Canadian National Railways
Southern Ontario District		Stratford Division
Port Rowan Subdivision

Location:

The Port Rowan Subdivision extends from a junction with the Otterville Subdivision at Simcoe, mile 7.5, to Port Rowan on Lake Erie, a distance of 17.34 miles.

Country served:

The country served is a prosperous, well settled farming country, producing chiefly apples, small fruits, tobacco, etc. Port Rowan is a centre of a considerable fishing industry and there is a volume of fish shipped from this point by express.

There is no industrial development and no prospect of any. There has been in recent years an annual increase in the acreage of apples and tobacco, but owing; to the establishment at Simcoe of cold storage plant for handling apples and a warehouse at Delhi by the Imperial Tobacco Company for the accommodation of tobacco, the apples and tobacco are being trucked to these points by the growing for storage and. furtherance.

Other railways:

In the event of abandonment, Simcoe will be the nearest railway station tor all communities served. Simcoe is also served by the L.E. & N. Railway, an electrically operated subsidiary of the C.P.R. In the event of abandonment of the Port Rowan Subdivision, traffic trucked from municipalities presently served would become competitive with the L.E. & N. at Simcoe.

Highways and roads:

There is an improved Provincial Highway from Simcoe to Port Rowan, which closely parallels the Port Rowan Subdivision and serves the same municipalities. This highway is now paved from Simcoe to Vittoria, 7.4 miles, and for approximately 5 miles east from Port Rowan. It is. no doubt, the intention to complete the paving of this road in the near future. There is an improved road connecting Vittoria with Port Ryerse on Lake Erie. The following is a table of distance and road conditions:

	Miles from—					Road conditions.
	Simcoe	Vittoria	Walsh	Forrestville	St. Williams	Road conditions.
Vittoria	7.4					Paved
Walsh	10.9	3.5				Gravel
Forrestville	14.5	7.1	3.6			Gravel
St. Williams	18.2	10.8	7.3	3.7		Gravel
Port Rowan	23.4	16.0	12.5	8.9	5.2	Paved

Bus operations:

The Southern Ontario Coach Lines Limited now operate a regular bus schedule between Simcoe and Port Rowan.

Trucking operations:

There are no regular through trucking services at present, but there are a number of local truckers operating especially between local points and Simcoe.

Train service:

The present train service is as follows:

No.234			Daily except Sunday	No.235
11.08	AM	Lv.	Simcoe	Ar.	3.15	PM
11.50	AM	Ar.	Port Rowan	Lv.	2.30	PM

This is a turn around service operating from Hamilton, leaving Hamilton in the morning at 9.00 AM. and returning at 6.50 PM. On the return trip train runs into and out of Port Dover from Simcoe before returning to Hamilton. Train operates via Jarvis and the Hagersville Subdivision.

A Wayfreight extra leaves Port Rowan 7.00 AM daily except Sunday for Hamilton via Port Dover, and another Wayfreight extra leaves Hamilton 7.00 AM. daily except Sunday for Port Rowan.

Passenger traffic:

Passenger traffic is exceedingly light, as shown by statement of traffic handled on these trains, attached.

Mail service:

Mail is now handled by passenger trains above noted. In the event of abandonment, this service can be satisfactorily protected by trucking service handling express and L.C.L. traffic.

Express traffic:

Express earnings in the twelve months ending October 31st, 1930, were $20,509. The Express Department have reported as follows:

Considerable fish is handled from Port Rowan, often in carloads, and the Government Forestry Plant at St. Williams load cars to capacity during the shipping season. Motor truck service could not be satisfactorily substituted for train service on this line.

We do not feel that this point is well taken by the Express Department and consider that in case of necessity this traffic could be satisfactorily handled by motor truck.

Telegraphs:

There is a complete telephone system throughout the territory and traffic could be handled through Simcoe by telephone.

Maintenance of way & structures:

General Superintendent, Mr. Hudson estimates the cost of maintenance of way and structures for the year 1930 at $10,784.

The Chief Engineer remarks as follows:

"The figure of $10,784. per year given by Mr. Hudson is the actual direct expenditures incurred for the past year and includes nothing for track, bridges, or building maintenance work that comes in cycles such as, laying new rail, ballasting, bridge and trestle replacement, building replacement, etc.:

Over a period of years this subdivision could not be maintained for the figure quoted by Mr. Hudson although as above stated this was the actual for the last available period. For average conditions I think we could estimate maintenance of way expenditure for a line such as this at approximately $1,250. per mile per annum.

Earnings and traffic:

Attached hereto are the following statements:

Statement of traffic and earnings at all stations for the twelve months ending October 31st. 1930, showing division as between Foreign Lines proportion of Interline Revenue and C.N.R. earnings.
Analysis of carload traffic received and forwarded from all stations during twelve months ending October 31st. 1930.

It will be noted from statement No. 1 that C.N.R. earnings, exclusive of Foreign Line proportion of interline revenue amounted to $83,620. for the twelve months period.

