Finally had opportunity to explore the abandoned tracks one September weekend with a fine group of fellow explorers. They're not such grey blockheads when you meet them in person!

First heard about it from Klausius - thanks for the recommend! Found some stuff online about it, too - an article by Brown in Torontoist.

How are they 'abandoned'? The way I understand the article: i) no more CP passenger train service and ii) no requirement for freight trains into city centre. Always fascinating how quickly things can change with shift in the economy and industry.

Sometimes walking along the abandoned tracks feels like civilization has long been gone, and you're one of the last survivors... until you get to the half-mile bridge portion and you're reminded otherwise by cars (that can see you if you're not careful) on the DVP highway.

click to view

click to view

click to view

click to view

Last time I walked this, some of the signals were still lit up.

Wish I'd come to the meet last month.

I had a chance to explore here in August.

The half-mile bridge:

click to view

As far as I know, the tracks cut off right before they reach CP Rail's Leaside yard to the north, but are connected to the GO tracks at the lakeshore (and I think the Don branch is actually owned by GO now).

Anyway, cool place, and other neat nearby areas like the Leaside bridge and Crothers woods/Don Valley in general could be worth exploring in the same trip.

My parents used to take me to the Leaside train yard when I was a kid to watch trains and that whole area was a lot more busy back then, train wise. I liked to stare at the rail bridge that goes over the Southern part of Serena Gundy Park near Eglinton, thinking it was abandoned. It's sad that a lot of this old rail infrastructure is out of use and slowly decaying. I think I'll have check this stuff out again soon before it's completely gone.

Correcto, GO/Metrolinx quietly acquired the Don Branch with little to no fanfare (or, the CP Belleville Sub from Leaside to Cherry St. as it's properly known) so it won't be torn out. There are no immediate future plans for it, but it would be handy for a crosstown connection or Peterborough line (hah...).

Here's an old shot of the CP Budd car run to Peterborough using the line I found on eBay a while back, dated 1964. You can see the Bloor Viaduct in the background to the south, and on the upper left part of the new looking "Bayview Ghost" that was never finished.

click to view

this is awsome! really cool set, that is a interesting line.

Haha nice that you made it to the right one this time!

It sure is a really nice walk with a couple of highlights.