Prototype Corner: 2019 Juno Awards in London, Ontario - Via Rail Will Take You There!

Juno signs attached to poles along York St. in front of the Via
    station are fairly subtle in nature.  March 12, 2019.

By Peter Mumby

Photo by Peter Mumby

London, Ontario - home to the White River Division, and now the Juno Awards!  It is a bit unusual for a smaller city like ours to be selected to host this national festival, so George and I decided we should get out and see how the events were being promoted, especially by Via Rail Canada.

A variety of special signage has been prepared, both inside and outside the station.  Photos of Sarah McLachlan, this year's host, greet visitors to the station's interior.  A block east of the station a large banner has been applied to the Wellington St. underpass, a major gateway to the downtown core.  The extreme west end of the CN Dundas Subdivision runs above this underpass, with the station lead occupying the northern edge, and the mainline tracks approximately in the middle.  Until a few years ago, CN's small Charlie Yard took up most of the space towards the southern side.  If you backtrack to the 1950s/1960s, this was part of the London and Port Stanley Railway interchange yard with CN.  The lead to the L&PS passenger station ran along the extreme southern edge of this overpass where a narrow parking lot exists today.

The interior of the London station prominently features this

    Juno signage.  This view looks south towards the station

    platforms.

Passengers in the waiting area might be excused for feeling

    that someone is looking over their shoulder.  Do you suppose

    that Juno host Sarah McLachlan will be arriving in London by

    Via Rail?

Via 6445 guides #72 along the station lead on the north side

of the Wellington St. underpass.  At CN McLeod it will swing

    onto the Dundas Subdivision mainline, March 12 2018.

CN 8841 powers the double stacks of #149 over the

    underpass.  In a few seconds it will be by the Via station and

    enter the Strathroy Subdivision, March 12, 2019.

Included among the domestic containers on CN #148 was
    this pair with colourful new CN markings.  March 11, 2019.