September 1, 2013

This month I am pleased to welcome a new author to this website. Jennifer Weymark,
archivist at the Oshawa Community Museum who recently wrote a history of the Oshawa Railway

The legacy of the railway is examined in the new exhibit at the Oshawa Community Museum
Tales from the Tracks: The Oshawa Street Railway.

---

 

 

ARTICLES

CPR construction and early years.
Connaught Tunnel page added 1970 colour photo of this famous tunnel opened in 1916.

 

CPR Algoma District

Schreiber photo gallery Added better scan of this great action scene of 5111 just leaving Schreiber. Taken by an interned Japanese person during World War II at which time many of these persons worked at the CPR shops. They had the best cameras and used them apparently without repercussions unlike the current time when railfans are hassled for their fun.

Sudbury photo gallery Added P1 5168 near the end of steam.

 

CPR Ontario District

Bruce Division Hamilton Sub. Added 851 on the Hamilton Way Freight.

Trenton Division Steam Gallery
Added photo of D-10 999 on a high trestle. Also, photo of brand new G3 class 2427 being delivered from Kingston.

Diesel Gallery Added photo of two brand new GP35's leading a freight train past Don station.

 

Lambton Yard Road engine gallery Added 2815 on the table.

 

CPR Subsidiaries

CPEL gallery added photos GRR 626 and 842

 

 

Canadian National Predecessors

Canadian Northern
Added two photos taken last year of the newly redeveloped Leaside Erecting Shop into a Longo's grocery store.

 

Shortlines

CANDO Contracting OBRY 1000 added in a scene that belies its middle of the city location.

 

 

 

Toronto Terminals

Started new history page with recent photographs of the massive restoration and expansion including new atrium roof.
New contributor Jacob Lorinc.

 

Interurban and Street Raiways

Toronto Suburban Added pre-TSR era 1894 map of street and steam railways Toronto Junction and Swansea, built and projected. Includes lower portion of the Belt Line (steam) clearly showing track and stations from Swansea Bolt Works (Junction GTR) north to Bloor Street. Many of the proposed street railway lines were never built due to objections to having streetcars on local residential streets! Not much has changed in this City!

 

General

Grade Separations
North Toronto

Added very interesting street scene of Dufferin Street one of the level crossings on the CPR North Toronto Sub. NOT eliminated until many years later. A lot of interesting things to see including what research turned out to be an overall manufacturer I had never heard of before. Around the CPR I saw (and wore) Headlight made by Larned Carter & Co. Ltd. in Parkdale. Another local brand was Carhartt and from the USA was Lee. Read more about what all is shown here.

 

 

Newfoundland's Railways

 

 

 

PHOTOGRAPHS

Photograph Galleries

Trains

US Roads in Canada

Added Rutland 90 with soon to be discontinued New York day train in 1951. Brand new CNR 9044 GMD covered wagon.

 

 

Steam Locomotives

CNR Predecessor roads. CNoR Magazine article on 25 new 2-8-0's built by CLC.

GTP oil fuel for BC engines. (Scroll down to bottom.)

 

CPR Steam Added photo (scroll down below thumbnails to cab interior photos) of a foam meter a device in cab of Royal Hudsons and possibly other classes of steam engines.

Eight wheelers Added great old 1893 photograph of diamond stacked 144. No, not that 144!

CPR G2 Pacific type. Added 2634 on passenger. Finally, an in-service photo of this engine long preserved in Moose Jaw.
Also, two photos of 2509 as built with small tender and open cab; another with new large tender, vestibule cab and FWH.
Jubilee Added another photo of 3003 stopped briefly at Montreal West bound for Quebec City.
Decapod Added four photos of coal-fired 5782 assisting freight trains in three different manners. See how. (Scroll down).

CPR engines equipped with Worthington feedwater heater.
Added 2424 including closeup of FWH on top of smokebox ahead of the stack. See also G1 class 2212 and G2 2592.

CPR Drake Street. Added view of restored roundhouse at Expo 86.

DAR steam Added D10 1020 supposedly somewhere in Quebec.

 

CPR diesel

S2 added nice clear black and white photo of 7053 in original paint scheme of black with tuscan letter board.
GP9 added black & white photos of 8634 in script lettering style and 8635 in block, both chopped nose modified for hump.

 

CP Rail Diesel

GMD passenger A & B units. Added 4474 converted to freight (renumber and regear 65mph) fresh out of the shop. Then, returned to passenger as 1964 with the coming of VIA Rail. Also, VIA 1961 ex 4473 nee 1900.

GP9 Added black & white photo of 8633 and colour photo of 8635 with 4461 B unit and 8633 trailing Alyth hump. Also, added photos of 8678 and 8707 in BC. 8707 was the second last unit of huge 73 unit order the largest diesel order by CPR. During a few short months in the Fall of 1957 with the delivery of these units and a resession that saw traffic drop off to the point where on the Ontario District road power went from about 75% steam/25% diesel to 75% diesel/25% steam!

