The Toronto Terminals consisted of the various lines running in and out of Toronto along with connecting tracks and yards. They were part of the Bruce Division before July 1,1959, at which time the Ontario District was eliminated; the Bruce Division was absorbed into the Trenton Division, (except for the Bruce Branches around Orangeville which were transferred to the London Division;) and the Toronto Terminals Division was created. The Ontario District had been made up of the Bruce, Trenton, and London Divisions. In turn the Ontario District was part of the Eastern Region, comprising the New Brunswick District, Quebec District, Ontario District and Algoma District. Effective July 1,1959 eight Districts were replaced by four Regions, Atlantic, Eastern, Prairie and Pacific, which reported directly to system headquarters. In the Fall of 1916, "Divisions" and "Districts" changed designations.

The Toronto Division was created October 26,1969, it consisted of the former Toronto Terminals, and the Trenton Division, except for the Belleville Sub. beyond Mile 172.8 just east of Oshawa (M.174.2). The Mac Tier, and Port McNicoll Subs., as well as the Havelock Sub. and its branches, were all included in the Trenton Division.

The Smiths Falls Division included the Belleville Sub. from M.172.8 to its beginning in Smith’s Falls, plus other subdivisions.

Eastern Lines and Western Lines, were replaced, effective August 19,1947, by Pacific Region, Prairie Region and Eastern Region. Later, the Atlantic Region was created.

The various Divisions have Sub-Divisions (S.D.), in later years abbreviated as: Sub., which are the actual main and branch lines themselves.

The Toronto Terminals Division was headquartered at Toronto Union Station along with the Trenton Divisional offices as well as those of the Ontario District and the Eastern Region.

A Superintendent and a number of Assistant Superintendents, along with the General Yardmasters, their Assistants and shift Yardmasters ran the Terminal. A Chief Train Dispatcher, two dispatchers and a Terminal Supervisor each shift looked after train movements. A District Master Mechanic and his Master Mechanics oversaw the General Locomotive Foremen and General Car Foremen, who in turn had their own Assistants. Engineers and Firemen came under the DMM, while Conductors and Trainmen were under the Superintendents.

An Assistant Superintendent was on duty each shift as the ranking officer of the Operating Department, and was the man most often seen on site.

There were two General Yardmasters in the Toronto Terminals, one at Lambton Yard and one at the Coach Yard, the latter also responsible for Parkdale. Assistant General Yardmasters worked shifts and weekends. Lambton required four yardmasters per shift, plus the General/Ast.General. Parkdale and the Coach yard each had one yardmaster per shift. Secondary yards came under the responsibility of one or the other GYM’s. Yardmen (switchmen) were under the General, as he was called, (amongst other things!), as were train crews when within the yard.

The Dispatching Office located upstairs in Union Station was under a Chief Dispatcher, who, with shift Chiefs, oversaw the Bruce and Trenton Division dispatchers as well as the Terminal Supervisor, who in turn issued train orders through Operators at Lambton Yard Office, various stations and towers.

Train Dispatchers, Agent-operators, Operators, Assistant Agents and Levermen all came under the Chief Dispatcher.

Passenger trains starting out of the Union would get a clearance and orders from the TTR operator. West Toronto Depot would issue further orders to Northbound and Westbound trains.

Freight trains would get a clearance and orders at Lambton yard office, then a clearance and further orders at West Toronto Diamond Tower for Northbound trains, while Eastbound trains got their further orders at Agincourt Station. Leaside would issue a few orders to Eastbounds as necessary. Parkdale, Don, Islington, Weston and Cooksville seldom issued orders, but all were staffed by operators though not on all shifts.

Lambton, West Toronto and John Street each rated a General Locomotive Foreman as well as a General Car Foreman.

Department of Maintenance of Way and Structures, later known as the Maintenance of Way Department is responsible for all track repairs as well as all structures including stations, yard offices, roundhouses, shops and shacks alike. A Division Engineer was under the (Division) General Superintendent although heeding to instructions from the District Engineer on engineering matters.

Under the Division Engineer were the various Roadmasters, plus the Bridge and Building (B&B) Master and the Signal Supervisor, the latter responsible for train signals and crossing protection signals. Under the roadmasters came the many Section Foremen, the actual men in charge of doing track maintenance and repairs.

General Freight Agent was the title of the Officer in charge of originating and terminating carload freight plus LCL (Less than Car Load) freight at Simcoe Street Shed a.k.a. King St. shed, (62 Simcoe Street), plus the other sheds. Station Agents came under the Freight Agent, but train order operators and towermen were under the Chief Train Dispatcher. Yard Agent was the top person at Lambton Yard Office over the clerks, but he himself was under the GYM (General Yardmaster.)

General Passenger Agent was the man in charge of and therefore responsible for such things as ticket clerks and reservation clerks at Union Station and the City office located in downtown Toronto at 69 Yonge Street (southeast corner of King Street East), as well as other aspects of customer sales.

Lots of bosses, nothing but bosses some would say! That was sure the way it looked to me when I started out as a call boy! In fact it was a joke when trying to assess fault for something, "How can we blame the call boy for that?" The section men suffered this indignity too! In other words, get the blame shoved as far down the ladder as possible.

While the District level fits between the Division and the System Headquarters, certain functions are at System level. These would include such overall "heads" as Chief of Motive Power and Car Department (later, Chief of Motive Power and Rolling Stock), Chief of Transportation, and Chief Engineer. There was also a Superintendent of Motive Power and Rolling Stock, Eastern Lines and another for Western Lines. The Traffic Department headed the Passenger Traffic Manager and Freight Traffic Manager. System positions included, Accounting Department, Purchasing Department (Stores), Medical Services, Time Service, and of course the Railway Police, which is a Federal police force.

Both the Telegraph service and the Express Company were totally separate operations, which charged the Railway for services they performed for it and vice-versa. Canadian Pacific Express Company also acted as the Cartage Agent for railway’s LCL freight, making local pickups and deliveries in green "freight" trucks, while express trucks doing similar work were red. Telegraph and telephone operations were provided to the railway as well as for commercial and public purposes. Railway train dispatchers, and operators used telegraph and (carrier) telephones for giving out written orders to train crews. These were all party lines on which everyone up and down the line could, and did, listen in! Public telegrams were handled by station agents or in bigger places like Toronto, at a CP Telegraph Office. Toronto’s was located right next to the Ticket Office on Yonge Street. It was here that messages were handled by phone for transmission, including RS wires. Railway Service was a telegraph company term since the railway always used O.C.S. for shipments that were being moved free On Company Service. Rush messages were handled by RS wire or if urgent/complex by Company phone lines but NEVER by long distance via Bell Canada. Using Company phones for long distance required you to go through the Telegraph operator and often wait for her to call back when a line was available. Every call was noted (to be charged back to the correct department), and ordinary employees could not use this. The afternoon shift at the Telegraph office in Toronto was staffed by young girls and was a source of "dates" for some of us afternoon shift railroaders after the shift ended at 11-12pm.

Private Sidings 1926

YARDS: Lambton and West Toronto. Leaside* North Toronto* Obico* John Street (Coach Yard), Parkdale, Fez City* Bloor Street*(Hill). *= No yard office.

SHEDS (inc. Team Tracks): Simcoe Street (a.k.a. King Street) included a crane and ramp. Parkdale. Cherry Street. West Toronto included a crane. North Toronto, Leaside, Lambton, Queensway, John Street (pre:1927)

TEAM TRACKS: Lambton (Jane St.), West Toronto, Osler St., Dufferin St., Shaw St., North Toronto, Rogers Road, Weston (inc. a depressed ramp at Oak St.) Parkdale, Liberty St., Mowat Ave., Wabash Ave., Bloor St. Toronto (King St.), Cherry St. George St. Parliament St. Eighth St. Wickman Road. Ashtonbee. Cooksville.

SHOPS: Lambton roundhouse. West Toronto roundhouse and Erecting Shop, also car shops and rip track. John Street roundhouse, coach shop. Proposed: Leaside, Obico.

STATIONS: Union, Parkdale, West Toronto, Islington, Cooksville, Don, Leaside, Agincourt, North Toronto, Weston, Sunnyside.

The main freight marshalling yard was the combined Lambton/West Toronto yard, which handled freight trains to and from all points in Canada and the United States. The other most important yard was Parkdale, which marshalled fast merchandise trains to Sudbury, Vancouver and Montreal. Only a Montreal originated merchandise train arrived at Parkdale. Regular transfers operated between Parkdale and Lambton and both yards originated many local jobs to switch industries.

Smaller yards were located at Leaside, Obico, Fez City, Bloor & Dundas (Hill), North Toronto and the John Street Coach Yard. Along with the Toronto Harbour Commission's joint yards at Keating St, Rees Street and Spadina.

The Toronto Terminals Railway, owned jointly (50/50) by the C.N.R and C.P.R. included Union Station in downtown Toronto, along with towers controlling the trackage connecting various lines, but had no locomotives or train crews of its own. Nearby were the C.P.R.'s John Street Coach Yard and roundhouse, while slightly to the west was the C.N.R's Spadina roundhouse and coach yard. Toronto was one of only three cities in Canada with a passenger roundhouse, where only passenger locomotives were maintained along with yard engines for passenger and freight switching, but no road freight engines. (CNR Spadina, while mainly a passenger roundhouse, did dispatch some freight engines). The only other passenger roundhouses were the Glen in Montreal and Drake Street in Vancouver both C.P.R. The TTR employed Red Caps, baggage handlers and other staff but the ticket clerks worked for either the C.P.R or C.N.R as did the train dispatchers, however the operators were TTR staff. Signalmen and section men also worked for the TTR along with a small office staff, all of which was managed by one official appointed for a 5-year period on an alternating basis from each owner railway. TTR also contracted to maintain trackage belonging to the Toronto Harbour Commission (see below).

Lambton Yard was the main freight marshalling yard and included West Toronto Yard located in the "Junction", which in turn got its name from the railway junction of several lines. It stretched from the Diamond past Old Weston Road (overpass bridge), Keele Street, Runnymede Road, Jane Street and Scarlett Road, all subway underpasses, almost as far as the Humber River.

West Toronto Yard replaced the original Parkdale yard, (located on the eastside of Dufferin Street, between King and Queen Streets), of the Credit Valley Railway, which the C.P.R. had taken over through its subsidiary Ontario & Quebec Ry. The O&Q had recently arrived in (West) Toronto Junction from the east via Perth, Havelock, Peterboro and Agincourt. The Credit Valley ran from Toronto to Woodstock and St.Thomas connecting there with the Canada Southern Ry. (CASO) for the U.S.A. Later the CPR built a line from Woodstock through London and Chatham to Windsor connecting there with the Michigan Central and Pere Marquete into the United States. The CVR also had a branch from Streetsville to Orangeville.

Prior to Ontario & Quebec leasing the Toronto, Grey & Bruce in 1883, the TG&B in 1871 had leased the former Ontario, Huron & Simcoe engine shop with enclosed turntable, freight house and track from Queen's Wharf, a public dock built in 1833 before railways, (south and east of Front & Bathurst) to Parkdale. This track ran through what later became Fez City, crossed the GTR/CNR at Cabin E, just west of Strachan Ave. past Hinde & Dauch at Parkdale, parallel and to the east of the CNR’s Newmarket Sub. (old OS&HU Ry), through West Toronto and Weston to Bolton, and Orangeville. In later years the portion between Parkdale (but not connected) and West Toronto diamond was a service track to switch industries and was referred to as the Old Bruce. The connection to the MacTier Sub. at the Diamond was altered to connect on the south side of the North Toronto Sub. across Olser St. eliminating some diamond work. West Toronto Interchange was located off this service track opposite West Toronto Depot next to Viceroy Rubber. It was closed in June 1986 due to CN having problems with multi-level auto carriers negotiating sharp curvature.

