a CNR locomotive on the Grand River & Northern Lake Erie (Erie Northshore) sub of the Grand Valley. Following is a series of photos of CNR 4-6-0 #1533, shot by different photographers, as it moves a short freight east out of Lowbanks, Ont. While the CNR often runs on the Grand Valley proper, this train is about as far away as it could be from the GVC/CNR interchange at Mt. Forest, Ont., and it remains a mystery why. Obviously, the occasion was unusual enough to warrant several photographers recording its progress, although no pictures have yet surfaced of the loco and caboose being reversed at South Cayuga, as would have been necessary for the final leg of the journey north to Mt. Forest.
The first shot appears to be taken from the roof of the carshop at Lowbanks, although the camera must have been on a 20' high tripod activated by a very long cable release.
This view is at the level crossing near the eastern outskirts of Lowbanks. The shed in the left foreground is part of the complex around the water tank just west of the Maitland River bridge
The camera jockey who took this shot must have been in a boat in the middle of the Maitland River, although the water levels appear to be exceptionally low for the season. The Lowbanks water tank is visible to the right. Since no pictures have been found showing the loco taking water here, the move may have originated even farther west in Port Maitland, the next water available.
Another view of the mystery train on the Maitland River bridge.
Leaving the river behind
This scene was captured from the bridge over Chippawa Creek. Although not evident judging from the clear stack, the train is working uphill and must have been moving at the speed limit, as the photographer reported being forced to take refuge on one of the fire barrel platforms while the train passed. By the way, he did notify the Ontario Hydro-Electric Commission of the leaning utility pole, which was promptly repaired.
If more pictures of this move come to light, I'll add them here.
And now, this just in....
The photographer here took advantage of unusually low water levels, widespread in the area, to capture this view of the train crossing Chippawa Creek.
An intrepid reporter/photographer for the Elfrida Farmer's Weekly managed to capture the excitement as our train rolled into town.
More action in Elfrida as our special passes Erie Northshore Extra 727, with GVC 2-8-0 #27 on the point. The eastbound 1533 is superior by direction.
Traffic on Elfrida's main drag is starting to back up, first for the westbound 727, then for our eastbound.
Adding to the traffic woes, 1533 is obliged to stop for a drink at the Elfrida tank. The rulebook requires all eastbounds to take water due to the severe grade through the tunnel just ahead. Normal practice is for the crew to cut off from the train just before the level crossing so as to avoid traffic tie-ups, but no such niceties are offered this day.
After a quick trip through the tunnel and across the Speed River bridge, uphill all the way, our special enters Grand Valley trackage at South Cayuga.
In an area obviously starved for news, word of this train has travelled well ahead of its arrival, and a photographer is on hand to record the obligatory shuffling of the van to the opposite end of the train. This move is necessary, as the train, when it entered the GVC, a north/south railroad, became a southbound. However, its ultimate destination is the CNR interchange at Mount Forest, well north of here. After she's reassembled her train, the 1533 will make the short jaunt to the wye at Dunnville, turn, then rejoin her train for the trip north.
Here's the 1533 backing into the Dunnville wye at Airline Junction. Although no longer a true junction since the late '20s, when a severe storm washed several miles of Erie Northshore track into the lake, the name is retained to distinguish the line here from the new mainline on the grade separation seen in the background.
Making at least the posted speed of 15 mph, the 1533 storms from under the bridge, her crew anxious to head north.
Just past the switch onto the "new" main, the loco stops, then much to the cameraman's surprise, reverses south onto the highline. Swivelling his gaze around, he scans the track and notices a lone car at the station platform. It's unmistakeably the GVC's only business car "Rockhaven". He grabs this shot as the loco backs to her new charge.
One more quick photo as the train accelerates out of town, then our photographer heads for the station for what he hopes will be a "scoop".
By the time our train returns to South Cayuga, the newshounds have gone home to dinner. A lone railfan, waiting here for the "Bee", (the gas/electric featured in the "I've got gas... " post in Scratchin' and Bashin'), his train back to his hometown of Lowbanks, caught this shot of Rockhaven safely tucked in behind the CNR van as the train heads north.
This last shot was taken by the operator at the Cayuga Junction tower as the train left town.
No more pictures exist of this mysterious move, the terrain north of the tower being a barren plaster wasteland. Indeed, at the top of the long grade, the track ends abruptly, well short of Mount Forest, awaiting completion of the second level of the layout.
Our reporter at the Dunnville station learned that the train had originated at the behest of the Federal government for an unstated purpose and had travelled on the TH&B to Port Maitland with several cars for the carfloat there. A CNR official, unnamed, had "commandeered" the train, by telegraph, from Dunnville. Rather than have it return to CNR trackage via TH&B, he ordered the remainder of the train to pick him up in Dunnville, then return to the CNR at Mount Forest, via GVC. Grand Valley officials, eager to show proper corporate courtesy to a fellow executive, expedited the movement of his train, and quickly made business car Rockhaven available, lest the poor chap end up riding in the van. The official line is that the exec was in Dunnville on "railroad business", although the fact that the foregoing photographs were, for years, suppressed by railroad brass, was enough to set tongues awaggin' in the valley. Rumour has it that it was less like "railroad business" and more like "monkey business", although the attractive young woman who made the trip with the old geezer claimed to be his private secretary. She's not been seen since.
