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Rule 105 Territory - Not to exceed 15 mph on entire trackage.
Coming some day...
The Grantham Spur was built by the Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Rwy around 1897. The Grantham Spur was once a subdivision. It connected all of the other former NS&T rail lines in St. Catharines and Thorold to CN Merritton Yard.
The Grantham Spur these days, since 1999, has been operated on by Trillium Rail. The Grantham Spur since I believe the late 1960's has only gone as far as Barrymore Ave on the north end of Eastchester Yard, which uns between Eastchester Ave and Barrymore Ave.
The Grantham Spur, when it was a Subdivision went beyond Barrymore Ave, and trackage went to a Terminal where buses were once and the main hub for the NS&T system.
The Grantham Subdivision and the Grantham Spur as I state is called as now, used to connect with the old Townline Spur at a switch south of Lincoln Street behind the old factory. The Townline Spur at one time services a few industries north of the former Domtar plant at Glendale Avenue. Though Domtar shut down prior to 1999.
At Eastchester yard just south of the yard on the mouth into the yard are 2 diamonds that feed onto the old CN/TR Lakeshore Spur. At one time, the Lakeshore Spur went as far as the east side of the Welland Canal across bridge 1 at Port Weller on the Welland Canal. I'm not exactly sure how far across the bridge the track went. I heard it went to Niagara-on-the Lake until 1931 and was torn out back to bridge 1.
Back to the Grantham Spur, it fed to the Port Dalhousie Spur that went over to the GM plant on Ontario Road and beyond. The Port Dalhousie Spur was torn out in 1992 to 1994, the distance of 3.6 miles kind of makes sense, for mile 3.64 at Barrymore Ave. I remember the line going past Barrymore and behind the present Giant Tiger and crossing York Street on Louisa Street. There was also a portion of the track that ran down Ontario Street in front of GM.
There are 3 industries I believe still at Eastchester yard. I'm not familiar with the names these days, The major plant that gets rail service used to be at one time Cadbury-Schwepps.
At Barrymore Ave, there is the Welland Avenue Industrial Lead. This track bends around for the last few decades the Welland Ave book store (not by name) and ends on the north side of the crossing at a plant. I think the plant used to be called something like Kalmira. I used to see tank cars in the plant in the 1990's and 2000's but I haven't been up there to see if they are still serviced.
Up until mid September of 1999, CN 549 out of Niagara Falls, serviced several industries on this line including Cadbury Schweppes and the one industry on industrial lead at Welland Ave., which I just mentioned.
Service by CN was done out of Niagara Falls with usually an SW1200 unit after 1992ish I think because there used to be yard switchers at CN Merritton to service these industries.
At CN Merritton, the Grantham Subdivision/Spur left Merritton yard and headed northwest out across Hartzel Road. It still does today. I believe all CN switching duties ended here at Merritton with locomotives stationed here as the night of October 21 into the 22 of 1994, the CN Merritton train station burned down. It was marked as arson.
GP 9 variants were not used for switching St. Catharines businesses, as far as I know of. They used to have GMD1's parked in CN Merritton yard in the 1980's and early 1990's.
Though when Trillium took over they used S-13's, formerly of CN heritage, that they acquired from CN on January 1, 2000. Trillium has used ex CP RS-18U's and GMTX MP15AC locomotives on this line.
During CN's 1980's and 1990's era, mid-weekday mornings, CN 549 backed down the CN Grimsby Subdivision to CN Merritton from CN Niagara Falls yard, with a work clearance between mile 2.8 and mile 10 on the CN Grimsby Subdivision. They used CN 1200's.
CN 549 would sometimes do some minor switching at Merritton yard for preparation of servicing of the industries in St. Catharines.
As stated above, the Grantham Spur has a yard, on the north side of Eastchester Avenue, which is known as the Eastchester yard.
South of Eastchester Avenue, at Queenston Street, there used to be an overpass of Queenston Street. Up until about 1992 or 1993, there was at least one siding under the Queenston Street overpass, here on CN Grantham Spur. I don't know if there were any other tracks here prior to my witness of a single siding, because I just remember seeing a few cars next to the line, on the west side pf the main track.
This Queenston Street bridge was removed around 2001 and it is now a grade crossing. Queenston Street ever since the bridge was taken out has a deep dip in the road.