The CVR roundhouse and car shops were built in the 1870's, following the beginning of construction in 1874 and the opening of the first portion of the line in 1877. They were soon to become inadequate to handle increasing traffic and this brought about the West Toronto shops and yard. (Parkdale shop remained in use until 1907). In 1891 a brick roundhouse was built with a rectangular machine shop and blacksmiths shop along the back of it. The roundhouse was later expanded to 32 stalls. A large 15 track erecting shop with a transfer table was added. Also built was a car shop, complete with a transfer table, making West Toronto the only location in Canada having two transfer tables, (these move laterally rather than in a circle as a turntable does.) The car shop was expanded handling both freight and passenger equipment. In later years a new coach shop was built at John Street and the West Toronto shops concentrated on freight and service equipment including rebuilding wooden vans.

The largest steam locomotives that could fit into West Toronto roundhouse were D-10's and these were soon replaced by bigger power for heavier freight trains. Prior to the Great War (World War I) a D-10 and 35 cars was a full-sized freight train. West Toronto yard was expanded, but this wasn't enough and a new yard was built (Lambton) adjacent and to the west of it, from Runnymede to Scarlett Road. A new larger (Lambton) roundhouse was built at Runnymede and St.Clair. It originally had 30 stalls and was later increased to 37, with others made longer to accommodate bigger power, including P2 class 2-8-2's.

West Toronto roundhouse continued in use for yard steam engines and later diesel yard switchers. In the early 1950's the newest portion of the roundhouse, a separate 11-stall section was no longer needed and was demolished. Stored in there had been a genuine 4-4-0, #30. It had been a spare engine for the old K&P, a light branch line and had last been used in 1949 in the movie Canadian Pacific staring Randolph Scott. Only three others remained on the roster, the famed trio of 29, 136 and 144, all destined for preservation.

The Erecting shop (a.k.a the Back Shop), performed medium overhaul work on steam locomotives, while Angus Shops in Montreal did major, heavy rebuild work. Angus also built brand new steam locomotives! The last steam engines repaired at West Toronto were: 807, 2332, 3607, 5116 and finally 1098, which left on June 29, 1958. Road diesels were maintained there for a short time, but the shop was loaned to the Engineering Dept. for Maintenance of Way machinery repair. The roundhouse was later used by the Bridge & Building Dept., and the Signals & Communications Dept. The turntable remained in use to turn diesels, both road and yard power, also the one track running through into the erecting shop, remained in place.

Parkdale roundhouse and shop remained in use until 1907. The yard was rebuilt and remained in use for local industrial switching as the downtown area required a large number of yard jobs to service freight sheds and industries. It was expanded between King Street and Strachan Avenue, to handle marshalling of freight trains. The Galt Sub., which ran past Parkdale, handled westbound passenger trains to London and Windsor along with northbound passenger trains to Northern Ontario and Western Canada.

Parkdale top yard was built with all stub-end tracks ending against Dufferin Street. Many tracks were for storage of "hold" cars, most waiting to clear customs; others served a freight shed, team tracks and industries. The main portion of the yard was built on a grade and required a rider to tie hand brakes on every car being switched. Each shift had an extra yardman, (known as a rider), to help with this work. Jobs working out of Parkdale switched industries, sheds and team tracks at Parkdale, Cherry Street, Ashbridges Bay, Queen's Wharf, Mimico, and New Toronto.

King Street-based crews switched the main Simcoe Street LCL shed, CP Express shed, also team tracks, along with the Peter Street Crane, Paper Shed, horse and auto platforms. The engine was supplied from John Street. Transfer runs were made to Parkdale and Lambton, but these crews were not based at King Street. A short steep track from Tecumseh St. up to Front St. was controlled by an electric staff block system. This track ran parallel to the south side of Front Street against a high retaining wall. These sheds replaced earlier structures at John Street right next to the old roundhouse beside the coach yard. Construction of the "High Level" grade separation project caused the removal of these sheds as well as requiring a new roundhouse at John Street.

The area known as the "Hill" (so named for being on a slight upgrade), belonged to Parkdale, and was located north of Parkdale Station. A Service track, on the west side of the double-track Galt Sub. main line gave access to some industries, and included a yard at Bloor and Dundas Streets, about half way between Parkdale and West Toronto. It featured several stub-end tracks including a team. At one time a single 12-hour shift worked the yard with a Parkdale crew.

Decades ago there were just two shifts in yard service, Days was 13 hours and Nights was 11 hours, the difference taking into consideration having to work in the dark. Lead jobs all worked 7 days a week! No time off! Industrial and a few others worked 6 days per week. There wasn’t even such a thing as paid annual vacation until the unions negotiated it.

Parkdale and Coach Yard switchmen were once separate from Lambton men, and in fact some hand and lamp signals were different between the two areas. By the 1950's they had been combined. Engineers and Firemen were all the same seniority and had to contend with those different signals.

Cherry Street shed and team tracks, were a secondary LCL shed. Pool cars were loaded at Cherry Street, along with other traffic. Interchange tracks handled local cars.

George Street had a small team track area and included an office building. It was next to the Esplanade team tracks, a joint area for perishables beside a food terminal, located in an old (1866) GWR passenger station shed and known as the Toronto Fruit Terminal. This building burned down May 17,1952 and was replaced by the new Ontario Food Terminal, which featured a large team track area. It was located on the CNR between Swansea and Mimico, in a joint switching area. The Esplanade had been the original eastern entry to Union Station before construction of the High Level. It became a dead-end at Yonge Street, used to reach local industries and as a team track area.

Cherry and George Streets, as well as Ashbridges Bay and the East Wharf were all reached via Union Station while Leaside was reached via the Don Branch.

Toronto Harbour Commission property included, Ashbridges Bay, the East Wharf and Queen's Wharf areas. The largest yard was Keating Street, a joint yard serving the Ash Bay and East Wharf. Rees Street yard was a small stub-end yard located south of John Street Roundhouse, (but at lake level), it was reached via the wharf lead out of Parkdale which was actually the old TG&B! The THC did not have any crews of its own, instead the CPR and CNR divided up various areas to keep out of each others way and switched them handling the other railway's cars without a formal interchange. The TTR was contracted to maintain THC trackage.

Bathurst Street	Spadina Avenue	John Street
Terminal Warehouse	Ferry Docks	Parliament Street
1927 Aerial views of Toronto from Bathurst Street to the Don CLICK on to enlarge and read captions

Aerial Gallery

NORTH TORONTO, LEASIDE, SCARBORO and AGINCOURT

North Toronto Subdivision Mile .0 to 5.9

North Toronto Mile 2.3

Prior to the huge Viaduct project along the Toronto waterfront another major grade separation project took place years before in North Toronto from 1912 to 1917. It involved ten subways, or underpasses as they were later called, to eliminate level crossings of streets along the North Toronto Subdivision between West Toronto and North Toronto. This very busy four-track line carried all freight trains in and out of Toronto as well as serving local industries, which once were plentiful. Actually, the two middle tracks were the main lines with a north and south service track to gain access to industries and team tracks on both sides of the right-of-way.

Originally this line was the CPR’s entry into Toronto, constructed by the infamous Ontario & Quebec Railway it arrived July 30, 1884 from Perth via Havelock, Peterboro, Agincourt and Leaside, through North Toronto to Toronto Junction in West Toronto. The O&Q had already been leased by the CPR on January 4^th for 999 years! In the 1980’s this would come back to haunt the CPR when minority shareholders would challenge the status of what they claimed were missing assets. All the land the CPR used in Toronto legally belonged to the O&Q; this included all the prime downtown real estate, much of it sold off by the CPR. Places such as the King Street Shed on which now stands Roy Thomson (concert) Hall, and the Metro Hall office building. It would go on for years in the courts before it was finally settled and affected many decisions the CPR made. In the end the shareholders lost out. Eventually, it and O&Q leased Toronto, Grey & Bruce were both absorbed into the CPR.

A new mainline was built from Glen Tay (15 miles west of Smiths Falls) through Trenton and Oshawa to Agincourt where it connected with the old mainline via Havelock. Built under the charter of the Campbellford, Lake Erie & Western between May 1,1912 and June 29,1914, it was leased to the CPR July 1,1913 for 999 years. Known as The Lake Ontario Shore Line this route was about the same distance, but provided a much more favourable grade (0.4% compared to 1.1%) as well as one that reached communities only served by the GTR. It also brought more traffic into Toronto resulting in a double tracking (June 1,1914) of the main line 12.7 miles between Agincourt and Leaside, which included a grade reduction. Leaside to Agincourt was always an assisting grade with 3600’s and 3700 "Mudhens" being the common assist engine used in the late 1950’s. They would start from Lambton with the road engine, proceed eastward, and after cutting off and taking water at Agincourt (there was none at Leaside), return "light" to Leaside where they would wait to assist other trains on the short grade "up Wexford". Double tracking between Leaside and North Toronto took place around this same time but was complicated by the proposed entry by the Canadian Northern. The North Toronto Sub. had already been double tracked in 1905, between North Toronto and West Toronto, along with the Mac Tier Sub. from West Toronto to Weston, and the Galt Sub. between Parkdale and West Toronto.

After trying since 1886 to get a route from the east directly to downtown Toronto the Don Branch between Leaside Junction and Toronto was opened in September 1892 following an agreement in July 26,1892 with the GTR to use their station. (With an 1895 expansion it became a "Union" station.) Prior to that trains between Montreal and Toronto had to back between (West) Toronto Junction via Parkdale in both directions.

The delay was due to difficulties in getting a right of way along the Esplanade, an already crowded area, and to the objection of the Toronto Belt Line Railway which felt there wasn’t room for another track in the narrow valley.

The Don Branch which parallels the Don River is on a steep grade northbound requiring and assist engine from Parkdale (freight) or Union Station (for heavy passenger trains) to Leaside and onward to Agincourt. Fast freight 910, known for many years as "Mae West" handled mostly LCL shed cars and other "rush" traffic from Parkdale to Montreal. 910 usually required two assist engines, one as far as Leaside due to the much steeper grade "up the Don", while the second continued on to Agincourt. It was the only freight train that used this route (although it sometimes operated in two sections) until the coming of the Piggyback trains. It is not officially a branch, but rather an extension of the main line first named the Oshawa Subdivision and re-named the Belleville Subdivision. It is referred to simply as the "Don". At one time it was controlled by an electric staff block system.

In addition to the grade separation and double tracking there were other key features involved in North Toronto and Leaside. Canadian Northern, Canada’s third transcontinental railway, was also expanding. The CNoR entered Toronto from the north (Muskoka Sub. from Capreol) built 1906-07 via what is now the CNR’s Bala Sub. to Rosedale in the Don Valley (near Bloor Street) where a small yard and rectangular engine house was located. Its east mainline from Ottawa (Orono Sub.) built 1911-13, passed through Scarborough just north of the GTR Danforth yard, to meet with the northern line at Todmorden, just south of Leaside and about 2 miles from Rosedale and nearly 4 miles from Union station. The CNoR had difficulty getting access to the downtown area being the last railway to enter Toronto, but did eventually manage to secure an agreement to get there over the GTR via the old Toronto Belt Line from Rosedale.

The CNoR needed bigger facilities for Toronto so it built new shops (opened 1919) at Leaside including an erecting shop for locomotives, a coach shop and a (freight) car shop. A small yard was also built. In order to get access to this property it had to build a connection from the Bala line south to Leaside. The line up the Don through Rosedale climbs a grade, crossing well below the CPR before reaching higher land near Oriole. Here a connection was built for southward to westward (or east to north) movements to Donlands (2.2 miles) where it connected with the CPR to reach Leaside another 1.3 miles and completed in June 1917.

