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Map of the West Welland Spur Rule 105 Territory - Not to exceed 15 mph on entire trackage.
Mile 1.02 : Prince Charles Drive, Welland : This is the location of the Jct. with the CP Welland Industrial Lead. I believe the Welland West Spur begins with mile 1.02 because that is the distance from the Jct. of the CP Welland Industrial to the TR Canal Spur.
Mile 1.97 : Lincoln Street, Welland : At this location is the end of the yard trackage beside Vesuvius. This is the yard where CN/NS&T interchanged to the TH&B prior to 1971. Before 1971, this track led around the west leg of a wye to TH&B's old Coyle yard on Riverside Drive.
The West Welland Spur is part of the former NS&T Welland Division. It was reinstalled I believe in the early to mid 1970's when CE Refractories opened up. The CN Fonthill Spur was used from Thorold and down along Beaverdams Road to Hwy 20 and down along Clare Avenue and across Merritt Road, Clare Avenue, Woodlawn Road, Thorold Road, Fitch Street, Colbeck Drive and the Welland River bridge and Riverside Drive and finally Lincoln Street.
By 1880 and 1981 the CN Fonthill Spur bridge over the Welland River was becoming too unstable to take the weight of a CN 7100 series SW locomotive, so CN had CP build a connection fron the south, off of CP Welland Industrial Lead and come in up the former NS&T Welland Division ROW, in front of the plant.
When the line was put back in, there is a portion by mile 1.55 that parallels Prince Charles Drive, but where the curve in the track is, that isn't original. If you walk out by Prince Charles Drive, there is a crown in the grass. That is the old ROW between the switch to get into the plant off of the line parallel to Prince Charles Drive and Prince Charles Drive itself. As you come south toward the private driveway crossing into Vesuvius, that is the original ROW heading south to the bend to the southwest at mile 1.05.
I've never quiet understood why this line begins at mile 1.02. I heard it includes 1.02 miles from the connection via the CP Welland Industrial Lead at the CN Canal Spur; (TR Canal Spur now). The West Welland Spur leads off of the CP Welland Industrial Lead since 1979 or 1980.
The West Welland Spur from the switch at mile 1.02 to mile 1.2 was put in around 1981 when CN abandoned the bridge over the Welland River, next Colbeck Drive. This ROW from mile 1.2 to mile 1.61ish is part of the old NS&T Welland Division along Prince Charles Drive for the most part, except for the curve, as mentioned.
The industry on this line is Vesuvius, formerly Premier Refractories and CE Refractories. This company manufactures fire retardant products.
The 3 track yard beside the plant is the former interchange yard between CN and TH&Bm which was used back in the 1930's until the to the early 1970's, when TH&B Coyle yard was removed and relocated to the present day location of the CP Welland yard on the CP Hamilton Subdivision, in Wainfleet.
Trillium ownership begins at mile 1.02 as did CN's. CN and present Trillium just had and has exclusive running rights on the CP Welland Industrial Lead, across bridge 15, to access the West Welland Spur.
Switching of Vesuvius is sometimes done once or twice a week if needed. Whenever I ever witness trains on this line they back west on the CP Welland Industrial Lead, off of the TR Canal Spur and continue west over bridge 15 and pass under the Prince Charles Drive overpass, to the switch to the TR West Welland Spur. Then they head northward around the curve and along Prince Charles Drive and then back into the yard beside the plant and back into Vesuvius.
This saves them from running around their train, and the fact that the other few tacks in that yard are unused and buried in the weeds.
I was informed one day in early 2012, that Trillium doesn't allow 1859 unit on this line due to the trucks on this locomotive and the curvature of the trackage.
I have come to learn during the Spring of 2013, that this line after 1960 didn't exist south of the switch (for obvious reasons) along Vesuvius by what is now mile 1.55, southward.
Vesuvius, which in the 1990's was once called CE Refractories and then Premier Refractories must have been built after the mid 1970's. This leads me to believe the track from the north (when it was the NS&T Welland Division) was cut out and lifted after 1960, from mile 1.61 of this line southward.
The Welland River bridge to the north, a mile or so by Colbeck Drive, was abandoned in October 1981.
Therefore when Vesuvius operations at the time of 1981, the line was rebuilt in a weird arc shape off of the old ROW, closer to the plant along Prince Charles Drive and connecting into the original ROW was where the factory entrance is at Prince Charles Drive.
I am led to believe in words as to why there was a 3 track yard at this location, long before Vesuvius came about as a plant. It was so that NS&T could interchange with TH&B for deliberate reasons and not to with the Grand Trunk. I believe there is some rail on that overgrown trackage marked 1924.
In my 2013 photos, you will see the overgrown trackage in the yard beside Vesuvius. I found out in late April 2013, some of that rail is 80lb and 100lb jointed with those special railweb bars, and 80lb is not strong enough for traffic these days. I think this yard wasn't put in until the mid 1910's.
I used to see the plant at the time, being CE Refractories use their own Whiting Track mobile come out to this yard beside the factory and pull the odd car in and out of the factory, thought my grandfather, as mentioned above used to see CP. But since 1997, CN took over servicing this industry until 1999. Then in 1999 Trillium took over serving duties.
Around 2018, I bumped into a CP Bridges and Structures guy who was working on the bridge on the CP Welland Industrial Lead and he told me that the bridge was in really rough shape for rust and useful purpose, that he told me that within a year he didn't think trains would be crossing the bridge anymore. Funny thing is that i haven't seen rail activity on this line since.
