Short trips near Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

[Bornin1980s]

Next week, I will be on a short trip to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, flying out on the Wednesday and back the following Monday/Tuesday. I will be going with my father, who will be driving. Now, l'm well aware there are few trains in the area, but I like at least one experience of a big North American diesel train.

I have looked at the train to Niagara Falls, but that would involve a very long stay at the destination, the train only running once a day in each direction.

Hamilton itself usually only sees trains stop in peak hours. Can anyone recommend a short train trip from either Hamilton or a nearby place with more trains stopping?

 

[Shinkansenfan]

Bornin1980s, are you seeking to ride or photograph/watch a diesel train?

If watching/photographing some CN or CP freight trains, then I suggest Bayview Junction, which is easily accessible by car from Hamilton. This was discussed in this thread: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/ontario-freight.184323/

Bayview Junction (south of Aldershot Station) on the Toronto to Hamilton GO Transit rail line is probably the most famous and fruitful place to photograph freight trains. Here you can also see the occasional Amtrak and VIA trains as well as the more frequent CN trains.

Bayview Junction is easily reached via car. Or by taxi/Uber from either Hamilton or Aldershot Station or by Hamilton Street Railway (bus) routes 1 (daily) and 9 (Sunday only) from downtown Hamilton.

The GO Transit station (ex Toronto Hamilton & Buffalo Railroad) in downtown Hamilton is worth a visit, as it is an art deco treasure.

Depending upon which day of week you're in Hamilton, watching VIA's "Canadian" arrive or depart Toronto (or one of the nearby stations) is a wonderful exuberance in seeing stainless steel slip silently by! Alas, this train does not run everyday.

Happy hunting!

 

[krus_aragon]

Hamilton is at the far-end of the Lakeshore West commuter line of GO Trains to Toronto. As you say, it only sees early morning peak trains (and return trains inthe evening). But throughout the day, the Lakeshore West's half-hourly service terminates at nearby Aldershot instead.

There's a copy of the timetable here. Assuming you can get a bus or lift to Aldershot, you could go on a short trip, or take the train all the way to downtown Toronto (just over 1 hour away) for a day out, if you wanted. That's be on a double-deck train, with one of these big North American diesels on the front.

 

[ac6000cw]

...and if you wanted a longer ride, you could change in Toronto for a GO Transit train out to the eastern side of Toronto and back (e.g. about an hour each way to Oshawa, roughly every 15 minutes Mon-Fri, every 30 minutes at weekends).

The train operations of Go Transit are quite a serious operation - diesel loco-hauled push-pull, around 70 locos (mostly 4000hp MPI/Wabtec MP40PH-3C) and 600 double-deck passenger cars in the fleet, up to 12 per train (that's a 700+ tonne train).

But as Shinkansenfan suggests, you really ought to try and see a few freight trains as well - after you've seen a few 1.5+ mile long trains hauled by thundering GE/roaring EMD locos it'll reset your perceptions about freight trains...

 

[Bornin1980s]

Thanks for the replies. Any recommeded destinations a short train ride from Aldershot? Also, if the Lakeshore West GO trains are push-pull, which end is the loco typically on?

I have looked at some heritage railways, but I get the impression none of them would be near Hamilton. And am I right that there are basically no railway attractions I could reach by rail?

 

[krus_aragon]

The York-Durham Heritage Railway can be reached by rail, as it connects with the GO train network at Stouffville GO station. The Stouffville line has an hourly rail service Mon-Fri (half hourly in the peaks) but from a glance at the YDHR's website there's nothing running until the 4th of August.

In Downtown Toronto, there's Roundhouse Park, where you'll find Toronto's last remaining roundhouse, which houses a railway museum, some locomotives on display, a miniature railway, and also a brewery.

 

[ac6000cw]

Also, if the Lakeshore West GO trains are push-pull, which end is the loco typically on?

From photos/video I've seen, the loco is usually on the 'Toronto' (eastern) end of the train.

Re. attractions, given that Aldershot station itself has GO, VIA and Amtrak passenger trains passing through, plus CN freights between the Toronto area and London/Niagra Falls (both are 'gateway' routes onward to the US as well), I don't think you'd feel short-changed even if you didn't get much further than that, especially if you want to see 'big North American diesel trains'. Toronto also has a streetcar/light rail system to explore, if that is of interest.

 

[Bornin1980s]

The York-Durham Heritage Railway can be reached by rail, as it connects with the GO train network at Stouffville GO station. The Stouffville line has an hourly rail service Mon-Fri (half hourly in the peaks) but from a glance at the YDHR's website there's nothing running until the 4th of August.

In Downtown Toronto, there's Roundhouse Park, where you'll find Toronto's last remaining roundhouse, which houses a railway museum, some locomotives on display, a miniature railway, and also a brewery.

Roundhouse park might be a possibility, but the information about it can be confusing. Some say the park is open 24 hours, but the museum itself is only active 12 to 5pm. What can be seen out of hours? And how much time do you need to see the museum?

