Layout Tour #7 - Oshawa, Ontario

     Oshawa is to the east of Toronto.  It is home to the largest manufacturer on the layout, the General Motors Oshawa Plant.  This takes up most of the backdrop on this side of the layout.  The facility includes a sheltered loading track, plastic pellet unloading track, and two auto rack tracks to load brand new GM automobiles.  

    Oshawa also has a small yard to spot cars coming from or going to the GM plant.  This yard has a dedicated switching locomotive that also does CN's switching at the GM plant.  

    GO Transit and VIA Rail has a station in Oshawa.  The commuter station platforms and crossover bridge are from a Custom Model Railroad kit.  It's one of my favorite structures on the layout.  The main station is a Walthers kit and the parking garage is a Faller kit.  I'm beginning to develop plans for a third track to house GO trains waiting to return to Toronto or that will stay at this facility overnight.

    East of the station you'll see Canadian Pacific's track leading into the Oshawa GM plant.  East of the bridge you'll see a small slice of Highway 401 that connects Toronto to Montreal.  This highway is known as the Highway of Heros.

    Oshawa has a lot going on in it.  I tried to add some open space in this area of the layout, too.  There are some open fields and forested areas as we transition out of Oshawa and head east toward Port Hope.