Toronto and GTA

From fall 2014 to summer 2015 I relocated to Richmond Hill to complete an internship.  I was fortunate to reside and work near two of the major railway lines that filter traffic in and out of Toronto.  I took advantage of lunch breaks and free time to photograph as many trains I could in the nine months I was based in GTA.  These photos primarily feature train operations on the Canadian National York and Bala subdivisions, both in Metro Toronto, and surrounding neighborhoods in the GTA.

GO MP40PH 633 is in push mode as it pushes its train south across Langstaff Road East. The train has made its final station stop at Richmond Hill, and is deadheading south along the CN Bala subdivision back to Toronto. This seen is now a thing of the past, as trains now layover at the GO layover yard north of Gormley.

Canadian National Dash 9 2705 rumbles south past Langstaff GO station. The train is passing underneath highway 407. It was stopped while GO 633 passed it, and had just been given a light to pass south. Before being acquire by CN, 2705 was previously owned by Illinois Central.

2705 and fellow Dash 9 2551 continue south across Langstaff Road East. Trailing behind is a long train of mixed freight, including the load of lumber behind it.

Canadian National ES44DC 2241 is DPU on this mixed freight. It is one of 35 units from the first order.

Bennett Road level crossing looking east. Photo taken on April 3rd 2015. Waiting for the trains to come. The tracks in the photo are the Canadian National Kingston subdivision.

Bennett Road level crossing looking west. Here the tracks curve along the shores of Lake Ontario. Here VIA trains cruise through at upwards to 90 mph.

Canadian National ES44DC 2287 is DPU on a westbound CN freight that is crossing Bennett Road. This train was one of five westbounds and one eastbound that passed the area in the span of two hours.

A northbound GO train curves through the small hamlet of Gormley on April 24th 2015. The train has made its final station stop at Richmond Hill, and is deadheading to the Richmond Hill layover yard, which is located just north of this location. The train is on top of the Stouffville Road overpass.

Canadian National ES44AC 2880 leads an eastbound train over the Bathurst Street overpass in Thornhill. Photo taken on May 12th 2015. This location was a popular one to film trains on my lunch break while completing my internship.

Twin ES44AC units 2806 and 2805 are stopped across from Langstaff GO station. The train is waiting for a clear signal to proceed south to Doncaster Junction. Photo taken on May 14th 2015.

A northbound GO train approaches Langstaff GO station on May 14th. It will stop its train under the dual concrete overpasses, which carry highways 407 and 7 respectively over the tracks. The train is lead by GO MP40PH 628.

GO 628 is stopped seemingly nose to nose with 2806. Despite this appearance, it is sitting on the opposite track. Once finished, it will depart north to its final station stop at Richmond Hill.

GO 628 peeks between 2806 and 2805 as it departs northbound.

Canadian National ES44DC 2314 eases its train over the Bathurst St overpass. It will soon dip behind the sound barrier to the left, which blocks the sounds of the railway from the nearby neighbourhood.

Canadian National SD40-2(W) 5348 is the trailing unit behind 3214. The unit is still in the black and white CN zebra stripe paint scheme.

Canadian National Dash 8 2190 is the DPU on this eastbound train. The train is descending the steep hill east of Bathurst street, which extends between Bathurst street and Bayview Avenue.

Canadian National Dash 9 2535 is balanced on top of the Bathurst Street overpass. The train is powering autoracks westbound up the Bathurst grade. Photo taken on May 21st 2015.

Canadian National ES44DC 2267 looms high up off the ground as it approaches the Bathurst Street overpass headed west. Photo taken on May 26th 2015.

CN 2267 is balanced directly on top of the Bathurst Street overpass as it powers its train up to the climax of the Bathurst grade.

Canadian National ES44DC 2236 leads a crude oil train up the steep grade directly south of MacMillan yard. A CSX and BNSF unit from the US trail behind 2236. The train is about to pass under Keele Street. The tracks to the right of 2236 form the eastern access point to MacMillan yard, the largest classification yard in Canada. Photo taken on October 4th 2014.

Canadian National ES44DC 2262 eases its train under the highway 7 overpass as it enters MacMillian Yard. The train had just entered the yard via the eastern access leg. A crew member will soon disembark the lead engine in preparation for separating the train.

Illinois Central SD70 1011 acts as DPU at the midpoint of the train. The train has come to a stop beside the yard office, and a crew member will soon disconnect the train between 1011 and the white covered hopper behind it. The front half of the train will continue into the yard, while 1011 and the back half will sit on the access track. An unidentified GMD1u sits in the background with a GP38-2 partner.

