Caption: On April 29th 2007, a group of individuals from the Guelph Historical Railway Association (including some friends-of-friends such as the photographer) were offered a then-rare glimpse inside the long-shuttered, unrenovated former CPR John Street Roundhouse, on a guided tour by historian Derek Boles. Slumbering in the dark confines of Stall 20, CN GP7 4803's paint is still fresh from when it was repainted at Pointe St. Charles shop for donation to the City of Toronto in 1984 (it had previously been serving as Transcona's shop switcher in Winnipeg, numbered 1, while many of her sisters languished in the deadline there or were parted out and scrapped).

As mentioned, the tour of the roundhouse was before the westernmost 2/3rds were renovated and converted into a museum and Leons retail space. Aside from equipment and pieces stored inside (like the entire 90-foot turntable), the roundhouse atmosphere retained a sense of how it probably felt in its final days during the mid-80's when CP operated out of it. The gangways along the roundhouse drop pits (most were still open and unfilled) serviced 1940-50's vintage Alco/MLW switchers in the final years of John St., and over the years Budd RDC cars, GMD and MLW F-units for The Canadian and other passenger trains, and before that passenger steamers such as Royal Hudsons, Jubilees, Pacifics, and even the famed duo of 4-4-0 136 and D10g 4-6-0 1057 (although John St. for most of its life was used to service passenger engines and equipment, due to its proximity to Union Station. Most of the freight engine servicing was done at Lambton and West Toronto roundhouses).

The site has since become home of the Toronto Railway Historical Association. Despite only having a few of the 32 stalls to work out of, a large museum presence on the grounds outside and visible to the passing public makes up for interior quarters, and helps cement the museum as part of the downtown urban area.