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May 1, 2012 Marked the 12th Anniversary of this website.
It began with the story linked below.

50th Anniversary May 1st 1960

 

 

YOUR Contribution The success of this website is due in part to the many contributors who have donated images or writing. About 90% of these contributors are known only through the internet yet they have willingly donated towards the web site. Thank you one and all. Your contribution is welcome. Be it one image scan or a short story, or a feature article. Anything Canadian is welcome. The majority of the feature articles are Canadian Pacific Railway simply because I have the most resources including contacts due to my interest over more than forty years of railroading on the CPR. Other Canadian railways are welcome. R.L.Kennedy

 

 

 

February 1, 2013

I have been going through old rolls of 35mm black and white negatives from 1959 and my friend and associate David Bridge who helps me with Photoshop restoration of old scans etc. has been doing high resolution scans to replace originals made from small prints on low quality scanners years ago. This has brought out far more detail in most of these old photos and are therefore worth another look. Starting with CPR London and Toronto Divisions.

ARTICLES

CPR London Division scroll down to the group of 4 thumbnails showing Quebec Street yard. Also, in stations gallery there are new scans of London station at Richmond Street and the former station at Quebec Street which became the yard office.

CPR Toronto Division North Toronto Sub. North Toronto team tracks replaced general view and added closeup of CBM self-propelled crane unloading gons of sand. Ashbridges Bay (scroll down to subtitle) for links to Keating Yard and the AshBay lead down from the CN Don Yard. Parkdale page scroll down to link to Wharf Lead then scroll way down to B&W photo of Strachan Avenue bridge. Scroll down farther to six large thumbnails of Parkdale Yard and station. Adds lots of detail.

 

General

Toronto's Independent Bus Lines. Added two very rare photos of Roseland buses. The house in the background still exists!

 

Stockyards

Updated with information on closing of Bunge (formerly CanAmera Foods) big box mall on this former Swift's site in West Toronto and abandonment of CPR spur. Added old photo of Matthews-Blackwell packers at foot of Bathurst Street.

 

 

PHOTOGRAPHS

Galleries

Locomotives

CNR steam

Northern type 4-8-4 Added another old photograph of 6400 shown here on public display and attracting plenty of attention.

 

Diesel

SW1200RS added several old colour photos including brand new units starting with 1583. Also, newer CN paint scheme. Check out 1212 and its array of handlamps. Extra 1212 may well be an auxiliary train judging by the OCS flat next to the engine. Note the row of oil handlamps on the rear deck. They were required to be lit at night so had to be outside the cab to avoid fumes. Previously these oil lamps were carried inside the cab however, a reinterpretation of the rule requiring them to be ready for use meant they had to be lit. Usually one red and one white were normal practice.
Plus, 7300 one of only 18 units rebuilt before program was cancelled.

C-424 started with two units. Beginning of Century series of models.

RS-18 added 3689 and 3887 in old colours and 3668 and 3704 in newer CN black.

RS-18 Tempo units added several photos including 3154 with the iconic O'Keefe Centre and a brief history of what was at the time the largest concert hall in North America built by beer money!

GP9 added many units including original numbers and paint scheme, CN style paint and also rebuilt units.

SW9 added 7001.

SW1200 added 7027 and 7030 in old colours and 7023, 7024 and 7029 in different CN paint schemes.

SW8 added 7170.

S-2-S-4 added S-4 8143 at Leaside with a well known automobile. This make was my first car!

FPA-4 and FPB-4 added more than a dozen photos, most around Spadina.

 

Note: Created a separate group of thumbnails for US subsidiaries on main gallery page. Scroll down a little.

 

CPR

P2 class link Feature magazine article from 1920 detailing construction and all features of the first ten engines of this class.

 

GO Transit Added photo of CN 600 one of seven out of eight new units leased by CN until startup of GO train service.

 

Shortlines

British Columbia

Southern of BC Rail Link added photo of JLCX 1256 (ex Eurocan Pulp & Paper) recently repaired in their shop enroute to new owner in USA. Likely never owned by SRY just repaired in their shop as they do contract work for others.

 

 

Industrial

BC steam

Added Canadian Collieries 17 last engine used when coal mine closed at the end of 1953.

Ontario steam

Added four old photos of C&D Sugar plant in Chatham. CNR 7456 switching was likely leased at that time as the next year it was lettered for C & D Sugar. Previously, CPR had leased them an engine for the sugar beet season. 3504 (London M4 class 2-8-0) was given a going over at West Toronto backshop including a full repaint with new white canvas curtains. It sat in Lambton roundhouse unneeded.

 

 

Diesel

Ontario See What's New in this Gallery?

 

Logging railways

BC steam

Added old photo of Comox Logging 7 a 2-6-2T&T (tank and tender) a combination unique to some logging railways. Usually this came about when a tank engine changed ownership or line use and additional water was required so a tender was added.

 

Dealers, leasers etc.

Added United Railway Supply, a short-lived small locomotive dealer that overhauled some diesels and leased a few.
Starting gallery with three ex RDG RS-3's leased to CP Rail early in 1974.

 

 

Facilities

CNR

Added link to old magazine article detailing a series of 29 steel water tanks being constructed for Grand Trunk Pacific. .

