CN CASO SUBDIVISION (CN CASO SPUR)

TRACKSIDE GUIDE & PHOTOS

EX-MC MAIN LINE | EX-NYC MAIN LINE
EX-PC MAIN LINE | EX-CR MAIN LINE | EX-CSX RUNNING RIGHTS
CSX RUNNING RIGHTS BETWEEN WINDSOR AND FARGO

Present timetable listing for this line:

CN/CP ~ CASO Spur
AUGUST 1, 2009 - PRESENT

MILE
Fargo169.6
Fargo West169.9
Charing Cross173.2
Fletcher181.0
Tilbury189.4
Comber194.5
Essex212.3
Pelton217.0
Howard220.0
Van de Water223.0
Windsor South224.5
College Avenue
(Jct with CP N & S Connecting Tracks)
225.2

Traffic movement on this line:

     OCS Territory - Between Mile 116.4 and Pelton.
     Rule 105 Territory - Between Pelton and Windsor South.
     CTC Territory - Signaled Movement Between Windsor South and 24th Street, Detroit.
     No trackage exists between Attercliff and St. Thomas.


Points of interest along this line:

     Mile 30.38 (E&O Diamond) : Young Road, Wainfleet : This is the former diamond of the CN Caso Subdivision and the now closed section of the CP Dunnville Spur.

     Mile 31.0 : Diltz Road, Dunnville : Diltz Road is the first crossing on the east end of the closed section of the CN Caso Subdivision.

     Mile 43.9 (Edward) : Brooks Road, Cayuga :

     Mile 55.4 (Hagersville) : Tuscarora, Hagersville : This is located at the diamond and jct. to the SOR Hagersville Subdivision. The CN Caso Subdivision is used on the west side of the diamond to store cars in a small yard.

     Mile 59.5 (Airport) : Regional Road 55, Region Of Haldimand-Norfolk : At Airport there was I believe an airfield which a line off of the CN Caso Subdivision diverted.

     Mile 68.2 (Waterford) : James Street, Waterford :

     Mile 81.2 (Lassallette) : Hwy 59, Lasallette :

     Mile 90.6 (Tilsonburg East) : Townline Road, Norwich/Oxford Township :

     Mile 101.9 (Springfield) : East Street, Elgin County :

     Mile 113.5 (Talbot) : Talbot Road, St. Thomas :

     Mile 115.3 (St. Thomas South) : Moore Street, St. Thomas :

     Mile 124.1 (Shedden) : County Road 20, Elgin County :

     Mile 134.0 (Dutton) : Main Street, ? :

     Mile 140.5 (West Lorne) : Graham Street, West Lorne :

     Mile 144.9 (Rodney) : Furnival Road, Elgin County :

     Mile 153.1 (Highgate) : King Street, Elgin County :

     Mile 158.7 (Ridgetown) : Erie Avenue, Ridgetown :

     Mile 169.6 (Fargo) : Skane Road, Kent County :

     Mile 169.9 (Fargo West) : Fargo Road, Harwick Twp. :

     Mile 173.2 (Charing Cross) : 11th Concession Road, Harwick Twp. :

     Mile 181.0 (Fletcher) : Townline Road, Kent County :

     Mile 189.4 (Tilbury) : Queen Street, Tilbury :

     Mile 194.5 (Comber) : County Road 37, Essex County :

     Mile 212.3 (Essex) : Ellis Road, Essex :

     Mile 217.0 (Pelton) : 9th Concession Road, Windsor :

     Mile 222.0 (Howard) : 6th Concession Road, Windsor :

     Mile 223.0 (Van de Water) : Dougall Road, Windsor :

     Mile 224.7 (Windsor South) : Tecumseh Road, Windsor :

     Mile 225.2 (College Avenue) : College Street, Windsor) :

     Mile 225.4 (East Portal) : College Street, Windsor :

     Mile 226.3 (International Boundary) : Use a Boat! :

     Mile 226.9 (West Portal) : Bagley Hwy, Detroit :

     Mile 227.2 (15th Street Detroit) : Bagley Hwy, Detroit :

     Mile 228.1 (24th Street Detroit) : 24th Street, Detroit :


Operations on this line:

