Images by sdanko

sdfourty — Thu, 07 May 2026 13:32:47 +0000

That VIA sign is encouraging,

Daily VIA Budds 619 & 620 (Moncton - Edmundston) served until the November 1981 service cuts, wherein Trudeau's Liberal Federal Transport Minister Jean- Luc Pepin chopped VIA's budget in half.

at Saint Leonard N.B., mile 194 CN Napadogan Sub-Division, June 10 1981 Kodachrome by S.Danko

After the November 1981 train offs, VIA service was restored by Progressive Conservative Federal Transport Minister Don Mazankowski October 1984 with VIA tri weekly Budd car trains 625, 626 & 628 that survived unit the massive January 1990 VIA cuts orchestrated by Progressive Conservative P.M. Brian Mulroney's chopping crew lead by Fed Transport Minister Benoit Bouchard.

Note the jointed rail,

And The Parisienne Atlantica parked behind the light standard.

sdfourty' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	06/10/1981
Location:	Saint Leonard
Province:	New Brunswick

Comments | 3 Favourites

High Priority High Horsepower

CN LASER service

Deep into Republic of Madawaska territory, at Edmundston, June 10, 1981 Kodachrome by S.Danko

Intermodel TOFC train(s) # 231 (Montreal ) and #233 (Toronto)

Century Power MLW 1968 built C-630M CN #2032 & CN #203x

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Republic territory

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Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	06/11/1981
Location:	Edmunston
Province:	New Brunswick

1 Comments | 20 Favourites

Geep's, C-424's, Tempo's....

Ground level at Bayview, September 2, 1979 Kodachrome by S.Danko

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Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	09/02/1979
Location:	Bayview Junction
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 17 Favourites

ON 1984 in 1980

Daily except Saturday, ON #121 at Gravenhurst, June 22, 1980 Kodachrome by S.Danko

Note the seventies era Datsun and Ford F150. ' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Ontario Northland
Date:	06/22/1980
Location:	Gravenhurst
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 18 Favourites

More action at CN Beachville, February 18, 1984 Kodachrome by S.Danko

VIA 6762 west creeps onto wreck site at a stately 10 m.p.h. Note the downed communication / hydro cables.

February 14, 1984: A 25 car CN train derailed four miles west of Woodstock ( Beachville) causing $1 million damage. Half mile track torn up, propane tankers included in consist. Heavy rains blamed for weakening the track bed. Reportedly every spring new remnants of the derailment can be seen along the Beachville Thames River Trail – pushed up by the winter frost.

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VIA 6765 east

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Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	02/18/1984
Location:	Beachville
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 19 Favourites

Running Extra through the light snow

Extra 5943 West, at Leaside, Kodak Tri X negative, December 22, 1979 by S.Danko

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5749 West

8141 West

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Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	12/22/1979
Location:	Leaside
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 15 Favourites

VIA Rail System Timetable reference mark #70: “ stops to entrain passengers only”,

and onward to the Orillia station stop, subject to footnote #70,

Daily, except Saturday, ONR #121, Northlander 1984 departs Barrie, June 22 1980 Kodachrome by S.Danko

Observe:

The Toronto Sun newspaper box

The loaded baggage cart awaiting the 14:55 arrival of VIA Rail #3 Super Continental.

and an unknown photographer.

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Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Ontario Northland
Date:	06/22/1980
Location:	Barrie
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 18 Favourites

ONR 1985 in better days,

GMD 1951 built FP7A, delivered to the ONR as #1518, then in 1980 four FP7A's were reconfigured / renumbered for Northlander service given the issues with the original TEE train 1957 built Werkspoor motive power

Daily except Saturday Northlander, ONR #121 near mile 23 CN Newmarket Sub at King City, March 1, 1981 Kodachrome by S.Danko

noteworthy: #121, eleven hours direct to downtown Timmins.

ONR 1985 and FP7A 1517 met their demise in a September 9, 1991 open switch incident and collision, per Jason Noe:

fini

Werkspoor power

circa 1979

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Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Ontario Northland
Date:	03/01/1981
Location:	King City
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 20 Favourites

OH! OH!

After an uneventful afternoon at Denfield...

... drive by EMD London ( 2005 – 2010) ….

...and a scene at the Oxford crossing !

