Gleeson Line crossing
Ken Garber sends us this photo and the following info:
"This is just east of Tilbury Ontario on the CN CASO sub
(around mile 185-186 -
sorry don't have the exact) taken on 9/30/01 in the early
morning.
A CN rail-train is approaching (with the last of the Leamington
Branch) so the signals are running.
Didn't get a shot of the train in the shot this time - the
rail train was the 'subject'. "
A video of these signals
can be viewed on YouTube, posted by railfanca-
To view, click on logo below:
| I'm just starting to get some new information on wigwags in Canada. Thanks to Timothy Organ for sending in info and pictures. It seems that there are at least 3 wigwags still in service on the Canada Southern Railroad that runs north of Lake Erie in Ontario Canada. Timothy explains more... |
Update:
According to Dan Vernackt, these wigwags along with
2 others
were stolen sometime in 2001 (4 wigwags stolen within
2 weeks!)
| This set of wigwags is located east of St. Thomas
near Yarmouth ( in the old days the double track Conrail / C&O running
rights crossing of the CN /N&W running rights: Today it's the single
track idle Conrail / CASO (Canada Southern) crossing the St. Thomas Eastern
Short Line). The photo above was taken west old the diamond.
This is a double set of Western Railroad Supply wigwags. These were more common in the East, very rare on the West Coast. |
Timothy provides a little more history on this line:
| I found the slide of the Chessie train heading east,
(Photo below) approaching the working wigwag.
Background: The C&O / Chessie / CSX operated in Canada on two main routes in the province of Ontario. 1. It own track Windsor / Detroit to St. Thomas,
with a branch that ran from the main to via Chatman to Sanria.
CSX stopped running through trains a couple of years ago, with CP/CN running haulage trains to Chatman to interchange with what's left of the CSX Canada Division. ( the line from Sarnia to Chatman to the old C&O main). In the picture below, the C&O is now the only user of this former Conrail main. The North track has been shut down and removed from service, with the ABS signals also removed. The C&O operated normally one train in each direction from St. Thomas to Buffalo. By the time this picture was taken, the C&O had also shut down it's own mainline from St. Thomas to Windsor, in favor of running on the old Conrail.( With this shut down the the C&O shut down their single track CTC line, along with a 8 stall round house, back shops etc.) Pictured is the daily eastbound heading for Buffalo, and is about 30 minutes into it's eastbound run. I think the mileage noted on the cross buck is 84.89 (this mileage is according to the CN timetable. / CN & CP took over the old Conrail in 1984/85) This section of the line current: Wigwag is
gone and replaced by crossbucks, line is not in service. |
For more on Canada Southern and a map of the route, check out this website.
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