most railways and shortlines are profit/loss ventures, but you’ll find numerous shortlines operating across North America paid for by local government just to keep their industries competitive because they understand the benefits of rail service. The best examples are the Shortlines in Delaware – much smaller, fewer cars, but operating occasionally for local industry that remains.
I’m glad you are taking an interest in operating details as well, glad you are going out to document well deserved occasions. Keep it up young man!
Thank you Steve for the info I never knew that. Now I guess it dose explain why there are so many short lines out there which cost a fortune in land taxes.
This morning actually I took your advice and went to check out SOR in Hamilton. Today was more or less a dry run day sort of to get a feel for how things work there but I did see RLK 4003 working the yard, CN 420, 550 and even got a shot of the engines side by side as the Amtrak passed CN 550 while it was stopped at the yard. Hope to revisit the location in April or May when it’s warmer and the sun is brighter for better photos and I have to agree with early morning being the best time to get photos in the yard. One question tho, you see how you shot 4001 earlier this year on the N&NW Spur? Dose SOR have daily/scheduled operations on that line or do they just go up ‘as required’?
ETR in Windsor is another short line I’d hope to check out this spring. And in the summer, I bet there are many locations on the Newmarket Sub to get a very nice photo of CN 450 with the maskoka lakes in the background. Apparently from what I was told by residents in Gravenhurst, 450 is pretty hard to come across as the time they come always varies. But I guess that just has to be part of the fun in this case.