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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 23h

Oct 7, 1930: the Canadian National Railway opens a new underpass at Gerrard St. East and Carlaw Ave. The girder bridge superstructure carrying the railway was built on a skew, enabling Gerrard to be straightened and eliminating the sharp reverse curves that streetcars had previously negotiated.

The recently completed Gerrard Street subway (underpass) beneath the Canadian National Railway tracks, looking west. Gerrard Street itself had yet to be repaved beneath the subway when this photo was taken on October 8, 1930. City of Toronto Archives photo.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 1d

VIA expected that the refurbishment would cost $200 million, which was half the price of purchasing new passenger cars. As of 2025, much of VIA's stainless steel fleet has now been in service for over 70 years, with some cars being even older. 3/3

VIA Rail stainless steel Budd equipment on the Canadian at Vancouver's Pacific Central Station, 2021. Photo by C.J. Stepney.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 1d

Most of the cars had been built for the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1954-55, their stainless steel bodies still structurally sound after 35 years. However, the cars were completely rebuilt from the inside out, which VIA estimated would extend their service life by 15-20 years. 2/3

An view of the stripped interior of one of VIA's Budd stainless steel cars during its refurbishment in 1990. Photographer unknown.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 1d

Oct 6, 1990: VIA Rail begins a two-day display of its refurbished stainless steel passenger car equipment at Toronto Union Station. VIA's marketing department named the exhibition "Of Style & Steel" and the Toronto stop was part of a month long transcontinental tour. 1/3

A long train of VIA Rail's freshly refurbished Budd stainless steel passenger cars approaches the east end of Toronto Union Station on October 2, 1990, in preparation for an exhibit that weekend to show off the upgrades to the cars. Photo by Dick Loek, Toronto Star Archives, Toronto Public Library.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 2d

The first train to travel over a GO Transit route was the Ontario, Simcoe & Huron in 1853. This is now the Barrie Line. The Grand Trunk to Brampton was second in October 1855 (now the Kitchener Line) while the Great Western Railway opened from Toronto to Hamilton (Lakeshore West) in December 1855.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 2d

The train was nowhere near adequate for the hundreds of people who showed up for the occasion, so a fourteen-car train was hastily substituted. After the sod turning ceremony was complete, the Prince and other dignitaries had a champagne luncheon in a tent erected nearby. 2/2

The arrival of Prince Arthur at the ceremony for the turning of the first sod of the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway at Weston, 1869. The train is visible at right, with a ceremonial arch to its left and the tent where the luncheon was held afterwards is at centre-left. Large crowds are gathered all over the site. From a painting by William Armstrong, Wikimedia Commons.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 2d

Oct 5, 1869: HRH Prince Arthur, third son of Queen Victoria, turns the first sod for the Toronto, Grey & Bruce Railway at Weston. The Grand Trunk Railway excursion train prepared to carry dignitaries from Union Station to Weston for this event consisted of only two cars. 1/2

A group portrait of dignitaries at the sod turning ceremony for the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway at Weston, Ontario on October 5, 1869. His Royal Highness Prince Arthur stands at centre, looking to his right holding a shovel in his right hand and with a wheelbarrow at his feet. This image is based on a composite photograph in the collection of the Library and Archives of Canada.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 3d

In Brampton, a "Ministerial Dinner" was held in the station to celebrate the second railway to operate out of the city of Toronto. The train returned to the city at a time suitable for the "convenience of visitors." Toronto-Brampton passenger service began two weeks later. 2/2

An article from the October 6, 1855 edition of the Hamilton Spectator with the headline "Opening of Grand Trunk Railway—The Brampton Dinner." This was reprinted from the previous day's edition of the Toronto Leader.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 3d

Oct 4, 1855: the Grand Trunk Railway operates a special train on its newly constructed line between Toronto and Brampton. The special train left the Grand Trunk's Queen's Wharf station at noon, making intermediate stops at Weston and Malton. 1/2

