If you go to Classic Trains and look at the thread Titles you will find quite a lot on the CASO, St Thomas, New York Central. I recently posted a 6 part 'time line' of selected major events on the CASO from the beginning to the end. String Lining is found on the Trains site, did a lot on Port Burwell and a large photo essay of modern day Niagara Falls operations just before they tore it all up. That was a year ago. Sorry I did not 'tag' things but they are easy to find.
By Upstate Michigan I mean the nothern countys and places like Traverse Bay
Yooper= Anyone who lives in the Upper Peninsula
Steve 8500-- Very nice thanks for that. However, shaving off 2 hours or more of time between Detroit and Buffalo cannot be overlooked.
There was a serious proposal from a prospective buyer to run piggybacks with the truckers coming along in passenger cars, like an Auto Train for truckers. It was well recieved by others and made sense.
Public hearings by CN-CP on the CASO were very heated affairs with fisticuffs breaking out. The 'fix' was in.
Overmod/RME has stated several times that the CASO was ritual murder by CN-CP so as not to let the line go to a competitor and insure their own dual monopoly.
There were several major branch lines and on line revenue was reported in detail by commondity and location by the New York Central each year in the detailed annual reports. There were many many sources of freight. Likely, however, in today's world most of these would no longer exist as railroad freight. However, note that the last scheduled Conrail train was a local.
Today the 401 is jammed packed with ever bigger monster trucks and (crazy) drivers in their cars. The towns along the tore up CASO have suffered badly, industry gone, welfare and drugs arrived.
But common sense and actually caring about people take a back seat here.
CN-CP could use a good kick with some serious competition in SW Ontario and it would have been beneficial to everyone, except maybe the .1 %.
In any case it is gone and it ain't comin' back.
MiningmanIf you go to Classic Trains and look at the thread Titles you will find quite a lot on the CASO,
Yes, I think I found most of it.....very interesting. Seems a real shame that it's gone now.
Would the Canadian government have permitted another US entity to purchase (without restriction) the line, had one been interested in out bidding CN/CP?
Convicted One-- This was right around the time of the Free Trade agreements and NAFTA was being negotiated, besides a precedent had been already set and could be 'grandfathered in'. When it comes to politics it depends on who greases who and all that fun stuff. I could see it being a Genesee & Wyoming line or Omnitrax today.
CN/CP wield power though and they were very keen on keeping an eye on the CASO as some upstart could really upset the apple cart and provide meaningful competition.
I like Steve 8500's idea of a joint Amtrak/VIA line. That might be a real thing but it brings up the big question... what for? The last passenger train on the CASO was the Niagara Rainbow and it lasted about 3 years.
It would have to be Detroit-Buffalo, Windsor-Niagara Falls. The stations in Detroit and Buffalo were essentially falling apart and non functional eyesores. If was still intact in 2001, then 911 would have caused a lot of problems for VIA/Amtrak.
New York Central sure knew how to run the line. There was optimism with Penn Central but Conrail was a non starter right from the go.
CPR passenger trains reached Detroit via the Detroit River Tunnel Company and MCR.
Michigan Central Station, Detroit, Michigan. 2001 15th Street.
10 through tracks used by MCR (NYC), B&O and CPR.
Opened December 26, 1913. Closed January 5, 1988. Sold June 2018 Ford Motor Co. for office space 2,500.
Does the fact the Detroit Ford and GM where making *%&^U cars that in the 1970s=1980s that did not end up in rust heaps in less the 3.5 years?
PInto anyone?
CandOforprogress2 Does the fact the Detroit Ford and GM where making *%&^U cars that in the 1970s=1980s that did not end up in rust heaps in less the 3.5 years? PInto anyone?
Decline of the Auto Industry and also the Fuel Crunch of the 1970s when Detroit was still making Gas Guzzelers and the Japs came out with higher milage cars.
So due to free trade and Detroit making autos that were obsolete even before they left eh assembly line traffic declined.
CandOforprogress2 Does the fact the Detroit Ford and GM where making *%&^U cars that in the 1970s=1980s that did not end up in rust heaps in less the 3.5 years?
I had an '84 Eldorado that lasted 20 years. Had to put a rebuilt engine in it at about 140K miles...other than that is was a peach
Had a '79 Cutlass too. Not much to complain about.....had to replace the transmission at 60K, but GM picked up the tab (silent recall)
BTW, funny story where the band Steely Dan got the name for their band. Worth researching for a good laugh.
Read William Burrough's "The Naked Lunch". It's the name of...er...a sex toy (blush)
BEAUSABRE Read William Burrough's "The Naked Lunch". It's the name of...er...a sex toy (blush)
At least it has a connection to STEAM!
Electroliner 1935 BEAUSABRE Read William Burrough's "The Naked Lunch". It's the name of...er...a sex toy (blush) At least it has a connection to STEAM!
Are you sure you haven't confused Steely Dan III with the Foomtra?
"Round and round went the big red wheel; In and out went the spike of steel..." with the crux of the matter plain to be seen, and the moral of the story clear, by the terrifying end...
You're being quite discreet
CSSHEGEWISCHYou're being quite discreet
CandOforprogress2 By Upstate Michigan I mean the nothern countys and places like Traverse Bay
NYC did have lines throughout the lower peninsula of Michigan, as far north as Mackinaw City. However CASO basically connected Buffalo and Detroit (via Windsor) in Lower Ontario, that was the only place it crossed into Michigan.
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