South of Lincoln Street, the TR Townline Spur once headed south off of the TR Grantham Spur and always did even during the CN days. The Townline Spur crossed over the CN Grimsby Subdivision at about mile 2.4 or 2.6 of the Townline Spur. CN and Trillium, after the NS&T days during their retrospective days serviced Kimberly Clark, Interlake Paper and Domtar. Then under Trillium's time. the switch to the Townline Spur was no longer used. The Townline Spur had to be closed in the spring of 2007 due to someone setting fire to the bridge at Abbott Street, behind Domtar. Abbott Street was a hidden street off of Oakdale Avenue.
Until sometime in the 1990's, the switch to the TR Townline Spur was a spring switch. Trillium removed it, replacing it with a standard switch. From here at the old Townline Spur switch on the TR Grantham Spur, the Grantham Spur continues south across Hartzel Road and into CN Merritton where Trillium's and CN's Merritton yard used to be and partially still is.
Stating that Merritton yard partially still exists. there were 2 areas. if you were to come back from Hartzel Road and just as you started to hit the west end of the yard, look slightly northwest but parallel to the yard still present, was another yard about 2 or 3 tracks wide. This yard existed until about 1994 or 1995. I remember it and remember as at was being removed. They used to store those long style blue GT double-plug and single-plug door boxcars.
Back at Eastchester Avenue, was where the CN Port Dalhousie Spur started, where I mention it went over to GM.
Near the end of CN switching in St. Catharines, CN would service the Grantham Spur on Tuesdays and Fridays.
As of the middle of September 1999, Trillium took over switching operations on this line. Service was more regularly given but a decline in required service, Trillium began to go when needed and still gives the service that is needed.
Trillium uses the Grantham Spur to service 2 industries at Eastchester Avenue in St. Catharines. Also they take the Lakeshore Spur to service 2 industries along Eastchester Avenue.
125 photos in gallery
 Mile 3.60 Looking Southeast (2010) |
 Mile 3.62 Looking Northwest (1997) |
 Mile 3.62 Looking Northwest (2006) |
 Mile 3.62 Looking Northwest (2010) |
 Mile 3.62 Looking Southeast (1997) |
 Mile 3.62 Looking Southeast (2006) |
 Mile 3.62 Looking Southeast (2010) |
 Mile 3.64 Looking Northwest (2010) |
 Mile 3.64 Looking Northwest (2013) |
 Mile 3.64 Looking Southeast (2010) |
 Mile 3.64 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 3.75 Looking Northwest (2006) |
 Mile 3.75 Looking Northwest (2013) |
 Mile 3.75 Looking Northwest (2013) |
 Mile 3.75 Looking Northwest (2013) |
 Mile 3.75 Looking Southeast (2006) |
 Mile 3.75 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 3.75 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 3.75 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 3.86 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 3.87 Looking Northwest (2013) |
 Mile 3.89 Looking Northwest (2006) |
 Mile 3.89 Looking Southeast (2006) |
 Mile 3.89 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 3.89 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 3.90 Looking Northwest (2013) |
 Mile 3.90 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 3.92 Looking North (2006) |
 Mile 3.92 Looking North (2013) |
 Mile 3.92 Looking East (2014) |
 Mile 3.92 Looking South (1997) |
 Mile 3.92 Looking South (2006) |
 Mile 3.92 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 3.92 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 3.92 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 3.92 Looking South (2014) |
 Mile 3.92 Looking South (2014) |
 Mile 3.92 Looking South (2014) |
 Mile 3.92 Looking South (2016) |
 Mile 3.92 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Mile 3.92 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Mile 3.92 Looking West (2006) |
 Mile 3.95 Looking South (2001) |
 Mile 3.97 Looking South (2001) |
 Mile 3.97 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 4.06 Looking North (2002) |
 Mile 4.06 Looking North (2006) |
 Mile 4.06 Looking North (2013) |
 Mile 4.06 Looking North (2014) |
 Mile 4.06 Looking North (2014) |
 Mile 4.06 Looking North (2014) |
 Mile 4.06 Looking East (2002) |
 Mile 4.06 Looking South (2002) |
 Mile 4.06 Looking South (2006) |
 Mile 4.06 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 4.06 Looking West (2001) |
 Mile 4.06 Looking West (2012) |
 Mile 4.06 Looking West (2014) |