Amongst the tall foreheads contained by their white hardhats, from the public sidewalk at the Oxford crossing, June 9, 2010 digital by S.Danko

BHP 4365 did make it down under:

https://www.pilbararailways.com.au/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=15330

Noteworthy:

BHP Iron Ore run a motive power roster of 182 EMD and Progress Rail built SD70ACe locomotives with a large number of /LC and /LCi variants of which a full breakdown with names and serials can be found on the BHP Power Roster page.

The sixth order #203 was for a total of eighteen SD70ACe locomotives numbered 4356 to 4373 with serial numbers: 20098203-001 to 018 and was the final order to be built by Electro-Motive in London Ontario Canada and delivered in two batches, it was also the final order delivered with ladder stirrups on each end of the locomotives, but the first delivery to have walkway kick plates.

The final nine (4365 - 4373) of this order were delivered to Nelson Point off the heavy lift ship Jumbo Challenger over the 2nd - 4th of September 2010. This brings the size of the SD70ACe and variants fleet to 73 locomotives.

brief history per Wikipedia:

April 4, 2005, GM sold its EMD subsidiary with its London and LaGrange operations to a partnership between Greenbriar Equity Group and Berkshire Partners. The company was renamed "Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc", thus retaining the EMD initials. EMD's Canadian subsidiary was renamed "Electro-Motive Canada". In 2010 EMD and its Canadian subsidiary were acquired by Caterpillar's subsidiary Progress Rail.[5][6]

The plant was closed in 2012, after a labor dispute and leasing of a new plant in Muncie, Indiana.

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Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Builder/Manufactur…
Date:	06/09/2010
Location:	London
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 14 Favourites

The Toronto Auxiliary CP Rail 414501 is cleaning up a couple of paper product boxes,

At CP Rail Don Mills crossovers mile 204.1 Belleville Sub., July 1987 Kodachrome by S.Danko

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primer Hi Rail

CP Rail 414501 is a 250 ton capacity wrecking crane serial 11729 built 1946 by Industrial Brownhoist, now at St. Constant PQ (thank you Paul O'Shell).

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Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	07/xx/1987
Location:	Don Mills
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 13 Favourites

The one and only 2400 HP MLW RSD-17

The (ALCO) / MLW response to the 1953 – 1956 built (FM)/ CLC H24-66 ( ' Train Master ' )

The CLC Road Switcher units CPR Class DRS -24 (a to d) built 1955 -1956, CPR versions #8900 (FM built) and CLC built 8901 – 8920, were ahead of the competition with 2400 HP. The lone CLC Train Master built 1955 for CN ++ was #3000 (To #2900 in 1956).

EMD's response took until July 1958 when the first 2400HP SD-24 rolled out of La Grange

The MLW 16-251B engined 2400 HP unit built May 1957, serial #81603, model RSD-17 ** originally numbered MLW #7007; worked as a demonstrator: first as CPR 7007 to December 1957 then to PGE 624, CNR 3899 and purchased September 1959 by the CPR.

The original CPR Class DRS-24e, the ' Empress of Agincourt ' at its home, June 22, 1980 Kodachrome by S.Danko

Noteworthy

** The US ALCO version is the 16-251B engined RSD-15 with 87 units produced February 1956 to June 1960, bought by B&LE (DMIR), C&O, PC (PRR) and low nose versions by ATSF, SP, TNO & SSW. Note: The 1954 built RSD-7 is 16-244 engined, (see Diesel Spotter's Guide).

++ of local interest is the CN Train Master #2900 last regular assignment: Mimico – Danforth transfer. Final assignment was the Scarborough Hill helper, TTR Cherry Street to CN Danforth to CN Scarborough. (see Constructed in Kingston, CLC book)

CPR / CP Rail 8921 pulling capability was legendary hauling lengthy transfers up the North Toronto Sub. / Belleville Sub.'s Leaside / Scarborough hill into Agincourt. Reportedly 8921 was allowed to single handle 80+ freight cars on that grade, without stalling.

The 8921 chopped nose car body and frame, sans 16-251B resides at the now closed (winter 2026) Elgin County Railway Museum, St. Thomas, future fate unknown.

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Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	06/22/1980
Location:	Agincourt
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 19 Favourites

GMD GP-35's rule...well almost...

