Comments on: One of my personal favourite GP38s is on point of CP T78 as they make an appearance spotting cars on the Pit Spur in Ayr, Ontario. When myself and some buddies headed out to the Ayr/Wolverton area to shoot T72, we didn’t know if T78 was even running, so to end up catching it working this spur was a pretty sweet surprise.

By: trainsintoronto

trainsintoronto — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 02:49:15 +0000

Ronald, thank you for that plethora of information!!

By: Noe

Noe — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 20:58:27 +0000

Thanks RonaldB for the information on the Ayr Pit Spur. That’s really interesting history.

By: RonaldB

RonaldB — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 18:20:53 +0000

One last thing, after the site ceased to be used to extract ballast, and before the Co-Op took it over for potash etc., someone had the brainstorm to store empty multilevels from the Maus switch to the end of the pit, perhaps 2500 feet or more. This was done one time in winter & we had a snowstorm later. After the snowstorm, we had rain & then it froze up again. When a trains told to lift those empties one day, they tacked on and couldn’t move the last dozen or so cars at the far end. They were completely stuck in ice up to the axles. Eventually they were pulled when a bigger thaw arrived, but many of us had a good laugh about it. They never stored cars there after that.

By: RonaldB

RonaldB — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 18:15:51 +0000

Lastly, the track where the units are in this photo, was originally the company ballast pit. “Air dump cars (short side dumping cars) were spotted in blocks of as many as 30 for loading with ballast. Sometimes Van hops would be run out of Quebec St as “Ayr Turns” if the ballast was needed at any point west of Ayr. Last time I recall these being run was when the hotbox detectors were installed around 1980. They had to dump a lot of fill to build up the spot where the signal shacks & detectors were located….

By: RonaldB

RonaldB — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 18:12:30 +0000

Empty stock cars were often brought back by a crew spotting loads. If not, eastbound or the westbound “pickup” (out of Toronto) would be sent back to retrieve empties so long as they had one or more 4 axle units. At that time the power on these trains was usually 3 SW1200RS engines. If it was the west pickup, he would bring the cars from Maus to one of the tracks near the main in Ayr yard so any eastbound could lift them. They were rather hot as they were needed for re-loading after cleaning, at the height of the fall cattle rush.

By: RonaldB

RonaldB — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 18:08:22 +0000

… Loaded stock cars were unloaded at CP’s West Toronto Yard for feeding & watering . They were re-loaded and anything destined west was lifted by London crews on westbound trains. Stock had some priority because cattle could only be kept in the cars for 24 hrs. Only 4 axle power could operate on the spur, so one might be called for a “hot” westbound train at Toronto Yard and find that we had 2 “big” units & a 4 axle unit, even though we were under tonnage for the big engines. That was the “kiss of death” we would be lifting Maus stock cars at Lambton Yard. Upon arrival at Ayr the 4 axle unit would have to be split from the other 2 to take th stock to Maus. The spur was not well lit like it is now. It was along ride for the brakeman back to Maus especially if it was dark.

By: RonaldB

RonaldB — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 17:54:14 +0000

I don’t know if this is of interest, but I thought those interested in this spur might like to hear something of its history.
When I started on CP in 1973, the spur where the cars are spotted, was used exclusively for Maus stock pens. Every fall a steady stream of cattle arrived for unloading all along the CP main & branchlines. Before I started, the spur also crossed Norhumberland St and led to a margarine factory. …..

By: trainsintoronto

trainsintoronto — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 01:24:05 +0000

@Steve, this particular crew had arrived at Wolverton with a solo SD60, then hopped on to the pair of geeps at Wolverton and headed to Ayr to spot cars. They returned to Wolverton and stuck the 3118 behind their SD60 (See Jacob’s shot from Innerkip) and headed to Pender with racks. I wonder if it is uncommon of T78 to work the Pit Spur.

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Sat, 29 Jan 2022 01:18:51 +0000

T78 works woodstock (pender) to wolverton and back. It seems they may also switch power too and do yard work depending on what power is on hand.

By: jfriedrich

jfriedrich — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 03:42:57 +0000

Nice Shot! That’s the most hoppers I’ve seen on that track since they’ve started spotting them there again.