 Mile 4.06 Looking West (2014) |
 Mile 4.18 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 4.20 Looking North (2006) |
 Mile 4.20 Looking South (2006) |
 Mile 4.23 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 4.23 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 4.23 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 4.30 Looking North (2006) |
 Mile 4.30 Looking South (2006) |
 Mile 4.40 Looking North (2006) |
 Mile 4.40 Looking South (2006) |
 Mile 4.40 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 4.42 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 4.54 Looking Northwest (2006) |
 Mile 4.54 Looking Northwest (2010) |
 Mile 4.54 Looking Northwest (2013) |
 Mile 4.54 Looking Southeast (1996) |
 Mile 4.54 Looking Southeast (2006) |
 Mile 4.54 Looking Southeast (2010) |
 Mile 4.54 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 4.60 Looking Northwest (1996) |
 Mile 4.60 Looking Northwest (2006) |
 Mile 4.60 Looking Northwest (2010) |
 Mile 4.60 Looking Southeast (2006) |
 Mile 4.60 Looking Southeast (2010) |
 Mile 4.60 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 4.70 Looking Northwest (2006) |
 Mile 4.70 Looking Northwest (2006) |
 Mile 4.70 Looking Northwest (2010) |
 Mile 4.70 Looking Southeast (1996) |
 Mile 4.70 Looking Southeast (2006) |
 Mile 4.70 Looking Southeast (2006) |
 Mile 4.70 Looking Southeast (2010) |
 Mile 4.70 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 4.70 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 4.78 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 4.98 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 5.00 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 5.05 Looking Northwest (2013) |
 Mile 5.05 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 5.05 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 5.15 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 5.20 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 5.29 Looking Northwest (2006) |
 Mile 5.29 Looking Northwest (2013) |
 Mile 5.29 Looking Northwest (2014) |
 Mile 5.29 Looking North (2012) |
 Mile 5.29 Looking Southeast (2006) |
 Mile 5.29 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 5.29 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 5.29 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 5.29 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 5.29 Looking Southeast (2014) |
 Mile 5.29 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 5.29 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 5.29 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 5.29 Looking South (2014) |
 Mile 5.35 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 5.40 Looking Northwest (2006) |
 Mile 5.40 Looking Northwest (2013) |
 Mile 5.40 Looking Southeast (2006) |
 Mile 5.40 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 5.40 Looking Southeast (2014) |
 Mile 5.46 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 5.48 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 5.50 Looking Southeast (2013) |
 Mile 5.51 Looking Southeast (2013) |
These photos are of the TR Welland Avenue Industrial Lead over to Welland Avenue, in St. Catharines.
38 photos in gallery
 Mile 0.00 Looking Northwest (2006) |
 Mile 0.00 Looking Southeast (2006) |
 Mile 0.01 Looking Northeast (2010) |
 Mile 0.07 Looking North (2006) |
 Mile 0.07 Looking North (2006) |
 Mile 0.07 Looking North (2010) |
 Mile 0.07 Looking North (2010) |
 Mile 0.07 Looking South (2006) |
 Mile 0.07 Looking South (2010) |
 Mile 0.07 Looking Southwest (1997) |
 Mile 0.07 Looking Southwest (2006) |
 Mile 0.07 Looking Southwest (2010) |
 Mile 0.18 Looking North (2006) |
 Mile 0.18 Looking North (2010) |
 Mile 0.18 Looking North (2010) |
 Mile 0.18 Looking South (1997) |
 Mile 0.18 Looking South (2006) |
 Mile 0.18 Looking South (2010) |
 Mile 0.18 Looking South (2010) |
 Mile 0.20 Looking North (2010) |
 Mile 0.20 Looking South (2010) |
 Mile 0.25 Looking South (1997) |
 Mile 0.30 Looking North (1997) |
 Mile 0.30 Looking North (2010) |
 Mile 0.30 Looking South (1997) |
 Mile 0.30 Looking South (2010) |
 Mile 0.31 Looking North (1997) |
 Mile 0.33 Looking North (2006) |
 Mile 0.33 Looking North (2010) |
 Mile 0.33 Looking South (2006) |
 Mile 0.33 Looking South (2010) |
 Mile 0.39 Looking North (1997) |
 Mile 0.39 Looking North (2004) |
 Mile 0.39 Looking North (2006) |
 Mile 0.39 Looking North (2010) |
 Mile 0.39 Looking South (2004) |
 Mile 0.39 Looking South (2006) |
 Mile 0.39 Looking South (2010) |
