In mid October 2021, I visited VIA Rail’s and GO Transit’s yard in Mimico – you can read part 1 and part 2.
After photographing the Mimico yard extensively from the Islington Avenue overpass, I walked back to the GO Transit Mimico station. I took a moment to photograph this train station.
This ex CN train station is located in Coronation Park, across Royal York Road from where it used to be. It was moved in 2007.
Mimico Station
GO Transit has a little station at Mimico, set back a bit from the tracks. It has a ticket machine, a few maps and a snack machine inside.
I walked to the station platform to wait for my eastbound train. Looking west, I could see that big blue VIA Rail structure (for fueling, apparently!) and the Islington Avenue overpass in the distance where I was photographing from.
VIA Interlude
As I waited for GO Transit, VIA 904 led a short train of LRC cars (3458, 3313, 3345, 3332) toward downtown Toronto. 904 was one of the two locomotives waiting under the Islington Avenue overpass when I was there earlier.
Soon my ride arrived and I boarded GOT 2127. Here’s the video of its arrival:
Aboard GO
We were whisked away from Mimico and rushed eastward toward downtown Toronto and Union Station.
Oddly, we quickly overtook and passed the VIA train that I saw a few minutes earlier.
As we rolled past the GO Transit North Bathurst storage yard, the VIA Rail “Canadian” rolled past. I wasn’t really expecting to see that, so I just had my phone in hand and snapped a few shots as we passed each other at speed. Glacier Park was on the tail end of VIA 1.
As we rolled into Union Station, GOT 637 was leading another GO Transit train into the station on a parallel track. The UP Express train was sitting at its station, waiting to shuttle back to Pearson airport.
All too soon, it was time to get off the train.
I had some time before I had to get back to the hotel, so I walked through Union Station, heading for the “railfan platform” near the Skywalk.
There were quite a few Lakeshore trains scheduled to run…
I’ve been on the “railfan platform” before – see GO Transit and More Part 1 – and it was a good spot for a few minutes of railfanning.
There was some track work going on in the distance as a GO Transit train rolled past, with three shades of green evident.
It was partially overcast, which made for decent diffused light in the canyons between tall buildings.
A few more GO Transit trains passed; I won’t bore you with photos of every one.
While I watched, a short VIA Rail train rolled into Union Station at 10:15, then backed out at 10:27 with a crew person protecting the movement.
The consist was 4118-4104-4101-4008-6411.
Eventually the UP Express started on its way to Pearson Airport.
Eventually it was time to go.
Completing the Multimodal Day
I took the subway – now open – back to my hotel.
To complete the multimodal day of public transit, we took a tram like this to High Park to walk around and see the zoo.
Bus, train, subway, tram – the only mode of transport we didn’t take was a ferry. Maybe next time!
