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TORONTO - NIAGARA FALLS
FRIDAY 25th July 1997
Toronto LRT tram along waterfront.
I took the LRT tram along the waterfront from the stop under Union station to Spandia Avenue. A new tram route was being opened that weekend along this street, after ten year’s construction. Workmen were putting the finishing touches to the works. I went onto the bridge overlooking the west end of Union station and took photos of commuter trains with the CN Tower and Skydome basketball ground in the background. This is probably the only worthwhile place to take photos of trains at Toronto Union. A visit here in the morning rush-hour was definitely worthwhile with almost continuous action.
A CN freight runs east during the morning rush-hour traffic.
A VIA train from Windsor arrives at Toronto Union
At 10.05 I took the Amtrak train bound for New York. The stock was the
strange looking North East Corridor curved-sided Metroliner coaches with very small
windows. At Hamilton the line runs along a bay of Lake Ontario before heading
through freight yards, and past the derilect old CN station at Hamilton and
through steelworks, all at a maximum of 30mph.
Map of VIA's west of Toronto Corridor routes
Map courtesy of VIA
The afternoon New York to Toronto service stands in Niagara Falls station
One of the Metroliner coaches used on the Toronto to New York route.
At
The morning Toronto to New York train pulls across the International Bridge at Niagara Falls.
Initially this is past the great gorge with whirlpools in it and then after the main highway bridge comes the American Falls and then the Horseshoe Fall itself. The area was less tacky than I had expected with parkland almost reminiscent of a place like Harrogate. I read an account of how until recent years the falls have been cutting back by 1 metre every year, although following water extraction for hydro electricity this is now reduced to about 30cm a year.
The International Road Bridge to the USA at Niagara Falls
Two views of the Falls
Standing at the wall by the crest of the falls the power of
the water is awesome. Upstream of the falls are rapids and the extraction inlets
for the HEP plant.
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