Railway crews are down to one set of rails during the removal of Canadian Pacific tracks near Renfrew Avenue - Date unknown Peter Clark.

29 March 2012

Phase Two Underway for CPR Line

Renfrew Ontario - The Canadian Pacific Railway has entered year two of a three-year plan to remove and recycle the material from its discontinued line that runs from Smiths Falls to Mattawa.
 
Employees working for the Manitoba company, Cando Ltd., worked well into last fall salvaging equipment from Canadian Pacific Line. Much of the sorting of smaller equipment took place at a feverish place in downtown Renfrew.
 
A&K Railroad Materials, through its Canadian subsidiary of Canadian Rail Track Material, won the salvage contract for the rail line that runs about 185 miles, or nearly 300 kilometres, between Smiths Falls and Mattawa. A&K, in turn, subcontracts out the dismantling and salvaging of the railway equipment.
 
According to Canadian Pacific spokesman Kevin Hrysak in Calgary, the focus this year is on removing railway equipment between Renfrew and Smiths Falls.
 
Phase three is scheduled to start in late 2012 and finish in 2013, with a focus on completing salvage of the railway lines between Renfrew and Mattawa, said Hrysak.
 
"We'll continue until later this year," said Hrysak. "That's the plan, subject to change, with plans to finish by the end of 2013."
 
It's definitely a large-scale contract, said Hrysak. He said a lot of the salvaged ties, rails, spikes, and tie plates will be recycled within Canadian Pacific's network, more likely on secondary branch lines.
 
The first 40 kilometres (25 miles), between Renfrew and Cobden, was salvaged last fall.
 
Now the work continues north of Cobden, with some engines and crew remaining in downtown Renfrew to transport equipment from the area.
 
According to details from Canadian Pacific last fall, some of that equipment will also be sold. Some of the youngest Renfrew County tracks were only laid in 2006, meaning they have a long shelf life remaining.
 
The salvage process involves three major types of equipment for wedging and lifting of the actual rails, for prying of the railway spikes, and for collection of the spikes, plates, and anchors. The latter is commonly referred to as ATM, or Other Track Material.
 
Canadian Pacific's notice of discontinuance of the railway between Smiths Falls and Mattawa was filed 30 May 2011.
 
Just before 2 p.m. on 17 Sep 2012, the last train crossed Renfrew's iron bridge on the Bonnechere River. After the crossing, the tracks were pulled up and loaded onto cars pulled by the same engine, driven by retired railway engineer Bob Emond of Renfrew.
 
After the C.P. bed is abandoned, possibly in late 2013, the property will be transferred to Canadian Pacific's real estate division. Buyers at that time, it is expected, will include the County of Renfrew. Local snowmobile association members have already told the county the railway bed would be a windfall for snowmobile travel in the region.
 
Meanwhile, Hrysak says CP is in conversation "with one party" about the railway bed's future. That multi-county group includes Renfrew County Warden Bob Sweet, who has been providing county council with only generalities about the preliminary discussions.
 
Steve Newman.