Kingston-Toronto Return Trip, July 2017 Pt 2

In Part 1 of this trip to Toronto, I was under the trainshed at Toronto Union Station. Why? With some time on my hands, I had gone to the GO Transit ticket counter and purchased a round trip ticket to Oshawa. Not a bad bargain for $10 each way and over two hours of entertrainment! Ensconced in cab car 351 going, the 1343 departure was underpopulated and understandably quiet. The large GO maintenance facility just west of Oshawa is taking shape:

CN 2880 was leading a westbound train of all auto racks west of Oshawa. Perhaps CN No 271 or 371, just as the GO line split from the CN. Video here.

It's not until you disembark at Oshawa that you realize what a long tangent track runs west of there. In the distance is Gerdau (former LASCO) Steel. CN is at left, GO is at right at CN Oshawa North:

An inbound GO consist approaches as signals wink in the afternoon humidity. I railfanned from the station until time to catch a westbound GO train back to Toronto Union thence home to Kingston on VIA No 48:

GO units 615 and 648 both brought eastbound consists to Oshawa during my time there. VIA No 44 also made a station stop: 6456-3451-3356Canada 150-3300R-3332R. I ascended the many, many flights of stairs to get this view from the over-track walkway:

Looking east, CN's tracks pass under the CP (now seldom used to serve the GM plant) while CN 7274-4768 drilled the yard, at right:

Another light from the west: it's CN 8852 eastbound with CN No 306 just approaching the walkway. The DP unit was 8946:

Passing under the CP:

GO consists and a double-decker congregate:

This former DuPont facility in Whitby used to host SCLAIR covered hoppers:

This is an onboard view of the Rouge River bridge at Rouge Hill made famous by Mark Sampson's Ebay photo of the Corridor Canadian, hauled by back-to-back LRC locomotives, taken here. The paddlers and rock-skippers below have no idea of the historical significance of this location in our collective voyage of discoVIAery:

Back at Toronto Union - GO 561. One never knows when the last F59PH wheel will roll in GO service:

The Toronto Railway Museum's latest exhibit: GO single level coach 104 in Condo Canyon. The free sample at Steam Whistle Brewery slaked my thirst before I slyly shilly-shallied around, surreptitiously aligning the GO commuter shelter to block the wooden steps leading up to the car's doors!

Another view of the business end:

Back at the trainshed, GO 324 and VIA 903 co-mingle, reminding me of David P Morgan's piece debating whether locomotives talk to each other or not, in such situations:

VIA No 48's consist was 910C-3463-3329C-3335-3303R-3305R-912, with a few-minute-late arrival back in the Limestone City.

Some more videos taken this day:

• Oshawa switchers
• Four GO Transit trains at once!
• St Mary's Cement eastbound

Running extra...

Coming somewhat soon - Trackside Treasure's ninth anniversary. That's 487 posts posted so far, with 49 posts still in draft form. Yes, there will be a contest. Yes, there will be a prize. Yes, the contest will be challenging. Fun fact - the overall length of a CPR D-10 steam locomotive, built here in Kingston at Canadian Locomotive Company was 55 feet, 1 inch. Just sayin'.

Another new book! Kingston's Steven Manders has just released The First Spike which covers Kingston and area's early railway heritage. Watch for an upcoming review and more information.

Turn-overs, do-overs and roll-overs. I'll use one in a sentence and two in photos....'This team has produced more turn-overs than Pepperidge Farm! Rapido Trains Inc. retro ad, reminding us of early Model Railroader ad content:

 Too fast on the 'Highway 38' off-ramp at Highway 401 in Kingston. Just happened:

Keep the greasy side down, the shiny side up, and we'll see you next time here on Trackside Treasure