Old Time Trains

Canadian Pacific Railway

Toronto Division

Downtown Toronto

R.L.Kennedy

Aerial view looking east near Bathurst Street bridge. Old Fort York bottom left. Fez City bottom center.

Larger size view

Passenger trains arriving and leaving the Union Station.
Randy Masales Collection courtesy of Brian Switzer

Most people think in terms of one Union Station, the present one on Front Street West covering all 850 feet between York and Bay Streets. Actually, this is the third Union Station, the second one having been located just to the west, on Esplanade West between York and Simcoe Streets, and opened July 1,1873; it too was shared by the GTR and CPR as the result of an agreement dated July 26, 1892. It was expanded in 1895, but increasing passenger traffic out grew this elegant stone building and another station was deemed necessary. The first Union Station of 1855 was shared by the Great Western and Grand Trunk Railways and was before the CPR’s time.

CP Express building was built (opened January 1930) onto Union Station at its northeast end located between Bay and Yonge Streets. A three-storey office building had a street address of 141 Bay Street and included the CPR Purchasing Department. A large cavernous underground shed beneath the tracks with 18 truck dock doors served a track level area of 3 tracks holding about 6 cars each. There was an exterior shed dock extension as well. The building was sold to CP September 12, 1957. It was closed after CPX stopped using passenger trains. A public parking garage operated in the underground area until it was all demolished in 2001. It was redeveloped as an intermodal GO Bus terminal partially opening on Saturday August 31, 2002 and fully in April of 2003.

Bathurst Street	Spadina Avenue	John Street
Terminal Warehouse	Ferry Docks	Parliament Street
1927 Aerial views of Toronto from Bathurst Street to the Don

View early 1920's	John Street coach yard, roundhouse, freight shed, 1927.	Old John St. roundhouse, new fill in foreground, 1929	John Street and Union
View looking southwest from 56th Floor Toronto Dominion Centre	View looking north, John Street and Union Station, late 1960's	Looking northwest from CN Tower Sept. 1976 Eric May	Looking west from CN Tower May 2003 Eric May
John Street from TD Centre still under construction April 1966 Greg Hinde	Looking farther west to the Island, from TD Centre April 1966 Greg Hinde	King Street, looking west from TD Centre in April 1966 Greg Hinde	John Street and Union Station 1980 Closeup

8921 running long hood forward on the Day Transfer eastbound at Bathurst Street July 1970 Jim Parker
Note the telltales to warn switchmen of low overhead clearance at bridge straight ahead.

Same location as above photo of 8921 looking the other way.

At left is King Street Shed lead (Front Street West at far left). Spadina Avenue bridge in background.

Near foreground of above photo west end of CNR Bathurst Street Yard from Front Street West just east of Bathurst Street.

This view from the CN Tower looking west towards Bathurst Street bridge, former Cabin D area, with Parkdale IMS yard in the distance. Foreground shows construction underway on site of former CNR Spadina Coach Yard, Flyunder with train exiting, GO Bathurst North yard at right. May 1987 Eugene D. Burles

Toronto Terminals Railway

This article includes extensive photographs showing construction of the
Toronto Viaduct Grade Separation as well as old and new Union Stations and other stations.

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