It was intended to connect the Ottawa mainline from near Scarboro Village via a four mile long new connection to Donlands and then to Leaside. It needed at 650 foot long viaduct to cross the Don Valley. Disputes over level crossings delayed work and it all ended with the failure of the Canadian Northern and its take over by the Federal Government. It was not long before most of the mainline between Toronto and Ottawa was abandoned beginning in 1923, there simply wasn’t a need for four main lines.

Toronto, Niagara & Western was yet another railway that sought entry into Toronto via North Toronto. It was controlled by MacKenzie and Mann of Canadian Northern fame, the same two gentlemen who owned the Toronto Street Railway as well! This was a proposed electric interurban railway sharing the Hydro right-of-way from Niagara Falls to the Bridgman Transformer station (still in use) near Davenport Road and Dupont Street in Toronto. This was the first use in Toronto of "Hydro" electric power generated by water. Prior to this Toronto’s electricity was generated by steam including a large plant of the Toronto Street Railway located at its shops at Front & Frederick Streets in downtown Toronto. Much street and other lighting was by manufactured gas made by burning coke.

Entry into Toronto would have been across the Humber River at Lambton parallel to and north of the old Toronto Belt Line to West Toronto (Keele Street just north of St.Clair Avenue West), where it would have dropped into a cut to underpass both the GTR’s Stratford line and the CPR’s Sudbury line (Mac Tier Sub.) as well as some streets. Just south of St.Clair Avenue it would have entered a 2360 foot long tunnel under the GTR’s ex Ontario Simcoe & Huron Railway (Ontario’s first railway) at Davenport and exit at Davenport Road and St.Clarens Avenue. It would then run parallel to and north of the CPR North Toronto Sub. over to North Toronto (Yonge Street).

Joint Section agreement was reached October 1, 1915 permitting the CNoR use of CPR’s North Toronto station along with joint tracks and common tracks. Nothing ever came of either the TN&W being built nor CNoR trains entering North Toronto due to the financial failure of Canadian Northern. The CNR did operate over the Oriole spur to Donlands and over CPR into Leaside to reach local industries there as well as the railway shops. It also had use of common tracks from Leaside to North Toronto and over the north service track along with exclusive rights to traffic from local industries on the north side between Avenue Road and Dovercourt Road. It retained this arrangement for many years afterwards. The last CNR employee timetable to refer to these "common tracks" across North Toronto was April 1969. (It was no longer shown in the October 1969 timetable.) The last few industries on what remained of the north service track were thereafter served by the CPR. The one still remaining is the TTC Hillcrest shops, the last use of which was several years ago to ship out several old PCC streetcars to the US.

Once there had been almost continuous private sidings (and Shaw Street team tracks) all along the North Toronto Sub. between West Toronto and North Toronto on both sides. The "North Toronto" was once switched by a 6920 series 0-8-0 steam engine so heavy was the work. Industries included a number of retail coal dealers, Planters Peanuts, Silverwoods Dairy and American Standard manufacturers of porcelain bathtubs, sinks and toilets. At Shaw Street was a 6-track team track. At the Northern Diamond (Northern Railway of Canada) with the CNR Newmarket Sub. was Canada Foundry, that among other things built steam locomotives, mostly for Canadian Northern but including some CPR engines. Built 1901-02 on more than 40 acres straddling Lansdowne Avenue and named Davenport Works. The massive plant was expanded in 1912, and in 1921 CGE electric transformers were made there. Further expansions in 1944 and later brought it to its peak. It was one of the few industries in Toronto to have its own switch engine. First, a steam "dinky", then a battery powered loco and finally, a 25 ton GE diesel-electric.

The CNR finally ended use of the Oriole spur in December 1999. It was primarily used for interchange to and from CPR, being the final consolidated point within the Toronto area for the interchange (exchange) of freight cars between the two railways. CN job KO-165 handled this transfer to and from MacMillan Yard. A new connection was built off the CNR Weston Sub. at Keele mile 5.48 (St.Clair Avenue West) in West Toronto onto the CPR MacTier Sub. at mile 0.58 allowing the CNR to enter CPR West Toronto yard. This happened on December 27^th 1999 for the first time in history! (CN 9433 was the lead unit that day on job KO-10). The four remaining industries still using CN are switched by the CPR under a special agreement. There have been no industries on the CPR at Leaside for some years in common with the decline of private sidings everywhere.

North Toronto Station although not very old was replaced by a new station, which opened June 14, 1916. The earlier station was on the west side of Yonge Street on the North Toronto Subdivision. The new station was referred to as Yonge Street station and was intended to be a joint use facility shared by the Canadian Northern Railway. It was owned only by the CPR and thus was not a Union station. It was the CPR’s intention to serve this well-populated residential area with a number of trains that were running into Union station. Only a few trains were originated and terminated at North Toronto and the move was just not popular. The CPR closed it September 28, 1930, but retained ownership until recently. It has been leased out as a Liquor store all these years and is finally going to be restored after many promised efforts. The land to the east once contained a large freight shed used for Pool cars and a number of small industries with sidings. On the west side of Yonge Street were a small freight shed and team tracks which in later years were taken over by CBM, (Canada Building Materials) for unloading and gravel. One unique shipment once handled at North Toronto team track was whale meat! Its popularity didn't catch on.

North Toronto train service

Oshawa Subdivision Mile 109.1 Toronto (middle of Union Station) to Mile 96.3 Agincourt.

This section of track was equipped with an Automatic Block Signal System (ABS) which was controlled by the Operators at Don, Leaside and Agincourt stations, under the Terminal Supervisor (train dispatcher). This system of train movement control was replaced by a Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) system in 1961.

Don, Mile 107.1 This C.P.R. station was jointly used by Canadian National Railways (as was the C.N.R. station at Sunnyside to the west). The Don station was at the T.T.R. limits. Operators issued orders to C.N. northbound and eastbound freight trains, but seldom handled anything for C.P.R. trains except for some ticket sales. A joke amongst the operators was that they worked for the C.N.R. but got paid by the C.P.R.! This original 1892 station was closed December 5, 1967 and moved in August 1969 to Todmorden Mills park where it remains.

Leaside, Mile 103.6

CPR once planned a major facility of yards and shops in Leaside, over 1000 acres were acquired at the same time as all of the CNoR activities at Leaside and North Toronto. Had this been built none of the traffic congestion problems that plagued the CPR for many years would have resulted. The situation was further worsened by the abandonment of the line between Orillia and Lindsay, which carried the heavy grain traffic from Fort William and Port McNicoll to Montreal and Saint John. This near-sighted Depression abandonment came back to haunt them when traffic levels returned to normal then went on to greatly increase with Wartime demands. This would obviously have replaced all of West Toronto since it was only at that time that Lambton yard was built. To compare sizes, Toronto Yard was only 432 acres when it opened about 50 years later in 1964. No doubt much of the land was intended for industries that would bring additional traffic.

In the end the CPR only built a small yard of about a dozen tracks on the north side of the mainline. It served mostly local industry, and provided some relief for Lambton yard. Westbound London trains would run with engine and van from Lambton to lift their train there after having been set off by a train arriving from the north. The Leaside Local, a yard job originating at Lambton, had a fourth yardman to "mark up" the cars etc. for switching. The only other yard job to have a fourth man was the King Street Shed, although the Parkdale Lead was assisted by a Rider. A few industries eventually developed along the south side including Crothers Equipment (a Caterpillar dealer), IBM and Coca Cola, along with a small freight shed last used by a small freight forwarder Otter Freightways, who shipped Pool cars to Ottawa. These industries were switched by the Leaside Industrial, a yard job working out of Lambton ,(Toronto Yard after it opened). The pool cars were switched and taken directly to Parkdale for 910. Eventually, Leaside was used mostly for storage and Interchange and now even the interchange is gone!

The original station was replaced in 1946 with a very modern style of station that CPR was building at various locations including White River, Ontario. Once used by many trains it last served a few commuters using the Havelock Budd Car until its discontinuance by VIA Rail in September 1982. Between 1975 and 1983 it operated as the Village Station Restaurant owned by CP Hotels. It was the first of a planned series of such restaurants. Several old passenger cars were incorporated into it. It was not very successful for a number of reasons not the least of which was the food. Since it was owned by CP Hotels people no doubt associated that with the Royal York. Unfortunately, you didn’t get Royal York quality food since it was prepared by Cara Foods who also supplied CP Air. The other factor was its somewhat out of the way location, which wasn’t easy to find. It did a good lunch business due to area workers, but it wasn’t sufficient to keep it going. Some of the passenger cars wound up at the Ossawippi Express Dining Cars in Orillia and are still there. Following this it was rebuilt in 1984 into offices for the CCAC (Customer Credit and Accounts Centre), a centralized freight accounting office which took over from local station agents. It too ended some years later with further centralization. Its present use as the CPR Police office occurred when they moved out of Union Station.

Donlands (Jct. CNR) Mile 102.3 Oshawa Sub. Connection with CN's Oriole spur from Bala Sub. used in connection with Joint Section trackage to reach Leaside Yard, local industries and North Toronto Sub. Joint Section to Davenport.

Scarboro Industrial Spur. c. Mile 97.96 Oshawa Sub. (Mile 201.36 Belleville Sub.)

Located between Leaside and Agincourt at Warden Avenue and Ellesmere Road in Scarborough this industrial spur ran 3.4 miles south to Eglinton Avenue East serving a number of small industries as well as CGE and Volkswagen. Ashtonbee Team Track, small two track facility was located at Ashtonbee and Thermos Roads.

It was switched by the Scarboro Turn, a road job from Lambton. Later it became the Scarboro Industrial Yard out of Toronto Yard. With the decline of rail service to private sidings the spur was shortened and finally abandoned November 10, 1994 at which time it was 2.0 miles long.

NOTE: This trackage should not be confused with the Scarboro Pit Spur which ran off the Oshawa Sub. (Mile 194.7 Belleville Sub.) just east of Toronto Yard. It too declined in usage until it had been shortened to only 0.76 miles at the time of its abandonment, January 10, 1997.

Agincourt Mile 96.3 Oshawa Sub.

Agincourt is the junction point on the original O&Q mainline (Peterboro Sub. later Havelock Sub.) where the new Lake Shore Line (Oshawa Sub. later Belleville Sub.) meet.

Located at the top of the assisting grade from Leaside and therefore beyond the Yard Limits, Agincourt was in steam days switched by the Trenton Pick Up. The only industry there was an old one, International Waxes.

With the coming of Toronto Yard, a few more industries located in the area and are switched by the Agincourt Industrial yard assignment. Including the team track where one of the main customers was Bick’s Pickles.

Cherry Street, George Street and the Esplanade.

Cherry Street, located on Cherry Street between Front Street East and Mill Street, was for many decades the site of freight sheds and team tracks. It was accessed off the Don branch just before it turned west towards Union Station. A lead served a few industries, including Mill Paper, and once crossed Parliament Street. The south shed was built in 1900, and the north shed in 1913. By the 1950’s one 4 track shed was used by Howell Forwarders a pool car operator. The other shed was rented out to Kreaver Paper. The CPR Freight Office had a small staff and was under the General Freight Agent at Simcoe Street Shed. Howell employees worked the shed.

CN Interchange to and from local industries was handled at Cherry Street. The traditional two tracks, one to and one from, were located in the CNR Cherry Street yard to the north of the CPR facilities, between Front St.E. and Eastern Avenue. CN Cherry Street also contained a freight office, shed and team tracks. In later years the CNR also had another pool car operation south of the CPR up against the High Level.

George Street was a small team track area with a freight office, (office built 1943) located along the south side of the Esplanade.

The Esplanade, pronounced es-pla-nade by CPR railroaders, others say es-pla-nawd!

