Right-Of-Way: Sydney to Louisbourg

The main line to Louisbourg starts in Sydney (mile 0.0) with the connection to the Sydney Sub of the Canadian National/Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railways. The line travels eastward, bridging over Muggah Creek and then on a grade crossing over Prince Street. This crossing is protected by gates (once controlled from a tower, now abandoned, but still standing) and flashing lights.

Once over the crossing the line quickly turns into four double-ended sidings. This is the holding yard from interchange traffic between the CNR/CB&CNS, S&L/DEVCO and the Sydney Steel Corporation's (SYSCO) railway.

About midway in this yard the four tracks cross Inglis Street (protected by flashing lights) at grade. Any cars left standing on these tracks must me broken at this point to allow for vehicle traffic to and from the steel mill. On the other side of the crossing are the spur tracks leading into the steel mill itself.

Map of the mainline from Sydney to Louisbourg on the Sydney
and Louisburg Railway and from Sydney to Glace Bay on the
Cape Breton Development Corporation Railway.

The mainline continues along and then crosses over Cape Breton Street on its way east. The tracks pass under the Victoria Road overpass and join up with the tracks leading to the International Coal Piers at Sydney Junction (mile 1.5). Assembly Yard (holding area for coal traffic to the shipping piers) is found at mile 3.0. It was at this point that the infamous Sydney "Coke Ovens" were located.

The mainline proceeds along Fredrick Street on its way to the wye at Victoria Junction (mile 4.0). At this point the Victoria Branch leads off the mainline and bridges River Ryan, and passes through Summit on its way to New Waterford and Lingan.

Summit was once the site of the Summit Coal Recovery Project (operation to extract usable coal from tailings of mines in the area.). New Waterford was once home to the #12 and #16 Collieries, both now defunct. The out-of-production Lingan Colliery and the still active Phalen Colliery are located in Lingan. Nova Scotia Power also has a coal-fired power generating station located in Lingan. This structure in built on a balloon track arrangement to facilitate the unloading of coal.

Back at Victoria Junction, both the S&L and DEVCO maintained a station here. This is also the site of DEVCO's coal preparation plant. Victoria Junction is also the location of DEVCO's maintenance shops (The Rail Center) and equipment storage yard which were formally located in Glace Bay, but move to the present location around 1984.

(The above trackage is the only track presently being used by DEVCO in its daily operations. The mainline is still in place to Glace Bay, but it has not been used since early 1997 when Nova Scotia Power closed its Seaboard Generating Station.)

Continuing eastward on the mainline, the tracks bridge both the Southwest and Blackbottom brooks before crossing over the Gardiner Highway and enter Gardiner Mines at mile 8.5. After leaving Gardiner Mines the tracks bridge a brook, then runs between Elm and Railroad Street and cross over Mitchell Avenue in Dominion. Flashing lights protects the grade crossing and there is a small shed to the right of the crossing, on the south side of the tracks. The tracks run by the Sandbar Bar & Grill and along Henry Street and cross a small brook on a bridge.

This was the former location of the Dominion Station (mile 10.0) and is now the site of a retail coal yard (not in use). This yard is located in the middle of a double ended siding and is surrounded by a chain link fence. The tracks continue along Station Street, go through a cut and pass over Neville Street at grade. The line passes by a school and graveyard and bridges Cadegan Brook on a fill and culvert.

The line crosses Main Street at grade and travels along Station Street in the Bridgeport district (mile 12.0) of Glace Bay. There a double ended siding and a small two track yard, that once was used to store coal traffic from the #1, #1B and #26 collieries located in the area. The four tracks cross MacIntrye's Lane at grade. The yard tracks, siding and mainline are located on a fill after this point.

The mainline crosses Woodward Street, a dirt road, protected only by cross bucks. Flashing lights protects the grade crossing over Wallace's Road and there is a small shed to the right of the crossing and south of the tracks. The line continues along Tracey Street then travels on a fill before meeting Reservoir Avenue at grade, protected by cross bucks.

