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Caption: Grand River Railway's Preston Shops is shown here full of freight and passenger equipment. GRR motor 230 is shown beside the shop building on the left, its end banner checker boards were installed in fall of 1949 and removed in 1953 when the motor was overhauled and rebuilt, helping to confirm the photo was taken in 1950. Beside it on the right is LE&N motor 333, and beside that is one of the three “big” motors, LE&N motor 337. Motor 337 was built by Preston Car and Coach in 1921 with two sisters, GRR 226, 228 as shells. The finishing electrics, all from Westinghouse, were installed by the Preston GRR shops. In the mid 1950s these motors (as were 9 of the 10 motors used on the railway) were rebuilt, made much heavier, and some were given larger traction motors.
On the right are piles of wheels. Preston had their own truing machine in the shop and in 1949-1950 replaced all of the wheels and tires on all of the passenger cars with larger diameter wheels. These wheels piles are part of that exercise.
In 1961 the line was dieselized by parent CPR using SW1200RS units, which were based out of Preston Shops. Today all that remains in this scene is the power house at right, and the mainline track (behind the photographer, and curving in the distance in the background far behind the engine building in photo above).
Photo taken by Cecil Hommerding, from the collection (Copyright) of Doug Leffler. Substantial caption information provided by George Roth et al with much thanks.
Other photos at Preston:
GRR freight motor 230 at Preston Shops: http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=10297
LE&N freight motor 333 at Preston Shops: http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=10747
GRR passenger motor 848 at Preston: http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=10298
For more details on Cecil, see here.
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The powerhouse, a corner of which is on the right hand side still stands. Everything else is gone except the mainline track which curves around and up the grade in the background.