Once intended to be a grand esplanade or promenade 100 feet wide, along the waterfront when it was built in 1854, it soon turned into a mass of railway tracks as more and more railways fought for entrances into the City. Railway roundhouses, shops, stations, industries and wharves all filled the waterfront. Up to 7 tracks wide, it ran from the Don River all the way to Simcoe Street changing at Yonge Street from The Esplanade East to The Esplanade West.

Construction of the Viaduct grade separation changed all this when it raised the main lines of the CNR and CPR up 18 feet to the High Level. The new (present) Union Station brought about the demolition of the previous union station and the elimination of The Esplanade West. It also turned The Esplanade East trackage into dead end tracks stopping at Yonge Street, serving local sidings and team tracks for the large amount of perishable traffic. The old 1866 GWR four broad gauge track station with its unique arched roof became part of the Toronto Fruit Terminal, until it was destroyed by fire May 17,1952.

The Ontario Food Terminal was opened in 1954 as a replacement for the destroyed and inadequate facilities. Located on the north side of the CNR Oakville Subdivision east of Mimico yard it was a joint area that could be switched by both railways.

CPR tracks were cut back to the east side of Jarvis Street prior to 1972, still leaving access to George Street, but by 1986 it was all gone. So too was most everything at Cherry Street, the Pool Car operators all long gone, although the lead still ran as far west as Mill Paper in this mostly desolate and abandoned area of the city. All of this area, both CNR and CPR was once the location of an ill-conceived City of Toronto residential redevelopment called "Ataratiri". After wasting millions of dollars acquiring this contaminated industrial area, it was abandoned as being hopelessly expensive and lays vacant still.

The Esplanade Job out of Parkdale Yard switched these areas 3 shifts a day, 6 and 7 days a week.

ASHBRIDGES BAY, EAST WHARF AND QUEEN'S WHARF.

Ashbridges Bay, more correctly Ashbridge’s Bay, but referred to variously as Ashbridges Bay, Ash Bay, A Bay or just ‘the Bay", this industrial area on the waterfront was created by filling in the harbour where a 1300 acre marsh existed, between June 1914 and 1920. (Polson Quay was added in the 1930's). Here, piers for lake boats delivering coal and oil to wholesale distributors, as well as building materials, were busy for many decades. Warehouses and cranes for ocean cargo are located at the west end, added over the post WWII years up to the last one, (Pier 52) in September 1970. The first industry was the British & American (B/A Oil) refinery at Keating and Cherry Sts. Later came two other refineries, Imperial Oil and McColl-Frontenac (Texaco), the largest. By 1931 there were 41 industries here. CP’s access was from the High Level east of Scott Street Tower down and across Lakeshore Blvd.East.

CN’s access to the Bay was a lead from the CN Don Yard down a steep grade to Lakeshore Blvd. East crossing it west to east.

Toronto Harbour Commission owns all the trackage in Ashbridge's Bay as well as along the Wharves. The area is jointly switched by CN and CP with cars being handed over to each other in THC’s Keating Yard located just east of the Don River on the north side of Lake Shore Blvd. East.

To keep out of each others way, CN and CP have always agreed to switch certain areas and just hand cars over to the other railway without formal interchange.

So heavy was the switching in the 1950’s and 60’s that it required three CPR jobs. The Day Bay was out of Parkdale Yard while the Second Ash Bay and Afternoon Bay Job started and finished at the Coach yard to save travel through the congested Union Station. These cars were later lifted and taken to Parkdale, where connection was made with fast freights or the transfer to Lambton for much of it which generally wasn’t rush traffic.

Next to Keating yard is the massive Lever Brothers (Sunlight) soap plant, still a busy plant it is one of the very few remaining industries in downtown Toronto using rail. It still gets switched twice a day, CN on days and CP on nights.

East Wharf is the area west of Ashbridge’s Bay south of Lake Shore Blvd. along the waterfront starting with the huge Dominion Malting and Victory Mills elevators. When Victory Mills opened in December 1944, as Sunsoy Products, it was the largest soybean extraction and processing plant in Canada. Soy meal is animal feed and pet food products. It became Victory Mills in March 1946 and was closed by new owners in 1991. The last industry built along the watefront was opened in 1959 at Jarvis Street, the Canada & Dominion Sugar (Redpath Sugar) refinery. Still in operation it uses some rail. The lead was dead-ended here in 1985. Near here a lead crossed Queen’s Quay (street) to reach an LCBO bonded liquor warehouse and the Toronto Star newspaper where a 4 track plant referred to as Star Freeland (Freeland Street) shipped on Saturday night the Star Weekly, a large colour magazine. Passenger Express box cars were used to ship these papers as mail, first on #5, which closely followed The Dominion, later on 965. This required a special move by the Parkdale Lead engine to run down through Fez City to get these very rush one or two cars. The Star Weekly stopped being printed and The Star Freeland operation was closed. The daily Star, and other newspapers, for many years received rolls of newsprint at the Peter Street Paper Shed next to King Street Shed. The LCBO has not used rail for many years.

The lead once continued beyond Freeland St. running in the street along the south side of Queens Quay where at York Street it went into a center of the road private right-of-way.

The East Wharf Job (a.k.a. Victory Mills job) out of Parkdale yard switched this area and in diesel days was very unique. MLW 660HP yard switcher 6584 was equipped with basic operating controls on the left side of the cab to switch Victory Mills as their trackage curved opposite to all other sidings, thus heading the engine in the opposite direction wouldn’t help. Of course Firemen had been eliminated from yard jobs. 6584 was the only diesel in all of Canada so equipped.

Queen's Wharf was the area west of Yonge Street and was switched by the Queens Wharf Job out of Parkdale (3 shifts). The wharf lead began at King and Atlantic in Parkdale yard behind Hinde & Dauch Paper. This was the old TG&B and it crossed the old GWR Toronto-Hamilton mainline. The CNE sidings ran west off this lead on the south side, continued past Old Fort York and Fez City yard. Molson Breweries was also located here for many years. The track ran underneath Bathurst Street bridge where it met a CN lead out of Bathurst Street Yard. From here on it was all Toronto Harbour Commission trackage. Loblaws warehouse with an indoor track was here from 1928. It was built on the site of the old Queen's Wharf. The lead crossed Lakeshore Blvd.West where Canada Malting (1929-1987) had elevators, then at Spadina Ave. was the 3 track Spadina yard used only by CN, here too were 6 tracks serving Maple Leaf Mills. Built 1928 as Toronto Elevators, a two million bushel facility that was later doubled, it became MLM in 1961, was closed in 1983 and demolished. At Rees Street opposite John Street was the 8 dead-end track Rees Street yard used only by CP. Here the track entered a center of the road right of way. Next came 5 sidings serving the massive Terminal Warehouse, a cold storage facility. Built as Canadian Rail & Harbour Terminals Ltd. on 14.5 acres of reclaimed land at York Quay and opened in 1928, it contained 1 million square feet of dry storage in its 8 story structure. In 1936, new owners re-named it Terminal Warehouses Ltd. and built next door to it at Pier 5, facilities for Direct Winters Transport, a large trucking company. It eventually closed in 1980 following which it was rebuilt into a fancy retail and residential condominium known as the Queens Quay Terminal, opening in July 1983. At York Street the track went into the street and along the south curb lane of the Queens Quay past Yonge Street becoming the East Wharf.

PARKDALE

Galt Sub. Mile .0 to Mile 3.8

Parkdale has the some earliest CPR history in Toronto, for it was through here the Toronto, Grey & Bruce ran in 1871 from the Great Western station at Simcoe Street in downtown Toronto parallel to the GWR crossing it in Parkdale and then running over the GTR to Weston where it took to its own right-of-way. The TG&B was narrow gauge (3’6"), necessitating laying a third rail between the standard (4’ 8 ½") rails. At the same time they leased from the GTR the former Northern Railway of Canada (originally Ontario, Simcoe & Huron), engine house (with an enclosed turntable) and freight shed at Queen’s Wharf near what is now Bathurst & Fleet Streets just south of Fort York. It ran west past Fort York up the wharf lead crossing the broad gauge (5’6") GWR. This narrow and broad gauge diamond was possibly the only such crossing there was; certainly it was rare. It continued through Parkdale where it later (November 1,1875) had its own right-of-way next to (east side) the Northern Railway’s (CNR Newmarket Sub.), on its way to Weston, Bolton, Orangeville and eventually Owen Sound, reached in 1873.

Map of Toronto, Grey & Bruce in Toronto.

Parkdale was lightly populated before finally reaching the minimal 750 residents to qualify for incorporation as a village January 1, 1879. CVR passenger trains provided service beginning September 1^st. TG&B passenger trains began stopping at North Parkdale station by January 1883.

In December 1881 the TG&B was standard gauged. July 26,1883 it was leased by the Ontario & Quebec, which was in turn taken over in January 1884 by the CPR.

Former CVR Parkdale station.

North Parkdale station later renamed Parkdale following closing of the GTR South Parkdale station.

While the old Northern Railway facilities were soon given up, the Wharf Lead remained in use for many decades. See Fez City for its later history.

In the 1950’s the TG&B track north from Parkdale was a CNR service track that served Compressed Metals (a scrap dealer) immediately south of Dundas Street bridge as a Joint Siding, exiting the property to the north as CPR trackage. This track was known as the "Old Bruce" or "S" yard, and served a number of industries including Rowntree (chocolates), Joe Lowe (Popsicle Pete), Glidden Varnish and Viceroy Rubber. It ran across West Toronto Diamond into the MacTier Sub. In later years this seldom-used diamond was eliminated and the service track was extended eastward on a sharp curve across Osler Avenue and connected to the North Toronto Sub. It remained in use until its last customer Laura Secord (formerly Rowntree) ended rail use (sugar from Redpath on the EastWharf). It was dismantled in April 1996.

Credit Valley

Far more significant was the coming of the Credit Valley, first surveyed in 1873, with Parkdale to Milton being opened in 1877. CVR built its yard, shops and station on the eastside of Dufferin Street between King and Queen Streets. Its mainline with 56lb. rail ran from Parkdale 119 miles to St.Thomas via Streetsville Junction where a branchline ran northward 35 miles to Orangeville with a further branch off at Church’s Falls (Cataract) to Elora, 29 miles. Passenger service between Parkdale and Orangeville began September 1,1879. CVR got access to the GTR station in downtown Toronto May 17,1880.

CVR Roundhouse

CPR

Parkdale yard, which at that time only existed above King Street, was too small for the growing traffic, especially the shops. Following lengthy negotiations and dispute with the Town of West Toronto Junction over terms of relocating the shops from Parkdale (actually in the City of Toronto since Dufferin Street was the boundary), agreement was reached November 18^th 1889. While the shops were relocated in 1890 they didn’t finally close until 1907-09.

Traffic growth resulted in a second track being added between Parkdale and (West) Toronto Junction in 1904. This traffic included Hamilton trains backing in both directions between Bathurst Street and Lambton. This came about as a result of an agreement with the GTR May 13,1896 for a Joint Section of trackage between Toronto and Hamilton. A move made by the GTR to prevent the TH&B from building its own track in GTR territory. Matters were improved when in 1910 a short cut was created between Mimico and Lambton yards.

Parkdale yard continued in use and in fact expanded southeast from King St. to Strachan Avenue taking over land of the former Central Prison. The prison once occupied all of the land between the GWR and GTR from Strachan westward towards Dufferin and operated from 1874-1915. It was on this property that railway freight cars were built by inmates working for the Canada Car & Manufacturing Company 1874-75 one of many Toronto companies that once built rolling stock or locomotives. The GWR and GTR placed orders for platform (flat) and box cars, the latter at an average cost of $525, a competitive price at the time. The enterprise wasn’t too successful despite using prison labour (260) at 40 and 50 cents per day, and soon ended.

