New business on the Kawartha Lakes Railway

[lock4244]

For those that follow this obscure CP operation, the Kawartha Lakes Railway (internal shortline) has landed a significant amount of new business. IKO, which operate a roofing material quarry operation in Madoc, Ontario, will begin shipping between 80 - 120 loads a week in covered hoppers (many former B&M cars still with fill lettering) out of the yard in Havelock, Ontario. Havelock is roughly 18-1/2 miles west of the quarry and the materials will be trucked in and loaded on the former GE Railcar tracks in the yard, which have already been prepared and cars are spotted awaiting lading (and a means to load them, no auger on site yet). This traffic had previously been handled by CN and loaded in their yard in Belleville, ON, which is roughly 29 miles south of the quarry.

Given the traffic projections, this will make IKO the largest shipper on line in terms of carloads. The current major shipper, Unimin in Blue Mtn / Nephton, seems to ship 60 to 80 loads a week, based on my observations of the three trains per week operated into Toronto.

B&M cars being used:
http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=78153

[Scottl]

That is interesting stuff.  I'll need to get up there one day to see Madoc, there are some old mines that would have probably been rail served too.

[Puddington]

That's outstanding news and it leads me to hope that we will see some roadbed and track improvements sooner, rather than later to increase speed and help eliminate some of the PSO's on portions of the line....

Guess it's time to head to Havelock for lunch at the ex CPR station (now pub) for some railfanning.....

[lock4244]

Scott, the iron ore mine in Marmora was rail served by CN, but the IKO operation in Madoc does not seem to have been served by rail at any point.

The Havelock Sub has seen a lot of work over the past few years, Pud. But it's still slow going. They've installed 80' sections of rail in curves, replacing the 39' sections, to lessen the rock'n'rolling through them. I often joke that a Havelock crew is more likely to get seasick then that of a lake freighter. Of note, the 80' rail is salvaged from the hump bowl at Agincourt, withing is largely, if not completely, gone now.

To truly improve the line, they'd need to raise the ties 12" to 18" out of the sand, and that isn't likely to happen on CP's dime.

[Puddington]

Scott, the iron ore mine in Marmora was rail served by CN, but the IKO operation in Madoc does not seem to have been served by rail at any point.

The Havelock Sub has seen a lot of work over the past few years, Pud. But it's still slow going. They've installed 80' sections of rail in curves, replacing the 39' sections, to lessen the rock'n'rolling through them. I often joke that a Havelock crew is more likely to get seasick then that of a lake freighter. Of note, the 80' rail is salvaged from the hump bowl at Agincourt, withing is largely, if not completely, gone now.

To truly improve the line, they'd need to raise the ties 12" to 18" out of the sand, and that isn't likely to happen on CP's dime.

A guy can dream right??????

[Scottl]

Apparently someone is planning to build a pump-storage hydro plant at the old Madoc iron mine.  With the tailings pile and the pit, they can get 120 m of head which is a lot in southern Ontario. 

[lock4244]

A guy can dream right??????

Heh, nothing finer than chasing a train at 10mph, Mike... for a photographer, like fish in a barrel