Radial Trail Hike

While the state of railways in much of North America probably makes the rail system in Albania look good, it was at one point quite a thriving concern.

The city where I live once had a variety of railway lines. For decades, four electric interurban or “radial” railways, totaling 125 km (78 miles) of track, moved passengers and freight between Hamilton and the neighbouring communities of Ancaster/Brantford, Grimsby/Beamsville, Burlington/Oakville, and Dundas. (This Google map shows where the four lines went.)

The fourth and final of these was the Brantford & Hamilton (B&H) Electric Railway. After a decade of thwarted attempts by several concerns to get this enterprise rolling, construction was started in 1906 by the Von Echa Co, and then shortly thereafter taken over by the Cataract Power, Light, and Traction Company. Many tons of rock were blasted from the face of the Niagara Escarpment to create a ledge for the track. The line started close to downtown at Main and Hess Streets, extended along Hess, continued along a private right of way just beyond Herkimer Street, then up along the Escarpment at a 2½° grade.

The line to Ancaster was completed in 1907, and extended to Brantford in 1908 by the Dominion Power & Transmission Company, which took over the radial railways from Cataract in 1907.

Regrettably, competition from cars and trucks brought an end to all the radial lines. In 1931, after less than a quarter century of service, the B&H stopped running. In 1932 the rails were removed. There was initially some thought given to turning it into a road, but nothing came of that. If you look closely, you can see where newer houses were built in the 1950s where the rail line once ran through the city.

In the early 90s City Council voted to turn this old rail line into a multi use trail, extending from Dundurn Street, along the Chedoke Golf Course, and out to the Iroquia Heights Conservation Area. It opened officially in 1996.

While on the one hand the network of trails in Canada and the US built on former railroad right of ways is great for joggers, cyclists, hikers, etc., it is sad that this majestic form of transport has died out so extensively. I sometimes wonder if any of them will ever be turned back into railway lines.

The Bruce Trail runs parallel to the Radial Trail for a ways, then the two merge for a spell and once across the 403, it becomes the Bruce Trail again.

The Dundurn Street stairs. 

The view from the top of the stairs. Looking northeast towards Burlington and Lake Ontario. That whitish apartment building on the centre right is close to where I live.

About a third of the way up the stairs is a crossing for the Bruce Trail. This is the trail to the left...

...and this is the trail to the right. The direction I would be going in.

This section of the Bruce Trail is bisected by the Chedoke Gorge.

After going around this, the Bruce continues, but it gets quite a bit rougher.

Quite a few places I’ve hiked along here are a track at best, strewn with wobbly rocks. There is a reason I only half jokingly refer to it as the Brutal Trail.

The Bruce Trail ends at the Paradise Street stairs. Did a jog up them to snap some pics.

The trail passes the Chedoke Golf Course.

I tend to view golf courses as a rifle or archery range squandered, but I’ve been told that this is a really good course. The view is certainly pretty sweet. It’s run by the city, and has been around for 115 years. For a time there was also some downhill skiing, but that hasn’t happened here in a long time. Cross country happens here in winter, but the lifts are now just rusting hulks.

Past these forlorn reminders of winter daredevilry, a lovely tree lined tunnel starts.

Steep cliffs rise on the side, evidence of how humans have altered much of the Escarpment in the last century.

Eventually the tunnel of trees gives way to a broad panorama looking across the Dundas Valley.

The first one looks towards Dundas, and the second looks towards Hamilton.

McMaster University.

A little ways beyond this is the Upper Princess Falls. Not one of the most grandiose ones in Hamilton, but there are dozens of others to choose from.

Did a loop around the Iroquia Heights Conservation Area. I liked the narrow, shaded trail I passed through, but the wide open space here was nice too.

The clouds had passed, so I took some more photos of that view.

Mmmmm, Dundas Valley creaminess. You can see some of the Escarment on the other side, and what this side of the Escarpment looks like from there, here and here.


I feel fortunate to live where I live. It is ostensibly a major metropolitan area, yet I can find some quiet, peaceful spots, and look out across a sea of green not so far from my house.


These photos were taken on the same day that this incident occured. What a great day. Gorgeous weather, lovely scenery, vigorous hike, and I got to put a shit bag in jail. :-)