Comments on: After finishing up their duties further up the line, CN GP9′s 4520 and 4515 head south on the southwest leg of CN’s GECO Spur (or GECO Branch) in Scarborough, coming around the bend at Milne Ave. crossing while enroute back to the Kingston Sub with a lone caboose in tow.As mentioned in a previous photo, the CN’s GECO Branch/Spur was constructed to serve the “Golden Mile” area of Scarborough during the post-war industrial boom, as the area formerly inhabited by a World War 2 munitions plant transitioned to domestic manufacturing, and the surrounding farmer’s fields were gobbled up by the urban sprawl of the suburbs. Part of the line was partially built over the old abandoned Canadian Northern right-of-way (that ran north of CN’s ex-GTR Kingston Sub). Industrial decline and gentrification in the 90′s/2000′s resulted in a lot of the factories being redeveloped into neighbourhoods and townhouses, the loss of rail customers, and today only a portion of the GECO Spur remains to serve the few remaining rail customers. This portion from the Kingston Sub to near the TTC’s Warden Subway Station had been removed and the land sold off.Mike Mastin photo, Dan Dell’Unto slide collection.

By: MrDan

MrDan — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 00:47:09 +0000

Thanks Peter! I think I’ve got one or two B&W negatives of the CP Scarborough Industrial Spur in my collection, I’ll have to dig them out and see about scanning them.

By: Peter Newman

Peter Newman — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 23:32:39 +0000

Thank you for posting this rare image, Mr. Dan. You’ve done an excellent job with your research and well written narrative. I grew up not far from here. Hard to believe this photograph was taken 43 years ago! Here’s my image taken nearby on CP’s Scarborough Industrial Spur: http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=18762