Updated: End of the line for Beachburg Subdivision

Well, it's finally happening. The last remnants of CN's former transcontinental main line through Ottawa are being taken up in the city's northwest end. The Beachburg Subdivision north of Nepean Junction will be history in a few weeks. A couple of readers have alerted me to the presence of the continuous welded rail work train in the region. I had the chance to go and see this train on Sunday, Nov. 9.

Over the weekend, work had halted. Thanks to information from a local rail watcher (thanks Ray), I was told the work train was parked at the rural Stonecrest Road level crossing near milepost 30.0, northwest of Dunrobin. I made my way out to this secluded spot and was immediately struck by the rugged character of the the area. The path to the crossing was hilly, twisty and generally hemmed in by trees. This was about as rural as you can get within the city limits.

When I arrived at the crossing, there was a bit of a clearing and the sun was shining. You could immediately see the end of the work train by the crossing, being guarded by a lone CN employee. I spoke to him briefly and he told me I was allowed to take photos from the road. He also told me that work was to recommence on Tuesday morning. Given how much progress has been made to date, I would not be surprised if the rest of this stretch of track was gone in a few weeks.

Given the area where the work train is parked is heavily wooded, getting a shot of the entire string of cars was impossible, so I had to try and capture the consist with some condensed vertical shots. Luckily, the afternoon sun was in the perfect spot for me to get some of these shots. You can see in the shot above that there is some rail still in the process of being fed into the CWR cars.

I managed to capture some shots of the yellow work cars at the end of the train (above), but that was about all I could capture in terms of long horizontals. You can see the rail being fed into the CWR cars in this shot as well.

The above shot was taken from the crossing. The road was very quiet when I arrived, so taking shots from the middle of the crossing was pretty easy. You can see that this line has been left to its own devices for a number of years, as the ballast is largely lost in overgrowth.

Above, the dreaded CWR cars, especially for a train-starved railfan in Ottawa.

This shot gives you an idea of the immediate surroundings at this level crossing. Two CN trucks had been parked at the side of the road since the train had halted its work. Both had Quebec licence plates, so I'm guessing the railway sent work crews in from Montreal to take apart this line.

 



 

This final shot pretty much sums up the sad end for this once vital piece of CN's network. A threader was left locked in place, with a small stretch of rail yet to be fed onto the train. Beyond the loose rail, you can see the abandoned right-of-way, which will no doubt soon become a snowmobile trail. This shot gives you an idea of the types of grade crews would have had to manage on this line, when it was a transcontinental line and then part of the Ottawa Central Railway.

 

And with that, another piece of the Ottawa Valley's railway history is removed. I can't help but wonder what might have happened to this line, if Ottawa Central hadn't been purchased by CN. Many rail watchers here have grumbled over the years that CN only purchased OCR to get its hands on the actual rails, so it could use them elsewhere in its network.

 

I also wonder what might have happened if efforts to establish the Transport Pontiac Renfrew shortline railway had been successful. I recall the former president of the OCR James Allen telling me a wood pellet plant in the Pontiac wanted rail service on this line, a prospect that promised (in his words) hundreds of car loads a year. But sadly, too much industry has been lost in the valley to support a railway line in this area.

 

The city did mention earlier this year that it would be interested in purchasing the old line for a possible recreational trail. Considering how remote this part of the city is, I doubt a trail in these parts would get much use for anything other than snowmobiles and ATVs.

 

This brings me to my final question. Given the level of interest in light rail in the city, you can't help but wonder if retaining this line for future regional rail use should have been seriously considered. This approach to rail is very common in the United States, but sadly not here.

 

And, as another line fades away, the city continues to wrangle over the next phases of its light rail dreams, which require expensive new rights-of-way in areas where rail once served.

 

For those looking to capture some of this work along Beachburg, the work will continue through this week into the weekend (from Nov. 11-16 or so). I invite readers in the Ottawa area to get out there and capture some of this before it's too late. On Tuesday, the train was nearing Torbolton Ridge Road. Wednesday will likely see the train nearing the Kinburn Side Road crossing. At this rate, it should be nearing Dunrobin in the coming days.

Catch me while you can: Nepean Junction

I went on a short hike this past weekend to take a look at a key point along the CN Beachburg Subdivision. I figured I should take a look now, since the 38-km stretch through Ottawa and the remaining rail in the Pontiac Region is more than likely to be lifted this spring.

My destination was a key junction, Nepean Junction, where CN's Renfrew spur (itself formerly a subdivision) branches off from the Beachburg Sub just north of Corkstown Road in Ottawa's west end.