The Canada Car & Manufacturing works on Strachan Avenue were sold in 1881 to Inglis & Hunter of Guelph Ontario who relocated to Toronto and became John Inglis & Sons. A major employer for decades producing boilers and heavy equipment, expanding until it took over much of the former prison; in its final years, household washers and dryers were produced. Next to them was Dr.Ballard’s (dog food) where some of the last steam locomotives were once placed to provide the high volume of steam needed in the food processing when their steam supply was cut off by a strike at Inglis.

The remainder of the prison was sold to the CPR, which left some buildings standing and leased them out as warehouses. The open area became the main portion of Parkdale yard where for many years the most important Toronto merchandise trains were marshalled. 910 handled shed, pool cars and other rush traffic to Montreal. 965 handled similar traffic to Vancouver and undoubtedly was the most profitable train the CPR operated. 955 to Sudbury handled traffic to northern Ontario destinations including North Bay and Sault Ste.Marie, White River etc. As priority traffic grew more trains were added including 901 and 921 a "hot" auto traffic (multi-levels) train to western lines. All trains departed in the evening making the 3-11 PM shift very busy as the many local jobs arrived with cars from all over Toronto. 965 had to be moved to midnights (3-4 AM) to handle the new northwest trains. The Esplanade job brought in pool cars from Cherry Street. The Shed Transfer brought the LCL cars from King Street. The Swansea Transfer brought in from the New Toronto joint area other types of manufactured goods from Goodyear Tire, Campbell’s Soup, Christie Biscuits, Gilbey Distillery, Anaconda Brass, Continental Can and others. The Ash Bay, Wharf, East Wharf and Circle jobs all contributed as well. The time frame to switch out these many local jobs and marshal the outbound train was tight and required precision work in a small yard.

A unique aspect of the Parkdale local industrial yard jobs is that they were better known by the name of the Yard Foreman (conductor) and would be referred to as "Howes transfer" for Ray Howes, or Raycroft’s Transfer for Tommy Raycroft. Some jobs made more than one run into the yard and as most came from another yard they were called "transfers" even though they were not true transfers. Even the officially named Swansea Transfer wasn’t that. A true transfer moves a train from one yard to another and does not do any other switching, certainly not industrial sidings. When a Yard Foreman changed assignments, the job was effectively re-named! This naming practice was a hold over from very early days, possibly dating back to the Credit Valley Railway!

Other old terms used at Parkdale was to refer to the CNR as the GTR, at least as it applied to Bathurst Street yard the main place to interchange cars. This was to distinguish it from CNR Cherry Street interchange.

Another unusual aspect of Parkdale was that some hand and lamp signals differed from Lambton. The backup signal was clockwise to back away from me, but counter-clockwise to back towards me. Lambton it was always counter clockwise. Some signals for track numbers were different too. Switchmen were once on a separate seniority list for Parkdale, John Street etc. Enginemen, on the other hand worked all locations and thus spare men had to contend with these differences.

The CPR at Parkdale was often referred to by the CNR as the "narrow gauge". This was not because of the TG&B heritage, but rather the GWR’s broad gauge! For a funny story about this see The Narrow Gauge.

Complicating matters was the fact the yard was on a downgrade and cars had to be ridden and hand-braked to prevent them from running out over Strachan Avenue and into the dump. If a car got away and was not lined into the CNR Bathurst Street yard it would go all the way into Union Station, and did on at least one occasion! To prevent this all tracks at the south end of the yard were leads that ran into a dead end stub track ending in a high pile of dirt. On occasion cars going in the dump would tip towards a CNR-served warehouse platform providing a surprise! Tecumseh Street Tower controlled the switch into the dump and only lined it when there was movement in or out of the yard. An additional yardman known as a Rider worked afternoons and nights to assist the Lead crew with this hand braking.

Aerial view of Parkdale and Circle

Above photos all taken 1959 by R.L.Kennedy.

The Top Yard at Parkdale was rebuilt into a series of about two dozen dead end tracks against Dufferin Street. These tracks were switched by the Circle job and contained mostly Hold cars (In Bond cars waiting to clear customs, etc.) and cars for local industries. Towards Queen Street was a freight shed and team tracks finally, the Express building and station.

Pool car operator Interline Forwarders worked out of the Top Yard at first using a coach, box car and two flat cars for their facilities. Later, they took over the shed from CPR and later still moved to North Queen Street where a small shed was built when Queensway Piggyback was closed. TNT Railfast also started up at Parkdale and likewise moved to North Queen Street.

FastFrate a new pool car operator started up in the top yard with a minimal operation for some years and then suddenly grew into a BTO (Big Time Operator) requiring a big new shed being built in 1971 in the south area removing most top yard tracks. A new entrance was created off King Street West. It was thought the CPR backed their bank loans when they suddenly acquired a fleet of new tractor trailers. They later moved again, in 1983 to Lambton Shed when Tormon (from North Toronto) exchanged places. Later still Tormon moved to the new Conship shed in Scarborough at the east end of Toronto Yard. The "new" shed at Parkdale remained vacant (under 24 hour guard) for some years in the late 1908’s before finally being demolished. The site remains undeveloped. Lambton was expanded and improved providing covered loading. Finally, after having taken over a number of other companies, as Consolidated Fastfrate, in September 2000 they moved again to a vast new terminal next toVaughan Intermodal Facility.

Cars were "doored" in the top yard. Box cars used for grain had wooden slats fitted across the doorway about halfway up. Later very sturdy paper "doors" were used for this. This work was done by shed men, and when they were gone, I think section men did it.

The elevators on the waterfront used these cars. Dominion Malting on the Wharf at Bathurst Street, Maple Leaf Milling (Toronto Elevators), near Spadina and Victory Mills on the East Wharf at Parliament Street. When they stopped using box cars, going to covered hoppers, there was only one customer left, Molson’s brewery at Fez City. Finally, in the end the CPR stopped dooring cars and gave all the supplies and tools they had left stored in an old box car to Molson’s. End of an era!

Interchange was carried out in the yard and at CN Bathurst Street yard rather than on designated interchange tracks as would normally be done. On midnights, after 965 had gone, the Lead engine would run cars down to Bathurst Street Yard, and return light. Likewise, a CN crew would bring our cars to us into any available track. It was agreed to show the time as before midnight (11.59 p.m.) in both cases. Normally, after midnight, another day of per diem would be owed to the owner by the railway that still had the cars in their possession. A unique aspect was that this was still referred to as being the GTR, not CNR. Cars and switch lists were so marked to differentiate between interchange at Cherry Street. For switching marks used see Chalk It Up!

CIRCLE and HILL

A number of industries were located in what was known as the Circle, a maze of trackage reached off the wharf lead along Liberty Street, an area also served by the CNR, however very few had both CNR & CPR sidings. Hinde & Dauch Paper on the wharf lead was one, Central Warehousing was another, this latter place gave the CNR its local nickname, "The Leaky Roof"! See The Leaky Roof for the story. The Circle was south of King Street between the Wharf lead and Dufferin Street. CNR access was from Strachan Ave. yard, a few tracks west of Cabin E along the Oakville Sub., opposite the CNE.

A service track ran from Queen Street on the west of the Galt Sub., all the way to West Toronto and was sometimes used by the Transfer. Industries (inc. Gutta Percha) were located all along this service track but jurisdiction was divided between Parkdale and Lambton with Bloor Street being the boundary. Parkdale referred to this as the Hill area as it was all up hill! Great care had to be used when switching these sidings. At Bloor and Dundas Streets was a team track area as well as some industries. At one time a single 12 hour shift yard job worked the Hill. Sidings to the north of Bloor were switched by a Lambton local job.

Parkdale had a Sub-Agent (under the General Freight Agent at Simcoe Street Shed) located in the station, who was also over the yard office clerks. The Yardmaster was under a General YM at the Coach Yard. CP Express closed its building next to the station. The station was closed October 1968 and both were later demolished.

The opening of Toronto Yard in April 1964 brought with it a grand plan to close Parkdale, at least as far as train operations were concerned. Whereas four north (901, 955, 921, 965) and one east (910) train that previously started from Lambton with engines, van and a few cars, would now depart Toronto Yard it was decided to have the north and northwest trains lift at Leaside. Cars from the downtown area were to be taken up the Don, switched in Leaside and be lifted there. Great plan! However, it was impossible to get the work done in time and all trains left late (1 hour and a half was common). The Parkdale men at around doing little, just biding our time! Two weeks later the grand plan collapsed as the officials at Union Station grew tired of explaining to Montreal why they couldn’t get these hot trains out of Toronto on time. The trains from Toronto Yard came down the Don to lift at Parkdale and the boys swung into action! Officials couldn’t make hide nor hair out of what was happening in the yard and one befuddled official stood watching as 901 pulled out on time and asked what marshalling move were they making now? Stunned when he got his answer, he and the rest left, obviously deciding the men at Parkdale didn’t need their help!

It took many more years before things changed, but eventually there were few industries remaining, FastFrate moved to Lambton Shed, so Parkdale began to close. The three remaining industrial jobs, 56A & 69B Ashbridges Bay and 64A Queens Wharf, were changed to start at Lambton Yard effective October 27,1985. Finally, Parkdale was closed when the night lead (77C Parkdale Lead) with 7064, ordered 2230 March 16^th worked its last shift. 405 (old 965) had last operated via Parkdale on March 4, 1986. The main part of the yard was turned into a small intermodal facility for Marine containers to replace a temporary facility at Pier 35 handling CAST container traffic formerly handled on CN. This required a two shift East Wharf (15A & 15B) effective October 15,1985 to transfer this traffic. It didn’t last long before Obico IMS facilities were improved and Parkdale was closed for good in October 1990. All the land east of King & Atlantic Streets was sold off to a developer who bid it up to a great height. Just in time for the 1980’s real estate flop. He went bust. It lay vacant, as did the former site of Massey-Ferguson on the south side of King Street where streets had been paved and lighting put up, with only the CPR and CNR mainlines between the two big pieces of property. Years later the Inglis plant was closed and demolished, also lying vacant until only very recently, now all is being redeveloped. The FastFrate shed lay vacant for years (under 24-hour guard!) until it too was demolished and all tracks taken up. Today, nothing railway remains at Parkdale except for the main line.

SWANSEA and ONTARIO FOOD TERMINAL

Swansea was an area west of Sunnyside and east of Mimico on the Joint Section. In later years it included the Ontario Food Terminal. Only the Bolt Works (later STELCO) was there along with a CNR industrial spur that was once part of the Toronto Belt Line’s Humber Loop. This track crossed the TTC at a diamond, one of the last such crossings at grade with streetcars.

The Swansea Transfer, really just a yard job, working out of Parkdale Yard, operated on the service track, at least officially, to reach industries in Mimico and New Toronto. All industries were considered by the freight department to be in New Toronto. These included many high freight rate shipments to Western Canada. Christie Biscuits, Campbell’s Soup, Goodyear Tire, Anaconda Brass, Gilbey’s Distillers, were all shippers of the lucrative and very competitive traffic. Two shifts worked in this area with a small 0-6-0 in steam days, then a 1000HP ALCO diesel.

In the 1950’s it was the highest paying yard job, held by senior men including my grandfather who at the time had seniority number 1! (He retired off this job shortly after I started railroading.) Regular overtime helped, as did an old held-over Local Agreement that gave the engine crew 1 hour extra to take the engine from Parkdale yard to John Street Roundhouse. However, in diesel days the engine was simply left in the old water track next to the yard office!

