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UER Forum > Archived Canada: Ontario > Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto? (Viewed 976 times)
E-spot 


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Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
< on 8/18/2005 4:35 PM >
Posted on Forum: Infiltration Forums
 
I'm wondering if any of you know locations of old railway tracks in or around the Toronto area? I would prefer places that still have the tracks in place, (and not just grass), but any suggestions are welcome!

The only ones I know of are the ones near the Cherry Beach area (some of which are probably still occasionally used) and the one running along Lakeshore near the Red Path Sugar refinery.



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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 1 on 8/18/2005 4:44 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
there are some North/South tracks, well, uprooted now (but the path etc. remains) which start just off the GO etc track between Don Mills and Leslie on York Mills (just under that bridge where ROGERS is...just south of that location, the tracks 'branch off' to the west...and then its fun fun fun...


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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 2 on 8/18/2005 5:00 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
If you're willing to drive up to Dufferin county, there's plenty of unused railway tracks in and around orangeville. I walk them to and from work nearly every day.

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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 3 on 8/18/2005 8:35 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Milton has a short railway track in behind our mill pond.

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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 4 on 8/19/2005 11:21 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
There's a spur that crosses Weston Road in between Finch and Steeles. It was in use up until 1999-2001. It's now blocked off, but the tracks are still there. Nothing too exciting, it ends before HWY 400 and is in industrial area. The tracks are still physically there (at least where it crosses Weston)

http://maps.google.ca/maps?ll=43.762997,-79.544814&spn=0.004520,0.010029&t=k&hl=enp

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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 5 on 8/19/2005 11:55 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I think the most exciting has to be the mysterious train bridge right next to the brickworks:

This train bridge does not appear on half of the roadmaps, but does on others. It weaves its way through the east part of the lower don valley and finally rises high to cross and join with the tracks on the other side.

I've never ever seen a train on it.

One rumour I've heard is that this section of line connects CP and CN rail properties, and therefore is very seldom used.

It is the bridge directly in the middle of this photo:

here
[last edit 8/19/2005 11:56 AM by Avatar-X - edited 1 times]

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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 6 on 8/21/2005 6:13 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
First, a couple weeks ago I saw my first ever train crossing the above-mentioned Brickworks tracks, and it freaked me out, since I had always thought that bridge was unused (and have come very close to walking to the middle of it for the photographic view on more than one occasion).

The walking trail that runs up the south side of the Brickworks to Mt. Pleasant cemetary used to be the Belt Line railway years ago. And the really cool LCBO store on Yonge at Summerhill used to be a train station, so I imagine there's tracks around there somewhere.

Anyways, if you're looking for old train tracks, Ron Brown's Ghost Railways of Ontario is by far the best book to check out. I think there's actually a sequel as well. The Toronto library has many copies if you don't want to/can't afford to shell out 22 bucks for a copy.

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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 7 on 8/22/2005 7:30 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
There is, or atleast used to be, a strip of old unused railroad by Shepard and Conlins, which is a few streets back from shepard and meadowvale, where the toronto zoo is. Im not sure if its still there because they have started building new houses and townhouses close to it. Ive never actually followed the tracks but i think they go into the rouge. PM me if you'd like some more detailed directions.

-i2yan

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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 8 on 8/22/2005 11:47 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Avatar-X
I think the most exciting has to be the mysterious train bridge right next to the brickworks:

This train bridge does not appear on half of the roadmaps, but does on others. It weaves its way through the east part of the lower don valley and finally rises high to cross and join with the tracks on the other side.

I've never ever seen a train on it.

One rumour I've heard is that this section of line connects CP and CN rail properties, and therefore is very seldom used.

It is the bridge directly in the middle of this photo:

here


The bridge connects CP's North Toronto line with the Union Station rail corridor and a few remaining industries in the port lands (I believe Redpath is one of them). It used to be used back in the day mainly for CP's passenger trains to Montreal, but since those stopped running the bridge sees little traffic. More info can be found here http://ca.geocitie...s.com/eastend.html (see CP Don Branch)

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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 9 on 8/23/2005 12:08 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
I actually saw someone walking across the bridge yesterday around 6:30pm. I have no idea where they were going...

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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 10 on 8/23/2005 1:50 PM >
Posted on Forum: Infiltration Forums
 
Thanks for all the suggestions and replies!

One of my friends found me this awesome link:
http://matt.wandel...railways/paisley2/

That's the kind of thing I'd love to see. Unfortunately Paisley, Ontario is about 263km away from Toronto. If anyone comes across anything of this type that's a bit closer then that would be great! I guess it still might be worth a road trip one day.

Also thanks for the warning about the brickworks bridge still being in use.

E-spot aka Joanna




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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 11 on 8/23/2005 6:59 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
That new link reminded me of the train bridge that was crossed in the movie "Stand By Me", where the four kids were walking across and half way across a train came. I did a quick search on google for the location of it but couldnt come up with anything but the plot summery for the movie. According to the movie they were somewhere in the US, in Arkansa, but movies always lie about locations so I'm not sure. For anyone who has not seen the movie Stand By Me i suggest you check it out.

-i2yan

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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 12 on 8/23/2005 8:10 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Nearly every CN & CP railway in Haldimand-Norfolk county has been abandoned. Take a trip down HWY 3 from Cayuga to Dunnville and you'll see.

