Caption: Grand River Railway car 848 is on the daily every 15 minute return trip to Hespeler, pictured at King Street in Preston, Ontario from the Preston Junction Station front area. This view is looking southeast, with the entrance to Riverside park on the left, the crossing that the car is on. To the extreme left was the site of the GRR Preston shops, not shown.
By the sunlight, this photo was shot just after lunch. Many years earlier, these cars crossed and rode up the centre of the King Street on the bridge over the Speed River on the right. That route was abandoned in 1939 in favour of the route you see here which survives today as the CPR Waterloo subdivision, hauling 6000' automotive trains to the Toyota plant. Passenger service was discontinued in 1955, and electric operations ended in 1961 in favour of diesels from GRR parent CPR. Today that large Preston Furniture Company factory building in the background is also long gone, destroyed by fire. In place there are a two 18 floor Condo towers.
Photo taken by Cecil Hommerding, from the collection (Copyright) of Doug Leffler. Substantial caption information provided by George Roth et al with much thanks.
More interesting views: 848 and 842 combined at Hespeler: http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=10746 An overview of the GRR's Preston Shops: http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=10413 LE&N motor 333 at the shops: http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=10747
For more details on Cecil, see here.
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It’s hard to believe CP runs 6000 foot autorack trains on this very same (but upgraded) trackage.
The suggested photos above are all on very similar, or the same trackage, and you can still find the bond wires that were required in order to provide a return circuit for the electricity that powered the passenger and freight motors prior to 1961…