In the days before automatic switching and radio-telephones, the intersection of the CNR east-west rail line and the CPR north-south line required the services of an attendant who worked out of the switchman's shack. This top photo was taken in 1958. He was standing there, waiting to hand up a hoop-on-a-stick with a message attached. The message was for the steam-train engineer as he went by, and he would catch the hoop on his outstretched arm, remove the message, then throw the hoop to the ground so the switchman could pick it up for re-use.

The rail intersection is located just west of Mill Street in Brampton near Railroad Street.The two sets of track intersect at a slight angle that creates a diamond-shaped pattern and this pattern gave rise to the name of the intersection. The building behind the railway shack was the home of the Pease Foundry when steam trains served the area. The building is still there and in the 1987 picture it was the home of a self storage company.

When the steam trains were in operation, the CNR and the CPR each had their own fleet and competed for passengers and shipping. Some freight is still shipped on the CPR line. The CNR line however became part of a major shipping route from the Keele Street "Hump Yards" to Hamilton. Passenger traffic is handled by the "GO Train" service from Guelph, and some VIA service from Toronto to Windsor.