Strachan Avenue level crossing

Strachan Avenue level crossing just south of King Street West, remains the widest level crossing in Toronto. Both the CPR and the CNR main lines here are used by VIA and GO trains and once saw many freight trains as well. For many years the crossing protection was operated by a gateman located in a typical crossing tower. These towers were primative facilities having little more than simple controls to activate the warning lights and lower the gates and a dispatcher's phone. Heated by a stove, once burning coal and later oil, they had an outhouse at ground level. To use it, the gateman had to lower the gates while he left the tower. All such towers have long since been replaced by automatic gates or grade separations.

A more-or-less typical crossing gateman's tower, this one was CNR's yet the crossing including both CPR tracks at left and CNR to the right of the tower. Likely, CPR paid part of the wages etc. or returned the "favour" elsewhere. A similar situation existed in West Toronto on Old Weston Road at the start of the CPR Mac Tier Subdivision as well as the CNR Weston Subdivision whose trains passed by Strachan Avenue. The large building is part of the vast Massey Ferguson manufacturing facility on King Stret West from where large quantities of tractors, combines and other agricultural implements were shipped for many decades. These people look like they may have come from the CNE. Note the window flower box. The privy is out of sight to left of steps. Tower is on CNR right-of-way between main lines with CPR to the south (left), tracks to left lead to Parkdale. August 1983. Hans Boldt

GO crane dismantles crossing tower for GO track expansion on CPR.