Ethel Avenue CPR site has considerable ground works happening.

 



 

[caption id="attachment_10163" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="digger on site"][/caption]

 

This land that was part of the West Toronto CPR yard and last used by the railway as a place to test their Iron Highway concept. Sold late last year the site now appears to be being readied by the new owner for development.

One of the great benefits of living in a community bounded on most sides by railway tracks are the great sightings

From just about anywhere whilst walking you can see icons of the Canadian ideals  running along the rails, just this past weekend the series of new technology wind towers floated by on their sides. Also both provincial and federal wheat trains went by.

As the federal government dismantles the wheat board i guess these trains will disappear and private or railroad cars will replace them.

..from the Globe and mail about the  Canadian Wheat Board

Stephen Harper is using his majority power to scrap the wartime-era monopoly Ottawa granted the Canadian Wheat Board over western wheat and barley sales, a move laden with political symbolism for the Conservative Leader.

The change will grant western Canadian farmers, from B.C.’s Peace River district to eastern Manitoba, the freedom as of August, 2012, to sell their wheat and barley to whomever they choose. In most cases, the buyers are expected to be big agricultural firms such as Cargill.

full story at the Globe

Video of CP Rail low-emission test locomotives

A comment by railfan for this post about CP Rail low-emission test locomotives moving through the Junction, contained this link to you tube of video of the same locomotives.

After watch the video many times we think it's the West Toronto Yard (Junction)

CP Rail low-emission test locomotives move through the Junction

[caption id="attachment_2811" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="The train!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2812" align="aligncenter" width="499" caption="CPR green train moving though the Junction"][/caption]

CP Rail  test low-emission locomotives move thourght the junction Feb 12th 2009



Source for the text below: Canadian Pacific
Published: May 6th 2008



Canadian Pacific will test two environmentally friendly locomotives in southern Ontario thanks to Transport Canada's ecoFREIGHT Program announced Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Kathryn McQuade today."We commend Minister Cannon and his colleagues for helping us improve the environment in the communities we serve," said McQuade. "The Government of Canada's ecoFREIGHT program helps us test and prove innovative products sooner."Canadian Pacific has ordered two high efficiency National Railway Equipment Company "GenSet" locomotives. The locomotives are unique in that instead of one 2,100 horsepower diesel locomotive engine they utilize three independent diesel engine GenSets to achieve the same amount of total horsepower. Overall, the technology aims to achieve significant fuel savings, ultra-low emissions and longer engine life. "Moving goods long haul by rail is already much more fuel efficient and safer than other modes of transportation," added McQuade. "We are always looking for innovations that reduce our environmental footprint and make rail an even cleaner mode of transportation."Canadian Pacific's emissions per Revenue Tonne Mile (RTM) have decreased almost one quarter (24.1%) since 1990 while RTMs have increased 37.4% over the same period. RTMs are a standard measure of rail traffic volumes. Additionally, CP has equipped three quarters of its existing locomotive fleet with automatic engine start/stop technology, which reduces emissions from idling locomotives.