Spadina Roundhouse, July 1982

Climb down the steps from Toronto's Spadina Street bridge, sign a release in the shop foreman's office, don a hard hat and spend a couple of hours soaking in the atmosphere of CN's downtown locomotive shop. In July 1982, VIA and ONR F-units, VIA RDC's, CN switchers and Tempo units called Spadina home for servicing and for inspection by visiting railfans.

Having arrived in Hogtown on the morning Railiner from Kingston, my dad and I first viewed Spadina from the CN Tower, then at ground level. His photos are in this subsequent post. The roundhouse was still full of passenger power, and the coach yard hosted a plethora of passenger equipment.With our releases in hand, we explored the ready tracks.

Power on hand: 6758, 6765, 6769, 6770, 6774, 6775, 6778, 6782, 6865, 6868, CN 6867, 6870, 6532, 6541, 6635, 6621, 6637, RDC's 6135, 6123, 6129, 6126, 6102, 6114, 6117, 6104, 6202, 6205, 6207, 6210, 6002, 6006, 6000, 6004, 6005, 6401, CN switchers 8512, 8513, 8514, Tempo 3150, 3152, 3153, and ONR 1502:

Clambering up into various units' cabs, obsolete train orders were still stuffed in control stands and garbage receptacles. Not for long.

Trains represented in the clearances: No 635 at Clifton, No 636 Hamilton, No 668 End 3153 London and Stratford, No 128 Eng 1502 North Bay, Washago, Nipissing, and Huntsville, No 82 Sarnia and London, No 84 London, No 2 Eng 6541 Schreiber, White River, Washago and Barrie, No 72 London, Tecumseh and Komoka.

The turntable was in use, with 6782 hostled up and going for a spin:

Need a flash. Switcher 8512 and some other units were ensconced in the roundhouse. Dad in cab:

VIA and GO consists, CN and CP transfers trundled by to and around Union Station:

EB VIA: 6539-6613-5654-5587-2511-5631-5537-Mount Royal Club-9651.

EB VIA: 6906-3338-3340-3302-3343.

CN 7218-76560

CP 8143-437073, 8124-437028

GO 907, 503, 510

EB GO: 515-2058-2066-2031-2020-107 (above). One final photo from the bridge, showing 6205, 6135, 6117, 6207, 6775, 6104, and 70604, one of two CN work baggages, still in the CNR green-and-black scheme, the other was 70609:

Then it was time for a quick lunch at Rails restaurant in the lower concourse of Union Station. TTC subway and streetcar took us to George's Trains, returning in time to catch an LRC train back to Kingston.

Running extra...

Union Station, the former CP John Street roundhouse and much of downtown Toronto is being cordoned off for the G20 summit later in June. Inbound VIA trains will be terminating in Oshawa, Oriole, Oakville and Brampton.

CPR rostered G3 and G5 Pacifics. CN G8's were light rail diesels, while Pennsy ran GG1 electrics. Gee. No, GE. Or is that PGE?

Glee wrapped up its season, with the school club New Directions getting a funding reprieve, meaning they can return for another season of lip-synched production numbers on Global.