Throwback Thursday - Leaving the Third Sub

CSX locomotives 6103 and 6553 are about to head their train west from St Thomas on the CN CASO subdivision.  The date is August 22, 1988.

By Peter Mumby.

The Third Subdivision of the C&O Canadian District stretched east from St Thomas to Buffalo, using trackage rights on the NYC/PC/CR Canada Southern line.  By the time this photo was exposed in the summer of 1988, the line was being operated by CN, since CN and CP had cooperated to purchase the CASO on April 20, 1985.

In the photo, CSXT 6103 and CSXT (B&O) 6553 are about to start pulling westward following a crew change at the old CASO St Thomas station.  Just ahead of the train is BX tower where a connecting track swings away towards the C&O shops and yard located on the St Thomas to Windsor Blenheim Sub.  All of this C&O trackage, however, had been abandoned in the spring of 1986 as trackage rights had been secured over the rest of the CASO route.  The 6103 would have a straight run through to the tunnel under the Detroit River.