     The CN Caso Subdivision is one of the oldest lines throughout Southern Ontario built back in 1872 - 1873. It was built at the same time as the CN Cayuga Subdivision.
     The CN Caso Subdivision was a very busy line during the late 1800's and the early 1900's, up until the early 1970's when the Welland Canal Bypass was put in.
     This line was used for both freight and passenger service. During the 1900's, there was a passenger station at the present CP Welland Yard.
     Heading east from the Welland Yard, the CN Caso Subdivision took the line of the CP Welland Industrial Lead. Back then it was double track. Once the line reached the heart of the southern end of Welland, there was and still is bridge 15 over the Welland Canal. This portion of the Welland Canal is known these days as the recreational canal as the new Canal bypasses Welland.
Further down the line about 1 mile, was Welland Diamond. This is where WX tower stood. This is a Diamond where the former mainline and the CN/Wabash Welland Subdivision (the name at the time) crossed each other at a 90 degree angle. Once over the Diamond, the main line split into two lines with two tracks each. One set of tracks went through the northwestern end of Welland and onto the present Montrose area on Niagara Falls and over the border. The other line went towards Fort Erie. Regarding the line that went to Fort Erie. It had some reconstruction done after 1971. Around Miller Road, the track was diverted to the present CP Hamilton Subdivision. This line is the CP Welland Tube Lead. Once the line connected to the CP Hamilton Subdivision (now Montrose Subdivision) at mile 13.4, the line continued east on the original Fort Erie segment. The Fort Erie segment is known as the CP Stevensville Spur. The CP Stevensville Spur, formerly the CP Fort Erie Subdivision after 1971 was dropped down to one line as far east as the west side of Pettit Road at mile 3.69 in Fort Erie.
     Back to the line that went to the Montrose area in Niagara Falls from Welland it was scrapped to about mile 9 of the present Montrose Subdivision. To this day, you can feel the rise across Darby Road outside of Welland.
     The now closed Hamilton Subdivision through Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls was still considered one branches of the CN Caso Subdivision. This portion of the line had one track removed during the 1980's when CP bought the track from Conrail.
     Back to the area of the present day CP Welland yard. Remembering there was no CP Welland yard, prior to the Welland Canal Relocation Project in the early 1970's, there were just two tracks through the area. Also the line before the 1970's did not diverge to the southeast through the Townline Tunnel parallel to the CN Cayuga Subdivision and the joint third track. The center track was removed between CP Welland Yard and CP Brookfield during 1992 an 1993.
     Traffic during the 1980's and 1990's continued with a few trains a day until 1996 when CSX stopped using the CN Caso Subdivision in March of that year. Since then the track in the area has sat abandoned until the portion from mile 19.5 to 30.38 was reactivated by CP to have access via a new connection track to the CP Dunnville Spur.
     The present day CN Caso Subdivision after the CP Caso Spur changes runs from mile 31.0 wests to Detroit.
     The eastbound line is all that remains.
     When the CN Caso Subdivision was under a heavy transportation load, as far back as when the line was built from Niagara Falls, and from the other direction - Fort Erie, to Southwestern Ontario, the Canada Southern, Michigan Central, New York Central and Penn Central had many trains. But as the early 1970's came, trains were reduced considerably due to the Welland Canal Relocation Project.
     Trains at the time, passed east to west and vice-versa though Welland. In Welland, the present name of the line is the CP Welland Industrial Lead. After the Welland Canal Relocation Project, trains were then re-routed down the present day CP Hamilton Subdivision through the Townline Tunnel to former CP Brookfield at mile 13.5 of the present CP Hamilton Subdivision then heading to Niagara Falls or Fort Erie.
     There also used to be a passenger depot at Fort Erie at about mile 0.2 of the former CP Fort Erie Subdivision. The concrete pad is still in the ground.
     Once the passenger trains on this line subsided in the 1970's, there were no more than 15 trains in a 24 hour period.
     CP Welland yard's present offices were built jointly by the TH&B and Penn Central. The TH&B relocated here after the closure of the Welland Subdivision on Riverside Drive. Penn Central.. I don't know if they relocated from Fort Erie or not.
     During 1999 and 2000, news was spreading that the CP Dunnville Spur was going to be abandoned from the Jct. to the CP Hamilton Subdivision at Smithville to the E&O Diamond at Attercliffe. A total of 9.4 miles. The reason was because of the state of some old bridges on the CP Dunnville Spur.
     CP in early 2001 took sole ownership of the CN Caso Subdivision from Hewitt (Road) in Wainfleet to the road just west of the E&O Diamond (mile 31.0).
     CP put in a connecting track from the CN Caso Subdivision to the CP Dunnville Spur in the South East quadrant.
     The line opened in early May 2001, between Hewitt Road and the new connecting track to the CP Dunnville Spur at E&O Diamond.
     In the early 2000's, the CN Caso Subdivision was torn up west of Attercliffe as far west as St. Thomas where the line then sees the odd train to service industries west of St. Thomas.      From Fargo to Detroit, the CN Caso Subdivision saw traffic out of St. Thomas realy. Trains ended use on the line on February 19, 2006.
     The line was ripped out of St. Thomas, westward during the fall of 2006.
     Photos of mile 72 to mile 76 are courtesy of Gary Mills.
     Photo at mile 113.65 courtesy of Rob Sterne.
     Photos at mile 161.38, 167.76, one at 169.60 and 169.92 are courtesy of John James.
     In May 2011, I learned that trains no longer travelled the CN Caso Subdivision east of the Jct. of the CN Chrysler Spur.


