Caption: This section of the CN Halton Sub, built as part of the early-mid 60's "Toronto Bypass" skirting the north end of Toronto on the Vaughan Township/North York (Toronto) border, was constructed on a built-up embankment mostly fully grade separated (some roads including Steeles Ave, Airport Road and Torbram Road were originally built as grade crossings, but converted in later years). Back then almost everything surrounding the line was rural farmland, so building the line on an embankment may have seemed like overkill, but it was evidently designed by forward-thinking individuals with future urban sprawl in mind. Today, all that old farmland has since been built up into suburbia. The grade separation is basically unchanged, but the brush has grown in so much that good photos from the ground are difficult to get.

The 21st century solution? Put a drone in the sky, here capturing CN #435 with ES44DC 2224 and C44-9WL 2517 crossing over Pine Valley Drive on the approach to the Humber River bridge, not long after departing nearby MacMillan Yard. A dimensional transformer load rides a heavy-duty 8-axle TTX flatcar near the head end. New LED advertising signs have recently been installed on the bridge, original to the line, but the old CN noodle logo and classic green colour CN used on so many bridge structures remains.

It was a real scorcher out too, making it the perfect afternoon to pilot from nearby shade.