The junction is accessible from a nearby stretch of the Trans Canada Trail, otherwise it is a tough spot to see unless you are motivated. When I arrived there this past Saturday, it was easy to see that nothing has been done to the Beachburg Sub since last fall when officials in the Pontiac Region stopped CN crews from ripping up track in their municipality. As you see below, the Beachburg Sub beyond Nepean Junction has not been maintained this winter, as snow covered much of the line past the switch. The track to the left is the Renfrew spur, which is still in use as CN serves Nylene Canada in Arnprior, at the end of the spur.

I saw some interesting relics as I made my way to Nepean Junction. Some old rail still lay trackside, covered in weeds. I made sure to look at the rail, since I was told a big reason why Beachburg was being torn up last year was the fact that it had continuous welded rail, which some blog readers reminded me was a precious commodity for CN. The rail where I walked was not CWR. Quite the opposite, in fact. This rail, I would imagine, would not be terribly valuable. Beyond the junction, the rail on the Beachburg Sub was also jointed rail. Still, I can imagine CN wants to rid itself of the burden of this inactive line, even if it doesn't have specific plans for the less valuable jointed rail still in place.

As I neared Nepean Junction, I noticed vestiges of better times, much like I did when I explored Bells Junction and the end of the old CP Ellwood Subdivision last spring. The site of disconnected signalling towers on Ottawa's remaining railway network is sadly pervasive. This is one of many such towers that have been gutted, but left to stand as a reminder of days gone by.

Another relic closer to the junction is this rusted snow plow indicator sign, which looks like it needs to be replaced. You can also make out the broken hydro pole in the background. I saw many such poles on my walk. Some of the poles were supporting fallen tree trunks. I saw a few logs trackside, which had been removed after having fallen on the right-of-way.

This is what the junction looks like today facing southeast. The snow-covered track is Beachburg while the clear section is the Renfrew spur. Notice the switch alignment. The spur has become the main line while Beachburg has become the turnout, so to speak.

 

Here's one final look at the two lines after they head their separate ways. Beachburg curves in a northwest direction, headed for the Fitzroy Harbour area near the Ottawa River. The Renfrew spur, at a lower elevation, heads in a more westerly direction as it heads toward Kanata and Arnprior beyond.  Note the difference in the roadbed and the colour of the rails. It makes it hard to believe that Beachburg was once part of a transcontinental main line.

This junction might soon become nothing more than a name on a map, much like Bells Junction in Bells Corners, which once separated the Beachburg Sub from the old CP Carleton Place Subdivision. This junction once separated CN's main line from John Booth's Ottawa, Arnprior & Parry Sound railway. It was once the site of an overpass where the two lines met. Over the years, it has housed track maintenance buildings and other railways trappings. Today, it stands as possibly one of the final reminders of CN's former transcontinental operations in the Ottawa Valley.

MYSTERY SOLVED: You may recall that I was musing about the North American logo I spotted on a CN hopper in a previous post, A few surprises from the last year. A reader was able to clear up the mystery for me, which was greatly appreciated. To read about the North American logo, please check out the post in the link above. Special thanks to blog reader Nicholas for pointing me in the right direction.

Updated: Ottawa won't save Beachburg Sub

The Beachburg Subdivision saga seems to be winding down to its inevitable conclusion, with the rail line headed for oblivion. While the Pontiac region is still trying to find a partner to help purchase and operate the rail line, the City of Ottawa has decided it is not interested in buying the 38-kilometre portion of the line that falls within in western boundaries.

Earlier this year, city officials said the city cannot afford the $21.7-million price tag for the corridor and the rails. This comes as no surprise, as the city has not shown any interest in this line, since it does not serve any major industries in the city. Last fall, several west-end councillors asked city staff to look into options for this rail line, mostly as a favour to the Pontiac Region in Quebec, which is fighting to save its remaining trackage.

The city did say it would be interested in the corridor lands once the rails have been removed.

My sources have not had any new information on whether CN is dispatching the CWR train back to the city for continue removing the rail. In the fall, you might recall that Pontiac Region officials blockaded the rail line in their municipality to prevent CN crews from tearing up tracks.

If you want a full rundown on the latest issues regarding this line, I invite you to read my update from last fall, which summarizes the issues and the players involved in this issue.

Left: A piece of disconnected signalling equipment on the Beachburg Sub just east of Nepean Junction, where the sub branches off from CN's Renfrew spur. More on this spot soon!

Can Ottawa save Beachburg Subdivision?

At the eleventh hour, the City of Ottawa might finally be trying to save the Beachburg Subdivision.

On Sept. 4th, the city's transportation committee unanimously approved a motion to send a letter to Transport Canada and the Canadian National Railway to stop any further removal of the rail line, which is still intact between the Pontiac Region in Quebec and Ottawa's northwestern end.