 

NAR steam The end of steam was very near. This day there was plenty. Less than two months later there was none.

 

 

 

Shortlines

Quebec

Romaine River QIT/Rio Tinto Remote isolated non-common carrier railway.

Two photos brand new RS-18 (above) and another taken weeks ago now 45 years old and still working!
New contributors Neil Compton and Jean-Marc Frybourg.

 

Industrial Locomotives

Ontario. See What's New in this Gallery.

 

 

 

Rolling Stock

CNR

CNR Predecessor roads

GTR Added old article for GTR Air Brake Instruction car and another for GTR steel frame suburban coaches.

CNoR Added magazine articles on seven new dining cars and new 30 ton box cars.

CPR Passenger Added photos of Cafe-buffet-sleeper DEAN and sleeper RESTON.

 

 

Facilities

CNR

Added nice old photo of the International Bridge between Victoria and Black Rock.

Added a very detailed article about GTR Stratford Locomotive Shops.

Added a second much more detailed article about the NTR main shops in Transcona. Total 11 pages.

Added two old articles on GTR construction in Ottawa including a new station and the Chateau Laurier hotel.
Also, municipal construction including Wellington Street Viaduct eliminating level crossings including CPR.

CPR Added very old photo of West Shops stores in Calgary. Not a glamorous place but a very necessary one at any shop.

Roundhouses etc. (link) and scroll down to Glen October 1976 caption for Glen Yard (link) Added two 1955 maps. (links)
Also, added another photo (scroll way down) of new turntable being installed at Outremont in 1942. Plus map (link) Outremont roundhouse 1963 leased out (turntable gone). Also, a map Hochelaga 1946 (link). Thanks to Jim McGraw for all.

 

Stations

Quebec. CPR Added two early articles on the construction details of Windsor Station.

CNR Ontario

Added a great set of ten old Engineering Dept. photos showing CNR station and facilities serving Lake Joseph in Ontario's Muskoka area. Taken in the middle of the Great Depression it is proof some summer vacation activities continued in spite of the effects of massive job losses. What is interesting to look at is the spotless grounds and structures in the mid-20th Century before the throw away society of non-returnable drink containers and other litter as well as the 21st Century scourge of graffiti.

 

OLD TIME TRAINS (bottom button on home page) Added old photo of ex C&GT 501 Brill doodlebug with trailer 501 at Delaware & Ulster tourist railroad in upstate New York. New contributor Philip M. Goldstein.

This equipment was bought by Old Time Trains to operate a weekend tour train around the waterfront on Toronto Harbour Commission tracks. Unfortunately, Harbourfront, the quasi-government body involved was unable to secure the cooperation of the CPR and a good tourism opportunity was lost forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

August 1, 2013

HOME PAGE Finally! A larger version of that great image. Thanks to long-time acquaintance Peter Bowers.
That whistle is from an old 78rpm record The Railroad Runs Through the Middle of the House sung by Eddie Arnold.

 

 

ARTICLES

CNR

Great Slave Lake. Old article about this newly constructed line into the remote northern mining area of Pine Point NWT.

 

CPR

Ships

BCCS Added colour photos of former CP "Maggie" under BC ownership. Scroll way, way down look for the float plane.
Also, two colour photos of Princess Patricia.

 

CPR Ontario District

CPR Trenton Division

Passenger History added photo of No.36 stopped at Bonarlaw an old station originally built for Central Ontario.
Also, old photo of 2212 on No. 26 stopped at Tweed. This was the only G1 with Worthington Feedwater Heater.

 

CPR Toronto Division
Leaside
Added more photos of trains. Road diesels are creeping in and at times Trenton trains are doubleheaded with steam and diesel.

 

CPR Toronto Yard.
Road engine gallery added photos of a bunch ALCO power in old Tuscan and grey paint scheme plus, a "pup".

 

QCR

Added photos of rolling stock. 3076 wood box car, 40721 ancient passenger car in work service and SHERBROOKE

 

Canadian National

CNoR stations added CNR Mixed in winter scene at Bonarlaw.

 

General

Toronto's Independent Bus Lines Danforth Bus Lines added a very old bus with a body built by a Toronto company that started out in 1843 as a buggy builder! They continued in business until 1979. You will be surprised at what else they built.
Also, bus gallery added a REO built right in Leaside. Check out what is across the street.

 

Stockyards in Toronto.

Added photo (link) showing part of the William Davies packing house. Workers clearing ice from streets due to flood Don R.

 

Toronto Terminals

Added 1924 map of planned track changes due to construction of the Viaduct grade separation project including creation of the CNR Don Sorting Yard (only place I have ever heard of that term) and various CPR and CNR freight sheds at Cherry Street and industry sidings in the area. Look for link at end of Waterfront Viaduct paragraph.