Expenses:

The annual cost of maintenance and operation is estimated as follows:

Maintenance of way and structures—17 miles @ $1,250					21,250.
Station staffs and expenses					5,260.
Train Service
	Passenger miles	10,854	per annum
	Wayfreight miles	10,854	per annum
		21,708	per annum
	Wages			1,182.
	Fuel			5,449.
	Locomotive Maintenance			2,692.
	Car Maintenance			2,795.
	Total				12,118.
Total					38,628.

Note: Train service is part of through service, consequently wage savings are smaller than usual.

Trucking possibilities:

The possibilities of establishing a trucking service operating from Simcoe to serve the municipalities on this subdivision in the event of abandonment of rail operation has been studied.

Based on traffic handled in the year 1930, but excluding crushed stone and road material, which movement cannot be expected to continue, and gasoline which would either be trucked direct by the Oil Companies or distributed from Simcoe by them, the estimated annual cost of trucking service is:

L.C.L. freight and express	5,050.
Carload traffic	18,312.
Total	23,362.

This estimate is based on either owning or contracting for a 3-ton truck, making a daily except Sunday round trip Simcoe to Port Rowan to handle L.C.L. freight, express and mail traffic and the handling of carload traffic on a tonnage basis by contract.

The estimated coat of trucking as above shows a saving of $15,266. per annum as compared with the present cost of operation, but does not inc1ude the following:

Stone and road material	124	cars	5,498.
Carload traffic	23	cars	2,814.
Total			8,312.

In the event of trucking, Simcoe could become the distributing centre for all inbound commodities destined to territory that is now local to the C.N.R. and would open an avenue for competing lines, i.e. the L.E & N.Ry. and through trucking services, for this traffic, unless the C.N.R. controlled the trucking service as an auxiliary and absorbed the cost of re-handling and trucking in the through freight rate. As freight rates, especially on inbound commodities are generally the same to points served by the Port Rowan Subdivision as to Simcoe, there would be serious objections to a proposal to substitute trucking for rail service unless the cost of handling from Simcoe to destination was absorbed by the Railway.

Conclusion:

Earnings for the period under consideration, exclusive of Foreign line proportion of Interline revenue was $83,000. Excluding cement, sand, gravel and other road materials amounting to $5498., on which revenue cannot be expected to continue after the completion of the paving between Simcoe and Port Rowan, we have C.N.R. earnings of $78,122. The average annual expense of operation as per detail given above is $38,628., which leaves a balance of $39,494. for the handling of $78,l22. worth of business to and from Simcoe over other parts of the system.

In the anticipated expenses is included Maintenance of Way and Structures costs for a term of years amounting to $21,250. per anumm, as compared with actual present costs of $10,784, and as long as maintenance can be held down to this figure, the favorable balance is $49,960.

It may therefore, be concluded that the line is profitable and unless a cheaper alternative method of handling is resorted to, the subdivision should be continued.

The establishment of a trucking service by the Railway between Simcoe and Port Rowan and absorption by the Railway of the trucking costs will show a saving of some $15,000. over the estimated cost of operation and $4,451 over the present cost of operation, but would entail loss of revenue on oil and gas of $2,814., and would not provide for the movement of road material which can be expected to continue for a few years, or would not provide tor passenger service.

It would. therefore, not be profitable for the Railway to undertake trucking service at the present time, but when conditions necessitate any material increase in maintenance of way expenses, or there is further change in traffic conditions, the possibilities of abandonment and substitution of trucking service should be given consideration.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that we continue to maintain and operate this line for the present.

Office of General Supt. Transportation
Toronto, Ont., February 24, 1932.

Canadian National Railways
Southern Ontario District		Stratford Division
Port Rowan Subdivision
Memorandum as to villages served

Simcoe:

Mile 0. Agency station. Junction of Otterville Subdivision, Cayuga Subdivision and Port Rowan Subdivision. Population 4,650. Important industrially account factory of American Can Company and canning factories. Located on Kings Highway No. 5.

Vittoria:

Mileage 5.5. Agency station, 6 car capacity siding. Population 540. Flag stations served — Forrestville and Walsh. Other municipalities—Turkey Point, Normandale, Port Ryerse. Paved Road to Simcoe, distance about 6 miles.

Industries—Norfolk Fruit Growers Assoc'n. apple packing plant—private siding, J. E. Butler & Son, General Contractor, planing mill—served by public tracks.

Traffic and earnings. year ending Oct. 31st, 1930:

		Cars	Tons	Gross Revenue	C.N. Revenue
L.C.L.	Received		97	$ 829.	$ 829.
L.C.L.	Forwarded		22	243.	243.
Carload	Received	87	2827	14,306.	5,768.
Carload	Forwarded	77	1474	9,503.	8,765.
Passenger				680.	680.
Express				2,045.	2,045.
Total				$ 27,606.	$ 18,330.

Received carloads—coal, lumber, gravel. fertilizer, tile, grain.

Forwarded carloads—apples, lumber, etc.