112 photos in gallery
 Mile 1.02 Looking East (1996) |
 Mile 1.02 Looking East (1997) |
 Mile 1.02 Looking East (2000) |
 Mile 1.02 Looking East (2012) |
 Mile 1.02 Looking West (1997) |
 Mile 1.02 Looking West (2000) |
 Mile 1.02 Looking West (2012) |
 Mile 1.05 Looking Northeast (2010) |
 Mile 1.05 Looking Northeast (2012) |
 Mile 1.05 Looking Northeast (2013) |
 Mile 1.05 Looking Southwest (2010) |
 Mile 1.05 Looking Southwest (2012) |
 Mile 1.05 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Mile 1.05 Looking West (2012) |
 Mile 1.10 Looking Northeast (2012) |
 Mile 1.10 Looking Northeast (2012) |
 Mile 1.10 Looking Southwest (2012) |
 Mile 1.12 Looking Southwest (2000) |
 Mile 1.15 Looking Northeast (1997) |
 Mile 1.15 Looking Northeast (1997) |
 Mile 1.15 Looking Northeast (2012) |
 Mile 1.15 Looking Southwest (2012) |
 Mile 1.18 Looking Northeast (2000) |
 Mile 1.18 Looking Southwest (1997) |
 Mile 1.18 Looking Southwest (1997) |
 Mile 1.28 Looking South (2012) |
 Mile 1.28 Looking South (2015) |
 Mile 1.30 Looking North (1997) |
 Mile 1.30 Looking North (2000) |
 Mile 1.30 Looking South (2000) |
 Mile 1.45 Looking Northwest (2013) |
 Mile 1.45 Looking North (1997) |
 Mile 1.45 Looking North (2000) |
 Mile 1.45 Looking North (2012) |
 Mile 1.45 Looking North (2013) |
 Mile 1.45 Looking South (1997) |
 Mile 1.45 Looking South (2000) |
 Mile 1.45 Looking South (2012) |
 Mile 1.45 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Mile 1.45 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Mile 1.45 Looking West (2013) |
 Mile 1.46 Looking North (2013) |
 Mile 1.47 Looking North (2013) |
 Mile 1.47 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 1.50 Looking South (1997) |
 Mile 1.54 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 1.54 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 1.55 Looking Northwest (2012) |
 Mile 1.55 Looking North (2006) |
 Mile 1.55 Looking North (2013) |
 Mile 1.55 Looking North (2013) |
 Mile 1.55 Looking North (2013) |
 Mile 1.55 Looking South (2000) |
 Mile 1.55 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 1.55 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 1.55 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 1.55 Looking Southwest (2012) |
 Mile 1.55 Looking Southwest (2012) |
 Mile 1.58 Looking North (2000) |
 Mile 1.58 Looking North (2013) |
 Mile 1.58 Looking South (2013) |
 Mile 1.61 Looking North (2010) |
 Mile 1.61 Looking North (2012) |
 Mile 1.61 Looking North (2013) |
 Mile 1.61 Looking South (1996) |
 Mile 1.61 Looking South (2000) |
 Mile 1.61 Looking South (2006) |
 Mile 1.61 Looking South (2007) |
 Mile 1.61 Looking South (2010) |
 Mile 1.61 Looking South (2012) |
 Mile 1.71 Looking Northeast (2013) |
 Mile 1.71 Looking South (1996) |
 Mile 1.71 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Mile 1.73 Looking Northeast (1996) |
 Mile 1.73 Looking Northeast (2003) |
 Mile 1.73 Looking Northeast (2013) |
 Mile 1.73 Looking Northeast (2013) |
 Mile 1.73 Looking Southwest (1996) |
 Mile 1.73 Looking Southwest (2000) |
 Mile 1.73 Looking Southwest (2003) |
 Mile 1.73 Looking Southwest (2006) |
 Mile 1.73 Looking Southwest (2006) |
 Mile 1.73 Looking Southwest (2006) |
 Mile 1.73 Looking Southwest (2007) |
 Mile 1.73 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Mile 1.73 Looking Southwest (2014) |
 Mile 1.75 Looking Northeast (2013) |
 Mile 1.75 Looking Northeast (2013) |
 Mile 1.75 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Mile 1.75 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Mile 1.79 Looking Northeast (2006) |
 Mile 1.79 Looking Northeast (2013) |
 Mile 1.79 Looking Northeast (2013) |
 Mile 1.79 Looking Northeast (2013) |
 Mile 1.79 Looking Northeast (2013) |
 Mile 1.79 Looking Southwest (1996) |
 Mile 1.79 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Mile 1.80 Looking Northeast (1996) |
 Mile 1.97 Looking Southwest (2003) |
 Mile 1.97 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Mile 2.00 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Mile 2.00 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Mile 2.03 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Mile 2.05 Looking Northeast (2003) |
 Mile 2.05 Looking Northeast (2013) |
 Mile 2.05 Looking Southwest (1996) |
 Mile 2.05 Looking Southwest (2003) |
 Mile 2.05 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Mile 2.20 Looking Northeast (2000) |
 Mile 2.20 Looking Northeast (2003) |
 Mile 2.20 Looking Southwest (2000) |
 Mile 2.20 Looking Southwest (2013) |
These photos are of the lead into the Vesuvius plant, on the south side of the 3 track yard.
5 photos in gallery
 Looking Northeast (2013) |
 Looking South (2013) |
 Looking Southwest (2006) |
 Looking Southwest (2013) |
 Looking Southwest (2013) |
These photos are of the old wye, located at the northwest end of the trackage, behind the plant. It used to connect in behind the former TH&B Coyle yard that was torn out in the early 1970's.
3 photos in gallery
 Looking Southeast (2003) |
 Looking Southwest (2003) |
 Looking Southwest (2003) |