 

Rolling stock

 

Freight equipment added two photos of new pig flat with new CN Cartage Services trailers.

Service equipment added 56483 an old wooden flanger with unusual cupola on the front end waiting to be scrapped.

 

 

Inspection Cars

CPR added M-430 an interesting old 1928 Cadillac waiting restoration. Does anyone know its history? This question is being asked by Geoff Allcock of the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskwin, AB. If you know anything or have further photographs contact us.

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January 1, 2013

Articles

CPR Algoma District

Sudbury Division gallery added 9021 single RDC-3 one of just two cars required for Sudbury-Soo passenger service.

 

CPR Ontario District

London Division

Galt Gallery. Created new gallery featuring the photography of William I. Miller father of William E. Miller and grandfather of William (Bill) Miller well-known railfan. Here is 2816 back when it was just another Twenty Eight Hundred.

Passenger service. Added an old newspaper advertisement for the newly inaugurated Montreal-Havelock-Toronto-London-Chicago train via the Michigan Central tunnel number 19 (and 20) The Canadian. Added public time table 1954. The next year these trains gave up their name to the new stainless steel streamliner that crossed Canada.
Added old photo of 2816 when it was just another 2800. Also, No. 21 Chicago Express headed by TWO 2800's!

 

CPR Trenton Division

Added old photo of 2816 in fast freight service during World War II. And another in passenger service on the Havelock Sub.
Decades later this engine would become famous as Empress 2816 hauling excursions over much of the CP system as a goodwill ambassador supporting various charities.

History of passenger service added the same advertisement (above). Note the very first photograph of 2233 on what may well be this very train. Scroll down to Pool service added link to show train Number 34's last run as conventional train running as Psgr Extra 8567 North account loss of time table authority.

 

CPR Toronto Division

John Street power. Added old photo of 2816 back when it was just another 2800. Who knew what fame awaited?

 

CPR Subsidiaries

CPEL added new gallery in memory of William Miller, Bill Miller's grandfather.

 

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Photograph Galleries

Trains

CNR added photo and detailed caption of the first train over the newly completed CTC former NTR mainline through New Brunswick. This may be the official "first" train but it is quite possibly not the actual first train which may well have a been a freight train perhaps running at night. It is also quite likely CTC was activated in segments along the line.

CPR

CPR Diesel added two colour photos of the Centennial Train on its very first day January 1, 1967.

E8 added a train order issued in 1968 arranging meets with all three 1800's!

FP7 and F7B added 4031 and 4424. Note 4028 was the very first road diesel ordered by CPR from GMD A100 9/1950.

CNR Old diesel added a great view from the cab of Fort Langley, BC

 

Hudson Bay new gallery featuring a trip to Churchill in January, a New Definition for Cold by Phil Mason.

 

US Roads in Canada

B&M CPR Pool

Added link (see caption for Cape Churchill) to diagrams of Cape cars including two modified for use on The Red Wing.

 

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Locomotives

 

AMT diesel Formerly MUCTC CTCUM Montreal area commuter service agency.

Added 1300 old A unit in AMT paint and 1321 one of the new F59PHI units. (First new power) Both photos same date.

 

 

CNR Predcessor roads.

GTR added 1200 Mogul. The 2-6-0 wheel arrangement was very popular with GTR.

 

CNR Subsidiaries

CVR 219 and 220 added also 470 in colour action shot.

 

 

CNR Steam

Eight wheel switchers added Buffalo "Crick" 27 which became CNR 8421 one of six 0-8-0's acquired in 1947.

Santa Fe 2-10-2 type added 4103 one of the massive transfer engines used in the Toronto Terminal.

Northern 4-8-4 type 6124 being lifted and moved by the main crane inside Stratford backshops.
Streamlined 6400 in builder's photo and another on display at Bonaventure station.
6404 on the turntable at Spadina and two other views in downtown Toronto.

 

 

CNR Diesel

GE 44-ton added 7551 later renumbered 2.

GMD-1 added another photo of 1000 15 years later and 22 years old in newer CN paint scheme.

SW8 new page added starting with 7155 part of first order of 22 units beginning with the first GMD diesel built for CNR

RS-11 new page added for US subsidiary units starting with DW&P 3602 and CV 3614 both in modern paint schemes.

 

 

CPR Steam

H1 class 2800 created a new page just for old photographs of 2816 over the years.

G3 class 2300's added an old CPR photo of 2326 on passenger ready to leave Windsor Station likely bound for Toronto.

 

 

Shortlines

E&N Railfreight Added some before and after photos of GP38's used before being shortlined to Rail America.

 

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Industrial Locomotives

Manitoba

These two ancient Plymouth's sit out the winter at NHB in Churchill. They are still there!

 

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Rolling Stock

CNR Added interesting old photo of what looks to be a wooden box car being heavily rebuilt or possibly newly built.

 

Work service equipment. Added 67800 an old wooden box car modified for unknown use.

 

CPR

Vans. Added E & N 1700 (scroll way down).

Service equipment. Added two unusual old wooden cars at Nelson, BC.

 

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Facilities

CNR Added 6124 being lifted and moved by the main crane inside Stratford backshops. (Same view as in Locomotives).

 

 

Interurban and electric

Mount Royal Tunnel added link to old magazine article dealing with the air plant used during construction.