Caption: Saturday, April 29, 1978 saw GO Transit expand their operations north up the CN Bala Subdivision to Richmond Hill. With F40 510 on the point and GP40TC 501 on the tail (presumed trailing since headlight is off), GO's inaugural trip is seen departing Union Station at Jarvis Street, passing the Crombie Park apartments public housing, under construction on the east side of Jarvis Street. The train is made up of the new bilevel cars from Hawker Siddeley Canada, the first ones having been unveiled only five months earlier in December 1977. With stops at all stations between Union and Richmond Hill, an opening ceremony took place at each stop, ending with a meet between the new GO consist and CNR 6060 and CN coaches at Richmond Hill to contrast the old with the new. See shots of that event in the Doug Page shots below. At right, a CN freight heads eastbound just clearing the junction with the high line Union Station bypass.

Originally GO 601, and later GO 9801, GP40TC 501 would depart the GO roster in 1988 after 22 years of service, going to to Amtrak as 193, and later rebuilt in 2005 as Amtrak GP38H-3 521.

More shots from the day:
6060 and GO 510 at Richmond Hill, by Doug Page
ONR TEE-equipped Northlander passing 6060 amongst the crowds, by Doug Page

More Jarvis Street action:
Inbound GO F40 meets freight by Arnold Mooney, 1977
Eastbound freight by Peter Jobe, 1980
VIA Turbo by Bruce Acheson, 1981

Bryce Lee Photo, Jacob Patterson Collection slide.