The first Grand Trunk Railway station in Brampton, Ontario, seen here circa 1890, was built in 1855. It was a one-storey brick building built to the same design as many other early GTR stations. It was replaced with the current station in 1907. Photographer unknown.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 4d

Queen Street East and DeGrassi had previously been one of the most dangerous level crossings in the city, with scores of accidents. Among the worst was a 1904 collision between a streetcar and a Grand Trunk Railway freight train that caused the deaths of three people. 2/2

The Queen Street East level crossing looking east prior to the construction of the grade separation for the Canadian National Railway tracks, December 28, 1925. City of Toronto Archives photo.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 4d

Oct 3, 1927: the Queen Street East railway underpass—or subway—at DeGrassi Street opens to road traffic. This was the first of nine railway underpasses to be completed as part of the Waterfront Grade Separation project. 1/2

The new Queen Street East subway (the term then used for railway underpasses in Toronto) on February 1, 1928, looking east. City of Toronto Archives photo.

The Queen Street East subway looking east in September 2021. Google Streetview image.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 5d

Upon the train’s arrival at Central Station, the body of the Montreal-born former prime minister was moved to City Hall to lie in state until his funeral next day at Notre-Dame Basilica. 3/3

Former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's sons Sacha, second from the right, and Justin, at far right, watch as eight RCMP officers in dress uniform carry their father's flag-draped casket into Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal on October 3, 2000. Photo by Pierre Roussel, Hutton Archive/Getty Images.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 5d

The cars included former Canadian Pacific Railway dome-observation "Yoho Park," where Trudeau's casket was placed for the 116-mile (187 km) trip. The train frequently slowed to a crawl on its journey as groups of Canadians crowded the right of way to pay their respects. 2/3

A view of the tail end of the funeral train of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau—including former Canadian Pacific dome-observation car Yoho Park carrying Trudeau's remains—as it approaches Montreal on October 2, 2000. Photo by Mark Bochonko.

The son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, future Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, leans out of the open dutch door of a coach on his father's funeral train to great a crowd of mourners at the Alexandria, Ontario station as the train slowly passes through on October 2, 2000. Photo by John Major, Ottawa Citizen.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 5d

Oct 2, 2000: the funeral train of the Right Honourable Pierre Elliott Trudeau carries his remains from Ottawa to Montreal. The special VIA Rail Train No. 638 consisted of two F40PH-2 diesel locomotives hauling four Budd-built stainless steel passenger cars. 1/3

An honour guard of eight RCMP officers in red serge dress uniform carries the flag-draped casket of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau towards his funeral train at Ottawa Station as a group of dignitaries including then-current Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and his wife Aline look on. Library and Archives of Canada.

The funeral train of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau departs Ottawa Station for Montreal on October 2, 2000, led by VIA Rail F40PH-2 diesel locomotives Nos. 6433 and 6436. Photo by Gerry Gaugl.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 6d

This was among the last major train wrecks of the steam era in Ontario. It took place on a section of track operated jointly by both CN and CP, though CN owned the line. Today this location is near the Oakville station on GO Transit's Lakeshore West Line, owned by Metrolinx. 3/3

An aerial view showing the aftermath of the October 1, 1955 train wreck at Trafalgar, near Oakville, with a wrecking crane lifting damaged and derailed freight cars off the tracks. Photo by Eric Cole, published in the Toronto Star, October 3, 1955.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 6d

Passenger and freight traffic was only mildly disrupted by the wreck as passenger trains were rerouted over the CN Brampton and Milton Subdivisions and freight trains were able to by-pass the wreck by travelling over CN's Oakville yard trackage. 2/3

A heavily damaged Canadian Pacific 2-8-2 Mikado-type steam locomotive lies derailed at the site of the October 1, 1955 train wreck at Trafalgar, now part of the Town of Oakville. Photo by Jim Parker.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 6d

Oct 1, 1955: a Canadian Pacific Railway freight train collides with the rear of a Canadian National Railway freight at a siding at Trafalgar, near Oakville, on the latter's Oakville Subdivision. No member of either train's crew is injured, but several cows in one of the CN stock cars are killed. 1/2

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 7d

Registration is now open for our October Second Tuesday Zoom Talk. Join Chris Fox as he discusses connections between heritage preservation and modern rail operations in Canada.