Ontario Food Terminal opened in 1954 to replace the burned out Toronto Fruit Terminal in downtown Toronto. It had 14 team tracks and handled very large volumes of season fruits and vegetables from the USA. While the OFT was switched by the Swansea Transfer when traffic was light, in season in the 1950’s and 60’s a Vegetable job (Veg Engine), out of Lambton would be assigned, (or called as an Extra Yard), to work there in conjunction with CNR. They would have to stay out of each other’s way as only one engine could switch there at a time. In later years it worked out of Parkdale. In the 1970’s 80’s this traffic declined, going to trucks and finally the tracks were all ripped up. Now it looks like this CLICK image to enlarge.

Mimico Switch Line Railway was Ontario incorporated in 1891 " to build an industrial spur over lands of the Mimico Real Estate Security Co.Ltd.. in Etobicoke Township, from a point on the Grand Trunk Railway to Lake Ontario; no powers to expropriate private lands; authority to arrange for operation by the Grand Trunk Railway Co. Of Canada, the Canadian Pacific Railway Co., or the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Ry. Co."

This unique "railway" is believed to be the long spur in New Toronto, running south over New Toronto Street, and Birmingham Street parallel to 8^th Street, to reach several industries including the 8 tracks at Goodyear Tire & Rubber. A distance of about one mile.

How long it legally existed before being sold to the GTR or CNR is unknown. It must be remembered that in the 1890’s the railway did not have to build any tracks to serve industries. They preferred for you to bring it to a team track. Some had to take different types of action to get service.

A similar situation existed in West Toronto, when local businessmen sought a charter for the Junction Terminal Railway

TREMOF, MOUNT DENNIS, WESTON, and EMERY

Mac Tier Sub. Mile .0 to Mile 9.47

West Toronto Station Picture Gallery

Beginning at West Toronto diamond the MacTier Subdivision is the mainline to northern Ontario and western Canada. Part of it was originally the Toronto, Grey & Bruce, a narrow gauge line from Toronto through Parkdale, West Toronto, and Weston to Bolton and Orangeville. The mainline was built 1904-1908 between Bolton and Romford, near Sudbury connecting with the mainline from Montreal, eliminating use of the GTR between Toronto and North Bay.

Right next to the diamond is Andrew Merrilees Ltd., a long time dealer in used railway equipment including locomotives, rail etc. Their private siding was removed some years ago. A little farther north at Rogers Road was Dominion Stores food warehouse, long gone. Just north of here the railway crosses Black Creek.

Tremof, Mile 3.0 pronounced tree-mof, for TREthewey MOdel Farms, property of W.G.Trethewey near Mount Dennis, located on the Mac Tier Subdivision 3 miles north of West Toronto diamond. Double track begins at Mile 3.5 just south of Lawrence Av.W.

Once a passing track, it has long been a service track for industries including Kodak, on Eglinton Avenue West. Kodak has been a major industry here for many decades, (since 1913), as has Dominion Bridge, Mount Dennis, which occupied a large site at Jane Street & Trethewey Drive. It closed in late 1990, and recently became a residential development of 534 homes! Next to them was Ferranti Electric (later, Feranti-Packard) which operated since 1925 shipping out large transformers etc. It closed in the early 1990’s.

Weston, Mile 3.8

TG&B station

CPR station

A very old community located along the Humber River. The station, at John Street following the end of its use for passenger trains remained in use as a freight agency. A large number of industries were located here, along with a depressed ramp at Oak Street. Here too were CN and CP interchange tracks that were heavily used until a mutual agreement consolidated interchange at Leaside. Industries once included Beecham Products (chewing gum), and A.P.Green Fire Brick, makers of the brick used in steam locomotive fireboxes!

Crane Estate, Mile 5.88 Spurs into an industrial area between Wilson & Sheppard Avenues west of Highway 400. T.Eaton’s warehouse was once located here and had 6 tracks. Southam Murray printing had 4 tracks.

Signet Area Industrial Spur, Mile 8.57 a long lead into a large industrial area north of Finch Avenue West, east to Highway 400, where once the CPR had looked at building a major freight yard.

Emery, Mile 8.0 (9.2)

Once a rural flag stop in the middle of nowhere (Mile 8.0) on Finch Avenue near Weston Road, it became (M. 9.2) part of the Signet Area.

Toronto Terminals Division Limit, Mile 9.47

WEST TORONTO, LAMBTON,

ISLINGTON, QUEENSWAY, DIXIE, and COOKSVILLE.

Galt Subdivision, Mile 3.8 to Mile 15.0

West Toronto is centered around the Diamond, or Junction, where lines from the East, North and downtown Toronto all meet. Originally named Toronto Junction since it was the only junction point. Trains from Montreal had to travel across North Toronto, then back down via Parkdale to Union Station in downtown Toronto.

West Toronto Shops 1928 Map

Located here were the main shops and roundhouse relocated from Parkdale. A Station, (replaced twice), along with its accompanying Express building. Next it were team tracks and a crane belonging to the LCL freight shed just to the west on the Galt Sub. Passenger service ended October 28,1978 at the station, (known as the depot, to distinguish it from union station,) the offices upstairs were relocated and it was closed. Finally being demolished November 25,1982. West Toronto Freight Office and Shed were closed and then demolished December 1978. The team tracks and crane, long out of use were not removed until February 1980.

A number of small industries were located along the south side of the Galt Sub. from the dividing point with Parkdale at Bloor Street and west to the Humber River. On trackage reached from within the yard Union Stock Yards were built in 1903 on 35 acres adjacent to West Toronto shops. In 1944, the Ontario Government took over from the private owners , renaming it the Ontario Stock Yards. All rail usage ended by 1980 and it was finally closed at the end of 1993. Additionally, a lead ran to extensive meat packinghouse facilities begun early in the 20^th Century. Gunn’s in 1907 and Harris Abattoir Co. in 1912. In August 1927, Harris Abattoir and William Davies Company merged to become Canada Packers, also acquiring Gunn’s and Matthews & Blackwell. Levack’s in 1905 was acquired by Swift’s in 1911 was located there, as well as small independent packers. A GTR lead ran into this area as well. So big had this grown by the 1950’s that Canada Packers had 26 tracks! They had their own weigh scales, a yardmaster and a car checker! CPR provided all switching for Canada Packers, while CNR switched only Swift’s.

Aerial view of Packers and Stock Yards

Islington located on the Galt Sub. Immediately west of Lambton Yard began on the west bank of the Humber River, past Islington Station at Islington Avenue, past Obico to Dixie (shelter) at Dixie Road, to Cooksville. Only a few industries, starting with a lumberyard just past the Humber, were located along here, none very significant except for CP Express at Obico, and Cooksville Rail Transfer. The station (built 1922) at Islington faded in importance and was closed for passenger service in the 1960’s remaining as a freight agency for some years longer.

A north service track ran from Islington Avenue to past Highway 27 serving more lumber yards and small industries including Lake Simcoe Ice, A&P and Dominion Stores. A south service track ran from Obico to east of Dixie serving many small industries plus the CP Express 4 track shed.

Queensway Piggyback yard a 4 ramp facility (4 tracks of 10 cars each) at the end of North Queen Street, opened January 1959. This yard relieved John Street, dispatching a Montreal piggyback train at 8.15 p.m. It also handled western Canada traffic on a fast freight out of Parkdale. It had a 40x50’ office building. When it was closed, a small shed was put there for Interline Forwarders, a pool car operator that relocated from Parkdale shed. TNT Railfast a small forwarder, also relocated from Parkdale. Following the demise of this operation the property remains in use to store empty containers for Obico.

A number of industries were located along both sides of the Galt Sub. as far as Cooksville at Highway 5. A rail-to-truck transfer facility was located at Cawthra Road just before the station. A small team track was located at both Dixie and Cooksville.

The Cooksville Industrial was a road job paid yard rates and worked as far as the switching limits at Mile 15 Cooksville. This job was a London Division out-of-town assignment as was the Streetsville Road Switcher, both working out of Lambton Yard. The Streetsville job was once known as the Stone Train, and at one time originated at Guelph Junction. It got its name from a stone quarry that was located where the Kelso Conservation lake is near Milton.

Area H is an industrial area off the south side of the Galt Sub. between Islington Avenue and Kipling Avenue (Obico), and south to Jutland Avenue. It was under the Islington station agency. A number of industries were located on this spur including the huge Dominion Glass, (later Consumers Glass) and some still remain.

OBICO, CANPA and the Cut Off.

Canpa Subdivision, Mile .0 to 2.6

Map of Obico Yard 1971

Obico pronounced oh-bee-co, it is short for Etobicoke Township, pronounced e-toe-bee-co (silent k). Located west of Lambton yard on the Galt Sub. at the junction of the Canpa Sub. It was once a small storage yard with a large OCS coal dump in the middle of the wye. Additional land was acquired for a new large freight yard, however it was never built and much of the land was sold to Ontario Hydro.

A number of small industries were located (some still remain) below the bottom of the yard at North Queen Street, not far from Canpa.

It became a major piggyback yard after additional land was bought back from Hydro, only a small amount of land that cost much more than the whole sold to Hydro! Obico Piggyback replaced both Queensway as well as John Street Piggyback, which had outgrown the available land in downtown Toronto.

Eventually, Obico converted to containers and the end ramps used for trailers were removed. Again, lack of sufficient land to expand caused CP to look for a new location. They settled on a large tract of land next to the Mac Tier Subdivision not far beyond Metropolitan Toronto. Originally intended to replace Obico, it has continued to expand as has traffic, thus Obico remains open and busy. Since Vaughan Intermodal Terminal opened all traffic to and from the northwest has used Vaughan, while the one remaining Montreal train uses Obico. This train is expected to move to Vaughan to allow for expansion of New York traffic. For a while the volume of traffic required some trains from Vancouver to go to Obico to relieve congestion. Thus the latest expansion of Vaughan Intermodal Facility, was completed in November 2001, providing a major capacity boost.

Obico is not likely to be closed, as more and more freight is going by rail in both containers, and now once again in traditional highway trailers, this time using dedicated terminals and trains that were originally known as Iron Highway and now known as Expressway. Obico IMS (Inter-Modal Service) eventually took over all of Obico Yard for its needs. The facility is 61 acres, with 12,900 feet of truck-rail track and another 20,000 feet for storage.

Just to the west, off the Galt Sub. was a major shed for CP Express, located on 23 acres, the 99,000 sq.ft. shed could spot 24 box cars, 56 trailer doors and 73 pick-up and delivery doors. Built by Dominion Bridge it was similar to another new facility in Lachine (Montreal), opened at the same time, January 1969. It operated until box car traffic ended in the 1980’s. Some years following creation of CP Express & Transport, deregulation of trucking came and eventually it went out of business. It was the last LCL highway carrier that operated across Canada, CN Express had already ceased to exist.

Mimico Cut-Off later Canpa Subdivision

The Cut-Off to Canpa, was built in 1910 as a short cut for freight trains operating between Lambton Yard and Hamilton. Prior to this trains had to back via Parkdale and Bathurst Street to reach the CNR mainline where the CPR had secured special rights as a Joint Section in an agreement dated May 13,1896. It was originally single track, later double-tracked as far as Evans Avenue. Use of the track was governed by an Electric Staff System. It was eliminated in 1953 and double track was extended the short distance to Obico. Such systems were also used only on steep grades (as required by Board of Transport) such as down the Don, from King Street down to Bathurst Street.

Passenger trains were not regularly operated over the cut-off except for a few years when a Montreal-Buffalo service operated through Toronto stopping at North Toronto. There were also special Race trains operated from Union Station to Long Branch Race Track near Canpa. This race track operated from September 6,1924 until October 21,1955 after which it was sold for industrial development and was then owned by Goodyear.

Canpa

Often incorrectly pronounced Campa, it was a tower located at the west end of the CNR’s Mimico freight yard, named by the GTR for CANadian PAcific railway! This tower was staffed by an operator around-the-clock, it controlled GTR/CNR trains in and out of Mimico as well as CPR trains to and from the cut-off. The original wooden tower was replaced by a modern brick structure (on the opposite side of the mainline), by the CNR in 1953, at which time CNR employees replaced the CPR ones.