---

 

PHOTOGRAPHS

Videos

Added link to old 1923 black and white movie showing Toronto Suburban Ry Guelph radial line lengthy picnic train being hauled by their only electric locomotive. Starts off running along the old Belt Line from Keele & St.Clair in West Toronto.
You can also view stills of the movie as well.

Galleries

Trains

CNR old diesel 9300 first of 23 CLC built Fairbanks-Morse diesels. Looking east from Bathurst Street bridge.

Also, added photo showing three builders of CNR units all represented on Extra 2210.

Plus, 6785 doing what Alco's did best. Smoking up the place! Accelerating from a station stop with a short passenger train.

CNR RDC Add several Budd Cars in numerical order. RDC-9 6002 RDC-1 6101, 6103, 6111 and 6114. RDC-2 6205. RDC-3 6355. RDC-4 6453 and lastly, 6475 on the tri-weekly Thunder Bay-Winnipeg run.

 

 

CNR Steam
Added two photos of passenger trains with Northerns leaving Stuart Street Station in Hamilton in the last years of steam.

 

CPR Diesel

Added old photo of an important passenger train being hauled by an Alco yard engine!

 

CPR Ottawa

The short-lived Expo Limited that ran for one season only during Centennial year. It restored a second Montreal/Toronto-Vancouver train following discontinuance of The Dominion in February 1966 on the pretext diesels were needed to handle heavy export grain traffic.

---

 

Locomotives

CNR predecessor roads

Added Canada Atlantic 619 one of two high speed 4-4-2's built 1899 for fast Ottawa-Montreal passenger trains.

 

CNR Steam

Mikado page Added 3452 Unfortunately, it is another of the many photos with no caption. Looks like Oshawa?
Mogul page Added 90 in what looks like a typical branchline scene. Trenton, Ontario.
Six-wheel switchers Added colour photos 7434 and 7510 in Hamilton and Cobourg.
Eight-wheel switchers Added 8402 in Biggar.

 

CNR old diesels

Added three colour photos of CLC built Fairbanks-Morse H16-44 roadswitchers including 1844-1847 above and 2202 with something familiar sitting on the ground. CLC unique 5 axle A unit 6701 and B unit 6800.
Also, EMD F3 9000 at Mimico. GMD F7 a look inside the cab! Plus, MLW FPA added 6752 and 6765 with CLC B 6801.
RS-18 added 3101 second numerically but delivered later than other series.

 

CPR Steam Added old photo of an important passenger train being hauled by a 2-10-0 transfer engine.
Also, No. 42 overnight sleeper train from Montreal to Saint John hauled by G3 Pacific 2394.

G3 class added 2400 brand new at the CLC plant in Kingston ready to be delivered via CNR due to light CPR branch.

CPR Ottawa West Added 2207 being readied on the shop track. Possibly for the Prescott Way Freight pictured in 1948.
Also, 2399 just in off an overnight pool train from Toronto. (Scroll down to numerical order).

CPR engines equipped with distinctly shaped Worthington Feedwater Heater.
Most newer engines were equiped with Elesco FWH.

 

CPR Diesel old colours GP9 Added two views of 8635 before and after chopped nose. New contributor Keith Ardinger

 

CP Rail diesel

Added new gallery for the 5 rebuilt GP9's done as a prelude to the Ten Year Locomotive Program that saw a major remanufacture of many units. This is linked on the GP9 page.

GP9 added four photos of 8800's all in BC including 8812 among rotary dump coal hoppers.

 

CPR Self-propelled cars.

Gas-electric added two old black and white photos of 9003 and 9008 with a wooden coach. Both in New Brunswick.
Also, two photos of 9009 (one of only two mail & express (no passengers) cars including hauling two cars.
Too bad none of these doodlebugs were preserved. They were gas fueled until the end.

---

Industrial diesels

Ontario: See What's New in this Gallery?

 

---

 

Facilities

CNR Added photo Spadina shop track showing great variety of diesels, RDC's and SG etc.

 

Shortlines

SRY of BC added recent photo (click on link at top of page) of their main yard in New Westminster.

 

---

 

Rolling Stock

CNR service equipment Added two photo of snow melter 55700 (moved newer 55702 up next).

CPR Service added 411528 an unusual car converted from a passenger car into a wire car with a cupola! Scroll to bottom. Also, 412207 a Dining Car. No, it was not a spare for The Dominion!

TH&B Added photos of TH&B Line coach 75 and combine 303 commonly used with doodlebug.

---

 

Railway Construction Contractors It has been a long time since anything has been added to this catagory.

Added Foley, Welch & Stewart once the largest railway construction contractor in all of Canada.

