General Information: Built: ~1951 Partially Removed: 2002 (About a third of the original JA Lead is still in use) Beginning Point: Mileage 0.07, J Lead End Point: Mile 0.00, JB Lead (formerly end of track) General Direction: South
Customers (c.1968) Globelite Batteries Gormans LTD. Manchester Warehouse Canadian Industries Link Holdings U.F.A. CO-OP Stanley Brock Altoba Holdings Primco Inland Warehousing Canada Iron Foundry Weldwood of Canada Horne & Pitfield Dow Chemical Canadian Western Natural Gas Burgess Building & Plumbing
Map See my full map of every rail line to exist in Calgary here! Trackage coloured pink/magenta indicates the JA Lead
More on the JA Lead The JA Lead was built in the early 1950s to service the newly built Manchester Industrial Area. It was named the JA Lead as it branched off from the same spot as the J Lead - as a "sub-spur". The JA Lead travelled down an alley and crossed the busy 58th Avenue. I can't tell if the lead had crossing flashers there, but I would guess that that might have been the case. The JA Lead was built along with the JB Lead in the early 1950s, and a few years later, the JC and JD leads were added. The only way to access the JB, JC, and JD Leads were via the JA Lead.
Today the JA Lead serves no customers, but it is used by CPKC as a way to let trains access the JB Lead and JD Lead (via the remaining section of the JC Lead), where there are a few remaining customers.
There's a great post on the JA Lead at BIGDoer.com if you want to learn more. You can read it here.