GO Transit

Government of Ontario

A Brief History

Locomotive gallery

Gallery 1974 inc. Self-propelled cars.

Willowbrook Maintenance Facility
also, various layover facilities.

CPR Milton service.

Hamilton Centre
Former TH&B Hunter St. Station.

Union Station

UP Express

NEW ADDITIONS

Here temporary.
Previous images moved to other sections.

562 at Scarborough, Mile 61.0 Uxbridge Sub. junction with the CN Kingston Subdivision M.325.2. 2/08/2022

MAIN GALLERY

Special

Two views coming and going of special train using GO equipment from Toronto to London and return to bring
Anglican Church of Canada delegates to the Diocese of London for a Synod conference.

Not the typical branchline passenger service of old.
Once route of the narrow gauge Toronto & Nipissing first opened in 1871.

GO began service September 7, 1982 between Stouffville and Toronto Union.
One 6 coach train each way. A second train was added January 29, 1990.
Over the years service and stations were added plus reverse direction runs
weekdays to Unionville 6/24/2017 along with extending service 9/02/2008 to
Lincolnville (1.6 miles) where a 6 track yard holding 12 coaches each was built.

562 at Scarborough, Mile 61.0 Uxbridge Sub. junction with the CN Kingston Subdivision M.325.2. 2/08/2022

Three decades later than the photo below of 534 nothing has changed! Still a 6 bi-coach consist hauled by a F59PH!

534 F59PH Stouffville 6/11/1992 Joseph Testagrose Collection

Union Station Rail Corridor

USRC

Trackage owned since 2000 by GO.
Operations still owned by TTR (Owned 50/50 CN/CP)

Note: Union Station owned since 2000 by City of Toronto.

GO work train! Rail King model RK330 their biggest car mover at 26 tons with 33,000 t.e. and Cummins diesel.
Pulling two air dumps RFRX 4018_4011 with ballast near Jarvis Street east of Scott Street tower. 9/27/2012
RFRX = Rick Franklin Corp. a railroad contractor in Oregon!

North Bathurst Yard

655 and 600 power two of the six trains laying over between rush hours. Track 4 is a through track at west end of yard.
All other tracks have been dead-ended. Track at left is a through track. Spadina Ave. bridge. 7/11/2018

This similar view to the left (south) shows the double track flyunder, through tracks and a small part of the
vast wall of high rise condominium buildings that blanket the waterfront. New Front St. footbridge. 7/11/2018

Looking west from Spadina Avenue bridge (Bathurst Street bridge in background) showing eastbound GO 554
passing the TTR flyunder arriving Union Station. GO North Bathurst Yard at right. March 2, 2004

GO North Bathurst Yard, seven storage tracks hold trains during daytime layover between rush hours.
Bathurst Street bridge in background, Front Street West at right March 2, 2004

Lots to see in this interesting scene of 708 passing Spadina Coach Yard. 7/09/1979

ENLARGE

9811 westbound Bathurst Street is about to pass the telltales warning of the overhead restriction. 3/1975

Lakeshore Line

511 at Mile 37.0 Bayview.6/20/1978
Note: Signal at far left controls Dundas Sub. Mile 0.0

9832 with a rare mixed consist of unilevel and bilevel coaches. Dundas Sub. in left foreground.

Compare this angle of same location with one above with engine 511.

500 (ex 9800 nee 600) GP40TC GMD A2125 11/1966 Bayview 4/26/1978

Subsequent owner: Amtrak

903 leads a ten coach train eastbound from Hamilton at Bayview. W.Townsend 4/18/1978

Cab control coach 100 leads eastbound train of bilevels at Bayview. 4/25/1978 W.Townsend

905 APCU (ex ONR 1500) passing St.Joseph's Hospital and Gardiner Expressway at Sunnyside. 8/11/1987

GO 726 eastbound approaching Bathurst Street on the CN Oakville Subdivision just inside the TTR limits. 7/30/1987
There is a lot of history in this ordinary looking scene. Hidden behind the train beneath the signal gantry was once the location of Cabin D interlocking tower which controlled all train movements on CN and CP lines. Industries that once included the famous Massey-Harris farm machine factory, John Inglis appliances factory and others.

The train itself is interesting for its power. 726 (ex RI 3000, nee 381 EMD 32607 1/1967) is a GP40-2 last of seven units rebuilt from a GP40. The last two of these upgraded rebuilt units were trapped in the bankruptcy of the famous Rock Island road. Chrome Crankshaft acquired the Rock Island's Silvis shops along with these seven units and finished them. GO bought all seven units numbering them 700-726 ex RI 3000-3006 not in order. 726 went into GO service 8/1982.

The B unit is not really a locomotive at all. It is a unique APU unit one of three (800-802) ex NP EMD B units converted to Auxiliary Power Unit with GM 12 cyl diesel engine to provide hotel power to the train. GO already had eleven APCU's converted A units as Auxiliary Power Control Unit used in place of cab control coaches. All were traded in 1993 to GMLG (General Motors Locomotive Group) on new F59PH 562-568 the last of 49 GO units of this model.