A few industries located around here were/are in a joint area. Some others on the south east of the main line were once served from Parkdale. CN-CP Interchange was carried out in Mimico Yard, in later years restricted to local traffic only. See also, SWANSEA.

While the cut-off is actually within yard limits, the area has traditionally belonged to the Hamilton Subdivision, which was the CPR’s name for the Joint Section. (CN calls it the Oakville Sub.) It was considered part of the Bruce Division and train crews of District 3 as it was known, manned the trains. There were two assignments, Obico Industrial and Canpa Industrial, paid yard rates to switch industries but manned by road crews. Beyond there it was the Hamilton Wayfreight that switched the Joint Section mainline.

In later years changes allowed the Canpa to be re-assigned to work the Galt Sub. beyond Obico to the switching limits at Cooksville, Mile 15, and beyond there with extra pay.

CHANGES OVER THE YEARS

Growing freight traffic resulted in many changes over the years including expansion of Parkdale yard as already mentioned, addition of West Toronto Yard and later Lambton Yard along with expansions of both.

The change from steam to diesel brought two common yard switchers to the Toronto Terminals, first the 1000 Horse Power ALCO yard switcher and later the 660HP version.

7023 working the Wharf job on THC trackage, in very early paint.

This is the very early colours.

6525 MLW 660HP S3 in Here Yard at Lambton, where units once refueled.

7077 MLW 1000HP S2 on Lambton shop track. Equipped for road service, it worked local way freights etc.

Lambton and West Toronto were both saucer-shaped, allowing cars to be "kicked" (uncoupled or "cut-off") and roll freely into yard tracks with no fear of them running out the other end. This often resulted in heavy impacts that damaged freight as ground crews went about switching the high volume of traffic in the busy and crowded yard. This was particularly serious during World War II when trains were held out of the yard for many hours waiting room. Road engines were left on the train along with their crews waiting to get in the yard. Trains were held waiting power and could not get out of the yard. A classic Catch 22 situation. Crews would sometimes take turns sleeping on the engine or in the van, often waiting many hours for the light to get into the yard. Once they were yarded it was quite likely they would soon be called right back out again, and "booking rest" was frowned upon as there was war going on. At least they were being paid!

Read more at Lambton Yard and Lambton Yard Part 2

In 1949 there was a proposal which reached the blueprint stage, to convert West Toronto into a hump retarder yard to expand its capacity. Older hump yards utilized large numbers of "riders", yardmen who rode cars to apply hand brakes as they went down the hump. The plan was not implemented and the problem remained, relieved slightly by the use of Leaside yard to yard trains with engines and crews going to and from Lambton.

There were other proposals to build a new yard, including one in the Signet area north of Weston near Emery. Land available was deemed too little and was later sold for industries, many of which used rail service.

Eventually, in April 1964 after decades of debate and failed proposals, a new freight marshalling yard was built on 432 acres of land at Agincourt. First called Agincourt Marshalling Yard, it was re-named prior to opening as Toronto Yard. This was a Hump Retarder yard, first operated by a Retarder operator in a tower and later controlled by a computer!

Two-Way Radio introduced in 1947

General Ad 1982 Details of all yard and road jobs, including explanation of crewing.

L.C.L. Shed Cars

Less than Carload Lot (LCL) shipments were long an important part of railway operations all over Canada. These shipments tended to be bigger, heavier and less valuable than those sent by Express. Freight sheds in major cities were large facilities loading dozens of cars per day, while small locations had daily except Sunday cars received and shipped to and from different locations. Smaller locations received LCL service by way freights or mixed trains, with transhipping taking place at bigger locations, completing the network all across Canada.

LCL or "shed" cars, as they were known, were loaded by an army of men and sent to their destination on scheduled fast freight trains. Pick up and delivery service was also offered at most locations. Canadian Pacific Express was often the "agent" for the railway's LCL at many places including Toronto. While the CPX trucks were red, those used by the freight Cartage service were green trucks.

The main shed in Toronto for many decades was Simcoe Street Shed (62 Simcoe St.) filling the much of the block of King Street West and Wellington Street West between Simcoe Street and Peter Street. There was a separate building for Canadian Pacific Express on Simcoe Street at King Street. In addition, there was also the paper shed on the west side of Peter Street at Wellington and used for rolls of newsprint for the daily papers. On the east side of Wellington was an overhead crane. South and west were the auto platform and horse platform. There was also a small building for crews, on the south of Mercer St. between Peter and John Streets. This entire area was referred to as King Street by the Operating Department.

Traffic figures in 1947 for King Street showed an average of 164 cars per day, totally 59,660 for the year.

Gradually, beginning in the 1960's the LCL business began to decline as LTL truck service grew as well as that of Pool Car operators. Pool cars were LCL cars shipped by private companies on behalf of bigger shippers to major cities. These cars were a good source of revenue for the railways as they were paid for a minimum of 15 tons per car moved, while they often avoided the costs of union wages for employees since many pool car operators were non-union. The CPR encouraged pool car companies and helped them grow by providing sheds, offices etc. Fastfrate, which went onto become one of the biggest in Canada, was one of those companies.

Finally, the CPR got out of the LCL business entirely, closing sheds at King Street and West Toronto, while others around Toronto remained in use by various pool car operators. King Street being on old Ontario & Quebec land, was a very valuable site, which now includes Roy Thomson (concert) Hall (opened 1982), Metro Hall (offices) and others.

POOL CARS

Pool cars were box car loads of "pooled" LCL (Less than Carload Lot) freight similar to that handled at the railway’s own LCL sheds. Pool cars were loaded by freight forwarders, companies that specialized in assembling LCL shipments to distant major cities in Canada. Department stores were major customers. Railways on the other hand were obliged to handle the smallest shipment to the smallest community on their railway.

In the 1950’s the about only pool car companies in Toronto were Howell Forwarding and Muirhead Forwarding at Cherry Street. Later came Interline Forwarding at Parkdale, then Fast Frate. Similar pool car operations were handled on behalf of their own customers by Tormon Assembly Agency at North Toronto and Montreal. (TORonto-MONtreal). Later known as Montor Shippers Association it served certain major chain stores.

Tormon used a sizeable shed at North Toronto for a number of years before out growing it. A new shed was built by the CPR using the site of the Lambton Locomotive Dept. at Runnymede & St.Clair. It opened in February 1967 at a cost of $2 million, it could handle 100 box cars on its 3 tracks, and had 101 vehicle doors. It was staffed entirely by CPR employees.

Fast Frate started up in 1966 at Parkdale using the old freight shed. It soon grew to the point where a brand new shed was built in 1971, with an entrance off King Street, taking up much of the Top Yard at Parkdale. They became Consolidated Fastfrate, following acquisitions of other companies. Later still they relocated to Lambton Shed in 1983, changing places with Tormon, expanding it and covering in the box car loading area. A vast new 200 car (indoor) shed was built by the CPR for Conship, off the east end of Toronto Yard in Scarborough, on Markham Road north of Sheppard Avenue. Conship handled the former Tormon and other traffic. Eventually in September 2000 Fastfrate relocated once again, this time to a vast new facility at Vaughan Intermodal Facility, this one having no tracks at all! It is entirely containerized and was the last freight forwarder to utilize box cars.

Interline Forwarders located in the Top Yard at Parkdale using temporary facilities consisting of box and flat cars. They later moved to the old Queensway Piggyback terminal when it was closed. In March 1985 they returned to Parkdale! This time into the former Fast Frate "new" shed, under the name TNT Railfast, which was a merger of Interline and TNT. They later moved out. (Early in 1991 TNT Railfast was acquired by Clarke Transport, becoming Clarke Railfast and relocated to the CNR.) The "new" shed at Parkdale remained closed and the land for sale through the late 1980’s before finally being demolished, but a proposed redevelopment has yet to happen.

The sheds at Cherry Street, Parkdale and North Toronto were all eventually demolished. Lambton is to be redeveloped in 2002, replacing the shed with a so-called "Big Box" store. (The Building Box), while the office building will be retained for their Ontario headquarters.

Passenger trains arriving and leaving the Union Station.

Randy Masales Collection courtesy of Brian Switzer

UNION STATIONS AND TORONTO COACH YARD

Most people think in terms of one Union Station, the present one on Front Street West between York and Bay Streets covering 850 feet. 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 not owned by the TTR, but was built (opened January 1930) onto the Union Station at its northeast end located at 141 Bay Street. A three-storey office building was at that address 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. It was closed after CPX stopped using passenger trains. It operated as a public parking garage until it was demolished in 2001. It is now (April 2002) being redeveloped as an intermodal GO Bus terminal.

Toronto Coach Yard Original track plan 1929.

The Viaduct project required the relocation of large freight sheds to King and Simcoe Streets, an area without any tracks. The creation of a new coach yard capable of holding 229 cars ready for train, 23 being cleaned, 155 in storage, 25 under repair (inc. 9 inside the car shop), 6 for stores, and 12 on team tracks, for a grand total of 450 cars. It included a Coach Shop 75 x 340 feet with three tracks, a Commissary and stripping shed. The Commissary supplied dining and sleeping cars and the stripping shed was where passenger cars were stripped of their interior fittings such as beds etc. before being shopped for periodic overhaul or for when "pearls" were reported. Pearls, was the telegraphic code word for bed bugs! The Bone yard was located at the north edge behind the Commissary, and held old wooden coaches used for heavy traffic and such specials as picnic trains, which were once popular. The North and South coach yards were separated by the engine terminal. A loop for turning trains ran behind the roundhouse. A new yard office was located on the west side of Bay Street at the south edge of the yard. A wash rack was added in 1954 in the South Coach yard to care for the new stainless steel cars of The Canadian.

John Street Piggyback Yard

The CPR began operating a piggyback service between Toronto and Montreal on December 1,1952. It hauled highway truck trailers on a dedicated train and expedited schedule. It was the beginning of a new era that would lead to the present day intermodal operations featuring containers that travel by highway, rail and ocean.

End ramps for circus style loading were built on the west-end of tracks in the north coach yard. The traffic grew, and more of the yard was taken over at the same time as passenger trains were declining. The train number was 928, and it was a hot train! Four RS-18’s were dispatched from Lambton roundhouse, two hours ahead of train time. The tail-end crew came on duty at John Street. As traffic grew an early train (926) was added and a late train (930). All trains departed in the evening. On Saturday only one train operated, it was ordered early (6 p.m.) as an extra. It wasn’t so urgent due to its Sunday arrival in Montreal. This meant less power and more tonnage! It was usually assisted up the Don, something not done through the week as there was plenty of power for the fast run (65 mph instead of 50mph for regular freight trains). High wind drag slowed the train and required more horsepower to keep up speed. In the late 1950's a John Street passenger steam engine would sometimes be used as an assist engine.

Both CN and CP needed bigger facilities and both agreed neither would maintain a downtown Toronto yard if the other didn’t. John Street trains had grown so long, (120+ cars) that when 928 was built (around the loop) the engines and van would be side-by-side! A new, larger facility was built at Obico replacing the small Queensway Yard. For a time both Obico and the Coach Yard handled pig trains, but while it was desired to operate out of one location, neither CN nor CP wanted the other railway to have the advantage of a downtown location. Finally, both agreed that neither would maintain a downtown yard if the other didn’t. CN moved from Bathurst Street to Mimico and CPR to Obico. John Street was closed at the end of October 1971. .

Depart ............................... Arrive

926 7.15 p.m. " Early Pig" . 927 3.50 a.m.

928 8.55 p.m. "Big Pig" . ... 929 6.10 a.m.