01:14:16] <Chronic> Conrad...ya gotta go....
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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 13 on 8/23/2005 8:29 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
good to know about the brickworks bridge
i was convinced it was abandoned
and have considered crossing it on a couple of occasions
-phew

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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 14 on 8/24/2005 8:56 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by i2yan
That new link reminded me of the train bridge that was crossed in the movie "Stand By Me", where the four kids were walking across and half way across a train came. I did a quick search on google for the location of it but couldnt come up with anything but the plot summery for the movie. According to the movie they were somewhere in the US, in Arkansa, but movies always lie about locations so I'm not sure. For anyone who has not seen the movie Stand By Me i suggest you check it out.

-i2yan


Google is your friend:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092005/locations

According to the IMDB, you can take your pick:

Gooseline Railroad, Cottage Grove, Oregon, USA
McCloud River Railroad, McCloud, California, USA
Yreka Western Railroad, Yreka, California, USA

According to this page: http://oregon.pacificnorthwestmovies.com/StandByMe/ it's in McCloud, CA.



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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 15 on 8/25/2005 3:06 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by mortimer
The walking trail that runs up the south side of the Brickworks to Mt. Pleasant cemetary used to be the Belt Line railway years ago. And the really cool LCBO store on Yonge at Summerhill used to be a train station, so I imagine there's tracks around there somewhere.



I have been searching for remains of the beltline myself, not much there anymore... Liquor store is an old station, one at Todmorden Mills and another was torn down a few years ago in west Toronto to make way for a Rona. Diddly info out there on it...

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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 16 on 9/2/2005 5:23 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
The LCBO at Summerhill and the Belt Line aren't related at all, other than they've both been abandoned for railway operations. The LCBO, BTW, is situtated on CPR's cross-Toronto mainline, so if you're into railfanning it's a good spot to pass some time.

You won't find too many places where the tracks have been abandoned but are still in place. Canadian law states that tracks constitute a "structure", and so are taxed differently than property that doesn't have a structure on it. Thus the haste to remove as much material as soon as possible.

BTW, there were two Belt Line railways...the one more commonly known one, which is now for the most part a walking trail, and a second one around High Park. There is very little left of that one. No stations left of either one either, unfortunately.

Let's see, abandoned railway ROW's....where do I start....

There is the former Canadian Northern Railway line which travelled north through the Don Valley to about Don Mills, and which then turned north-east and ran up the Taylor Creek Valley. The hydro ROW on the south side of the valley was built on the railway ROW. It continues in fits and spurts all the way to Morningside and Finch, and IIRC there is still the abutments of a bridge in place at Morningside.

remanents of the former CN Geco Spur ROW are still intact from about Warden subway station south to near the intersection of Warden and Danforth Ave.

The CN/CP connecting track has been torn up, but the ballast is still there. It runs from York Mills, just east of Leslie down to just north of Eglinton. There are also a couple of interesting properties along the way (the former hotel at Eglinton and Leslie, for example).

There used to be a long CPR spur that connected to the mainline across the street from where the Price Club (or whatever it is today) south of the Warden and Ellesmere intersection. You should be able to follow the ROW almost all the way down to Ashtonbee.

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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 17 on 9/2/2005 6:36 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
There's some tracks visible in sections along the east side of Morningside Ave in Scarborough (between Sheppard and Finch). Plus, there's some nice visible streetcar tracks behind the Woodbine subway station on Strathmore Blvd.

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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 18 on 9/2/2005 12:50 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
For those interested in almost abandoned rail bridges there is the one on Forks of the Credit rd. North of the city. Near Caledon not to far away from the old YYZ radar building. I've only once seen a commercial train cross the bridge, and that was 20 years ago its a dead end rail line to Orangeville. Occasionaly, like weekends, a tourist sighseeing train crosses it.
http://www.creditvalleyexplorer.com/
Built in 1879, 1,146 feet long and 85 feet high, the largest in Ontario at that time. In 1888, the base was reinforced by dumping car loads of gravel through the trestle forming a large embankment. The present steel section was installed in the 1900's. In 1907, the Elora train went off the tracks at Forks of the Credit. It was known as the Great Horseshoe Wreck, and was a special train going to Toronto Exhibition. Several people were killed and 105 were injured.


http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=43.801828,-79.995918&spn=0.003575,0.009917&t=k&hl=en

And yes, that is a switchback road beside it. In the early 80's when the Nissan Micra car came on the market, the FUN FUN commercials were shot here. There is a barn the used to have the Billboard sized painting on it reading FUN FUN.
[last edit 9/2/2005 1:07 PM by Mutt - edited 1 times]

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Re: Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto?
<Reply # 19 on 9/2/2005 3:08 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
 
Posted by Avatar-X
I think the most exciting has to be the mysterious train bridge right next to the brickworks:

This train bridge does not appear on half of the roadmaps, but does on others. It weaves its way through the east part of the lower don valley and finally rises high to cross and join with the tracks on the other side.

I've never ever seen a train on it.

One rumour I've heard is that this section of line connects CP and CN rail properties, and therefore is very seldom used.

It is the bridge directly in the middle of this photo:

here


I'm looking at the one map I have right now and it identifies that bridge and the track on it as a "Rail Spur" and well it says it interconnects the CN and "SL&H" lines.

Now, I was scratching my head what the "SL&H" railroad was, but doing some googleing, It stands for "Saint Laurance and Hudson Railway", which when CP took all of its US and Canada tracks that didn't make money and put them into a subsidiary from 1996 to 2000, when at that point, they merged the SL&H back to CP because of the New York City connections.\

So yeah, its is a CN/CP rail connection.

Ha, actually the SL&H included all of the D&H railroad, including the Montreal/NYC track thats not far from me...


UER Forum > Archived Canada: Ontario > Abandoned Railway Tracks in Toronto? (Viewed 976 times)
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