Canadian Railroads > 20 Years Ago in Halifax

At 11:00 on August 10, 2002, CN train 136 was heading to Ocean Terminals after dropping most of the train in Rockingham, a couple miles behind them.  136 is on the HOT-Rock Connecting Track, the north track of the former double-track mainline from the Halifax VIA station to Windsor Jct. VIA had a station here (Armdale) when the RDCs were still running, and a building supply dealer and Sears both had spurs on either side of the tracks, hence the remains of a crossover just ahead of 2642.  In the early '90s CN lowered the north track under the numerous concrete arch bridges, like the one in the background carrying Mumford Rd. over the track, to increase clearances for double-stacks.  The south track became the defacto passenger track, but with only 2 trains a day, CN started to lift it in 2000.  A few years ago a federal government grant was announced to put the south track back in to increase capacity and reduce truck traffic on downtown streets, but nothing tangible has happened with that yet.

GTD 

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That is a really neat shot, with so many details to it. Is that a chain-link fence on the right? That looks perilous, unless you're on a step-stool and leaning out a bit.
Fred

It is a chain link fence.  I was standing on the foundation of a light standard to get a view over it.  Of course I could have just gone to the hole in the fence that the locals cut as soon as CN repairs it, but I wouldn't have the height.  There is a complex of apartment buildings on the far side of the track, and a WalMart, Sobeys and Winners on my side.  Sears is long gone, of course.  Needless to say, trespassing is rampant.

Amazingly, birch trees have sprouted out of all that rock in the last 20 years or so, and this view is pretty much gone.

GTD