Traffic Department remarks:

At Vittoria, there is an app1e-packing plant operated by the Norfolk Fruit Growers Ass'n which in 1930 was used quite extensively, but in 1931, due to centralization of activities at Simcoe, the apple tonnage from Vittoria and two flag stations (Walsh and Forrestville) was greatly depleted. It is not certain, but considered very likely, that the 1932 apple pack, in this vicinity will again be handled, practically in its entirety, at Simcoe. J. E. Butler & Son, General Contractors, operate a lumber mill at Vittoria, but due to slackness of orders, shipments of late have been rather light. Inbound materials at Vittoria, consist of spraying compounds, fertilizers and hampers from Ontario points for apple orchards, as well as 10 to 12 cars coal yearly from Border points for tobacco plantations.

Walsh:

Mileage 9.2. Flag station. Population 120. 4 car capacity siding. No industries or private sidings. No other municipalities served. Connected with Simcoe by improved road.

Traffic and earnings. year ending Oct. 31st, 1930:

		Cars	Tons	Gross Revenue	C.N. Revenue
L.C.L.	Received		30	236.	236.
L.C.L.	Forwarded
Carload	Received	25	84	1,137.	1,137.
Carload	Forwarded	12	208	1,048.	935.
Total				27,606.	18,330.

Carload. received—gravel, lumber, fertilizer

Carloads forwarded—apples, etc.

Traffic Department remarks:

Walsh and Forrestville forwardings are mostly apples from the Norfolk Fruit Growers to Canadian destinations,- in this vicinity there is a quantity of standing timber, which, when conditions warrant, is cut and shipped to nearby centres by Geo. Smith and Jos. Charlton. Inbound commodities unloaded at these flag stations represent spray materials and hampers from Burlington, Oakville and Beamsville for fruit growers.

Forrestville:

Mileage 11.34. Flag station. Population 135. 4 car capacity siding. No industries or private sidings. No other municipalities served. Connected with Simcoe by improved road.

Traffic and earnings. year ending Oct. 31st, 1930:

		Cars	Tons	Gross Revenue	C.N. Revenue
L.C.L.	Received		38	196.	196.
L.C.L.	Forwarded
Carload	Received	18	472	793.	793.
Carload	Forwarded	13	213	1,524.	1,524.
Total				2,513.	2,513.

Carloads received—gravel, fertilizer

Carloads forwarded—apples, etc.

Traffic Department remarks:

St. Williams:

Mileage 13.8. Agency station. 7 car capacity siding. Population 220. Industries wood-working plant and branch of Provincial Government Forestry Department, General Store. etc. No private sidings.

Flag stations served—Forrestville and Walsh

Other municipalities served—Silver Hill and Wolkingham.

Connected to Simcoe by improved county road.

Traffic and earnings. year ending Oct. 31st, 1930:

		Cars	Tons	Gross Revenue	C.N. Revenue
L.C.L.	Received		719	4,683.	4,683.
L.C.L.	Forwarded		29	340.	340.
Carload	Received	127	3652	18,856.	13,719.
Carload	Forwarded	15	340	818.	818.
Passenger				576.	576.
Express				7,249.	7,249.
Total				32,522.	27,385.

Carloads received—coal, gravel, lumber, fertilizer, oil, etc.

Carloads forwarded—apples. lumber. etc.

Traffic Department remarks:

St. Williams offers comparatively little tonnage in freight.- the principal shippers being McCall & Company, Lumber; St. Williams Co-operative Growers, fruits; Government Forrestry Depot, trees and shrubbery, the bulk of the latter's shipments moving by express. The inbounds are largely in coal for tobacco plantations, fertilizers for fruit growers, and stone for roadways.

Port Rowan:

Mileage 17.3. Agency station. 23 car capacity siding. Turntable and small railway shop. Population 670. Industries—Port Rowan Brick & Tile Co., John L. Buck, apple evaporator, General stores, fishing.

Other municipalities served—Silver Hill and Wolkingham.

Connected to Simcoe by improved county road.

Traffic and earnings. year ending Oct. 31st, 1930:

		Cars	Tons	Gross Revenue	C.N. Revenue
L.C.L.	Received		350	$ 3,050.	$ 3,050.
L.C.L.	Forwarded		42	590.	590.
Carload	Received	159	5665	11,909.	9,813.
Carload	Forwarded	75	1551	5,581.	5,190.
Passenger				1,267.	1,267.
Express				11,315.	11,315.
Total				33,712.	31,225.

Carloads received—coal, gasoline, gravel, lumber, fertilizer.

Carloads forwarded—apples, lumber, live stock, tile, grain, hay, etc.

Traffic Department remarks:

Port Rowan, situated on Lake Erie, is not derivative of a large amount of freight tonnage—the outbound traffic being destined to Ontario points, and consisting of grain and lumber from J.C. Blackhouse; drain tile and brick from J.L. Buck & Son; lumber from J.A. Dease; while inbounds are from nearby centres and cover lime and cement for J.L. Buck & Son; stone for County Norfolk.