     Rates of pay per hour for Agents/Operators on the Canada Southern - Effective May 1, 1941:

     Day shift is 8am to 4pm - 1st Nite shift is 4pm to Midnight - 2nd Nite shift is Midnight to 8am.

     NOTE: Nite is the spelling used in the Michigan Central book.

Windsor Dock - Agent $0.98
Windsor - Day Operator - Ticket Clerk $0.76
Windsor - Tunnel - 1st Nite Operator - Ticket Clerk $0.75
Windsor - Tunnel - 2nd Nite Operator - Ticker Clerk $0.75
Windsor - Tunnel - Day Operator - Leverman $0.72
Windsor - Tunnel - 1st Nite Operator - Leverman $0.72
Windsor - Tunnel - 2nd Nite Operator - Leverman $0.72
Windsor - Tower 3 - Day Towerman $0.73
Windsor - Tower 3 - 1st Nite Towerman $0.73
Windsor - Tower 3 - 2nd Nite Towerman $0.73
Windsor - Tower 4 - Day Towerman $0.71
Windsor - Tower 4 - 1st Nite Towerman $0.71
Windsor - Tower 4 - 2nd Nite Towerman $0.71
Essex - Agent-Operator $0.815
Woodslee - Agent $0.62
Comber - Agent-Operator $0.735
Tilbury - Agent-Operator $0.75
Tilbury - 1st Nite Operator-Clerk $0.66
Tilbury - 2nd Nite Operator-Clerk $0.65
Fletcher - Agent-Operator $0.665
Fargo - Agent-Operator-Leverman $0.755
Fargo - 1st Nite Operator-Leverman $0.695
Fargo - 2nd Nite Operator-Leverman $0.69
Mull - Agent $0.62
Ridgetown - Agent-Operator $0.745
Highgate - Agent-Operator $0.685
Muirkirk - Agent $0.62
Rodney - Agent-Operator $0.73
West Lorne - Agent-Operator $0.735
West Lorne - 1st Nite Operator-Clerk $0.66
West Lorne - 2nd Nite Operator-Clerk $0.65
Dutton - Agent-Operator $0.73
Shedden - Agent $0.62
St.Thomas - Yard - Day Operator-Leverman $0.72
St.Thomas - Yard - 1st Nite Operator-Leverman $0.72
St.Thomas - Yard - 2nd Nite Operator-Leverman $0.72
St.Thomas - Depot - Ticket Agent $0.795
St.Thomas - Depot - Wire Chief $0.98
St.Thomas - Depot - Chief Operator $0.95
St.Thomas - Depot - 1st Nite Relay-Operator $0.845
St.Thomas - Depot - 2nd Nite Relay-Operator $0.845
St.Thomas - Ball - Day Operator-Switchtender $0.695
St.Thomas - Ball - 1st Nite Operator-Switchtender $0.695
St.Thomas - Ball - 2nd Nite Operator-Switchtender $0.695
Yarmouth - Day Operator-Leverman $0.68
Yarmouth - 1st Nite Operator-Leverman $0.675
Yarmouth - 2nd Nite Operator-Leverman $0.675
Springfield - Agent-Operator $0.70
Tilsonburg - Agent-Operator $0.80
Tilsonburg - 1st Nite Operator-Clerk $0.65
Tilsonburg - 2nd Nite Operator-Clerk $0.65
Waterford - Agent-Operator $0.84
Waterford - 1st Nite Operator-Clerk $0.73
Waterford - 2nd Nite Operator-Clerk $0.73
Hagarsville - Agent $0.84
Hagarsville - Day Operator-Leverman $0.74
Hagarsville - 1st Nite Operator-Leverman $0.705
Hagarsville - 2nd Nite Operator-Leverman $0.695
Canfield - Agent-Operator-Leverman $0.73
Canfield - 1st Nite Operator-Leverman $0.69
Canfield - 2nd Nite Operator-Leverman $0.69
E&O Crossing - Day Operator-Leverman $0.685
Perry - Agent-Operator $0.67
Welland - Agent $0.98
Welland - Day Operator-Ticket Clerk $0.67
Welland - 1st Nite Operator-Ticket Clerk $0.64
Welland - Drawbridge - Day Operator-Leverman $0.775
Welland - Drawbridge - 1st Nite Operator-Leverman $0.775
Welland - Drawbridge - 2nd Nite Operator-Leverman $0.775
Welland - CN tower - Day Operator-Leverman $0.75
Welland - CN tower - 1st Nite Operator-Leverman $0.75
Welland - CN tower - 2nd Nite Operator-Leverman $0.75
Fort Erie - Agent $0.84
Fort Erie - Day Operator-Clerk-Switchtender $0.74
Fort Erie - 1st Nite Operator-Clerk-Switchtender $0.72
Fort Erie - 2nd Nite Operator-Clerk-Switchtender $0.72
Chippewa - Agent $0.715
Niagara Falls - Day Operator-Clerk $0.77
St. Davids - Agent-Operator $0.67
Niagara On The Lake - Agent-Operator $0.67
Amherstburg - Agent-Operator $0.80
Leamington - Agent-Operator $0.80
Inwood - Agent-Operator $0.66
Oil Springs - Agent-Operator $0.675
Petrolia - Agent-Operator $0.795
Brigden - Agent-Operator $0.70

