Caption: Time machine: remember back in 1994 when GO Transit was pushing to reach the second Hamilton commuter station? Revival of the old Hunter Street TH&B station spelled the end of GO train service to the former CN James Street station, at least for a while. It also meant changes at Hamilton Jct, the union of the Cowpath, the CP, and the CN Oakville Sub in the form of a new connection. Despite a connection already in place between CN and CP, it was decided to build, on taxpayer money, a new bridge specifically for the expanded GO service to Hunter Street. Then, as now, Bermingham had the contract to the preparatory work for the new bridge. Fast forward almost 22 years, and the next GO Transit expansion in Hamilton has seen the construction of the West Harbour station on the site of the old James Street station (in fact, almost underneath it). This again means changes at Hamilton Jct, with a new track to be placed on the west side of the CN Main and Connecting tracks. Meanwhile, CP 526 is somewhat a relic of the past, exercising trackage rights on the CN Oakville sub between Hamilton Jct and Canpa. On this day, we find CP 4214, 1812, 4233, and 8237 hauling autoracks towards the Steel City. CP 4214 would go onto serve QGRY and NBEC under the same number, until CN takeover of the latter resulted in the unit meeting the torch in 2010. Stay tuned for a present-day update. Reg Button photo, author's collection.
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Most interesting. The foreground bridge seems like a temporary structure re-using the old abutments of the Geat Western Railway bridge that once crossed Desjardins..
It’s wonderful to see Reg Button’s photos from your collection,in my opinion Reg was one of Hamilton’s greatest railfan and photographer.Thanks for posting and hopefully you have many more to come.
I think you’re right Steve, that is a temporary structure that the crane is perched on – I think those old abutments are now gone from the scene.
Thanks cnnutbar, I agree that Reg was probably one of the most prolific and dedicated Hamilton-area rail photographers ever. Indeed there are more to come!
Peter where’s the present day of this photo? Please link in the comments once posted so we can give it the Time Machine treatment
Correction: The abutments you see there are for an old road bridge which was eliminated when the CPR arrived in 1897.