726 became GMTX 201 lease unit after being overhauled and modified by Precision National Corp. equipped with dynamic braking, larger fuel tanks and 65 mph gearing. It became LLPX (Locomotive Leasing Partners) 3204 and all were leased 2002 to St. Lawrence & Atlantic. 3204 went off lease April 2004 and was returned as LLPX 3204.

Note: EMD and GATX owned LLP 50/50 from start in 1995 until GATX Rail acquired 100% in 12/2004. This brought GATX Rail's lease fleet to 750 units including LLP's 486 units.

A lot of change in this scene nearly 16 years later than the one at top of page. May 2003 Paul McGrane Collection

F59PH 523 part of a 16 unit $36.5M order (520-535) first of this 3000 hp model custom designed for GO with a
12 cylinder 710G3 and equipped with a separate engine and alternator for HEP. Improved microprocessor control wheelslip increased adhesion from 18% for GP40TC units to 24%. Reduced fuel consumption of 22% due to other improvements.
Capable of handling 10 bi-levels. GMLG (General Motors Locomotive Group) A4748 5/1988.

Article details F59PH

531 with a shorter train coming in on the Weston Subdivision and off the CN Newmarket Subdivision at Parkdale.
One of three Daily except Saturday and Sunday trains from Bradford. May 2003 Paul McGrane Collection

Nine cars behind 548. May 2003 Paul McGrane Collection

Closer look at a F59PH 541 approaching Bathurst Street. May 2003 Paul McGrane Collection

510 likely shoving westbound Lakeshore train. 7/07/1980
Note switchtender lining switch for CN passenger waiting at Tecumseh St.

507 (CN 8517 behind) Note switchtender in white shirt and his underground hut! Cabin D 7/09/1979

Lightweight coaches and self-propelled cars built by Hawker-Siddeley in Thunder Bay.

Cab car 103 part of Unilevel consist passing closed CN facility. 7/10/1979

Cab car 103 leads short consist of Bi-Level coaches westbound passing Spadina roundhouse in background. 7/08/1980
The short consist indicates it is not a Lakeshore train.

507 arriving. Likely CP Milton train. Behind Cabin D is a CP yard job waiting at Tecumseh Tower. 7/07/1980

GO train with three self-propelled cars passing through the TTR plant in downtown Toronto.
March 10, 1975 George W. Hamlin

There were nine of these lightweight (48 tons) cars built by Hawker-Siddeley of aluminum in the same style of regular coaches.
Two D700, D701 (RTC-85SPD) double ended cars and seven D702-D708 single ended (RTC-85SP).
Rapid Transit Coach 85' long Self-Propelled Double end. Powered by a single Rolls-Royce 350 hp diesel engine connected to a mechanical transmission. A small GM Harper auxiliary diesel genset provided 575 volt power.

Intended for use during off rush hour service the high ridership caused planned future schedules to be quickly advanced much sooner than it was thought needed. This combined with the changing of train consists from locomotive hauled trains to self-propelled trains and back again as well as mechanical issues with this unique design caused their early demise. They were all converted into cab control cars for the normal locomotive consists and continued in use for many years. Only such cars built.
NOTE: After conversion they were renumbered 9825, 9826 and 9827-9833.

Cab control cars (C750-C757) all prefixed C and include only three numerals compared to four for regular coaches.
They were later renumbered 9850-9857.

C756 and C757 cab control cars on trains laying over at Willowbrook. November 1967 Dave Burroughs

Passing by Bathurst Street yard.

Coaches 4700-4753 were renumbered 9900-9945 continuing with 9946-9975 and 9700-9729 totalling 106 cars.

Train westbound to Oakville at Danforth. 1968 Steve Munro

Note: Shadow is caused by Main Street bridge.

Auxiliary cab control cars built from ONR A units.
GMD V16-149NA 900 hp 6oo kw 575 volts

9861 cab control unit ex ONR 1512 FP7A GMD A383 6/1952
At one time little boys always liked trains.

904 APCU (ex 9862 nee ONR 1513 8/1974 GMD A384 6/1952) leads a short train of single level coaches in Toronto.
8/15/1982 Paul Mc Grane Collection

Leased and lessor units.

Amtrak 230 with San Diegan at Oceanside, California October 21, 1990.
GO 552 and coach 235 demonstrated on Surf Line to promote idea of a commuter line.
Result was Metrolink, an extensive commuter train operation based around Los Angeles.

During times of power shortages on CPR some GO units were leased for week-end only use.

GO 511-702-709-5xx near Montreal with Toronto pig train. During power shortages GO units were often rented for the weekend and operated in fast freight service between Windsor and Montreal. Dorion November 11, 1978 Ron Visockis

709-510 with a third unit handles CP piggyback train from Toronto to Montreal
Commuter trains await Monday morning call to duty. .
Dorion,QC Saturday, February 3, 1979. Ron Visockis

CPR Milton service.