Two Canadian National trains meet each other on the CN York subdivision on October 8th 2014. Photo taken looking east, with the condominiums on nearby Yonge street dominating the skyline. The steep grade and frequency of meets make this location a popular train watching location. ES44DC 2341 works solo to ease a string of autoracks downgrade. On the opposite track, SD75I 5765 and SD60 5404 roar up the steep grade in notch 8, pulling mixed freight behind it. The steep grade poses a challenge for westbound trains approaching MacMillian yard, and these trains are commonly heard long before they are visible.

A Richmond Hill bound GO train is about to cross over the diamond at CN Doncaster on October 8th 2014. Photo taken looking south from the John St overpass. The skyline of East York sits on the horizon. The train is northbound on the CN Bala subdivision, and is about to cross the CN York subdivision. The Bala and York subdivisions are two of the busiest rail lines in Canada. The two connecting tracks are also heavily used. These connecting tracks allow cross country trains to access each subdivision, and allow trains from western destinations access to MacMillian Yard and Brampton Intermodal Terminal. The Bala sub south of Doncaster is used primarily by rush hour commuter trains, and rarely sees freight. While GO trains running between Union Station and Richmond Hill are the most frequent users, VIA also uses the line to allow its cross country train “The Canadian” to access Union Station when arriving from Vancouver.

Canadian National ES44AC 2870 works hard to pull a long heavy train north through Richmond Hill. The train has snaked through the curved track north of Richmond Hill GO station, and is about to cross Elgin Mills Road North. Photo taken on November 30th 2014. At the time of this photo, the train was brand new new to CN’s roster, and was still shiny in its new paint job.

GMD-1u 1444 is bracketed by two zebra GP38-2 units as they head west across Bathurst St. The light engine movement is enroute to MacMillian yard from an unknown destination. Photo taken on December 17th 2014.

A BC Rail Dash 9 in original paint operates as midtrain DPU on a southbound stack train. The train is southbound across Vivian Road at the south siding switch of CN Pine Orchard. Photo taken on December 29th 2014.

A double red stop signal shines red laser beams into the dark at CN Pine Orchard. Photo taken one month after the previous photo on January 25th 2015. No trains at this time to break the darnkess

An overnight winter storm brought delays to road and rail traffic on February 2nd 2015, the day this photo was taken. The double tracked Bala sub is partially snow covered at the Church St pedestrian crossing in Richmond Hill. Despite standing in ankle deep snow for over half an hour, no trains came to cut through the snow.

Canadian National SD70M-2 8805 and ES44DC 2283 pull a train of mixed freight east across the Bathurst St overpass. Photo taken on February 11th 2015. The train has just passed the summit of the large hill at Bathurst St, and will coast downhill to the bottom at Bayview Ave.

Seconds after 8805 passed, a westbound intermodal train roars past with four units in the lead. SD70M-2 8926 sits at the head end, followed by SD75I 5657, and SD70M-2 8876 and 8000 (the latter not visible in the photo). The train had just crested the steep grade, and is enroute to the Brampton Intermodal Terminal. It was unusual to see all the power at the front, and not distributed throughout as DPUs

Canadian National ES44DC 2228 crests the steep grade and crosses over Bathurst St with a long intermodal train. Photo taken on March 2nd 2015. Photo taken from the opposite end of the Bathurst St overpass looking east. SD70M-2 8903 was at the rear acting as DPU

Canadian National train 422 slowly eases its train around Burlington Bay on approach to Bayview Junction. A colourful string of boxcars sit behind the units. The York Blvd overpass is visible behind the train. The train will swing around the south leg of the wye at Bayview Junction, and will pause at the signal to wait for train 148 to pass.

Canadian National train 148 streaks through Bayview Junction. SD75I 5793 and SD70M-2 8023 are on the point on a long train of intermodals. The train has just come off the Dundas subdivision upon arriving at the junction, and is now on the Oakville subdivision. Train 422 holds in the background.

Canadian National ESS44DC 2223 leads train 422 off the Grimsby subdivision onto the Oakville subdivision after the passing of 148. Following behind are Dash 8-40C 2022, BC Rail Dash 8-40CMu 4622 (still in original paint), and SD70M-2 8014. Bayview Junction is a triangular wye junction, where the CN Dundas, Grimsby and Oakville subdivisions meet each other. Trains operate over each subdivision in each direction. The Canadian Pacific Hamilton subdivision also snakes along the west side of the junction.