Comments on: It took three months, and it was only supposed to be a single day of movements back on December 21 2025, but the Railroad Equipment Restoration Association pulled it off. Despite numerous attempts over the winter, extreme cold, snow, and motive power that can be best described as “temperamental”, warmer weather coupled with mechanical repairs to 3612 and the movements started actually going off without a hitch. Goodwood, a hamlet that once had a Station and passenger trains, along with a grain elevator and frequent service, was mostly silent for the last few decades. Between December and March, Goodwood became a beehive of activity: Mechanical repairs were conducted on equipment, locomotives were watered, repaired and tested, crews reported for duty and when everything worked, trains operated along the Uxbridge sub between “the dip” (A location 4 miles south of Uxbridge) and Lincolnville all based out of Goodwood. The best part? It was all done with locomotives with prime movers designed in 1944 and 1951, MLW/ALCo’s, which as noted in December, are a dying breed in Ontario. All of it came to an end on March 29 2026: Pictured the last cut of cars is now ready to go, mechanical modifications to the cars are completed, and the last order of business is to load the train with everything left that wasn’t already towd down in the coaches. You see, the RERA purchased everything that the former YDHR owned, including all sundries: this included old souvenirs, TV’s, mechanical equipment, uniforms, stuff in storage, historical artefacts, everything. The RERA was tasked, contractually, with removal of it all and it took a team of about 10-15 people to hand bomb what remained all into these coaches and send it to Saskachewan and North Bay. After the picture you see above the train would stop on the crossing and the last of it would be loaded from waiting trucks and vehicles. Then they’d reverse back to Goodwood to make one final run out of town, blasting the horn, again, to a gaggle of waiting cameras and a few locals observing the end of their tenure on the Uxbridge subdivision. What does the future have in store for this line? At the moment, nobody knows for sure, but it would appear GO transit isn’t exactly done with the railway and neither is the town. The town is working on a “railway district improvement plan” and their plans show trains calling at the Uxbridge station but with much improved lands surrounding what I would call a GO station platform. The town and Metrolinx are also re-negotiating the lease in 2026. Could GO service happen? Is a 6 car train that far off the mark when it’s only a 10 mile run and about 30 minutes from Uxbridge to Linconville at 30 MPH, then they can blast off at the Uxbridge’s 50 MPH after stopping at Old Elm. Until the tracks are ripped out, never say never. A train or two to Uxbridge would also help the town re-develop the lands and reach the Province’s goals of urban intensification, by right, near transit stations. We’ll just have to see what happens from here. In the meantime, the 244′s and 251′s are silent in Uxbridge and the York Durham’s legacy is now gone for good and on to better things. Over the next few days and weeks, all this equipment would move over Metrolinx and CN to Mac Yard, and then to North Bay and Kronau, Sackachewan. For updates on the equipment and their plans, visit the RERA Canada website at www.reracanada.ca where announcements are yet to be made as I type this. I couldn’t be happier to see the equipment at least preserved, it took a ton of money and effort to pull this off and folks, please give the RERA a good look. They deserve it.

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:48:17 +0000

Here is another.

https://youtu.be/dtNc2U2c8Zs?si=De1H0lmjFSXYDxGD&t=1835

Make sure you finish eating before clicking this link. I don’t want you spitting out your drink or it going through your nose either. You might see someone very familiar to you.

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:29:33 +0000

Here’s another video, watch to the end and you’ll see some fool you recognize waving from the cupola

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWDNvx-pflU

What a ride that was.

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:54:59 +0000

Here is a go pro video of the last run

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7pqzYInr8I

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 23:10:14 +0000

Here is a good video of the days action

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X3yjwtvHv5M&pp=0gcJCdMKAYcqIYzv

By: railwayguy

railwayguy — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:37:26 +0000

Yes, the 3612 previously operated on the DW&P and the CV, always with the same number.

By: L. Parks

L. Parks — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:50:04 +0000

I love the notches beside the extra flags, most of the American made ALCO’s had them. The DW&P had RS11′s which went back and forth between the CV and DW&P. The number 3612 matches the numbers used on those units, will this be one of them still in action? There is a super picture of these RS11′s (6 of them) going over a bridge on page 36 of the small booklet New England ALCO’s in Twilight. Great to see the sun has not yet set on the 3612.

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:41:50 +0000

Thanks John!

The flatcar (as above) and rules car (at
Uxbridge beside station) are expected to go out by truck at a later date.

Both had friction bearings and was not worth replacing trucks to ship by rail. I’m not even sure the rules car would be road worthy.

By: railwayguy

railwayguy — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:40:07 +0000

Stephen, a great historical picture, and in the 3612 in the style we used to enjoy what with “Alco smoke” and extra flags. Many thanks for sharing. Also, many thanks for the lengthy remarks on what took place cover the four months; didn’t realize RERA acquired from the insolvency trustee more than just rolling stock. Although it is sad to see the end of YDHR (34 years), agree with you that it is happy news that everything is finding new homes and not ending in a junk yard. Your comments about the future of the YDHR track are thought provoking and interesting; if a GO train is extended to Uxbridge, the track and roadbed will require large dollars for upgrade. Maybe the track might be just mothballed, like the Newmarket Sub from Bradford to Allandale was mothballed for years. Then, in the future, its deactivation might make more sense. Question – has the flat car shown in your picture been removed by truck ?
John

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:22:50 +0000

white Extra flags by CN4116/AJS and Shaun Hennesy (https://railpictures.ca/author/Shaun10)
Thanks for the extra touch guys!