East Coast 2016: CN Tower, Ripleys Aquarium, Toronto Railway Museum

Today we begin with some morning railfanning from our hotel room. This is the first train that I saw that day: Amtrak's Maple Leaf to New York City, which was going to leave at 8:20.

The photos were slightly hazy and distorted thanks to no clouds and a very bright sun.

Anyway, after some morning railfanning, we walked over to the nearby food court to get breakfast. Inside they had some old record players that were used by the CBC. Also, if you're wondering where all those clips of GO, VIA, Amtrak, and UP trains are, you can find it 

This is the CN Tower, which was very close to our hotel.

The lines were faaaaaaar to long, so we went to the Ripleys Aquarium first, where the lines were considerably shorter.

Inside the aquarium they had little glass tanks where fish swam. These were placed in the only well-lit area of the aquarium: the line area.

In the first exhibit, "Canadian Waters" they had thousands of fish swimming 'round and 'round in circles.

Next they had fish with long noses. And catfish, too.

Here are some eels!

Also included were anemones, which had clams, too.

This is their kelp forest. Not quite as impressive as the one in Monterey, but still impressive.

This was one of the animals from a nearby exhibit.

Hmm, I wonder what all those people are waiting for...

Could be this.

Bubbles! (Nemo reference.)

It's Dory!

Here we have a twin set of two large flat fish.

A ray passed by on the glass ceiling.

Why h-h-h-h-h-hello there! What nice teeth you have, granny.

This shark could use a diet.

Here's a more slender version of the above.

Well, someone's grumpy today.

This is another shark, or possibly a swordfish.

And here we have a wild submarine, in captivity.

So many filets fish!

There was a crawl-through which had a glass floor.

Yikes.

It's Nemo, Marlin, Dory, and a random clown fish party-crasher!

Oh, hey Bubbles!

<Touch> Am I going to die?

These are poisonous fish.

This is a ray hugging a plant.

And a ray that's been watching too much 60s TV.

Hello, there!

This ray knows how to disco!

These are some jellyfish. Fascinating.

Well, after that experience, we went to the Toronto Railway Museum, which was nearby. This is ex-CN GP9 #4803, in the old paint scheme.

This is a CN caboose that was also resting there.

The Toronto RR Museum miniature train. I found the diamond configuration to be interesting.

This is the locomotive and train.

This is a former PYKE crane that was laid to rest near the miniature train.

This is the train coming around the bend.

This is the real inspiration for the miniature train: a GE 45-tonner on the turntable.

The 45-tonner was "pulling" the heavyweight coach "Cape Race."

In the roundhouse, the museum only uses two stalls. The rest are used for the distillery and furniture store. This is a boxcar outside of the distillery.

This is a vinegar car that was also outside of the distillery.

This is a CP MLW S-3, which is in desperate need of restoration.

This is the former cab of a EMD FP9 that was also outside of the museum.

Some maintenance equipment was there, too.

The museum was relatively small, focusing on models, paintings, and dioramas, but they did have a couple of small pieces of equipment, like this speeder.

They also rigged up some LEGO trains.

Here's another piece of equipment: a rail inspection bike. Strange, eh?
This is the tender for one of the steam locomotives that they are restoring in the second stall.

They somehow got their hands on a LEGO monorail.

Here's another speeder!

This is a road-rail crane used in Maintenance-of-Way (MOW) activities.

This is the steam locomotive they are restoring and a CP switcher, in the old scheme.

After that, there was a visit to the miniature train.

This is the other caboose, the red one.

An old heavyweight pass. car was there.

Moving along to the CN Tower, they were showing videos about TTC streetcars. Who knew they allowed dogs?!

This is a snowy ALRV streetcar.

Same here.

This is the elevator ride to the top of the CN tower. It literally takes one minute to reach the top!

This was the view from the top of the tower.

Canadians like their glass!

This was the first real streetcar that I photographed: one of the new Bombardier Flexity Outlook cars. This one was wrapped.

From the top of the CN tower you can see the GO Transit Lines: Barrie, Lakeshore West, Kitchener, and Milton Line. Oh, and the occasional VIA and the Union Pearson Express. This is the layover yard, with the long sets of MP40 and MP54ACs.

There goes a train bound for Toronto with a MP40 on the head.

Here is another Flexity Outlook.

This is the Union Pearson Express, making it's way back to Union Station.

From the tower one could also see Toronto City Airport, with services from Porter Airlines and Air Canada Express. Standard service was provided with Bombardier -8 Q400s. Naturally, there are small private jets too, but those don't come quite as often.

This is what appears to be a Porter Airlines -8 landing at YTZ airport.

Yay! It's an F59! These are getting rarer and rarer on the GO system, with only 7 remaining.

This is a doubleheader set with a MP40 on the lead and a MP54 trailing.

This is another Union Pearson Express, making its way to Pearson Airport. (KYYZ)

After leaving the top observatory, we made our way to the glass ceiling floor, which was the only and most inconvenient way to get down. Next to walking, of course.

Well, this is the famed glass floor. Whoop-de-doo.

Back at our hotel, I decided to do some more railfanning. In the station we have a new GO set, with the newest cab car, and also a VIA rail set with a P42 leading.

This time we have a VIA set from Southern Ontario with a GMD F40PH-3 on the lead.

With two GMDs coupled behind.

YES! Another F59PH!

Trackwork was being done on track 13. This is a road-rail backhoe.

The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah...

Well, that P42 set from earlier is leaving.

We decided to head over to a nearby bridge to do some more railfanning. On the way, we bumped into these guys.

Anyway, now we are at the park area where we planned to do our railfanning...

But we opted for the bridge instead.

Here we have an MP40 amidst the mix.

And an MP54.

Here we have another MP40.

Here we have a Union Pearson Express on its way back to YYZ (Pearson Airport)

Notice how the VIA F40PH has all three lights on. Quite rare.

This is an MP40 on a GO transit line.

Here is the Union Pearson Express coming back from the airport.

And here is an MP40 going over some points.

Another MP40.

Now, I know this does not seem like a lot of trains, but in the next post I'll give you the video, which features many of the trains that we saw on that overpass.

I shall leave you with this taco truck which is very...tall.

Next post will be about the Ontario Royal Museum, Subway, and Streetcar.