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SOME
BASIC FACTS ABOUT THE
CANPA SUBDIVISION § April 9, 1896, the Grand Trunk Railway granted the CPR running rights over their Toronto-Hamilton tracks (done to prevent the CPR from building their own line between the two cities and taking freight and passenger traffic away from the GTR) § Before Toronto Terminals was established, many delayed hours were wasted by CPR trains at Bathurst Street trying to gain access into West Toronto-Parkdale from the west. Many complicated switching manoeuvres and doublings would take place. When relations between the GTR and CPR improved, an agreement was signed on July 26, 1892 providing joint use of Union Station § However, the Toronto Terminals Railway (TTR) was not incorporated until July 13, 1906. TTR did not own any operating railway equipment. It was primarily organized to control twenty-six miles around the Toronto area. The TTR also had power to acquire land as needed. The CPR and GTR (later CNR) cooperatively owned the TTR. As a result, major traffic congestion was relieved, but access to West Toronto-Parkdale remained difficult § April 1909, the CPR notified the Ontario government with a new rail construction application. Permission sought was to build the 2.6 mile track from the Galt Subdivision south track, to a junction with the GTR west of Mimico. The application stipulated that a new line would be laid west of the original Islington Station, cross Kipling Avenue (then a dirt road level crossing), cut south through the Toronto and Niagara Power property (later Ontario Hydro Electric Power Commission), and connect west of the new GTR Mimico Yard. Surveys were completed, tracks laid, and the subdivision was operational between June and December 1911. Also completed at this time was the addition of a second track west of the Humber River bridge § An interlocking tower was constructed at the junction of the GTR/CPR. The Canpa was first sometimes referred to as 'the branch', 'the spur', or just the 'the cutoff' which later became known as the Canpa Subdivision (origin: CANadian PAcific). With the Canpa Subdivision, east and westbound freight trains could completely avoid entrance into the Toronto area. § Along the Canpa Subdivision, a small yard and wye at the top end of the yard (north) was built. The yard originally had two tracks stretching from the CP mainline to just north of North Queen Street. As there was (is) quite a grade, angle cocks had to be closed and hand brakes set on cars left on these tracks. The Canpa was (and is) double tracked, allowing for east/west bound trains to travel south/north. § Coal from the United States was left just south west of the wye. It would be piled here for the steam hungry locomotives at Lambton Yard. Occasionally, coal was reshipped to Lambton, but as often as not, power would run light to the wye, topped off, and returned to Lambton to tie onto their train. § Originally, Ontario Hydro had a loop track built around their west property. This track was to service many hydro facilities and buildings; a little known Hydro Electric Museum was also present here (all of this disappeared when CP took over building the OBICO container yard) § In 1966, this loop track had a few short term visitors: CN Muskoka News (nee CNoR 213 - Pix 1 | Pix 2 | Pix 3), CN 5107 (Pix 1 | Pix 2), CP 2839 (Pix 1), CP 5361 (Pix 1), a CNR cafeteria car, and the CNR 15089 School on Wheels (Pix 1 | Pix 2). (Fortunately, all but the cafeteria car were restored: CNR 5107 is in Kapuskasing; CP 2839 once operated in the United States for a time and is now a static display in Sylmar, California; CN Muskoka News is in Clementsport, Nova Scotia as CNR 1521; CPR 5361 is in Depew, New York, and School on Wheels 15089 to Clinton, Ontario.) § After new locations for static display had been determined for the above power, the equipment was moved out and the loop track lifted. The property was then leased to Canadian Pacific. § CPR quickly transformed the area into a busy piggyback yard. This later developed into the active Obico container yard with minimal piggyback service. GO Transit purchased the Canpa Sub (2009 at an undisclosed cost) and plans are apparently in the works to build a GO Maintenance facilty like now at Whitby. § In the past, operationally, westbound trains to Hamilton and beyond would run to Obico, travel south then stop at North Queen. An old key system was briefly used. Later, when the telephone system expanded, the headend brakeman then walked across the road and unlocked the telephone box calling the GT/CNR for clearance permission through Toronto Terminals - this lasted until the TTR was cut back in 1969 to mileage 1.3. When permission was received, he locked the phone box, activated the crossing gates (or provided flag protection on the road), waved the train ahead and climbed back on the engine. Often as not, the operator at Canpa Junction would hoop orders to the train crew on the fireman side of the cab. Later, the CP Rail RTC telephones the CN for a time, then radios the crew. Little delay is created at this location today. § The CNR Canpa Tower (junction of Canadian Pacific's Canpa Sub and CN Oakville Sub) was a mainstay for a long time. It's closed now, but in its time it had relay interlocking with syncrostep operation, 54 track lights, 39 switch machines, 77 levers, and 38 signals under the operator's controls. § Canpa has rarely see run-through freight now for many years, using instead the Hamilton Sub from Guleph Junction to the Cowpath and into Aberdeen Yard or by-pass it and continue south to the Welland. § Canpa has mostly seen freight traffic. Early passenger trains ran through Islington, Cooksville to Guelph Junction to Hamilton, or depart directly from Toronto Union. No recorded trains reveal any scheduled passenger traffic through the Canpa, but transfer and deadhead moves did occur. § GO Transit used the Canpa to bring trains back from Milton when first yarded at Guelph Junction so they could be serviced at Willowbrook Yard in Mimico § GO Transit and VIA ran training and familiarty equipment runs at the end of August 2018 for crews before the effective detour dates § CP has dropped several of the new CEM coaches at Obico Yard for GO to pickup (2018)
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Some Past Industries Along the Canpa
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