FONTHILL SPUR & PINE STREET SPUR

TRACKSIDE GUIDE & PHOTOS

EX-NS&T WELLAND DIVISION | EX-CN FONTHILL SUBDIVISION & PINE STREET SPUR
EX-CN FONTHILL SPUR & PINE STREET SPUR
PARTIAL NON-EXISTENT TRACKAGE (MILE 5.9 AND SOUTH)

A look at present timetable listings for the lines....

     The mileages changed when CN took over the line.

CP ~ FONTHILL SPUR
SEPTEMBER 19, 1999 - PRESENT

MILE
Thorold
(Jct. with TR Thorold Line)
4.61
Lynden Street5.12
Ormond Street5.15
Cleveland Street5.24
Lynden Street5.25
Cunningham Street5.31
Pine Street5.40
Richmond Street5.46
Pine Street Spur5.48
Hwy 585.60
End Of Steel5.9

CP ~ PINE STREET SPUR
SEPTEMBER 19, 1999 - PRESENT

MILE
Jct. with TR Fonthill Spur0.0
Baxter Place0.12
Lynden Street0.14
Rose Avenue0.15
Elgin Street0.21
Garden Street0.24
Maitland Street0.28
Metcafe Street0.34
Sullivan Street0.41
Albert Street0.54
Pine Street0.68
End Of Steel0.63

Available for viewing, are two .gif format schedules of the NS&T timetables from 1935.
Click here to view the first of two pages! Click here to view the second of two pages!


Traffic movement on this line....

     Rule 105 Territory - Not to exceed 15 mph on entire trackage.
     No trackage exists between Thorold and Port Colborne.


Points of interest along this line.... (Fonthill Spur)

     Mile 4.61 : This is technically Thorold. The Thorold sign is located closer to old Bridge 10 about a half mile south. The Fonthill Spur, like the other old NS&T trackage doesn't begin at mile 0.0. I don't understand why it was never remileaged back in the 1960's.

     Mile 5.12 - 5.15 : Lynden and Ormond Streets are located here. They are right beside the Beer Store at the top of the escarpment. The track crosses here and heads west.

     Mile 5.24 - 5.31 : The Fonthill Spur runs along Lynden Street, crossing a couple side streets.

     Mile 5.4 : This is the connecting switch to the Pine Street Spur. The Pine Street Spur heads north off of the Fonthill Spur at Pine Street.

     Mile 5.6 : The Fonthill Spur heads south on a bridge over the west entrance to the Thorold tunnel. The Thorold tunnel passes vehicles under the Welland Canal.

     Mile 5.9 : This is the end of the Fonthill Spur, which ends just north of Collier Road. There used to be two industries which were serviced here. They were Exelon-Esk and Allied Chemical. Only Allied Chemical is stil around, but it has a new name these days.


Points of interest along this line.... (Pine Street Spur)

     Mile 0.0 : This the junction switch to the Fonthill Spur. The local job backs down this line.

     Mile 0.12 - 0.63 : Gallagher Paper used to be the industry on this line. It was located at Pine and Albert Streets.


Operations on this line....