Eastbound CP Rail 5008 – 5019 – 5011 – 4221 with a SW 81xx, with the Hogger having a close look,

slows for a westbound – in the hole - CP Rail 5798 – 5799 assisted by C&O 3004

5798 West

At Coakley, September 9, 1979 Kodachrome by S.Danko

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Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	09/09/1979
Location:	Woodstock
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 15 Favourites

A pair of MLW's finest enter the North Toronto Sub., no flags, this westbound is a regularly scheduled movement

CP Rail 4571, MLW 1969 built M-630

CP Rail 4716, MLW 1970 built M-636

The trailing GMD appears to be a 5000 series GP-35

And on the South Track that's a high green for an eastbound, at Leaside, March 2, 1980 Kodachrome, with a Nikkor 28mm f2.8 lens, by S.Danko

noteworthy

The original Leaside Junction consisted of one crossover to accommodate westbound north track access to the Don Branch

At extreme right is top end of The Don Branch, Belleville Sub mile 206.3 (the route to the Don station site mile 209.5)

Some of the final CP trains to use the Don Branch were the 2816 excursion train dead head movement with Go Transit equipment and the 2004 CP Holiday train.

The Don Branch is currently owned by Metrolinx and in a state of disrepair and partially removed. Apparently Metrolinx had an idea to speed up the Richmond Hill GO trains by using the CP Don Branch (3.2 miles) – CP Belleville Sub through Leaside (1.3 miles) – CN Leaside (ex CNoR) Branch (2.2 miles) route to CN Oriole on the Bala Sub as a replacement route for the slow 30 m.p.h., curvy Don Valley Bala Sub (miles 2.0 at CN Don to Mile 11.3 CN Oriole) – except CP had quite the price to allow so. So you and I own – purchased by Metrolinx from CP for a price we'll never know - a piece of derelict railway right-of-way that will likely never see a GO train.

At extreme left the six track Leaside yard - that stretched from near Wickstead to Bayview Ave - is gone, removed over the past ten years or so.

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Leaside - west end

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Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	03/02/1980
Location:	Leaside
Province:	Ontario

5 Comments | 22 Favourites

The Leaside Portfolio

CP Rail Extra 5738 West (note white markers & flags) with 5798 and a 8100 SW 'pup', on the approach to the Leaside crossover, March 2, 1980

Noteworthy: at that time the usage of ditch lights was at crew discretion

At extreme left is the telephone box for the CN Leaside Branch crews to access the CP Rail Belleville Sub-Division

For CNoR Leaside details see:

CNoR Bridge

sdfourty ' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	03/02/1980
Location:	Leaside
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 17 Favourites

Serial 82269 FPA-4 ex CN 6760

at CN Spadina, March 31, 1981 Kodachrome by S.Danko

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Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	03/21/1981
Location:	Toronto
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 11 Favourites

Nineteen Seventies power,

open bi-level auto carriers....

GMD 1974 built GP40-2L(W) CN 9408 and GMD built sisters,

Eastbound on a grimy gray January afternoon,

At a snowless Paris Junction, January 19, 1980 Kodak Tri-X negative by S.Danko

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Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	01/19/1980
Location:	Paris
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 14 Favourites

Quintette of GMD's

All SD40 / SD40-2

CP Rail 5752 – 5531 – 5xx8 – 5xxx – and the original #5500 trailing.

Rare on the Belleville, without a couple MLW's mixed in.

CP Rail 905

at Cherrywood, August 2, 1987 Kodachrome by S.Danko

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Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	08/02/1987
Location:	Cherrywood
Province:	Ontario

5 Comments | 12 Favourites

Quintette of Vans

CP Rail 905

at Cherrywood, August 2, 1987 Kodachrome by S.Danko

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Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	08/02/1987
Location:	Cherrywood
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 20 Favourites

The ex CNoR Hanna roundhouse constructed 1913.

Worthwhile viz railway architecture.

Operational turntable visible beyond the original locomotive stall doors.

At Hanna, Alberta June 16, 2025 digital by S.Danko.

Noteworthy

VIA CN Budd car service terminated 1981.

December 10 2008: the last through train Saskatoon to Calgary - Rosetown, Oyen, Drumheller Subs – stopped at Hanna, the former division point.

sdfourty' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	Preservation
Date:	06/11/2025
Location:	Hanna
Province:	Alberta

Comments | 10 Favourites

Yep, at one time VIA ( aka Your Government) did care to serve medium sized communities....

Eight passenger trains daily – six Budd, two conventional, (and the International was on the Dundas)

Note the Trainman at the Baggage Door conversing with the Maintenance crewman

at Stratford, January 19, 1985 Kodachrome by S.Danko' height='150' width='200' />

Name:	sdfourty
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	01/19/1985
Location:	Stratford
Province:	Ontario

4 Comments | 28 Favourites

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