Saturday, June 25, 2016

GO Toronto-Aldershot Round Trip, June 2016

Before returning to Kingston from Toronto, some downtime became available. This thought crossed my mind - ride Union-Pearson Express, GO Transit, TTC and VIA Rail all in one day. Well, three out of four ain't bad, to paraphrase the recently-collapsed singer Meatloaf. Casting about for a destination that was reachable and returnable within a couple of hours, I settled on beautiful downtown Aldershot! 
Overcast through Mimico, where GO Transit (above and below) has its maintenance base north of the CN mainline and VIA Rail (top photo - in which my fellow bifocally bibliophilic passenger seems unaware she is passing by some classic Budd Railiners including Rapido Trains' ex-VIA 6133, second from left) has its Toronto Maintenance Centre south of the CN. The full-consist maintenance bays (above) look similar to the ones currently being constructed at Whitby on the Lakeshore East line.
One-of-a-kind GO 647 (above) and old soldier 558 (below) were among the GOtive power present.
Rarely seen: the end of a GO coach, in this case cab car 230:
GO Transit cop car, taken at one of many stations on the Lakeshore West line. Having left my notepad behind, I endured this entire trip without taking any notes whatsoever. Didn't like it!
The top level interior of minty new Bombardier cab car 327. The carpeting on the floor between pairs of seats is already looking worn. Perhaps a deep-pile lime-green shag carpet would have prevented this.
Upstairs-downstairs. Proof-of-payment was checked both ways on this round trip.
Hercules Chemical, now called Ashland Chemical, is an anchor industry visible from the wye at Burlington. A classic building that I once planned to model, thereby using up large quantities of sky-blue paint and Revell Superior Bakery kits, the site is now surrounded by titans of the (retail) industry like Mandarin Buffet, IKEA and Kwik Kopy Design & Print Centre!
A 10-minute layover at Aldershot, with BAEX boxcars, GATX red-square tank cars and auto racks on the other side of the train, I suddenly felt reflective before re-boarding to head back to T-Dot.
Increased safety? Check! Improved crew visibility? Check! Face only a mother could love? Check!
Cab car 327 balefully basking in the late afternoon sun at Aldershot. As much of a rear-view as I could get:
Hey kids! Take your baseballs, your kites, your aerosol cans of spray paint and stay off the dang tracks!
Now seated on the south side, we approach our quarry at Mimico's TMC:
Brought to you by the letter R...for RDC, Renaissance and Rapido:
Now we're talking: ex-CP coach:
And another. And is that the honey wagon?
East-facing HEP2 consist:
Chateau Dollier chez nous:
Approaching my favourite T.O. trainwatching spot at the west exit of the Skywalk at Union Station:
Thine alabaster cities gleam...as another new GO cab car heads west:
Rumours of no-photography on platforms left me feeling a little like George Drury of TRAINS magazine fame travelling in East Germany. Quick parting snap. I think it's Gate/Track 26!
And that concluded an enjoyable though brief rare-mileage ride for me aboard Metrolinx. Reasonably-priced rail enthusiast enterainment for about $11 each way!

Running extra...

My top photo reminds me of a slightly more scenery-minded passenger, this one in 1985, aboard the Bathurst streetcar, overlooking the wheeled wonders of a swan song-Spadina.

Are you getting the impression you need to garner more GO gleanings? Try these previous posts:
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds overflew Kingston yesterday leading up the CFB Trenton's air show this weekend, just in time for Canada Day. Watch for Trackside Treasure's upcoming annual Canada Day post. Revelling in the eighties' multi-ship flying displays by Freedom Fighters, Voodoos, Phantoms, Hercules and even a mass paratroop-drop.
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