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

July 1, 2013

Recently a visitor to this website contacted us to correct the caption to an old photograph. It has been verified he is right and the correction has been made. We encourage you to contact us if you notice something incorrect even a small typographical error. This is not looked at as criticizing or nit picking. Rather we look upon it as a favour as we strive for 100% accuracy. This goal may not be achievable but it is nevertheless something to strive for. Many old photos have no caption or incomplete ones so it can be difficult and time consuming to research it. Yet, we do it. Thanks to all who assist us in reaching this goal.

R.L.Kennedy, David Bridge, Bruce Chapman.

 

 

ARTICLES

CPR Bruce Division

Passenger history page added photo of The Canadian outbound getting orders hooped up the operator. Looks like it could be Bill Sutter. Check out the gas ad on the billboard. Remember that brand? Very few of their service stations around West Toronto. Do you remember service stations? They were places you went to get gas for your car and an employee came out when he heard the "ding ding" when you ran over the air-filled cord laying across the pump area. This man (usually wearing a uniform with the gas company emblem on the cap) pumped the gas for you! Great idea. He also washed your windshield, checked your oil and if you needed a quart (remember that size can?) he would add it for you. No need to get dirty or to even get out of your car. All this for the price of the gas (39.9 cents per GALLON) and oil alone and never a tip required. Some, including B/A and Esso gave out free street or highway maps. Those were The Good Old Days!

Branch Passenger added very old photo 172 of an inside admission 4-4-0 on the dead end spur into Mount Forest.

 

CPR London Division

Station gallery Galt Sub. Added Killean. Not a good photo but it was one station that was missing.

 

CPR Toronto Division

North Toronto Subdivision (scroll to bottom) added photo of Train Master 8918 on the Transfer. For a few years after the hump yard opened 2 or 3 Train Masters were around mostly to work the transfer to and from Lambton and Parkdale.
Added two notes updating CGE and TTC history. The new siding into Hillcrest shops was the first private siding in Toronto I can recall in decades other than several new industries at the east end of Toronto Yard. Also, a photo ten years earlier.

Leaside Added photo of 2659 assisting 2408 on a Second Class freight. What is rare is the fact both are not Toronto engines. That little girl could well be a pensioner by now! Also, 2233 and 5417 with a "Ldn via Leaside".

 

Stations Gallery

Added several old photos of various stations around the Toronto Terminal and images enlarged on others. Check out:
Leaside, Don and Sunnyside. On the Galt Sub. West Toronto, Islington and Cooksville. The latter has a hockey legend link.

 

CPR Trenton Division

Passenger history

Added this interesting photo which attracted much speculation as to just what it was and where it was going. A John Street engine it sits right at the switch to the Brockville Sub. It might be a late section of No. 34 from Toronto to Ottawa or a late section of No. 22 from Toronto to Montreal. Either would loose timetable authority when 12 hours late. It might also be a boat train to Montreal for a ship to Europe.

 

Steam Gallery Added 5161 with a typical drag also 2659 and 2408 on a Second Class train (SEE ABOVE Leaside.)
Thanks to Jim Brown for help identifying trains and digital image enhancement.

Diesel gallery added old black and white photo of an early Alco covered wagon. The second such unit on the roster.
Also, RS-3 8456 with a 1955 drag freight.

 

CPR Toronto Yard

Freight trains gallery added 8913 a Train Master on 955. Not a lot of these units worked out of Toronto.

 

CPR Lambton Yard

Locomotive Department added larger images for street scenes at Runnymede and St. Clair.
Also, street scenes on Runnymede showing subway and unused streetcar tracks. History page 1 Jane Street subway 1954.

Note: Three transport trucking outfits were located nearby. On Maria was Star Transfer (owned by Ontario Northland) and on Castleton Avenue was Thibodeau Express (owned by Algoma Central) and on St.Clair opposite the roundhouse Hume's Transport had a fleet of over 50 trucks handling mostly Maple Leaf meat products for Canada Packers (in ice refrigerated trucks) with only International Harvester trucks. A IH dealership was located on St.Clair Ave. near the packers. Two Hume families homes were next to each other on a nearby residential street where we lived. I went to school (grades 7 & 8) with Gail Hume. I also went to school Ann Chiovitti whose father peddled fruit and vegetables around the neighbourhood from the back of a pickup (later, Chiovitti Banana Co.)

A look inside the roundhouse in the steam era showing engines under repair.

 

 

Shortlines

Toronto Terminals Ry. Viaduct gallery Added a much later photo of CNR Riverdale station long after it was closed.

Pontiac torpedo shaped automobile was once the "in" thing (1940-1948). Note too the clipon fender guide. Remember those? In later years there were other tenants including a grape dealer. For years there were grape sellers located at little team tracks all over Toronto. None wanted to be near any other seller and were thus a nusiance to the yard engine crews. A large Italian population were mostly their customers. This was from the era when railways NEVER sold off any property. They rented it out for ongoing income year after year. Now, they sell off any land they can for short term gain. Brilliant!

