Caption: Just another day - back then. Today, history.
Framed in the westbound CP signaltower, GO MP40 611 pushes a 10-car train full of Etobicoke, Brampton and Georgetown-bound commuters north through "The Junction" neighbourhood of Toronto, clattering over two of the four interlocking diamonds that have for decades allowed north/south traffic on CN's Weston Sub to cross CP's North Toronto Sub, their busy crosstown line across midtown Toronto. This is "West Toronto Diamond".
GO's new MP40PH-3C's are most recent in a long line of power to "bang the diamonds" of West Toronto for decades, including steam engines, first-generation diesels, Budd RDC's, various transcontinental and local passenger trains, and the endless stream of freights, transfers and locals from both CN & CP. All this would come to an end a little over 5 years after this photo was taken: after the PM GO rush on May 23rd 2014, a workblock was put up on the line, in order to divert the Weston Sub's track from the remaining diamonds to the brand new flyunder, part of the West Toronto Grade Separation project allowing passenger trains to seamlessly cross underneath the CP tracks and eliminating any delays caused between the two. With the work taking place on the weekend, Monday's GO trains will be the first not to click-clack over CP's line.
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