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
buytickets.at/torontorailw...

A banner image with the title "How Rail Industry Knowledge Informs Heritage Preservation" promoting the first in the Toronto Railway Museum's series of Zoom talks on the second Tuesday of each month, this one on October 14, 2025 at 7 pm EDT. A photo of the driving wheels and rods of former CN locomotive 6213 and a portrait of presenter Chris Fox complete the image.

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Reposted by Toronto Railway Museum

Not Smooth Steve 🍁 @notsmoothsteve.bsky.social · 8d

If you'd like to know more about this rail line, you might enjoy my video:

youtu.be/eBtREVkhfyM

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 7d

CN's five Hudsons pulled important corridor trains throughout the early 1930s. As the Depression eased, trains grew too long and heavy for them to pull at speed and they were assigned to secondary duties—replaced on premier passenger runs by more powerful 4-8-4 Northerns. 2/2

Canadian National K-5-a class 4-6-4 Hudson steam locomotive No. 5701 leads pool train No. 14 departing Toronto Union Station for Montreal in 1932. Photo from the Al Paterson Collection.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 7d

Sep 30, 1930: the Canadian National Railway's new 4-6-4 Hudson steam locomotive No. 5700 hauls its first revenue train from Toronto Union Station to Windsor, ON. The new engine attracted much attention along the route, especially at Hamilton, where the crowds delayed the train by three minutes. 1/2

Canadian National K-5-a class 4-6-4 Hudson steam locomotive No. 5700 leads a passenger train from Niagara Falls at Sunnyside station in Toronto's west end in June of 1932. Photo by H. Egerton Strothard, Andy McCulluch Collection/Walter Pfefferle Collection.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 8d

Between 2004 and 2018, the Orangeville Brampton Railway also operated passenger excursions on this scenic route, branded as the Credit Valley Explorer. The town abandoned the line in December 2021 and the tracks have now largely been removed. 2/2

The Credit Valley Explorer excursion train crosses the Forks of the Credit bridge on the Orangeville Brampton Railway in 2014. Photo by Steve Bradley, Central Counties Tourism.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 8d

Sep 29, 2000: the Town of Orangeville buys Canadian Pacific's former Owen Sound Subdivision from mile 2.4 near Streetsville to mile 36.7, north of Orangeville. The line, operated as the Orangeville Brampton Railway, served a number of industries in Orangeville and Brampton. 1/2

Cando Contracting Ltd. GP9RM diesel locomotive No. 4009 leads a southbound Orangeville Brampton Railway freight train across the diamond crossing of the CN Halton Subdivision at Brampton, Ontario on July 22, 2011. Photo by Oscar Majcher via RailPictures.net.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 9d

One round trip to Lindsay was canceled outright instead of relocating to Union Station. A 21-mile (34 km) section of the route this train used Between Burketon Junction and Lindsay Junction was abandoned by the CPR in December 1932. 2/2

A short Canadian Pacific Passenger train consisting of a steam locomotive pulling three cars approaches the Lindsay Junction station circa 1925. This station was simply a boxcar placed on the ground by the side of the tracks with a few windows added for interior light and a train order signal mounted from the roof. Photographer unknown.

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Toronto Railway Museum @torailwaymuseum.bsky.social · 9d

Sep 28, 1930: eight Canadian Pacific Railway passenger trains previously assigned to North Toronto Station begin operating out of Union Station. These were a daily Montreal overnight, a daily (except Sunday) Owen Sound round trip and two daily (except Sunday) Teeswater round trips. 1/2

A staged publicity photo at the east end of the Toronto Union Station train shed, circa 1930, with the Royal York Hotel visible in the background. Four steam locomotives are sitting on parallel platform tracks, with train crew members nearby. The four locomotives are from the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway, nearest the camera; the Canadian National Railway, next to the front, and two locomotives of the Canadian Pacific Railway at the rear of the scene. Archives of Ontario collection.

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