Caption: Rolling through Brampton in the afternoon, VIA FPA4 6763 leads train #83 westbound over CN's Halton Sub at Peel interlocking (Kennedy Road), bound for its next station stop in downtown Brampton. It's entering single track territory, running the gauntlet between Peel (Kennedy Road) and Brampton East (Queen Street). The old ex-CN FPA4's, dating from the late 1950's but geared for 92mph and still used in mainline corridor passenger service, were on borrowed time as VIA didn't elect to upgrade them with new Reset Safety Control (RSC) equipment to replace their deadman pedals, as mandated by new Canadian regulations. All would be parked by March 1989 and sold off (the cabless FPB4's reportedly lasted until September). At last check, 6763 is stored on the Waldens Ridge Railroad in tattered VIA paint.
CN Peel was known for decades as the location where the Peel Village Industrial Lead branched off, built in the early 60's south to the American Motors (AMC) Brampton Assembly plant at Steeles & Kennedy (next to the surburban Peel Village neighbourhood). Peel had a number of yard, storage and runaround tracks used for storing autoracks and auto parts cars needed by the factory and other local industries. When the new Bramalea Assembly plant was built in the east end of town during the mid-80's, and when Chrysler took over AMC, the old Brampton Assembly plant shrunk in importance and was sold off for warehouse use in the early 90's. Peel interlocking was also relocated west from Kennedy Road to Centre Street in mid-late 2007, when double tracking of the line was underway.
Peter Jobe photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection slide.
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