General

Toronto's Independent Bus Lines

Roseland Bus Lines: added rare photo of a Roseland bus. Courtesy of Pete Coulman

 

 

PHOTOGRAPHS

VIDEOS Link to an old 8mm movie riding a mixed train from Lindsay. Includes a cab ride! Try that today!
No sound of course but it is colour! Certainly another time and another century. No cell phones, digital cameras or other crap. Just a family travelling together from a small town to an even smaller place on an old CNR branchline in Ontario.



Photograph Galleries

Trains

New gallery started for CPR E&N includes some brief history of local places in Victoria. New contributor Rick Horne.

 

CNR steam

Added (finally! It was in a huge backlog I am still struggling through) this view of the Maritime Express back in 1949.
Also, added Mountain 6003 first of this wheel arrangement and built new in 1923 for CNR.
Plus, several Northerns working passenger over the years.

CNR old diesel

Added old colour photos GMD FP9A's 6510 and 6542 of new MLW passenger covered wagons 6706 and 6710.
Also, CLC covered wagon 6700 and the last RS-3 3900 with a passenger train no less! .

CNR RDC added RDC-1's 6014 and 6112; RDC-2's 6204 and 6205; RDC-3's 6302 and 6352; RDC-4's 6401 and 6450 serving east and west.

 

VIA added a scenic shot in a winter scene and another transition era photo with a single blue car.

 

 

Locomotives

CNR steam Northern type added 6139, 6213, 6220, 6221, 6234 and 6252.

CNR old diesel AddedCLC C-liner covered wagon 6702 just months away from retirement.
MLW FPA added 6759 and 6769. Alco S-2 added 7988 once part of the defunct Toronto Harbourfront Railway Museum.
Car movers used at shops 0000 and CS03.

Definately the lowest number I have ever seen on a unit! Lots of un-numbered units but nothing this one.

 

CLC H-16-44 2217.

CPR diesel Added old CPR PR photo showing a posed lineup of diesels at St.Luc.

 

 

 

Industrial

BC Added photos of Neptune Terminals 66 and VIEW #nil the same 50-tonner just part of its long history across Canada.

Ontario See What's New in This Gallery?

Quebec Port of Montreal Added two photos 8403-2009 and (scroll down) RPRX 1002 enroute.
SOPOR added two old units 22 ex R&S RS-3 and 6055 nee ERIE 1217.

 

Facilities

CPR Roundhouses etc. Added interesting old article from 1920: Systematic Control of Locomotive Repairs. It looks in detail at how the Angus Main Shops handled the many details of heavy repairs.

 

 

Street railways

New page started for Toronto Railway Co. the private streetcar operation from 1891-1921.

 

Inspection Autos

Hyrail added CP Rail 62

 

 

---

 

 

 

June 1, 2013

ARTICLES

CPR Bruce Division.

Bruce Branches 2 history page. Elora Sub.
Added interesting old photo of a special trainload of appliances operated for the Beatty Bros. of Fergus.

Walkerton Sub.
Added interesting old photo of the Walkerton shop track area.

Hamilton history page added old photo of D-10 874 on the Ham Way Frt sitting at Burlington.

Stations: 20th century gallery added old photo of Hillsburg on the Elora branch complete with horse drawn carriage.

 

CPR London Division

Station galleries. Galt Sub. added photo of Puslinch and a link to history of Puslinch Township.

Goderich branch added old photos of Corwhin and the first train from Goderich to arrive in Guelph in 1907.

Courtesy of the Wellington County Museum and Archives. Special thanks to Karen Wagner and Elysia De Laurentis.

 

Shortlines

Newfoundland's Railways. Added several photos to Newfoundland Railway page.

 

 

General

Toronto's Independent Bus Lines

Danforth Bus Lines Added several photos.

Hollinger Bus Lines. Added a large number of photos in a new gallery. .

West York Coach Lines Added several buses/coaches including highway coach 56 and improved some existing images. Also, on the Dundas & Pacific parking lot added several more vehicles. And, photos of buses after being sold off to TTC/GCL.

Roseland Bus Lines Added two photos of highway coaches 30 and 34 after sold to Grey Coach Lines. No known photos of these buses in Roseland service.

 

ARCHIVES

Added photo of very early postage stamp.

 

 

PHOTOGRAPHS

Photograph Galleries

Trains

CNR old diesels. Added interesting photo of train passing the huge limestone quarry operation at Beachville near Ingersoll.

Also, 1783 and 1782 modified RS-18's with A-1-A trucks. Plus, two prairie branchline scenes with rebuilt GMD-1 1600's.

 

 

 

CNR steam

CNR steam. Added 2189, 3503, 5299 racing into the setting sun and 5701 leaving Union Station in Toronto.

 

 

Hudson Bay VIA era.

A brief look at another winter. This one in SEPTEMBER!

 

 

Locomotives

CNR Predecessor roads. Added ex GTR 247 an ancient 0-6-0T part of the CNR Museum Train that travelled Canada.

