Caption: CN GP40 4016, one of the two CN "Fast Forties" in passenger service, gets white extra flags added to its long hood for the trip south from the old CN Allandale station in Barrie. Methinks due to the evening sun angle, this might be the former consist of commuter train #169, the "Barrie Bullet" after completing its run from Toronto (dep 17:15) to Barrie (arr 18:50) and getting ready to head south back to Toronto on a Friday.

CN GP40 units 4016 and 4017, the last of the 15 unit order (4002-4017) were regeared for high-speed 89mph passenger service in 1966 and assigned to Spadina Roundhouse in downtown Toronto. They were used by CN and later VIA for years on various passenger and commuter runs out of Toronto, including the Barrie commuter trains. They were also leased to GO in 1973-1974 (for use with ONR coaches and a CN SGU until more GO equipment arrived), and later in the early 1980's as 9316-9317 (joined by 9312). They ran out their final years in freight service until retirement in the mid-90's.

According to an article in Canadian Rail issue #568 by the late Derek Boles on early Toronto-area commuter trains, regular steam-era Barrie-Toronto passenger trains were cancelled in 1958, the coming of the new Highway 400 in the 50's being a possible contributing factor. Eventually, lobbying lead to a trial Barrie-Toronto CN commuter service for a few months in 1972. Deemed a success, regular commuter service began in 1974 and became known as the "Barrie Bullet", often with old steel commuter cars pulled by a passenger service GP9, GP40, or other Spadina passenger power. When threatened by the 1982 VIA cuts, pressure by regular commuters forced GO to take over operations (albeit only between Bradford & Toronto). Service was briefly extended to Barrie in 1990, cut in 1993, and eventually returned to Barrie South in 2007 and Allandale in 2012.

Barry Schroeder photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection slide.