Comments on: M Lead

By: Chris Doering

Chris Doering — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 15:49:55 +0000

In reply to Jaidon Phelps. That would have been so awesome to see! Thanks for commenting.

By: Jaidon Phelps

Jaidon Phelps — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 19:14:04 +0000

I went to Day Care at the Calgary herald from around 2006 or so to 2009! (I’m now 16) and I distinctively remember on occasion CP Trains coming by with boxcars loaded with paper! Would always give me a thrill since I’ve always liked trains!

By: Chris Doering

Chris Doering — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 16:43:32 +0000

In reply to Braeden Watson. So you're the other one? It's a strange field of interest, for sure. We explore old industrial lines when we can and they sure seem to be dying out quickly.

By: Braeden Watson

Braeden Watson — Sun, 28 Mar 2021 07:26:04 +0000

For some reason, I find industrial spurs so fascinating! There was a spur here in Edmonton that crossed over Yellowhead Trail and went into Dominion Industrial, I always wanted to see a train there. Definitely won’t happen now as the spur was a victim of the Yellowhead freeway conversion. They still haven’t removed the tracks that cross Yellowhead Trail, probably cause they don’t want to have to close the road to do remove them.

By: Chris Doering

Chris Doering — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 16:23:41 +0000

In reply to Jon Calon. We're back! When I was driving trucks in the 1990s, I never once saw a train on the line, but did see that there was many active customers. What a great concept for a layout. Glad you liked the piece, it was a fun one to do.

By: Jon Calon

Jon Calon — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 04:00:33 +0000

Once, while driving soutbound on Deerfoot, I saw a GP or two pulling or pushing a few cars up the hill from the Deerfoot tunnel and they were putting up quite a smokeshow – That railway has quite the grades. Another time, I saw them sitting up near the Calgary Herald from the C-Train. I briefly gave thought to getting off the train at Barlow/Max Bell station to catch the next train downtown so I could get some pictures as we passed by. Unfortunately I decided against it, and have regretted it ever since as that was the last time I’ve seen anything up there.

A friend of mine has done up track plans for building a model railway in his basement based on the M Lead…I certainly hope he comes up with the funds to build it as a model of that spur would be a blast to switch.

According to him, there were two jobs at CP to work that section of railway. Apparently there was enough business back in the day to warrant sending an engine and crew beyond Barlow for a full day…

Thanks for the photos and story!
Jon

By: Chris Doering

Chris Doering — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 21:07:09 +0000

In reply to Bob Smith. Thank you Bob for sharing these wonderful memories. I too saw the occasional car on the line in that timeframe, but never an actual movement. Industrial tracks are going the way of the dinosaur. Still, the Foothills Industrial track seems to get a fair bit of action. I've randomly caught trains on it many times and even recently.

By: Bob Smith

Bob Smith — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 04:55:02 +0000

I was in that area in 2011-2012. Saw CP spotting the printing plant a couple times in broad daylight with a pair of GP9’s and a couple boxcars, but I didn’t carry a camera back then. I walked the track a few times too, the Co-op spur seemed to have fresh marks on the rails but I never did see a car spotted there. Google Earth’s October 2012 shot shows a single hopper spotted there, so they were definitely still getting rail service right to the end. Boxcars can be seen spotted at the very end on the line in Google’s 2008 shot, but that track was being pulled up by 2011.

I do recall seeing the CP crew run light engine up past Barlow Trail after spotting the printing plant, perhaps they were going for lunch.

CN is slowly abandoning some industrial zones in Edmonton, the H zone (142 St lead, the last level crossing on Yellowhead Trail) was taken out of service earlier this year and the track is now being pulled up. As you said, the crossings are always the last to disappear.

By: Chris Doering

Chris Doering — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 16:31:55 +0000

In reply to Eric. What you said - recall as a youth walking lot of industrial tracks, now long gone. There was a line that travelled down some back alley in the Beltline of Calgary that had a particularly gritty vibe. Old loading docks still in place and big warehouse doors, in now trendy office buildings and condos, hint at what was there. The rest, it's all gone. Thanks for commenting!

By: Eric

Eric — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 01:42:18 +0000

Good that you documented this. In a few more years there won’t be much left. I kick myself for not taking photos of industrial tracks that I saw in my youth that have vanished without a trace.

By: Chris Doering

Chris Doering — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 15:41:39 +0000

In reply to Nicholas. That's our approach to life!

By: Nicholas

Nicholas — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 05:15:41 +0000

Chris and Connie living in the moment! A better time.

By: Chris Doering

Chris Doering — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 15:03:59 +0000

In reply to Jason Sailer. Haha, so you're the other one? I love reading old timetables - they give a lot of hints to the goings on of a particular rail line. Thanks for commenting.

By: Jason Sailer

Jason Sailer — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 03:18:25 +0000

As an railway “archaeologist” I approve of this post! And thanks for the shout out, am always glad to contribute to bigdoer.com!