CNR steam

Ten-Wheeler Added 4 colour photos 1340, 1447, 1532 and 1564 from Montreal to Manitoba.

 

Consolidation Added colour photos of 2166, 2494, 2504 and 2586 as well as the above 2189

 

Mikado Added colour photos of 3423, 3509 and 3556.

Pacific added four more engines. 5140 and 5295 the latter was the first of ten engines built new for CNR in 1920.
Also, 5588 on park display and 5594.

Hudson added a number of 5700's. These are the best looking steam locomotives in Canada! Bar none!

 

CNR old diesel

H-12-44 added 1624 with passenger train under M&SC wires.

RS-18 A-1-A 1750 series new page started with four colour photos.

GMD-1 added several units in old and newer paint schemes inc. psgr 1900's also rebuilt 1431 and two of rebuilt 1600's.

 

CPR steam Added a never-before-seen photograph of a 1951 Royal Train.

G2 class added another photo of 2663 on the same train. H1 class added 2812 in 1932.
Royal Hudson added link 2858 inside Ottawa museum.

Ottawa West added colour photo of 2822 on a Pool train heading for Montreal.

 

CPR Diesel

CPR old colours 8200 GP30 added re-numbered 5000

CP Rail added new page for GP30 5000

 

Industrial

Ontario See What's New in This Gallery?

 

 

Interurban and electric railways

Oshawa Added steeplecab 16 ex NS&T 16 later sold to Noranda Mines.

North Yonge added two more photos (scroll to end) plus some details on earlier captions. Can you find the Sweet Cap girl?

 

NS&T Added a new gallery of great old colour photos of a day riding between Port Colborne and Thorold. 1953
Also, added another new gallery for locomotives.

QRL&P Added a winter scene of loco 226 at the terminal in Quebec City.

 

 

---

 

May 1, 2013 Marks the 13th anniversary of this website.

 

ARTICLES

CPR

Rogers Pass Tunnel Old article with much detail on construction.

 

CPR Bruce Division

20th century station gallery Inglewood added a brief memory by Cliff Beagan working the Moonlite. (Scroll to bottom)

 

CPR London Division

Main history page added interesting very detailed 1911 article on the Detroit River Tunnel construction.
Scroll way down and click on link.

Guelph Junction Gallery part 2. Added photo of 2332 eastbound to Lambton yard.

 

CPR Toronto Division

Parkdale: Added interesting old article from 1911 about the John Inglis company with additional photos.

West Toronto see link West Toronto Diamond subpage added very interesting 1911 article about what was then called the Weston Road Viaduct.

 

General

Independent Bus Lines of Toronto. Added three old photos of West York and Roseland vehicles. TTC 1726 ex WYCL 510 in a "country road" scene along Scarlett Road in 1954. A trio of WYCL coach and buses on the Dundas & Pacific parking lot and Roseland charter coach in Niagara Falls.

 

 

PHOTOGRAPHS

Galleries

Trains

CNR diesel. Started new gallery for newer units starting with SD40 5112.

 

 

Locomotives

BCR diesels

Added Remote Control Car 4 an ex CP CLC B unit. (scroll to bottom of page)

 

CNR old diesel

C-Liner added 9301, 9314, 9338, and 9344.

 

Turbotrain New gallery started.

 

CPR steam

Ottawa West Added 1226 taking water on a wet day.

CPR diesel

Ottawa Added photos of 1417 and 8448.

PGE diesel. Added an unusual unit for Canada. D-1 a F-M switcher bought for parts but found to be good enough to use!

PGE self-propelled New gallery started.

 

TH&B steam. Long in the Archives section of this website added it here for easy access. A fourth class stationary engineer's license would be required to operate such a boiler under Ontario law. My grandfather held one from when he worked at Viceroy Rubber across from West Toronto depot when laid off by the CPR with a long service pass (20 years) in his wallet.

 

Industrial

Ontario See What's New in this Gallery?

 

 

Interurban

NS&T

Created a second page for addition a number of old black and white prints of mine never before seen.

 

Radial Railways

North Yonge

New gallery started for this TTC operation on the former Toronto & York Radial, Metropolitan Division.
New contributor Julian Bernard.

 

 

Rolling Stock

CPR passenger equipment Added Ash Grove second lightweight sleeping car.

 

 

Hyrail vehicles

Added ONR M-32 station wagon/ambulance for remote areas.

 

 

Facilities

CNR Added old article on construction of NTR Transcona shops. Also, NTR bridges in Northern Ontario near Cochrane.

CPR split up the gallery into two parts separating roundhouses and shops etc. from other facilities adding a very large number of old photos of Victoria, VI. This property has been sold to a developer who will turn it into a grocery store and boutiques! Wonderful!

Part one. Added a zoomable link to a great aerial photo of Montreal in 1947. Thanks to Ray Murphy.