 

[krus_aragon]

Roundhouse park might be a possibility, but the information about it can be confusing. Some say the park is open 24 hours, but the museum itself is only active 12 to 5pm. What can be seen out of hours? And how much time do you need to see the museum?

The park itself is indeed open 24 hours, as it isn't gated or locked up at night. The museum is indoors, and has different opening hours. I was a lot younger when I last visited the park, but from what I recall there's a few locomotives on static display outside.

On the museum's website they state that they do tours at 12 and 3:30. As the latter is only an hour and a half before they close, I'd guess that the tour lasts an hour at most.

 

[Bornin1980s]

Well, I might try going early, and seeing the locos before a short visit at 12 noon, without going on a guided tour.

Turns out, the most convenient way to get there would probably be by rail.

 

[sprunt]

The Toronto Rail Musuem is interesting, but small - certainly no more than 1-2 hours' worth.

If you were interested in the streetcars, you should try and see the old (1977) cars that will be out of service by the end of this year, and are running only on routes 501, 506 and 511.

 

[Bornin1980s]

Thanks guys. Yesterday, I visited Roundhouse Park, travelling by rail from Aldershot. Will send pictures when I can.

 

[Gordon]

Just today I have been looking at Roundhouse Park on aeriel images and can see there are only a few exhibits outside. I hope my visit (the earlier thread mentioned at the start of this thread) in a few weeks will not be too late the the CLRV streetcars, as the new Flexity are too similar to what I see all over Europe.

.

 

[krus_aragon]

Just today I have been looking at Roundhouse Park on aeriel images and can see there are only a few exhibits outside. I hope my visit (the earlier thread mentioned at the start of this thread) in a few weeks will not be too late the the CLRV streetcars, as the new Flexity are too similar to what I see all over Europe.

.

My passing recollections from May is that something like a third of the Queen St streetcar services were still being operated by the old fleet.

 

[ac6000cw]

Thanks guys. Yesterday, I visited Roundhouse Park, travelling by rail from Aldershot. Will send pictures when I can.

So how was your "big North American diesel train" experience ?

 

[Bornin1980s]

Well, I took a trip on a big North American diesel train.

TRM11

• Bornin1980s
• 12 Aug 2019

TRM09

• Bornin1980s
• 12 Aug 2019

To a museum full of...

TRM04

• Bornin1980s
• 12 Aug 2019

Big North American diesel trains! I think I got my money's worth. In truth, the trip was a little hectic, both because of the time constraints and because me and dad both had sore feet. Still, standing under an item as big as the one pictured, took me back to standing under a Class 40 at the National Railway Museum – as a small child. They really are that much bigger than our vehicles. Apparently, if you book a guided tour, you can get inside some of the vehicles and learn about the history of Toronto railways (I never heard the term 'railroad').

TRM03

• Bornin1980s
• 12 Aug 2019

Despite being a roundhouse, there wasn't much for steam diehards. Indeed, I only saw one actual steam locomotive there, though it was a big one, and apparently quite noteworthy.

TRM10

• Bornin1980s
• 12 Aug 2019

This very small locomotive is not a steam, but is actually powered by compressed air! It was the smallest loco I saw, and the only one to be fenced off.

TRM05

• Bornin1980s
• 12 Aug 2019

It also had by far the best miniature railway experience I have had in a museum. The railway goes from an actual old station building, which also houses the gift shop, and passes very close among the exhibits in the yard. I considered a couple of books on North American diesels in the gift shop, but they were so heavy they would only have driven us over our hand luggage allowance!

There is also a German style brewery on site. We had German fries for lunch there.

TRM12

• Bornin1980s
• 12 Aug 2019

The GO Transit trains are certainly very impressive, especially considering they are just considered to be local trains. I even got to see some of the older, EMD powered locos, although interestingly, even the oldest ones were quieter than the Class 66.

Since I was in Canada, I took the opportunity to buy a Lego version of Duke Caboom (a Canadian character from toy story 4). I took him to the falls!

Caboom02

• Bornin1980s
• 12 Aug 2019

 

[ac6000cw]

Sounds like you had a good trip - thanks for posting the photos

Still, standing under an item as big as the one pictured, took me back to standing under a Class 40 at the National Railway Museum – as a small child. They really are that much bigger than our vehicles.

...and if you put that 66 year old EMD GP7 alongside a modern North American, 190 tonne, 23m long freight loco, it would seem small in comparison... Love the proper bell and the big headlight on the old diesels

The large steam loco is a 4-8-4 'Northern' type, fairly typical of latter-day North American passenger/fast freight steam power, before diesels took over in the 1950s.

The GO Transit trains are certainly very impressive, especially considering they are just considered to be local trains. I even got to see some of the older, EMD powered locos, although interestingly, even the oldest ones were quieter than the Class 66.

Slightly surprised you thought the F59's and MP40's (the sloped-nose jobs in the second photo, EMD powered but MPI built) were quieter than 66's - I've always found them somewhat noisier.