930 12.01 a.m. "Little Pig" ..931 8.30 a.m

Read more at Intermodal Pioneer

The John Street Locomotive Department facilities were entirely replaced and included a 32 stall roundhouse with a 120 foot turntable, the largest size table on the CPR. It was the most modern roundhouse in Canada, featuring a direct steaming system to reduce smoke, and replaced the original 1897 roundhouse, which had been expanded in 1919. Only the first 28 stalls could be opened in October 1929, then the old lower level roundhouse was demolished, following which the remainder was completed. A 350 ton mechanical coaling plant and a 60,000 gallon steel water tank were part of the engine facilities. A large building, (361 ft. long, 40 ft. wide at the west end and 30 ft wide at the east end), known as the stores building, contained not only the Stores Dept. but also ancillary shops for both the Locomotive Department and the Car Department as well as office space. A Car Forman’s office was located at the east end and the Locomotive Forman's offices at the west end. About 1950 a single level extension was built on the west end with a stores truck platform, and offices which included the Booking In Room for engine crews.

Diesels first came to John Street in the early 1950’s, initially on the transcontinental trains, The Canadian and The Dominion, and Montreal-Windsor trains #21 and #22. Gradually replacing all steam locomotives. Yard diesels began to work in the downtown area beginning with 7020 at King Street in October 1944, however these diesel units were maintained at the old West Toronto roundhouse. Modifications, (primarily catwalks etc.), were later made inside John Street roundhouse to service diesels.

Steam still handled some passenger trains in 1957-58. Above photos: Bob Shaw (CPR Ret'd).

Gradual dieselization reduced the amount of space needed inside the roundhouse at the same time as piggyback began. Pits 7, 8, 9 and 10 were turned over to the repair of pig flat cars. Later yet, the reduction of passenger trains permitted use of the coach shop for the growing piggyback fleet.

VIA Rail took over passenger train service in 1976 gradually ending the need for which John Street was built. By this time only the Canadian and two RDC runs, the Havelock and the Buffalo remained operating out of Toronto on the CPR. Eventually they were relocated to the VIA TMC in Mimico yard. The last run out of John Street was #188 to Havelock on September 6,1982 with VIA 6211-6135 engineer Ross Ostrander. The coach yard was turned into a storage yard for work train service equipment wintering between work seasons. The roundhouse was used for maintenance of yard diesels, self-propelled cranes, business cars etc. Truly, just a skeleton of its former self.

John Street in its latter years photo gallery.

It was decided to dispose of the land and consequently operations were shut down entirely in July 1986. Marathon Realty, Canadian Pacific’s real estate arm proposed a development called Southtown just in time for the real estate decline of the early 1980’s. At the same time the roundhouse, stores building, water tank, coal tower and about 14 acres of prime downtown real estate were all given to the city for public purposes. A railway museum was the primary hope for the site. Neither Southtown, to the east of Simcoe Street, nor the Railway Museum to its west has yet to happen.

Ontario District Steam Locomotives

NOTE: The smaller number of locomotives assigned to John Street compared to Lambton meant a smaller staff however, some idea of the jobs can be had here:

Lambton Locomotive Department Staff 1953

Toronto Union Car Department

The Car Department plays an important roll in the operation of any railway; none more so than one such as Toronto Union, which was responsible for the maintenance and repair of every passenger train operating out of Toronto.

Car departments traditionally divided up their operations between inspection and repair. Car inspectors examined every car upon its arrival at a terminal to determine its condition to safely continue on its journey. They also performed similar inspections on outbound trains, adding oil to the journals, or re-packing them if necessary. Carmen also perform air-brake tests prior to a train leaving a yard. Should defects be detected, particularly wheels, the car will be "shopped" and sent to a repair track (RIP Track = Repair In Place) or into a shop.

Carmen are Journeymen Mechanics who achieve their qualifications either thorough a four-year (later, three-years) apprenticeship or by experience whereby Carmen Helpers working as a Carman Trainee for a similar period of time and then passing examinations.

Coach yards were staffed by a large number of employees due to the nature of passenger trains. Not only was a higher level of maintenance required for passengers than for freight, cleaning of both the interior and exterior of cars added greatly to the staff. Approximately 45% of the Toronto Union Car Department Staff of approximately 500, were car cleaners!

A General Car Foreman was responsible around-the-clock, seven days a week as was the case in all departments and locations on the CPR. There was also an Assistant General Car Foreman along with three Assistant Foremen (one each for coaches, sleeping and dining cars and washing), on day shift. An Assistant Mechanical Foreman was the sole boss on afternoons and nights.

The majority of staff was on days with only inspection and minor repairs being done on other shifts. The coach shop worked only on days, but it was seven days. Carmen worked in three gangs of three men (plus a Lead Hand), 5 days per week to cover the seven day operation. This resulted in three extra men on Mondays to clear up backlogged work.

Top paying carmen’s jobs included (airbrake) triple tester, upholsterers, carpenters, painters, motor mechanic and welders.

Car Inspectors and their helpers worked in the North and South Coach yards as well as at Union Station. These are the men known as "car knockers" a nickname that came from their tapping a hammer on the side of wheels to detect decfects. A good wheel gives a true ring, a cracked one responds with a dull sound. A Carman would uncouple the road engine from the train and the cars would be inspected before the yard engine came to take them to the coach yard. Note: Only the Car Dept. would connect and disconnect steam heat lines, which were referred to as the Barco, for its manufacturer.

Car Repairers were carmen who worked at a number of tasks performing various repairs to passenger equipment. There were more than three dozen men were in this category.

An annex on the south side of the coach shop contained a wheel shop, roller bearing shop plus an office and lunchroom. Passenger equipment was the first to receive roller bearings, long before freight cars. Early roller bearings were oil-filled and had to be drained and refilled every seven days. Later, grease-filled ones were topped-up every 30 days. Finally, modern, sealed roller bearings came along and while these greatly contributed to improved safety they also reduced employment.

A carman helper known as the "kit man" supplied every train with necessary tools and emergency equipment such as different sizes of journal brasses and knuckles, hose bags, hand lamps, marker lamps first-aid equipment etc. This was all stored in the baggage car.

Carmen Helpers performed a number of tasks including the coal man who supplied coal for Baker heaters. (These small boilers supplied heat and hot water to passenger cars when they were disconnected from the locomotive or yard steam.) Two "Top" men, for loading ice through roof hatches on dining and café cars. Small blocks of ice were thrown up! These were the first men to get hardhats! There were two openings for ice and one for coal. Sometimes, ice would be dropped into the coal hatch by mistake, a small problem. On occasion coal would be dropped into the ice hatch! BIG problem! There were also large ice bunkers beneath air-conditioned cars where several hundreds of pounds of ice were carried. At one time ice was cut on lakes up north and shipped in 400 pound blocks. Later, it came manufactured from Lake Simcoe Ice and was stored in a concrete block refrigeration building next to the roundhouse. Three water men handled water hoses and two or three "ice and water" men supplied drinking water. These latter men wore white overalls and used a white wheelbarrow. There were two or three men working in the filter room where air-conditioner filters were given a weekly cleaning with steam and hot water, finishing up with a dip in light oil. Two helpers worked at the weekly steam cleaning of drinking water tanks, which were taken to steam tanks located near the midway. Two oilers did journals, two worked in the oil house and there was also a gas man who looked after those cars still having gas lighting. There was also a fumigator! This person responded to telegraphed messages using code words.

Pearls = bed bugs

Diamonds = mice

Sapphires = rats

Rubies = roaches

Opals = lice

Emeralds = dogs

Seasonal staff starting in May included Carmen Helpers to work on air conditioning equipment, 6 or 7 men on days, 2 each afternoons and nights. In cold weather, 1 man every shift for steam heating plus in winter (starting in December) 2 men each in the South and North Coach Yards.

The afternoon shift staff consisted of 5 or 6 Carmen, 3-4 Carmen Helpers, 1 carpenter, 1 steam fitter and 2 electricians. The night shift had a mere 2 carmen, 3 helpers, 3 electricians and 5 cleaners.

Coach Cleaners made up the biggest segment of the Carmen and about 45% of the entire staff! Some worked in gangs doing interior cleaning, while exterior washers worked in other gangs, one for the transcontinental trains, known as "Peg" (Winnipeg), a north side(of the cars)gang and a south side gang along with "end" men who did the dirtier work around vestibules etc. There were also two or three men known as "soapers" who used an acid bath to brighten up exterior paint. The top jobs, those most sought after, were the half-dozen men assigned to the Business Cars.

During World War II women replaced many men as car cleaners. To accommodate them a coach was assigned for use as a locker room. It was a dismissal offence for any male employee to be inside this car. If repairs were required to the interior, a foreman would have to be called before a man could enter the car.

Most of the men were represented by the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen, Lodge 511, which included King Street and Parkdale. (West Toronto was Lodge 258 and included Lambton and Obico). There were separate seniority lists for both areas. The electrical shop had about 25 electricians who were in a separate union as were 9 steam fitters. There was also a small staff of labourers and four clerks, represented by two other unions.

NOTE: King Street men looked after the LCL Shed and team tracks. This small staff included an inspector, airbrake tester and a freight carpenter. This latter person did minor repairs to box car interiors. There was only one carman was on the afternoon shift.

Parkdale was staffed by 2 carmen and 2 helpers only on the afternoon shift.

SPECIAL THANKS for the detailed information about the Car Department go to Vern Poirier, retired carman, who worked most of his 41 years of C.P.R. service at John Street Coach Yard where he was for many years Local Chairman of the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen.

EPILOGUE

What you have just read and looked at is only part of more than a century of railway history stretching from the late 19th Century throughout the 20th Century and into the beginning of the 21st Century! During that time many changes took place. Steam locomotives gave way to diesels, and cabooses were replaced by little boxes. Telegraph and telephones were replaced by radio, fax machines and cell phones. Passenger trains were discontinued, first from branchlines and then the main lines, except for some taken over by a new federal government body, VIA Rail. While eventually the branch lines themselves to small communities everywhere were abandoned.

Just as the railways themselves were responsible for changing the way people lived and acquired goods by providing easy access to bigger markets and conversely bringing a wider range of goods to outlying communities previously dependent upon local products, so too did better highways change things. Small local businesses lost out to bigger ones in larger cities.Those that remained wanted to buy a small truck load frequently, rather than a large box car load infrequently. LCL freight was eliminated in favour of pool car operators. Box cars were largely replaced by containers. Livestock movements ended, first when Western Canada cattle were slaughtered in the west and shipped east in refrigerated box cars. Other livestock, changed over to trucks. Private sidings into industries were largely eliminated in favour of either containers or rail-truck reload facilities. In the late 20th Century a new threat to local industries came along. Free trade (NAFTA). It shut down the Canadian branch plants of American companies, with finished products being shipped from the U.S.A. One of the biggest gains in traffic has been in containers, especially imports arriving on the west coast from the Orient and in the east from Europe. While there had always been freight delivered by ship, it had to be transhipped, largely by hand. Containers changed all that and none too soon as expanding world markets brought more and more imports, from traditional things like tea and coffee, to new things like automobiles and electronics.An explosion in container traffic has meant a continuing struggle to increase intermodal terminals to bigger and bigger facilities.

Manned stations all along railway lines everywhere were eliminated in favour of first, mobile agents, later, toll free 800 telephone numbers to several centralized agencies and then just one location! Sectionmen maintaining small "sections" of track about seven miles long were replaced by larger and larger and fewer and fewer gangs riding in trucks. Five-man train crews became two! All the while becoming more and more efficient as fewer and fewer employees moved more and more freight.

The many changes over the decades have left the railway a much changed place, nevertheless the railways are still playing an important role in the commerce of Canada. They are the answer to the growing highway conjestion which continues to increase as the country grows and Free Trade and world trade expands.