Barrie-Collingwood Railway
Encyclopedia
The Barrie-Collingwood Railway is a shortline railway operating between the towns of Innisfil
and Collingwood
in south central Ontario
, Canada
. The line was started in 1998 and runs on abandoned Canadian National (CN) trackage which was collectively purchased by the railroad's namesake municipalities. The operator of the line is Cando Contracting Limited, based out of Brandon, Manitoba
.
north to Barrie
as well as its entire Meaford Subdivision which runs from Barrie to Collingwood. CN had plans to rip up its tracks, however the City of Barrie and the Town of Collingwood stepped in to purchase the lines to maintain their rail infrastructures. Barrie purchased the remainder of the Newmarket Sub, the Meaford Sub from Barrie to Utopia in Essa Township
and the remainder of the abandoned Beeton Subdivision which runs south from Barrie to Innisfil and connects with the other two subs at the old Allandale Yard in Barrie. Collingwood purchased the rest of the Meaford Sub from Utopia on.
In 1998, the BCRY was started to service various customers in Innisfil, Barrie, Colwell, Angus, Stayner and Collingwood along the Beeton and Meaford Subs. The line crosses the Canadian Pacific (CP) at Utopia, and a small interchange and maintenance yard was built there. This is where Maintenance Of Way (MOW) equipment and the locomotive are stored when not in use. The Newmarket Sub is not used by the BCRY; it was purchased to preserve future GO Transit
expansion north from Bradford, which re-opened in late 2007.
In 2006, the first rail spur in Ontario since 1990 was constructed to service a new customer, a lumber company in Barrie.
, an EMD GP9, #1001, which was formerly Ohio Central
(OHCR) #94 and Baltimore and Ohio
(B&O) #6594. Another GP9, #1000, was in service as well, but has since been transferred to the Orangeville-Brampton Railway
(OBRY), another shortline operated by Cando. BCRY also possesses various MOW equipment and a road railer.
The track is over a century old and thus, is in very poor condition. Due to this fact, the speed limit along the line is 10 miles per hour (16.1 km/h).
(SP) scheme for a National Geographic Channel
production entitled Runaway Train, re-enacting the 1989 San Bernardino train derailment
. It represented SP EMD SD45-2 #7551, the lead engine in that accident. Rail enthusiasts are quick to note the obvious differences between the two locomotive types.
Innisfil, Ontario
Innisfil is a town in Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe in Simcoe County, immediately south of Barrie and 80 kilometres north of Toronto...
and Collingwood
Collingwood, Ontario
Collingwood is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is situated on Nottawasaga Bay at the southern point of Georgian Bay.-History:...
in south central Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The line was started in 1998 and runs on abandoned Canadian National (CN) trackage which was collectively purchased by the railroad's namesake municipalities. The operator of the line is Cando Contracting Limited, based out of Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
.
History
In 1996, CN abandoned its Newmarket Subdivision from BradfordBradford, Ontario
Bradford is the primary country urban area of the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury, Ontario, in Canada. It overlooks a beautiful and prosperous farming community, known as The Holland Marsh, located on the Holland River that flows into Lake Simcoe...
north to Barrie
Barrie, Ontario
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
as well as its entire Meaford Subdivision which runs from Barrie to Collingwood. CN had plans to rip up its tracks, however the City of Barrie and the Town of Collingwood stepped in to purchase the lines to maintain their rail infrastructures. Barrie purchased the remainder of the Newmarket Sub, the Meaford Sub from Barrie to Utopia in Essa Township
Essa, Ontario
Essa is a township in Ontario, Canada, west and south of the city of Barrie in the County of Simcoe. It is bounded by County Road 90 to its north, County Road 27 to its east, and Ontario Highway 89 to its south...
and the remainder of the abandoned Beeton Subdivision which runs south from Barrie to Innisfil and connects with the other two subs at the old Allandale Yard in Barrie. Collingwood purchased the rest of the Meaford Sub from Utopia on.
In 1998, the BCRY was started to service various customers in Innisfil, Barrie, Colwell, Angus, Stayner and Collingwood along the Beeton and Meaford Subs. The line crosses the Canadian Pacific (CP) at Utopia, and a small interchange and maintenance yard was built there. This is where Maintenance Of Way (MOW) equipment and the locomotive are stored when not in use. The Newmarket Sub is not used by the BCRY; it was purchased to preserve future GO Transit
GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
expansion north from Bradford, which re-opened in late 2007.
In 2006, the first rail spur in Ontario since 1990 was constructed to service a new customer, a lumber company in Barrie.
Decommissioning of Collingwood Portion of Line
As of July 15, 2011, the Town of Collingwood has decided to decommission its portion of the line for financial reasons. It was costing taxpayers up to $425,000 annually to keep providing regular rail service to essentially one customer. The trackage between Utopia and Collingwood will most likely be ripped up and sold for scrap, ending 156 years of rail service to the town. It is unclear what the City of Barrie's plans are for its portion of the railway and therefore, the line as a whole's future.Equipment and Track
Currently, the BCRY has only one locomotiveLocomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
, an EMD GP9, #1001, which was formerly Ohio Central
Central Ohio Railroad
The Central Ohio Railroad was the third railroad to enter Columbus, Ohio, and the first to connect Columbus with the east coast. It eventually became a part of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.- History :...
(OHCR) #94 and Baltimore and Ohio
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
(B&O) #6594. Another GP9, #1000, was in service as well, but has since been transferred to the Orangeville-Brampton Railway
Orangeville-Brampton Railway
The Orangeville-Brampton Railway is a long short line railway between Orangeville and Streetsville Junction in Mississauga Ontario. It passes through the City of Brampton and the Town of Caledon....
(OBRY), another shortline operated by Cando. BCRY also possesses various MOW equipment and a road railer.
The track is over a century old and thus, is in very poor condition. Due to this fact, the speed limit along the line is 10 miles per hour (16.1 km/h).
Trivia
BCRY 1001 was temporarily repainted in the Southern PacificSouthern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
(SP) scheme for a National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
production entitled Runaway Train, re-enacting the 1989 San Bernardino train derailment
San Bernardino train disaster
The San Bernardino Train Disaster, sometimes known as the Duffy Street Incident, is a combination of two separate but related incidents which occurred in San Bernardino, California: A runaway train derailment on May 12, 1989, and the subsequent failure on May 25, 1989, of a petroleum pipeline...
. It represented SP EMD SD45-2 #7551, the lead engine in that accident. Rail enthusiasts are quick to note the obvious differences between the two locomotive types.