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Caption: Ready for the morning commute: two GO Transit trainsets make their way to the CN James St. (Hamilton) Station, deadheading out of service together through CN's Stuart Street Yard as the sun rises on a cold April morning. According to Reg's notes, the consists of today are: the first train with GO GP40-2W 708, leased CN GP40 9317 (one of two with 89mph passenger gearing) leading 10 bilevels, and APCU 900 trailing to provide the HEP. The second train coupled on has GO GP40TC's 501 and 505 sandwiching 9 bilevels.
Upon arrival at Hamilton, they will uncouple and depart on two separate morning departures eastbound for Toronto's Union Station. Timetables for that period list the pair of morning Hamilton trains as #952 (departing 6:40am) and #958 (7:15am). A morning VIA #636 (#635 from Niagara Falls, continuing as #636 to Toronto) also served the station daily at 7:40am.
Among the goodies in the yard are some barrel-style ore cars for the Dofasco ore trains, CN piggyback trailers, some tarped container loads on flats, and some blue CAST containers stacked in the distance. A CN GP9 appears to be switching at the far end of the yard.
Reg Button photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection slide.
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That bulkhead flat is interesting, in that it is American. These weren’t very common north of the border, since (then and now) by volume a lot more lumber heads from Canada to the US than the other way around. I also see at least three CN 86′ hi-cube boxcars (plus what looks like one in Chessie System livery). I assume that track is for Oakville.