Toronto, ON: Canadian National's Transfer Table

(Satellite, it was east of Longo's Leaside)

Toronto Railway Historical Association posted (source) four images with the comment:

On August 25, 1922, the first passenger car was out-shopped from Canadian National's new Leaside car shops. Mountain Observation car No. 15100 was rebuilt from ex-Canadian Government Railways sleeping car "Oakfield" and was one of ten converted by the CNR between 1922 and 1929. Construction on the Leaside shops was begun in 1917 by the Canadian Northern Railway to replace their Rosedale shops and yard located near the Don Valley Brick Works. The insolvency of the CNoR and its takeover by CN delayed completion of the facility until 1921. In the years following consolidation with the Grand Trunk in 1923, Canadian National closed passenger car operations at Leaside.Posting by Derek Boles, TRHA Historian.

3
Toronto Railway Historical Association A good view of the 80’ x 372’ transfer table and 12-track car shop. The table served both the locomotive and car shops. Behind the car shop was a 140-car coach yard. Only one other railway transfer table was known to exist in Toronto, at Canadian Pacific’s West Toronto shops.

1
Toronto Railway Historical AssociationThe new car was displayed at the Canadian National Exhibition as part of an eight-car 'all steel' trainset prior to being sent out west for use through the Rocky Mountains. The car was later named "Mount Edith Cavell" and was scrapped in 1947. Only one of these cars, "Mount Resplendent," remains and has been preserved at Heritage Park in Calgary.

2
Toronto Railway Historical AssociationWhat was originally supposed to be the Canadian Northern Eastern Lines locomotive shops (now a Longo’s grocery store) is on the left behind the stores building. The car shop is located east of the transfer table on the right. The elevated track in the foreground brought coal hoppers into the boiler house, just glimpsed at left.

4
Toronto Railway Historical Association Looking towards the car shop from the east end of the coach yard.

The Longo's grocery store reused the locomotive backshop building that was west of the transfer table.

Street View