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Orangeville-Brampton Railway (OBRY)

That is the one benefit of the OBRY’s conversion. It will connect to two other existing rail trails, allowing you to get from Brampton or Tottenham to Elora almost entirely off-road by bike (there’s a short on-street detour in Fergus). Theoretically, you’d be able to go all the way to Owen Sound, but the Dufferin County portion of the old railway is in poor condition.

What’s needed next is a better connection between Elora and Guelph and completion of the Guelph to Goderich trail, which has several gaps where CP removed bridges, and improvements to the old Owen Sound line between Orangeville and Dundalk.

From Tottenham, there isn’t a clear bike-friendly way to go to Barrie, though part of the old Beeton Sub is in good condition near Cooksville and Thornton.
Is there any plan or funding to fix these gaps?
 
Is there any plan or funding to fix these gaps?

The website for the charity working on the Guelph to Goderich Trail is here:


They currently have on major project on gap removal underway:


Some upgrades were done on the CP Grey Trail (Orangeville to Owen Sound) last year.


Not sure about the Beeton sub..........but I'll do some digging.
 
The website for the charity working on the Guelph to Goderich Trail is here:


They currently have on major project on gap removal underway:


Some upgrades were done on the CP Grey Trail (Orangeville to Owen Sound) last year.


Not sure about the Beeton sub..........but I'll do some digging.
I was wracking my brain trying to figure out where a "tunnel" would be in that part of the province, that has the topography of the Prairies. Turns out it is a filled-in road underpass. Ya, the county really dropped the ball when they did that.
 
I was wracking my brain trying to figure out where a "tunnel" would be in that part of the province, that has the topography of the Prairies. Turns out it is a filled-in road underpass. Ya, the county really dropped the ball when they did that.

Took me a bit to find the right Sat. Photos myself.

Below is a shot of the trail, from Blyth Road, just outside Exeter Ontario (road 25). You can see the elevation difference and why there was a once a tunnel there. Filling that in was a very peculiar thing to do.

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The filled-in tunnel means scrambling up the embankment, just to the cross the road and go back down it again............

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That sandy gravel does not look like it gives particularly good traction either.
 
The website for the charity working on the Guelph to Goderich Trail is here:


They currently have on major project on gap removal underway:


Some upgrades were done on the CP Grey Trail (Orangeville to Owen Sound) last year.


Not sure about the Beeton sub..........but I'll do some digging.

Between Alimill (Beeton Junction) and Veterans Road the trail is in very good shape - the section closer to Alimill was only improved in the last five years.

There’s a need for Simcoe County and the City of Barrie to install cycling infrastructure on Veterans Road to get into Barrie itself. There’s also a need for a designated cycling route between the end of the Caledon Trailway in Tottenham and Alimill. Most of the ROW not a trail is still in use by SSR and BCRY. It’s also a real shame that Halton Hills never allowed for trail use on its portion of the old Beeton Sub - it’s not an easy ride up and down and up through Glen Willams and Terra Cotta.
 
Between Alimill (Beeton Junction) and Veterans Road the trail is in very good shape - the section closer to Alimill was only improved in the last five years.

There’s a need for Simcoe County and the City of Barrie to install cycling infrastructure on Veterans Road to get into Barrie itself. There’s also a need for a designated cycling route between the end of the Caledon Trailway in Tottenham and Alimill. Most of the ROW not a trail is still in use by SSR and BCRY. It’s also a real shame that Halton Hills never allowed for trail use on its portion of the old Beeton Sub - it’s not an easy ride up and down and up through Glen Willams and Terra Cotta.

I see an old ROW mostly intact'ish....... interrupted by one private road/driveway until its most southern extent where it vanishes in a subdivision.

1672629451590.png


If its been sold off, that's a shame, if not, it looks quite practical to reestablish, except for what's out right gone at the southern extent.
 
Looking towards Fraxa Junction.
DJI_0724 (1).jpg


Tracks still intact in the industrial park area.
DJI_0728.jpg


Spur off of Tideman Drive.
DJI_0729 (2).jpg


Customer spur and end of track looking towards C-Line
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Customer track off of Robb Boulevard.
DJI_0731.jpg


Crossing at Broadway paved over and switch removed.
DJI_0738.jpg


Crossings paved over on Dawson Road and Centre Street.
DJI_0737 (3).jpg
 
What’s needed next is a better connection between Elora and Guelph and completion of the Guelph to Goderich trail, which has several gaps where CP removed bridges, and improvements to the old Owen Sound line between Orangeville and Dundalk.
Further to your comment here are some pictures of the Grey County portion of the Owen Sound Sub between Dundalk and Owen Sound, which was stone dusted this year. Pictures from Ceylon.

1673845746703.jpeg

1673845783524.jpeg
 
Does CP still do the switching on the lower end of the line? I saw CP crews clearing a switch for a local with some tank cars around 7 Alpha Mills Rd, Mississauga, ON L5N 1H4
 
Does CP still do the switching on the lower end of the line? I saw CP crews clearing a switch for a local with some tank cars around 7 Alpha Mills Rd, Mississauga, ON L5N 1H4

Yes. CP has always kept control of the first mile or so of the former Orangeville line. That includes customers in Mississauga. The CP-owned line ends north of Highway 401, near the old Derry Road alignment.
 

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