Comments on: Speedy first generation MLW’s:, not very often will a diesel action shot provide a sense of speed: At eighty miles per hour the centrifugal force is sufficent to slosh water out of the overflow pipes on all three units as FPA4 6787 heels to starboard on the sharp left high speed curve exiting Bowmanville mile 292.! With the sense of speed portrayed – this shot ranks right up there in my top ten favourites ! June 26, 1982 Kodachrome by S.Danko. Same curve thirty one years later: 8938 west with IC 6016

By: mrdanno4050

mrdanno4050 — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 07:57:16 +0000

I wonder if any railfans ever got splashed trackside by high-speed FPA4′s with full water tanks…better stand on the inside of the curve!

By: rsd-17

rsd-17 — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:30:51 +0000

Nice to see shots from my old stomping ground (I lived in Bowmanville from 1992 to 2008) and frequented the area between Bowmanville and Port Hope almost every weekend from 1982 to 2008 to railfan. Sadly I don’t get out much anymore as I split my time between Toronto (where I am car-less) and Stirling-Rawdon (where I have to share a vehicle with my better half, and where there are nothing but abandoned ROWs.) @David: In my 16 years as a Bowmanvile resident the only time I saw a train on the spur, was a single GP-9 delivering the caboose that is now at Price’s Market (Hwy 2 & Lambs Road.) I didn’t get a shot as it was a dank rainy day and I was on my way to work. On a few occasions I walked through the Goodyear property saw evidence of activity (well cars and flat cars loaded with conveyer belt.) I believe that GO Transit trains are supposed to cross over to the CP near Darlington Park in the current plan and terminate near the current Park and Ride behind the now abandoned Canadian Tire store. Can’t see it happening during my working life (and one of the reasons I moved to Bowmanville in 1992 was the promise of a GO Train.) A side indictment of public transit policy decisions in Canada.

As for the photo…great shot, though it looks a little over sharpened to me.

By: headtailgrep

headtailgrep — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:01:05 +0000

Thanks for the explanation Steve. I’d love to see a pic of anything crossing the 401 at grade.

Being very aware of the old Goodyear spur the right of way of the former spur is in no place for GO trains considering all the properties in the way and possible environmental issues north of there.

By: sdfourty

sdfourty — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 04:50:33 +0000

Interesting – thank you for the input and comment, now how about some ratings?
To Mike’s point, there were three CNR crossings east of Toronto of ‘Dual Public Highway No. 401′: ( 1 )the Pickering Town Spur, Kingston Sub mile 311.1 ( near the present Brock Road ), extended 0.7 miles north ; ( 2 ) the Whitby Town Spur ( the original Whitby & Port Perry Railway ), mile 304.3 ( east of Brock Street ), extended 2.1 miles north; and (3) the Bowmanville Town Spur, mile 290.6 extended 1.1 miles north ( as of 1973 ). I recall passing over each of the crossings – many times – and as of 1973 all three crossings were in place ( and the King’s Highway 401 speed limit was 70 m.p.h. before the Metric Imposition ) by 1979 given the 401 re-build and widening eastward – only the Bowmanville crossing remained. Most interesting was that in town the Bowmanville spur crossed the front lawns (and driveways) of many houses on a street – I believe Hunt Street – north of Baseline Road, which I thought was really neat. Unfortunately never a train in sight on any of those spurs. By 1985 the Spur was at mile 291.4 indicating the rail overpass was in place and the spur extended 1.4 miles north. And recently ( within the past 5 years ? ) the 401 rail overpass at Bowmanville was removed – and one has to wonder about the wisdom of that removal given possible future GO rail expansion east that is not if but when. Solid lashups of those FPA4′s and FPB4′s were uncommon – so to catch the three MLW FP’s was special even in 1982. Imagine being in that cab at 93 m.p.h. – only the Turbo was faster ! sdfourty.

By: Eric May

Eric May — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 23:05:25 +0000

Thanks for posting this. It reminds me of a pair of FPA4′s I saw spewing water out at Scarborough Golf Club Road around the same era.

By: headtailgrep

headtailgrep — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 22:13:43 +0000

If I recall it was constructed 1982 or so Mike. Anyone get pix of a train on that spur?

By: Mike Lockwood

Mike Lockwood — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 16:23:26 +0000

Passenger trains just don’t have the same appeal these days.

The elevated spur to the Goodyear plant in town did not exist in 1982… interesting. That’d mean that the original spur still crossed Hwy 401 at grade on the far side of the grove of trees above the train.