The line travels along Railway Street and passes the former site of the #20 colliery. This section of Glace Bay is know as Hub Junction (mile 14.0) on an old S&L Railway timetable. There is also a small yard here, that was a staging area for coal cars in the Glace Bay area. It was also the former location of a scale track and several small maintenance sheds.

The mainline continues over King Edward Street, which is protected by flashing lights with a small shed to the right of the crossing and north of the tracks. The line runs between McKeen and Queen Street for a short distance before crossing Cottage Street at grade. This crossing is also protected by flashing lights, with a small shed to the right of crossing and north of the tracks. The roadbed runs along McKeen Street to a flashing light protected grade crossing with Main Street.

On the other side of this crossing, is the site of DEVCO's Machine Shop and Foundry. This was also the former location of the Glace Bay Station (mile 15.0), freight house and General Offices of the S&L Railway. It was also the location of roundhouse and engine facilities before DEVCO moved these to Victoria Junction.

The tracks continue along Union Street and across Reserve Street at grade, protected by flashing lights, with a small shed to the left of the crossing and north of tracks. The line runs on a medium between Union and Mechanic Streets then crosses Highland Street at grade, protected by flashing lights. The tracks continue along Union Street then along Renwick brook. The tracks are located on a high fill and cross Dominion Street and Renwick Brook on a steel bridge that was removed in early 1997.

The tracks continue on a fill, then turn into a small three-track yard. This was the location of a spur that served the #4 Colliery, #24 Colliery, and the Seaboard Power Plant and also another spur track that served the #11 Colliery.

The main line crosses over Tower Road at grade, protected by cross bucks then travels through the small community of Tower Road. Caledonia Junction (mile 16.0) was once a Junction point of two branches; the 6 mile Number 6 Branch leading to Donkin, where the #6 Colliery was located, and the other branch to Reserve, the site of the #5 Colliery.

The line travels along Big Glace Bay Lake, passes by the Glace Bay pumping Station on a high fill and crosses MacAskills Brook on a high steel bridge. After the water crossing, the line crosses Marconi Road at grade. At benchmark 60.2, the line bridges Sand Lake Brook on a short steel bridge, and runs along this waterway.

The tracks cross Sand Lake Road (BM: 89.6) and travel along Sand Lake. This area of the line travels though some think growths of forest on its way to Louisbourg. The crossing of Back Pit Road is at benchmark 110.7.

At Morien Junction (mile 21.0) there was a passing siding, a small yard and two branch lines. The two-mile Morien branch leading to the station and wye track at Morien. The other one ran to Birch Grove and once served the #21 and #22 Collieries.

(This section of the line, Morien Junction to Louisbourg, was abandoned shortly after the Cape Breton Development Corporation was formed. The line was badly in need of repairs and the winter shipping piers at Louisbourg were no longer required.)

The mainline continued along Morrison Lake and crossed over the Old Cow Bay Road at grade. At this point the line entered a very swampy area and bridged the Morrison Brook once, and the Black Brook three times, before hitting drier land.

At Homeville, mile 25.0, there was both a station and double-ended passing siding. Just after leaving Homeville, at Milton (mile 25.5), the line passed the spur track to Broughton that once served the Broughton Mine.

The tracks continue east, bridging Mill Stream and crossing the Mira Highway then paralleling it for some time. The tracks entered Mira (mile 28.5), where there once was a station and also a large swing bridge (pictured on front cover of S&L Commemorative History) that allowed water traffic to sail up the Mira River. The bridge is still there, but it is now used for automobile track.

The line then ran on a fill over Catalone Lake, bridged a small brook, then ran along the lake. The tracks crossed the Mira Highway then ran on another fill over McDonald Pond to Dixons (mile 30.5). The line bridges a brook, crossed Catalone Road and enters Catalone at mile 33.0. The line entered a swampy area, ran along Grand Lake and bridged both the Sixmile and Lorraine Brooks before entering Clark's Siding (mile 35).

Louisbourg (mile 39.0) was the winter shipping point for the Dominion Coal Company. It was also the end of the main line. Louisbourg was the site of a freight house, a station, and small yard and engine facilities. At present the Sydney and Louiburg Railway Historical Society is housed in the old S&L station.

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Copyright ©1998-99 Robert Chant,
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