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Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway
(CB&CNS: 1993 - Present)
by Robert Chant
FOREWORD: This represents a work in progress, eventually I will
add more details about the line, operations and equipment as the information becomes
available and time permits. (RAC)
The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia’s mainline was once a
secondary line owned by the Canadian National Railway. Canadian National placed the line
on the selling block and it was purchased by Texas based RailTex Corporation in October of
1993. Under Canadian National, traffic on the line was in decline, but since the
take-over, this has changed. RailTex has purchased new equipment and has taken every step
to ensure the future viability of its railway.
The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway operates between
Truro, on mainland Nova Scotia, where it interchanges with Canadian National’s
mainline to Halifax, and Sydney, on Cape Breton Island, where it interchanges with the
SYSCO (Sydney Steel) Railway and DEVCO (the Cape Breton Development Corporation Railway).
FIG 1: Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia's rail line from
Truro on mainland Nova Scotia, to Sydney on Cape Breton Island.
The railway has two subdivisions: the 116.2 mile Hopewell
Subdivision, running between Truro and Havre Boucher, and the 113.9 mile Sydney
Subdivision, from Harvre Boucher to Sydney. This mainline runs though some very beautiful
areas, for a total distance of about 230 miles. The railway operates one mainline freight
train a day in each direction, but there is no VIA passenger service on the line.
The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway maintains yards at
Sydney, the location of their car repair facility; a small yard at North Sydney, for
container transfer; Port Hawkesbury, the location of the main office and drop point for
traffic going to the Point Tupper spur; Harve Boucher, mainly for storage; and at
Stellarton, for traffic going to the Treton spur. The railway has a contract with DEVCO
for locomotive maintenance, and the work is performed about one mile east of Sydney, at
DEVCO’s Victoria Junction Shops.
Major traffic sources include the coal traffic from DEVCO, heading
for Nova Scotia Power’s coal fired generating stations at Point Tupper and Trenton.
Steel traffic to and from the Sydney Steel Mill. The mill receives scrap iron in gondolas
and ships rails in specially designed rail carriers. North Sydney is the loading point for
container shipments to and from the province of Newfoundland.
At Point Tupper there is the Nova Scotia’s Power’s
generating station and the Stora Forest Products pulp and paper mill. Trenton is home to a
paper mill owned by the Kimberly-Clark Company, the Trenton Generating Station and the old
Hawker-Sidley (now owned by a US firm) railway car manufacturer. Connections to the rest
of the world are made at the Truro interchange yard that is Canadian National owned and
operated.
The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway has 13 units on its
roster; eight M630’s used for mainline power (2003, 2015, 2016, 2029, 2032, 2034,
2035, 2039) and five RS18’s used for yard and local service (3627, 3675, 3716, 3842,
3852). The railway has a contract with DEVCO for locomotive maintenance, and the work is
performed about one mile east of Sydney, at DEVCO’s Victoria Junction Shops.
The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway maintains yards at
Sydney, the location of their car repair facility; a small yard at North Sydney, for
container transfer; Port Hawkesbury, the location of the main office and drop point for
traffic going to the Point Tupper spur; Harve Boucher, mainly for storage; and at
Stellarton, for traffic going to the Treton spur.
©1998 Robert Chant, all rights reserved.
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Copyright 2011, Robert A. Chant, all rights reserved.
Last updated on 19 December 2011.
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