The motion, brought forward by two councillors who represent the wards that host the Beachburg Sub, is asking that the Pontiac Region be given more time to find a possible business partner to operate a railway on the remaining portion of the rail line. There are prospects for freight on the sub, including the Trebio wood pellet plant and a planned rail-serviced industrial park in the Pontiac, but CN officials have said that these prospects are not enough to sustain a profitable operation.

CN first offered the Beachburg Sub for sale in February 2010, at a cost of $21.7 million, according to a city report. Since that time, there has been an effort to purchase the line, led by business interests in the Pontiac Region and Renfrew County, with the help of the management of the former Ottawa Central Railway. With the line torn up in Renfrew County, the prospects to maintain this line are dim.

The wild card in this process is that the line has continuous welded rail (CWR) from its days as part of the CN's old transcontinental route. The rail is a valuable commodity and the railway would like to use it in busier parts of its network out west.

In the city report, there are a few comments which I found interesting, including this one:

"Realty Services Branch was in contact with CN to discuss the possible purchase of the corridor within City limits once it was abandoned."

The city's policies on railways are muddy at best. The city has no policy to acquire active rail corridors, the report states, nor does it have the capacity to operate a freight railway.

I question this policy and the statement above, since the city acquired the old Ellwood Subdivision from the Canadian Pacific shortly after CP discontinued service in 1997. The Beachburg Sub has been dormant for years, so calling it an active rail corridor is a stretch. Granted, the Ellwood Sub was much more strategic to the city because it hosts the O-Train, but whose to say what possibilities there are along the Beachburg Sub, especially given that the line runs though areas primed for development in both Ottawa and the Pontiac?

If the city is interested in acquiring the 38 km of rail line from CN once it has been abandoned, what will it do with the land? My guess is it would become a recreational trail. That is a reasonable solution, but I find it hard to believe that the city does not believe there is any viable prospect for commuter rail or freight rail on this line at any point in the future.

City officials know that the old OCR management is interested in operating a railway on this line and they also know that this management team believes there is a viable operation here, so I fail to see why the city is not interested in acquiring this line and leasing it to a railway operator. This strategy has been used in other municipalities, such as the Outaouais Region in Quebec, which owns the old CP Maniwaki Subdivision, which was leased to a steam train operator for years.

Here's another comment in the city report, which I find a bit baffling:

"The City is interested in the potential acquisition of all railway corridor lands within its jurisdiction, both operational and abandoned, for future use as a transportation corridor. The City of Ottawa has no current plans for the corridor, that is to say, the Transportation Master Plan does not identify this corridor as required for a rapid transit corridor or other transportation use within the timeframe of the Plan to 2031. The City is therefore not averse to CN retaining ownership of the corridor, or for any other rail operator using the railway for the foreseeable future should MRC Pontiac’s be successful in its attempt to find a business partner to purchase or lease the railway."

This statement seems to contradict the previous statement that the city wants to acquire the Beachburg Sub, once it is abandoned. It also seems to contradict the city's own admission that it has no policy on acquiring so-called "active" rail lines. The statement does seem to suggest it supports the acquisition of the rail line, provided that someone else buys it and maintains it. Considering that the city has already invested nearly $60-million on the eight-kilometre O-Train line, an acquisition of Beachburg, provided there is a plan, makes sense. For a city that is prepared to start work on a deeply flawed multibillion-dollar light rail network, I can only laugh at its logic.

You can read the full report by going to the city's transportation committee page and clicking on the eAgenda link at the bottom of the page. You will then be prompted to enter a search term. Type "Beachburg" and you will find the report. I wish I could just link to the report, but it's never that easy with government sites.

Beachburg Subdivision update

I found this recent article in the Pembroke Daily Observer and another in the Ottawa Citizen as I was doing some research this morning and was mildly surprised to learn that Canadian National is disregarding a municipal bylaw in the Pontiac Region in Quebec and attempting to pull up another portion of what is left of the Beachburg subdivision. After some anxious moments, local officials managed to blockade the railway's workers from doing any further work on the line.

I wish I could pass along more positive information, but it seems as though the rest of the line is pretty much doomed. Curiously, this issue is not registering as much of a blip on the radar screen in Ottawa. I've said it before and I will continue to harp on this point, but I can't understand how a city can be so oblivious to such an economic commodity as a rail line, especially considering Ottawa is so keen to establish a light rail network throughout the city from scratch. This line would have been a great link for regional commuters in Pembroke and towns in Renfrew County, where people commute into Ottawa. This line could act much like GO Transit's network into Hamilton, Milton, Kitchener and other cities on Toronto's periphery.

You can read more about the Beachburg rail line in my previous post.

I guess I have to keep my eyes peeled for a reappearance of the dreaded CN continuous welded rail train.