     The Fonthill Spur is only one part of the former NS&T network of tracks in the Niagara Region. It was part of the Welland Division.
     The CN Fonthill Subdivision, then, originally started at a switch on the old part of the CN Thorold Subdivision at approximately mile 4.65, which is still located behind the beer store in Thorold. The line today still continues up along the Welland Canal behind Ormond Street and circles around through Thorold to the west, crossing Ormond Street and a few side streets and comes to a switch where the TR Pine Street Lead is. The TR Fonthill Spur today still contines south overtop Hwy 58 at the west end of the Thorold Tunnel and ends north of Collier Road.
     When the line still fully existed, the line continued south across Kottmier Road and along Beaverdams Road. The line came into the outskirts of Fonhill, crossing Cataract Road and Merrittville Hwy. and then into Fonthill, passing in behind Fonthill Lumber and crossing Hwy 20, which today is really Canboro Road, but everybody still calls it Hwy 20.      From here, the line continued across Port Robinson Road, Merritt Road, Quaker Road, Woodlawn Road, Thorold Road, Fitch Street, Colbeck Drive, then across the Welland River. At this point we had come to the point where the old NS&T Welland Station was located. From here the line continued down to Port Colborne, first along Prince Charles Drive on the present trackage of the TR West Welland Spur and ending somewhere around there. But before that, when the line was still the NS&T Welland Division crossed over the double track main line of MC, PC and Conrail mainline just west of bridge 15 in Welland. Further heading south the line headed down Shaw Street and crossed where hte cut is of the present CP Hamilton Subdivision and CP Brookfield siding. After this, if you look carefully, there is a path through the brush into Dain City. The path comes out to the TR Canal Line directly north of the present day TR Harbourline's trackage and now takes the same track south along Elm Street.
     Once you come to about mile 1.8, instead of heading east as the TR Harbourline does these days, the former NS&T Welland Division continued south along Elm Street. Once the line got down nearer to Main Street, the line entered the center of Elm Street and followed Elm Street down to the CN Dunnville Spur and curved to the west.
     Now that I have explained the NS&T days, lets get back the days of CN and the CN Fonthill Subdivision, and later a Spur. As stated, after the NS&T days, the line in 1981 the Welland River bridge was abandoned due to structural reasons. After 1981, the CN Fonthill Subdivision was torn out through Welland, all the way north to Fonthill.
     The line was left in from there to Thorold. I remember seeing the rail still in place in May 1992.
     I remember one day in May of 1992, I came to the Cataract Road crossing and casually looked down the track towards Thorold. I was ticked! About a mile down the track i saw a CN caboose heading back to Thorold. That was the last I ever heard of anything on the line south of Thorold.
     Shortly after that, I learned that the line was going to be torn out. I decided to take an adventure along it. I had a camera with me and didn't take one photo. All that time I knew it was going to be ripped up.      In 1994, the line was torn out.      As earlier stated, the line only goes as far as about 1/4 mile north of Collier Road in Thorold, though there still remains two small bridges where the tracks used to crossed beside Beaverdams Road.
     CN has serviced this line since the NS&T was taken over by CN back in 1959. Until 1999, CN serviced the Allied Chemical plant, which is now another name, as Trillium now gives service to this industry.
     Gallagher Paper, which was located on the Pine Street Spur was serviced by CN on Monday's and Thursday's.
     On September 19, 1999, Trillium took over switching operations.
     Shortly after Trillium took over the Pine Street Lead, Gallagher paper shut down operations. I don't think Trillium ever service the plant.
     In 2006, I noticed that the north end of the Pine Street Lead had been torn out at the plant and up the center of Pine Street a few blocks. This was because the new owner of the plant didn't want the rail on the property.


Pictorial view of this line.... (MILEAGES OF CN YEARS)

     PINE STREET SPUR, THOROLD.


Mile 0.0
Looking South
(1998)

Mile 0.0
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 0.0
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 0.1
Looking North
(1998)

Mile 0.1
Looking North
(2006)


Mile 0.1
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 0.12
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 0.12
Looking North
(1999)

Mile 0.12
Looking South
(2006)


Mile 0.15
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 0.15
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 0.2
Looking North
(1998)

Mile 0.28
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 0.28
Looking South
(2006)


Mile 0.34
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 0.34
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 0.41
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 0.41
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 0.4
Looking South
Taken From "The Little System That Could"


Mile 0.54
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 0.54
Looking North
(2002)

Mile 0.54
Looking North
(1999)

Mile 0.54
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 0.6
Looking South
(1998)


Mile 0.6
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 0.6
Looking South
(2002)

Mile 0.6
Looking South
(1999)

Mile 0.6
Looking South
(1999)

Mile 0.6
Looking North
(1998)


Mile 0.6
Looking North
(2002)

Mile 0.6
Looking North
(1999)

Mile 0.6
Looking North
(1999)

Mile 0.6
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 0.6
Looking North
(1998)


     WELLAND SUBDIVISION - THOROLD TO WELLAND - NORTH OF TOWNLINE ROAD.


Mile 4.65
Looking North
(2001)

Mile 4.7
Looking North
(2001)

Mile 4.7
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 4.7
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 4.7
Looking South
(2006)


Mile 4.7
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 4.7
Looking North
(2001)

Mile 5.08
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 5.08
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 5.12
Looking North
(2006)


Mile 5.12
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 5.12
Looking South
(1997)

Mile 5.12
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 5.12
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 5.12
Looking West
(1996)


Mile 5.15
Looking West
(2001)

Mile 5.15
Looking West
(2006)

Mile 5.15
Looking West
(2006)

Mile 5.15
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 5.25
Looking West
(2006)


Mile 5.25
Looking West
(2006)

Mile 5.25
Looking East
(2006)

Mile 5.25
Looking East
(2001)

Mile 5.31
Looking East
(1997)

Mile 5.31
Looking South
(2006)


Mile 5.31
Looking East
(2006)

Mile 5.40
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 5.40
Looking East
(2006)

Mile 5.55
Looking South
(2001)

Mile 5.55
Looking South
(2006)


Mile 5.60
Looking North
(2001)

Mile 5.60
Looking South
(2001)

Mile 5.60
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 5.60
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 5.65
Looking South
(1997)


Mile 5.65
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 5.7
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 5.7
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 5.75
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 5.75
Looking South
(2006)


Mile 5.85
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 5.85
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 5.85
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 5.9
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 5.9
Looking South
(2006)


