CNR 6186

Both sides of CNR 6186 a typical 4-8-4 Northern. Mimico (Toronto) Bud Laws Collection
Class U-2-f Cyl. 25 1/2" x 30" Drv.73" Press 250 t.e. 57% CLC #1966 9/1940

On your Canadian National Railways U Class Northern page: Two photos of CNR 6186 attributed to Bud Laws a partial caption ‘’Location and date unknown’’.

I believe this to be on the east side of the Mimico roundhouse, with the engine facing east.

My basis is the brick smokestack poking from the cab roof and the ‘’rock shed’’ of Ritchie Cut Stone in the background,
seen from between the tank car and the front of the engine then comparing Ken Wilson’s aerial photograph looking west over the Mimico Yards in the 1960’s. Ritchie was directly south of the roundhouse on New Toronto Street. The positioning is exact. Date? Still unknown…………. 1940’s or 50’s.

My Grandfather was a G T R fireman from about 1912 to 1921 at Mimico; 2-6-0’s and 4-6-0’s, maybe some older 4-4-0’s, perhaps the newer Consolidations and Mikados as well, back and forth, mostly on the Owen Sound run.
My two sons worked there in the 1980’s and 90’s. One son is now an engineer on the GO Trains.
His nephew, my Grandson is also on the GO Trains, both out of Mimico (Willowbrook)
I was not an employee, but an excited young fan of steam at Mimico, riding all over these yards and hometown of New Toronto in the 1950’s on a bicycle and can recognize almost any photo from that era in town.

Ken Cutmore April 2015