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Caption: A "Teddy Bear Extra" operating on the Guelph sub - what does this mean? A term I've heard on CN a few times mostly in Sarnia, usually consisting of trainees learning how to railroad in the yard. In this case it was actually a qualification run for card carrying crews to become familiar with the Acton Grade on the Guelph sub mainline. There were a couple runs dedicated to this in January where L540 only ran back and forth to Georgetown from Guelph to cover the number of trips to help qualify a crew member. Running Kitchener to Georgetown, the crew ran around the train at the station, then back to Guelph, entire train around the wye, and back again to Georgetown and repeat until they ran out of time to get out of the way for VIA 87, returning to Kitchener. No work performed. Nothing.There were a couple occasions that L540 after working Canwel in Acton, would do the run around move in Georgetown, presumably a way to kill 2 birds with one shot.
Either way, a GP9 at the 1858 built Georgetown Station with the sun out on an otherwise cloudy day was a nice treat, and this is one of my favourite area stations. Georgetown was one of my favourite places to visit as a kid.
Also a history note for the people familar with the area: the old "hotel" that was at the entrance to the Georgetown parking lot? While there were efforts to save some of it for heritage purposes, it's all gone now. Kaput. Now a lot for sale. For shame.
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I was lucky…in 1982, my Teddy Bear trip was the Newmarket to Washago, back down the Bala and York to Mac Yard.
Was it called that back then too?
Shame to hear the Exchange Hotel is gone. the lot is for sale? I guess Habitat for Humanity isn’t putting up their 6 houses then.
Great image. The hotel was in terrible shape for years, with no maintenance. Fir a while a section of it stood fenced off but I think in the end they knew nothing was worth saving.
According to HFH their plans were to dismantle what remained and re-assemble it in some form and/or re-use it
Have to dig deeper into the for sale signs there – it’s either their lot or adjacent lot. They still advertise they are proceeding with the development so only time will tell what actually happens.
I didn’t dig into it when I posted it, I simply drove by… and I was a bit shocked.
Must be an adjacent property, Habitat wrote me back and plans are still on..
Great lighting Steve. Gotta love 4102’s number-boards.
4102 is now for sale.