Caption: Back before they migrated north to switch the ore docks in Thunder Bay, CN kept a handful of its BB-trucked steam generator equipped GMD GMD-1 units in the Toronto area for passenger and freight service. Numbered CN 1900-1917, the first four were Winnipeg-assigned units, while the rest were based out of Spadina Roundhouse in downtown Toronto. The Toronto units were sent packing to Thunder Bay in 1971 (based out of the roundhouse at Neebing Yard) for transfer and switching duties, and had their steam generators deactivated at the same time.

In this undated late 1960's-ish shot, CN GMD-1's 1908 and 1915 head westbound on the Oakville Sub in the evening, cruising under the old Plains Road bridge on the approach to Bayview Junction (the old bridge here would be replaced by a new concrete structure in 1973). I'd hazard a guess this was likely an evening Toronto-Hamilton-Niagara Falls commuter train. Those red snowshields bolted to the front stanchions were a late 60's thing a few of the GMD-1's received (at least two, 1908-1909), likely to keep snow from building up around the front radiator shutters and freezing them up while leading passenger trains at speed in the winter months. Others had a roll-down winterization flap added to the top of the radiator grill.

Original photographer unknown, Dan Dell'Unto collection slide (duplicate).