 

 

 

Construction Galleries

Railway construction during 1910. CPR out west and in Ontario. Kettle Valley. NTR in New Brunswick and Quebec.

 

---

 

April 1, 2013

ARTICLES

CPR Its construction and early years.

Added two old magazine articles on the construction of a tunnel in Rogers Pass which was named Connaught Tunnel.

CPR Bruce Division

20th Century station gallery. Inglewood. Restored missing photographs taken over the years.

 

CPR London Division

Station gallery. Added old 19th century photo of Windsor.

 

CPR Toronto Division

John Street

Added track plan 1910 shwoing old roundhouse, freight sheds, coach yard etc.

Parkdale

Credit Valley 1st paragraph yard, shops and station link changed track plan to 1889 map. Courtesy of Derek Boles.

 

CPR

Added new page (link) for The John Inglis Company 1911 article with advertisments.

Top Yard added 1910 map of newly built yard and station. Courtesy of Derek Boles.

Swansea history page and John Street steam engines gallery. Added 6269 and 6288 both on the Swansea Transfer years ago.

 

West Toronto

Added links to old advertisements for industries on the Old Bruce service track. Glidden Varnish (1911) and Rowntree 1959) West Toronto Railpath a linear park was built on the abandoned right-of-way.

 

 

CPR Trenton Division Passenger service. Added a list of some use of steam on 21 and 22 long after diesels were assigned to replace the K1 class 3100's.

 

CPR Lambton Yard West Toronto shops gallery Changed track plan to 1889 map. Courtesy of Derek Boles.

 

 

 

CP Subsidiaries

CPEL added link to old magazine article on proposed LE&N Brantford station.

 

CPR Predecessors and Subsidiaries.

CVR history link for yard, shops and station changed track plan to 1889 map. Courtesy of Derek Boles.

 

Toronto Terminals

Added several photos including rare interior views.

Links in text Cabin D, John Street, Scott Street and Cherry Street interlocking towers.

 

 

 

 

PHOTOGRAPHS

This great old street scene shows one of the two new (and one used) cars making up the smallest street railway in the British Empire. Where was it? Dating from an 1899 predecessor it changed over to buses in 1949.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Never heard of this railway? Learn why.

 

Videos

Take a streetcar ride through the streets of Vancouver more than a Century ago! Traffic is on the left side of the road.

 

 

Galleries

Trains

CPR steam on the Waltham Sub.

I am using this old photograph of the station agent and some kids (one is still alive at 94! Find out who) to introduce a new train gallery because after you see this new gallery you will have enough D4's to last you a long time! Ha! Ha! I mean LOL

CPR West From Souris Manitoba in 1976. A brief look at branchline railroading by two railroaders!

 

 

 

Locomotives

 

CNR steam

Santa Fe type added 4104 running extra in transfer service. According to the signals displayed (two white flags) but is it Extra "forty one nought four" West or East? Hard to tell because there are markers displayed both on the pilot beam and on the rear of the tender! Not exactly according to the rule book!

CNR US Subsidiaries Added CV 474.

 

 

CPR Steam

Main gallery page (scroll down below thumbnails) added an old black and white 8 x 10 that shows a short passenger train unidentified (as is the locomotive's number) and undated. I chose this for what it does show. A really short passing track. Not sure it was used for as a meet as it would be limited to an engine and van plus maybe one car! More likely it was used to set off a coach or two for sportsmen to use at French River. This was a charter service available to private groups of passengers. In winter a carman would accompany the car to tend to the coal-fired car heater.

G1 Added 2228 with short passenger train in a nice winter scene way back in 1928.

 

Ottawa steam Added D4 473 at old wooden coal chutes Ottawa West.

 

CPR diesel

GP9 added 8497 early but undated photo, looks like Alyth. 4028 behind was very first GMD A unit.

Alco S-2 US service. Added photo of 7096 after sold to Amber Milling. New contributor Sam Carlson.

 

CNR self-propelled. Added 15810 an old Brill gas-mechanical combine used on two mile employee shuttle run at Kamloops.

 

PGE steam Added three photos including the above interesting scene.

 

Industrial locomotives Ontario See What's New in This Gallery?

 

Rolling stock

CNR work equipment added old photos of rotary 55348 and flanger 56193 (looking a lot like a caboose but built as flanger) at opposite ends of the railway.

 

CPR Passenger equipment. Added three old 8 x 10 photos (already in Archives section) given to me many years ago by a fellow railroader (locomotive engineer) here in Toronto the late Charlie Mabee. Plus an interesting old ad (below).

 

PGE Added old interurban trailer and wooden caboose with old interurban-looking trucks.

 

Shortlines Manitoba GWWD 315 ancient wooden flanger.

Private freight equipment. Find out who owned these old box cars.

 

Street Railways

Cornwall added steeplecab electric loco 11.

 

 

---

 

March 1, 2013

Articles

CPR Bruce Division Stations.