Pictorial view of this line:

732 photos in gallery

Select a mileage to display
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Mile 216.82
Looking Northwest
(2002)

Mile 216.82
Looking Southeast
(2002)

Mile 217.20
Looking Northwest
(2002)

Mile 217.20
Looking Northwest
(2009)

Mile 217.20
Looking Southeast
(2002)

Mile 218.20
Looking Northwest
(2005)

Mile 218.20
Looking Southeast
(2005)

Mile 219.21
Looking Northwest
(2005)

Mile 219.21
Looking Southeast
(2005)

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     These photos are of some Airport Trackage that ran south off of the CN Caso Subdivision, just west of Hagersville.

3 photos in gallery


Mile 0.00
Looking West

Mile 0.18
Looking North
(2000)

Mile 0.18
Looking South
(2000)


     These photos are of the CN Pelton Spur that runs off of the CN Caso Subdivision (CN Caso Spur) in Windsor.

5 photos in gallery


Mile 0.00
Looking Northeast
(2005)

Mile 0.17
Looking Northeast
(2005)

Mile 0.17
Looking Southwest
(2005)

Mile 1.23
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 1.23
Looking South
(2005)


     These photos are of odd areas on the line.

7 photos in gallery


Looking North
(1995)

Looking East
(1995)

Looking East
(1978)

Looking East
(1978)

Looking Southwest
(2012)


     These photos are of the Crysler Spur in Windsor.

2 photos in gallery


Mile 0.79
Looking North

Mile 0.79
Looking South


     These photos are of some odd ahots taken at King Street in Welland on the old line. You can still see the foundation of the old station in the photos looking east.

13 photos in gallery


Looking East
(2012)

Looking East
(2012)

Looking East
(2012)

Looking East
(2012)

Looking East
(2012)

Looking Southeast
(2014)

Looking Southeast
(2014)

Looking Southwest
(2014)

Looking Southwest
(2014)

Looking Southwest
(2014)

Looking West
(2012)

Looking West
(2014)

Looking West
(2014)


     These photos are of the location of the former water tower that was located on the northwest side of the river that passed under the old line back in trhe pre Penn Central days, east of Hewitt Road.
     At the end of March of 2013, I went looking for it and found a foundation of concrete in the ground buried in the trees.
     You will see moss covered concrete. I believe that was it.

20 photos in gallery


(2013)

Looking Northwest
(2013)

Looking Northwest
(2013)

Looking Northwest
(2013)

Looking Northwest
(2013)

Looking Northwest
(2013)

Looking Northeast
(2013)

Looking East
(2013)

Looking East
(2013)

Looking East
(2013)

Looking East
(2013)

Looking East
(2013)

Looking East
(2013)

Looking East
(2013)

Looking East
(2013)

Looking East
(2013)

Looking East
(2013)

Looking Southeast
(2013)

Looking Southeast
(2013)

Looking Southeast
(2013)