Caption: Sitting beneath the long-retired Spadina coal tower a line of GMD and MLW switchers are seen. Note the hoppers at left to provide sand to the serving area towers, flatcars of wheel sets, and work service baggage cars.

At right one of the smokestacks of the Toronto Terminal Railways' Central Heating Plant (built in 1929, twin smokestacks seen here), which supplied heat to Union Station, the Royal York Hotel, CNR and CPR express buildings, CPR John Street Roundhouse, and a number of other office buildings. Originally burning coal, the plant was eventually converted to natural gas, and finally shutdown in the 1980s once the TTR converted to a commercial supplier, and demolished in 1990.

SW1200RS 1241, built in 1956, renumbered 7300 in 1985, to CN Sweep 7100 in 1986. MLW S4 8033, built 1954, retired in the early 80s. SW1200Rs 1254, built 1956, retired 1993 and sold to Zyndar Bothers in Vaughan (then switching contractor at Vaughn Intermodal Terminal), renamed Plusar Inc., and finally Parsec Intermodal of Canada Ltd. 1254. Disposition unknown. MLW S13 8514, built 1959, rebuilt as S13u 8706 in the late '80s, retired circa 1996-97, sold to Canac, disposition unknown.

More Spadina Coal Tower:
Bill Thomson: 6167 being readied for an excursion; April 1963.
VIA units by Pierre Fournier, April 1985.

Paul Martin Photo, Jacob Patterson Collection Slide.