Added several old CPR photos on the former Credit Valley line from the 19th Century! These photographs were recently located in the CPR archives by Ralph Beaumont.
Also, rearranged some of the 20th Century gallery photos of the Orangeville Sub. (the same line).

Passenger service Added link to old magazine article about ATC system. Scroll down to 2332 closeup.

CPR London Division.

Passenger service. Added old Spanner feature article covering the introduction of Dayliner service using two Budd RDC-1's between Toronto and London. Mentions another service between Montreal and Mont Laurier with a single RDC-1 and another service between North Bay, Mattawa and on a branchline to Angliers using a single RDC-3. Includes old gas cars from years gone by. This was back when CP had a REAL magazine that employees wanted to read. Thanks to John Kanakos for this contribution.

Power gallery (scroll to very bottom) added colour photo of 8737 in CP Rail paint scheme.

 

Shortlines

CANDO Contracting. Scroll way down to CEMR shortline in Manitoba. Gallery added photo (link) of 5396 repainted.

Newfoundland railways Added AND Co 1 0-4-0T

Spruce Falls Power & Paper Smoky line added railbus 217. New contributor Rahn Stokes.

 

Toronto Terminals Ry. Added old photo of terminal tracks looking east from Spadina.

 

Photographs

Videos Added link to The Wreck of the Old 97 sung by Hank Snow "The Singing Ranger" a guy with the worst hair piece ever! Born in Nova Scotia he made his fame and fortune in Nashville. Great old song about a real incident it was sung by many performers including Vernon Dalhart my favourite version.

 

Photograph Galleries

CNR steam US Subsidiaries

CV steam Added three more 2-8-0's including 451 with yard service tender and Coffin FWH. Also, 464 and 465.

GTW steam Added 1581 Ten-Wheeler with Young valve gear.

 

CNR diesel

GMD1 added some more units including a pair in both old and new paint schemes handling a Toronto commuter train. There were three of these trains, two from Hamiltom and one from Guelph. Question is, which one is this?

GP9 added several more units in old and new paint schemes.

GP35 New gallery started with 4000. There were only two of these units on the CN roster.

GP40 New gallery started with 4012, 4016 and 4017. The latter two regeared 89 mph for passenger service to Southwestern Ontario.

SW1200RM New gallery started with 7316 for these SW1200RS units remanufactured at PSC shops. After only 18 units the program was ended as not being worth the cost.

 

CPR Steam

N2 class Added 3706 oil fired.

P1n class Added 5261 oil-fired.

V1 class Added another view of 6816 ancient 0-8-0 from the 19th century!

 

CPR Diesel

FP7A & B units Added 4058 and 4443 which became 1416 and 1917 for the new passenger train The Canadian. Looks like Alyth diesel shop in the early 1950's. Black and white photography was the most common at the time.

 

 

Shortlines

Ontario

Rail America scroll down to Ottawa Valley. Added RLK1703 formerly Trans-Ontario 4202.

Saskatchewan.

Home to 13 shortlines! More than any other province. The latest is Long Creek operating over 41 miles of former CPR between Estevan and Tribune. Big Sky is another recent two-line operation. Others are:

Southern Rails Co-operative based out of Avonlea.
Carlton Trail Railway based out of Prince Albert
Red Coat Road and Rail based out of Viceroy
Great Western Railway based out of Shaunavon
Thunder Rail based out of Arborfield
Wheatland Rail based out of Cudworth
Fife Lake Railway based out of Coronach
Torch River Rail based out of Choiceland
Great Sandhills Railway based out of Leader
Last Mountain Railway based out of Regina
Stewart Southern Railway based out of Fillmore

Great Western has grown to the point where it had to add power to its roster of 5 MLW M420's. Two GE B40-8W 4000 hp ex BNSF units arrived to help out. Here they are with two M420's and a 126 car train! How's that for a shortline? Also, some other photos including an ex CP saddleback caboose all from Ken Mc.Cutcheon

BC

Southern of BC added two more of the unique SW900RS units built only for BC Electric also 382 first SD38-2 ordered.

 

 

Industrial

Steam BC Added two more old Canadian Collieries engines 14 and 15.

 

 

Saskatchewan

Added DLCX 24 ex CN SW1200RS leased to Yara, formerly Saskferco. Also, ILSX 908 at Weyburn Inland Terminal and PRMX 6973 nee ONR 1731!

 

Dealers etc. Created new gallery for CANAC starting with ex CN 8701 one of several MLW yard switchers retired by CN.

 

 

Rolling stock

CNR Cabooses added 79017 at an unknown location (likely around Toronto) with an unusual track number! Where was it?

 

CPR Freight (steam era) Scroll down to 299690. Added old magazine article from 1921 detailing hopper bottom douible door boxcars used for grain and coal. New contributor John Szalay.

 

Facilities

CPR Added old magazine article from 1913 about the famous Lethbridge Viaduct under construction.