Odds and ends

[seaclock22]

I noticed that some photos were posted yesterday on the Facebook page of the removal of tracks in Coldbrook (I think?). Sadly I didn't have the presence of mind to document the removal of the tracks in the Yarmouth area back in 1990; I would dearly love to have photos of that sad event now! But in any case, I'd love to see as much documentation -- photographic or otherwise -- of the removal of the infrastructure as possible so keep it coming. Any chance of these photos being added to the gallery here?

I've been lax in posting odds and ends I've found over the months so I'll try to make up for it now. I occasionally come across a mention of our railway on Twitter (we are not forgotten! ) so here are a couple. I hope the links work:

https://twitter.com/SinglePOINTca/statu ... 5096830426

https://twitter.com/PKMNred200/status/1 ... 6795793409

The second one left me thinking. I don't recall what the status of the DAR was within the CP network. If CP had sold the tracks to another railroad and it had kept the entire line operating, would VIA not have had to shut down the service anyway? I saw a video shortly after the CP-KCS merger in which it was pointed out that by the early 1990s CP got rid of all its track east of Quebec City. Thus it seems to me that even if the DAR had not been losing money the line either would have been shut down or sold anyway in which case no matter how well the VIA service was performing the service would have been canned.

I saw a couple stories on the CBC from two or more years back about the twinning work being done around Windsor. I'd be interested if anyone has any updates on the cost or progress. The first story is from October 2020 and states that the cost of this 9 km project is $390 million. 390 million!! I'm curious if there was any outcry at this enormous price tag. (Certain answer: NO.) The second story mentions a figure of $151 million though the cost was expected to run over budget (you don't say) so I don't know how the two figures quite fit together. In any case, this likely confirms what I've said before and will say again: the problem with railroads is not that they're expensive. The problem is they don't have enough people in their corner. People are largely ignorant of the benefits of trains and unconcerned about the costs, of all kinds, of roads. Insofar as roads recoup their costs (do they?) it's only because governments impose taxes and fees by law which you have to pay under threat of severe penalty. People want their roads and their cars and they will pay absolutely any price to have them. How much of the DAR could be replaced for $390 million? I'm guessing more than 9 km.

N.S. spending $7.4M on tunnel and overpass in hopes rail line will be used again

Highway 101 twinning project completion delayed until 2024

Do we have a presence on Twitter? Any plans to do so?

[stem]

Don't know how I missed this post but better later than never to respond. Apart from the obvious benefits financially compared to roads, your observation that " People want their roads and their cars and they will pay absolutely any price to have them. " is the root of the issue when realizing that a passenger railroad will never return. Without doubt, the convenience of cars and trucks to go where no railway goes on a completely unscheduled basis is the new normal. Trains were king when there were few or no cars and when many stations and flag stops existed for convenience.

As much I love the railways of yesterday and expecially what they contributed to our history and development, they are passé in all regards except for heavy commuter traffic areas and for unit trains. The freight business is of course serving the imported and manufactured goods and resource industries in Canada, all of which have essentially vanished in Nova Scotia or are so small scale as to be uneconomical.

Passenger fares alone in Nova Scotia could not cover the cost of a railway. Unfortunately Nova Scotia has never truly reinvented itself since the heady days of sails, mining, heavy manufacturing, fish and apples. Each one of those has it's own story of demise that contributed to a loss of revenue for the railway.

Until there is a significant industry that requires rail service in the western side of the province and thus passenger service as an adjunct it is sad to say the rails have vanished and won't return.

Even the cost and land required for an excursion or museum small scale run is as well prohibitive although I still hold out a bit of hope that we may see a small scale run that diesel locomotives could run on. I say diesel because the cost of steam to a small operation is astronomical.

And so, in agreement, the railways in Canada had no further use for small scale short lines and so the DAR and the HSW had to go.