| October 15, 2020 04:45PM |
|
Normally in the Spring and Fall I’d be organizing our local “Abandoned Line Hikes”, for the Bruce Railways Internet Chat Group. It got its name from the Bruce Division of the Canadian Pacific Railway, that used to run primarily on the ROW of the old narrow gauge Toronto, Grey & Bruce Rly from Toronto to Owen Sound in Bruce County, Ontario.
The hikes have been called off this year due to the virus, but I’ve taken the time to do some social distancing (aka metal detecting!) on unexplored parts of the old narrow gauge grade. Farm fields are always the best because they’ve been regularly tilled, which makes the digging a whole lot easier than along cuts and embankments that have just laid idle since abandonment.
The TG&B was narrow gauge only from 1870-1881, and the standard gauge on this stretch was abandoned and the rails torn up in 1933. So even the standard gauge artefacts are approaching 90 years of age, while the narrow gauge finds are a whopping 140+ years old – and amazingly there’s still lots to find.
So this wee ROW exploration report covers a small section of farmland on a lazy curve, in the relatively flat stretch between Bolton and Mono Road. This curve was where the line switched from heading roughly west to roughly north, and the two farms circled on the old 1870 map are today one farm. The landowner was pleased to have junk removed from his fields, but also took an interest in learning more about the railway.
These two satellite shots give an orientation of the line that was explored, and the accompanying site photos show just how subtle the railway grade is in this area. The land just before the curve was bulldozed flat in the 1970s (there used to be an 8’ fill over a small creek), and alfalfa pretty much obscures any features that might remain. Thank goodness for the satellite map view, so that I could keep track of where I was along the ROW.
Looking East in the Alfalfa Field
Looking roughly Northwest in the Alfalfa Field
Continued.....
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2020 04:58PM by tgbcvr.
The hikes have been called off this year due to the virus, but I’ve taken the time to do some social distancing (aka metal detecting!) on unexplored parts of the old narrow gauge grade. Farm fields are always the best because they’ve been regularly tilled, which makes the digging a whole lot easier than along cuts and embankments that have just laid idle since abandonment.
The TG&B was narrow gauge only from 1870-1881, and the standard gauge on this stretch was abandoned and the rails torn up in 1933. So even the standard gauge artefacts are approaching 90 years of age, while the narrow gauge finds are a whopping 140+ years old – and amazingly there’s still lots to find.
So this wee ROW exploration report covers a small section of farmland on a lazy curve, in the relatively flat stretch between Bolton and Mono Road. This curve was where the line switched from heading roughly west to roughly north, and the two farms circled on the old 1870 map are today one farm. The landowner was pleased to have junk removed from his fields, but also took an interest in learning more about the railway.
These two satellite shots give an orientation of the line that was explored, and the accompanying site photos show just how subtle the railway grade is in this area. The land just before the curve was bulldozed flat in the 1970s (there used to be an 8’ fill over a small creek), and alfalfa pretty much obscures any features that might remain. Thank goodness for the satellite map view, so that I could keep track of where I was along the ROW.
Looking East in the Alfalfa Field
Looking roughly Northwest in the Alfalfa Field
Continued.....
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2020 04:58PM by tgbcvr.
| Subject | Author | Posted |
|---|---|---|
|
tgbcvr | October 15, 2020 04:45PM |
|
tgbcvr | October 15, 2020 04:57PM |
|
James | October 15, 2020 05:41PM |
|
tgbcvr | October 15, 2020 08:10PM |
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.