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Caption: Well, here’s something I can say with confidence I wasn’t sure if I’d ever witness; a pair of F59PH locomotives on a GO Train. But alas, it happened this morning on the first revenue GO run from London, Ontario to downtown Toronto. I must say it’s quite a fitting pair of engines to kick it off, seeing as both of them were built at the GMDD facility in London back in the early 90s.
In this photo, the aforementioned F59 pair, GO 558 & 561 take a 6-car train into the USRC as they are nearing the completion of their 4-hour trip from London. After letting passengers disembark, the train deadheaded to the Willowbrook Maintenance Facility to layover until heading back to Union in the late afternoon to make the trip back to London.
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Nice capture of an important moment in GO’s history ! I’m wondering how successful this service will be with a trip length of 4 hours ? I guess we’ll see……
This is a nice image,. Liam; no doubt about it. Great to see a shot taken at was once a familiar location in the past. I am positively shocked at all the buildings in the upper left.
Mindblowing…….for someone who avoids Toronto.
As far as “success” of this line goes; well, if they are going to ignore all those 30MPH sections along the sub…..I cannot see it being a “go”.
Thanks for interesting and historical picture Liam, and as you said, very fitting that the power for the first revenue run from London via Stratford was built in London. Unusual in these days to see 2 F59PH “double heading”but guess was to ensure no motive power problems on the first run. I heard from a Kitchener Corridor GO engineer that the train does not stay overnight in London, deadheads back to Kitchener, deadheading back to London around 2:30 am the following morning. Train could be popular in winter weather with Stratford riders, time will tell regarding London passengers. Some of these may work in KW or Guelph. Also, not everyone drives or has a car, so this maybe an answer for them.
Thanks folks for the kind words!
Glad to see you got a good picture of this train!
I was also thinking that it was fitting to see F59s going back to the city they were built in. Sounds like that is all that will be running to London – there is a weight restriction over the bridge in St. Mary’s, so the MP40s cannot run over it.
Awesome photo Liam..brings back many memories of operating the F59′s. I agree with AW, one can hardly recognize the downtown of Toronto anymore. I can’t really say I like it to be honest. I think it looked better before all the glass and steel!
@ Paul, I am not sure about the MP40′s being restricted at the St.Mary’s bridge. The MP40′s weigh 129 tons and the F59″s weigh 134 tons. According to the latest CN timetable there are no restrictions on the bridge.
Agree with ngineered4u, so much has changed since when I started visiting (by bike or TTC Bathurst St car) in the early ‘50’s. Just not all the new glass and steel towers in this background, but the new pedestrian foot bridge from Garrison Common (behind the Fort York Armoury) north up to King), the track layout where Cabin stood for so many decades, and Tecumseh St Tower with the double track turn out for the beginning of CPR’s Galt Sub. One thing that is still the same through all these years is Bathurst St Bridge and TTC tracks hosting Bathurst St cars, very comforting and for me still one of the best train-watching/ photo taking spots in the City.
@ngineered4u: I’ve heard from a few sources about that weight restriction, and somebody asked Metrolinx and got confirmation here: https://www.facebook.com/TransitToronto97/photos/p.2988546498053577/2988546498053577/?type=3
Is there something that I missed? It does seem odd that one locomotive would weigh too much, but two of a different type would be ok, unless axle weight is the issue, not total weight.
It’s 100% axle weight.
I’m wondering how long they’ll use two F59′s though, given how far away they are from the GO network my guess is it’s by design due to distance from the possibility of a rescue..
just wait for the snow to start flying… I’d like to see how a cab car will deal with driftbusting near St. Marys at 0300 when the line’s had plenty of hours to blow in..
I’d expect at least a locomotive on each end by then if the Operations team figures it out.
Hi Paul, I cannot speak to the Facebook post by this Metrolinx or any other sources about the weight restriction. I can only go by CN’s current timetable and it has NO restrictions for weight over the bridge. CN has used that bridge for freight trains many times and I can only conclude that the bridge has to be able to hold the weight of a freight train is for some reason CN has to bypass the Dundas Sub. Its called weight on drivers ( a steam throwback) and Stephen is correct, its 100% axle weight. I will defer to CN more than Metrolinx on this issue, after all its still their tracks.
@ Stephen. I think the cabcars will be ok. I remember being the conductor on the old “budds” that ran the “back way” and standing beside the engineer and just dashing through the snow. Hopefully since the budds could make it the cab cars can too? Fingers crossed.
Thanks for the info guys. I did think it was odd that freight trains could cross the bridge no problem, but that a passenger train would push it over the limit.
F59′s are 260,000 lbs (65t/axle) and MP40′s are 289,000 lbs (72.2t/axle)
Weight limit for freight is shown as 286,000 or 71.5 tons/axle
https://cnebusiness.geomapguide.ca/?MAP=WL
For comparison a SD70M-2 is 390,000 lbs (65t/axle)
There must be more to it though, and I’m not sure where the limits are set in the operating rules.
@Stephen. Thanks for the update. Limits are not just set by operating rules. Weight limits are found in the timetable and special operating instructions and are different for every subdivision.