Mile 5.95
Looking Southeast
(1999)

Mile 5.95
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 5.95
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 6.0
Looking North
(1999)

Mile 6.15
Looking North
(1997)


Mile 6.15
Looking South
(1997)

Mile 6.15
Looking North
(2006)

Mile 6.15
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 6.2
Looking South
(2006)

Mile 6.27
Looking North
(2006)


Mile 6.27
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 6.54
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 6.54
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 6.54
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 6.59
Looking North
(2005)


Mile 6.59
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 6.8
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 6.8
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 7.1
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 7.1
Looking South
(2005)


Mile 7.1
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 7.1
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 7.1
Looking South
(1997)

Mile 7.1
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 7.1
Looking North
(1997)


Mile 7.1
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 7.3
Looking West
(2005)

Mile 7.3
Looking East
(2005)

Mile 7.3
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 7.3
Looking South
(2005)


Mile 7.35
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 7.35
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 7.91
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 7.91
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 7.91
Looking South
(2005)


Mile 8.41
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 8.41
Looking South
(1997)

Mile 8.75
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 8.75
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 8.75
Looking South
(2005)


Mile 8.75
Looking South
(1997)

Mile 9.14
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 9.14
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 9.14
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 9.14
Looking South
(1997)


Mile 9.49
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 9.49
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 9.92
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 9.92
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 9.92
Looking South
(1997)


Mile 10.36
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 10.36
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 10.62
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 10.62
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 10.62
Looking South
(2005)


Mile 10.62
Looking South
(1997)

Mile 10.9
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 11.7
Looking South
(1997)

Mile 11.1
Looking South
(1997)

Mile 11.21
Looking North
(2005)


Mile 11.21
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 11.3
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 11.4
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 11.4
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 11.5
Looking North
(2000)


Mile 11.5
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 11.5
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 11.5
Looking South
(2000)

Mile 11.65
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 11.65
Looking South
(2005)


Mile 11.87
Looking North
(2005)

Mile 11.87
Looking South
(2005)

Mile 11.87
Looking South
(2000)

Mile 11.87
Looking South
(1997)

Mile 11.9
Looking North
(2000)


Mile 12.0
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 12.0
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 12.21
Looking North
(2000)

Mile 12.21
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 12.21
Looking South
(2000)


Mile 12.33
Looking North
(2000)

Mile 12.33
Looking South
(2000)

Mile 12.95
Looking North
(2000)

Mile 12.95
Looking South
(2000)

Mile 12.95
Looking South
(1997)


Mile 12.95
Looking South
(1997)

Mile 13.6
Looking North
(2000)

Mile 13.6
Looking South
(2000)

Mile 13.6
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 13.6
Looking South
(1997)


Mile 13.8
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 14.1
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 14.2
Looking North
(2000)

Mile 14.2
Looking South
(2000)

Mile 14.2
Looking North
(1997)


Mile 14.2
Looking North
(2000)

Mile 14.2
Looking South
(2000)

Mile 14.5
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 14.5
Looking South
(1997)

Mile 14.5
Looking North
(2000)


Mile 14.5
Looking South
(2000)

Mile 15.0
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 15.0
Looking South
(1997)

Mile 15.0
Looking North
(2000)

Mile 15.0
Looking South
(2000)


Mile 15.1
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 15.4
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 15.7
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 15.8
Looking North
(2000)

Mile 15.8
Looking South
(2000)


Mile 15.8
Looking North
(1997)

Mile 15.8
Looking South
(1997)

Mile 16.0
Looking South
(1981)

Mile 16.0
Looking North
(2000)

Mile 16.0
Looking South
(1981)


Mile 16.0
Looking South
(2000)

Mile 16.0
Looking South
(1981)

Mile 16.0
Looking North
(1996)

Mile 16.0
Looking South
(1996)

Mile 16.1
Looking South
(1997)


Mile 16.1
NS&T Mile 11.02
Welland Division
Looking East
(1981)

NS&T Mile 11.8
Looking South
(2006)

NS&T Mile 11.8
Looking South
(2000)

NS&T Mile 6.72
Looking South
Property of J. J. Wigt Collection

NS&T Mile 6.72
Looking South
Property of J. J. Wigt Collection


NS&T Mile 11.02
Looking North
Property of E. E. Edwards

NS&T Thorold
Looking ?
Property of J. J. Wigt Collection


     WELLAND SUBDIVISION - WELLAND TO PORT COLBORNE- SOUTH OF TOWNLINE ROAD.


NS&T Mile 13.0
Looking North
(1997)

NS&T Mile 13.0
Looking South
(1997)

NS&T Mile 13.25
Looking South
(1997)

NS&T Mile 14.12
Looking North
(1997)

NS&T Mile 14.12
Looking South
(1997)


Looking East
Property of R. J. Sandusky