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Caption: The TTR, the way it was - at Bathurst Street. From the extreme right in the CN Spadina Coach yard the Turbo train, Tempo equipment, in far distance a Via CN FPA-4, the CN Spadina Shop coaling tower (and behind it is the Spadina Ave. overpass and the smoke stacks of the steam heating plant), a CN GP-40 is framed by the coaling tower, a MLW S-13 (CN 85xx ) pushes conventional equipment through the car wash, CP Rail Train #11 'The Canadian' with CP Rail FP7-A #1404 and a F7B #19xx with extra coaches (is on Toronto Terminals Railway track), the never used TTR control tower, another MLW S-13 (CN 8519) shuffling freight cars, the lower Front Street freight yard with surplus stored single level GO Transit equipment. Note the TTR switches are manually operated – the front of the TTR Switchtender's shack is in the extreme lower right corner. (anyone modeling this location ? ) The time: 17:20 on an early September 1978 afternoon. Kodachrome by S.Danko
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I spy a Turbo train at right too
what’s the story with a never used control tower?
The TTR western control tower – as far as I am aware – never saw service. Interestingly how the TTR John St. and Scott St. towers control the west and east side of Union Depot. And the Cherry St TTR tower controls the TTR east end where the CN Kingston, CN Bala and CP Belleville Subdivisons connect (although the latter I believe is no longer active: Q: is it possible that the 2816 – with the Go Train & Power (approx. 2004) was the last passenger movement up the Belleville, Don to Leaside? And possibly the last movement of any kind?…) less I digress more….so back to your question, clearly the TTR had planned to ‘automate’ the fixed plant at Bathurst (where the CN Oakville, CN Weston and CP Galt subdivisions connected ), essentially replacing Cabin D and the Switchtenders at Bathurst. I believe a combination of politics and future planning created a situation where it became uneconomic to automate the TTR west end. The TTR, owned jointly by CN and CP, alternated Superintendents between CN and CP people – and during the CP person tenure I believe the CP saw no reason to put $ into this project or any TTR project for that matter. Then with the mid 1980s demise of the CN Spadina roundhouse and CN coach yard – replaced by the $500 million Skydome (built with $ that you and I supplied) – and with the push to streamline operations (read faster GO service), with the rail over/underpass – left no physical room for the existing tower. In any event I believe the railways foresaw no economic benefit to putting $ into the TTR, so in the end you and I have have bought out the downtown rail properties through Metrolinx (et al), hence the automation finally happened through the GO Transit initiatives (Metrolinx etc, i.e.:at our expense.) sdfourty.
Great shot!
The last passenger movement on the Don Branch was apparently one of the CP Holiday Trains in years past. I can’t recall which though. It made a stop around Cherry St.
More CP Rail The Canadian
CP Rail The Canadian
CP Rail at Palgrave http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=6870
CP Rail on approach to Bolton http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=7099
CP Rail in the Oak Ridges Moraine http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=6410
CP Rail in the Oak Ridges Moraine http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=6411
CP Rail under the Bathurst Street Bridge http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=2165
CP Rail approach Bolton http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=1644
CP Rail at Bolton http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=1666
CP Rail at Bolton http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=1667
More VIA Canadian:
At Bradford http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=7292
At Maple http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=7285
At Little Pic River http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=1932
At the Trent River Drawbridge http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=6218
sdfourty.
To answer your question “Is anyone modelling this location?” As a matter of fact yes. Jason Shron of Rapido Trains is modelling Toronto to Brockville. including this scene. right down to the exact detail. all of it in HO scale.
sdforty, that is an excellent analogy. Did you ever think to get into Economics?