What I would like to know is when were the tracks finished being laid through Tilbury, Ontario? I am "Finalizing" my words for my Train Calendar and need to know the accurate year the CASO was finished! I would like some definite answers from reliable sources! I somehow thought the tracks being ripped up in December 2012 were laid in 1854! Is this correct?
Robert Jackson
.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
According to Wikipedia the line was built in 1869 through the early 1870s. I couldn't find anything on when tracks were placed through Tilbury.
I found a website on the history of Tilbury that says "The community began as a railway stop in 1872 on the Canada Southern Railway line between Fort Erie and Windsor."
https://greenerpasture.com/Places/Details/1977
The Great Western Railroad of Canada's Detroit - Niagara Falls line opened in 1854, not sure if Tilbury was on it. Could be line was built in 1854, and the town later I guess? Great Western of Canada was later incorporated into Canada Southern (which was chartered in 1869). BTW I found this in the book I coincidentally bought yesterday, "New York Central's Canadian Streamliners" by DNW Smith.
Canada Southern, like the New York Central System generally, can be confusing because it was made up almost entirely of previously existing railroads that merged or were bought or leased.
wjstixThe Great Western Railroad of Canada's Detroit - Niagara Falls line opened in 1854, not sure if Tilbury was on it. Could be line was built in 1854, and the town later I guess? Great Western of Canada was later incorporated into Canada Southern (which was chartered in 1869).
No it wasn't. GWR was merged into Grand Trunk in 1882. Canada Southern had no predecessor railroads. CASO would later be leased by Michigan Central (part of New York Central System).
GWR, GT, Pere Marquette, and CASO all had parallel lines across southern Ontario. Even Wabash eventually got into the mix with a running rights agreement over Grand Trunk (which Norfolk Southern used into the 2000s).
CN's current main line is the former GWR route.
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog
Thanx everyone! Now, I found this "PDF" file with CASO info! Looks like it is accurate and the "1870s" would be correct. It would make sense that the line through St. Thomas would be built close to when it went through Tilbury. Does anyone else have more info? Though I may be good with this: https://stthomaspubliclibrary.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/History-of-the-Canada-Southern-Railway.pdf
1872. The town of Tilbury, then known as Henderson, was founded with the coming of CASO. I just read it on the internet, so it must be true. Today Tilbury is part of Chatham-kent.
Point made alright!
cv_acr wjstix The Great Western Railroad of Canada's Detroit - Niagara Falls line opened in 1854, not sure if Tilbury was on it. Could be line was built in 1854, and the town later I guess? Great Western of Canada was later incorporated into Canada Southern (which was chartered in 1869). No it wasn't. GWR was merged into Grand Trunk in 1882. Canada Southern had no predecessor railroads. CASO would later be leased by Michigan Central (part of New York Central System). GWR, GT, Pere Marquette, and CASO all had parallel lines across southern Ontario. Even Wabash eventually got into the mix with a running rights agreement over Grand Trunk (which Norfolk Southern used into the 2000s). CN's current main line is the former GWR route.
wjstix The Great Western Railroad of Canada's Detroit - Niagara Falls line opened in 1854, not sure if Tilbury was on it. Could be line was built in 1854, and the town later I guess? Great Western of Canada was later incorporated into Canada Southern (which was chartered in 1869).
Where does the CN's Chatham Sub end at these days? I know VIA purchased the western end sometime ago.
SD60MAC9500Where does the CN's Chatham Sub end at these days? I know VIA purchased the western end sometime ago.
I think ownership changes at Chatham... where it crosses the former PM/C&O/CSX (which CN now owns between Chatham and Blenheim). From Chatham they can route over the ex-C&O to Fargo, where the C&O route crossed the ex-CASO route to Windsor.
Edit: the Canadian Trackside Guide shows VIA control starting at "Bloomfield" - 3 miles west of the ex-C&O crossing and 2 miles west of the Chatham station. This retains some local industrial customers to CN.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.