Wayne
The first shot appears to be taken from the roof of the carshop at Lowbanks, although the camera must have been on a 20' high tripod activated by a very long cable release.
This view is at the level crossing near the eastern outskirts of Lowbanks. The shed in the left foreground is part of the complex around the water tank just west of the Maitland River bridge
The camera jockey who took this shot must have been in a boat in the middle of the Maitland River, although the water levels appear to be exceptionally low for the season. The Lowbanks water tank is visible to the right. Since no pictures have been found showing the loco taking water here, the move may have originated even farther west in Port Maitland, the next water available.
Another view of the mystery train on the Maitland River bridge.
Leaving the river behind
This scene was captured from the bridge over Chippawa Creek. Although not evident judging from the clear stack, the train is working uphill and must have been moving at the speed limit, as the photographer reported being forced to take refuge on one of the fire barrel platforms while the train passed. By the way, he did notify the Ontario Hydro-Electric Commission of the leaning utility pole, which was promptly repaired.
If more pictures of this move come to light, I'll add them here.
And now, this just in....
The photographer here took advantage of unusually low water levels, widespread in the area, to capture this view of the train crossing Chippawa Creek.
An intrepid reporter/photographer for the Elfrida Farmer's Weekly managed to capture the excitement as our train rolled into town.
More action in Elfrida as our special passes Erie Northshore Extra 727, with GVC 2-8-0 #27 on the point. The eastbound 1533 is superior by direction.
Traffic on Elfrida's main drag is starting to back up, first for the westbound 727, then for our eastbound.
Adding to the traffic woes, 1533 is obliged to stop for a drink at the Elfrida tank. The rulebook requires all eastbounds to take water due to the severe grade through the tunnel just ahead. Normal practice is for the crew to cut off from the train just before the level crossing so as to avoid traffic tie-ups, but no such niceties are offered this day.
After a quick trip through the tunnel and across the Speed River bridge, uphill all the way, our special enters Grand Valley trackage at South Cayuga.
In an area obviously starved for news, word of this train has travelled well ahead of its arrival, and a photographer is on hand to record the obligatory shuffling of the van to the opposite end of the train. This move is necessary, as the train, when it entered the GVC, a north/south railroad, became a southbound. However, its ultimate destination is the CNR interchange at Mount Forest, well north of here. After she's reassembled her train, the 1533 will make the short jaunt to the wye at Dunnville, turn, then rejoin her train for the trip north.
Here's the 1533 backing into the Dunnville wye at Airline Junction. Although no longer a true junction since the late '20s, when a severe storm washed several miles of Erie Northshore track into the lake, the name is retained to distinguish the line here from the new mainline on the grade separation seen in the background.
Making at least the posted speed of 15 mph, the 1533 storms from under the bridge, her crew anxious to head north.
Just past the switch onto the "new" main, the loco stops, then much to the cameraman's surprise, reverses south onto the highline. Swivelling his gaze around, he scans the track and notices a lone car at the station platform. It's unmistakeably the GVC's only business car "Rockhaven". He grabs this shot as the loco backs to her new charge.
One more quick photo as the train accelerates out of town, then our photographer heads for the station for what he hopes will be a "scoop".
By the time our train returns to South Cayuga, the newshounds have gone home to dinner. A lone railfan, waiting here for the "Bee", (the gas/electric featured in the "I've got gas... " post in Scratchin' and Bashin'), his train back to his hometown of Lowbanks, caught this shot of Rockhaven safely tucked in behind the CNR van as the train heads north.
This last shot was taken by the operator at the Cayuga Junction tower as the train left town.
No more pictures exist of this mysterious move, the terrain north of the tower being a barren plaster wasteland. Indeed, at the top of the long grade, the track ends abruptly, well short of Mount Forest, awaiting completion of the second level of the layout.
Our reporter at the Dunnville station learned that the train had originated at the behest of the Federal government for an unstated purpose and had travelled on the TH&B to Port Maitland with several cars for the carfloat there. A CNR official, unnamed, had "commandeered" the train, by telegraph, from Dunnville. Rather than have it return to CNR trackage via TH&B, he ordered the remainder of the train to pick him up in Dunnville, then return to the CNR at Mount Forest, via GVC. Grand Valley officials, eager to show proper corporate courtesy to a fellow executive, expedited the movement of his train, and quickly made business car Rockhaven available, lest the poor chap end up riding in the van. The official line is that the exec was in Dunnville on "railroad business", although the fact that the foregoing photographs were, for years, suppressed by railroad brass, was enough to set tongues awaggin' in the valley. Rumour has it that it was less like "railroad business" and more like "monkey business", although the attractive young woman who made the trip with the old geezer claimed to be his private secretary. She's not been seen since.
Wayne
