NEW VIA RAIL BOOK

See you at the show!

2012-02-19T12:02:00.000-08:00

I'll be hosting a table at the Kingston Rail-O-Rama, which will be held Saturday March 10 and Sunday March 11 1000-1600 each day, at Kingston's Ambassador Resort Hotel, 1550 Princess Street. This is a short distance south and west of Kingston's VIA Station, which was the site of much of the information-gathering for my book.

Today, the trains at the Kingston station are shorter, the locomotives much newer, and most of the cars are not brand new anymore, but are being refurbished for their first, second or third time.

I'll be selling copies of my book at the show, as well as some VIA, CN and CP paper items, plus books from my collection. If you haven't seen my book in person, this is your chance. If you'd like to buy a copy, I'll gladly inscribe it for you. If you just want to stop by and talk trains, or about future VIA projects, that's fine too.

This is my first time as a vendor. My usual train show technique is make a quick round-the-room, check out some goodies and their prices, then return to selected tables for an in-depth look and make some purchases. I'm sure this show will feature lots of items for sale, with a good variety of layouts and dealers.

In fact, this will be the first time I've seen the train show premiere of a book and its creator in person.

Highball!

Eric

Cross-Canada Reading

2012-02-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

The Atlas model railroad forums this week included a message from a modeller who was planning a trip across Canada, looking for both lineside information and something to read while aboard. Meanwhile, on the viasig Yahoo!group, a group member was wondering what VIA Rail books were currently available.

In both cases, I humbly suggested Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years. Turns out the modeller had already planned on taking a copy of my book on his cross-Canada journey, and has booked a bedroom in the Park car near the dome and the morning muffins. And the book list compiler soon had suggestions for half a dozen VIA-related books from me.

While train trips can include reading a good book, a newspaper, or dozing (depending on length of the trip), there's nothing like reading something railway-related. For my next trip on VIA I have some Trains and Railfan & Railroad magazines saved up to read, accompanied by a hot coffee or a cool Sleeman's (depending on the time of day).

Highball!

Eric

Now what?

2012-01-31T07:47:00.000-08:00

And now for something completely different...If you're a fan of Monty Python's Flying Circus, you'll remember this phrase, often used on that classic television programme to indicate the advent of a new sketch.

I've tossed around the idea of a new project in the last couple of posts here. A huge question mark looms...what is that something that's completely different? In other words, what more is there to say about VIA Rail Canada that hasn't already been said? Well quite a bit actually, I would suspect.

As other VIAphiles know, there's a lot of interest in VIA, its trains, its evolution and its relatively short history, in large part due to Rapido Trains' ongoing releases of VIA equipment. There were some very interesting trains on CN and CP tracks over the past 35 years, with blue and yellow painted on them somewhere...VIA trains.

Trackside with VIA - The First 35 Years includes nearly all of my VIA observations since 1976, but ultimately there's more to say. Much more. So naturally I'm open to suggestions. If you were able to pull a book off the shelf and read about some aspect of VIA that was previously not available, what would that be on those pages?

Now that familiar word, that always heralds a new journey...

Highball!

Eric

VIA Mountain

2012-01-15T19:59:00.000-08:00

Every so often I check the stats on this blog. I've included the stats graph above. Notice how the blog started in the fall of 2010, forming a plateau until this book was released in late May and sales began in June. As I continue blogging about my book, there is another post-release plateau. I intend to make use of this continued readership by asking what readers still want more of when it comes to VIA, CN and CP passenger trains, equipment, services and history. It seems that social media can indeed be used in conjunction with traditional print media like books. What about an e-book or chapter downloads?

For now, since we're talking about VIA and mountains, here's a mixed stainless steel/blue & yellow consist to enjoy.

Highball!

Eric

May 1986 - VIA No 2 along Thompson River east of Boston Bar BC

2011...What a great year !

2011-12-29T13:31:00.000-08:00

Looking forward, looking back. Reviewing what I've posted here over the last year, I relived the entire process of creating my book. First defining a premise for the book, amassing information, formatting, adding photos, printing, taking and fulfilling orders, book reviews and now the last few copies remaining.

It has truly been a great year. I learned a lot. Creating Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years helped me organize my passenger train consists. It also allowed me to correspond with and meet many VIA fans and railfans in general. Trying something new is always a challenge, but I like a challenge.

Robert W. Bly wrote, "No one has done exactly what you have, or lived the exact life you have lived. The uniqueness you have as a professional and as a human being brings uniquess to your book, which is what makes it worth reading...(he continues "...which is what it makes it worth reading even though there have been many others on the topic before.") which clearly isn't the case when it comes to the history of VIA Rail.

As 2011 comes to a close, I can reflect on a year of challenges, anticipation, activity and even success. If someone told me a year ago that I would sell 340 copies of this book, I would suggest a visit to a specialist. I'd like to thank everyone who supported this process in any way.

Now it's time to look ahead as I anticipate a new project...

Highball 2012!

Eric

Six Forty-Eight at Twenty One Twenty-Five

2011-11-27T19:52:00.001-08:00

Last night I had the pleasure of delivering a copy of my book to a VIA train. Engineer Chris Diddy was operating VIA train 648, on this night not J'ed to VIA train 668, but running about ten minutes later arriving at 2125. (Spoiler alert: the photo above is NOT last night's train. It was a dark and stormy night; not good for my usual delivery photograph, so 6505 at Kingston on VIA train 169 in 1988 will have to do.)

Chris and I had been trying to arrange this delivery since June 5, just after the release of my book. Operating on the other side of Toronto, combined with our schedules not meshing led to this 5+ month delay, but tenacity and timetable aligned on a drizzly Sunday night in November.

After Chris alighted from the cab of P42 912, we were able to have a short conversation about the working for VIA and railfans' altered view of Canadian railways in the 21st century. Chris, enjoy the book - safe trip and hope to meet you Trackside again.

Highball!

Eric

But It's a TRAIN...VIa RAiL Video

2011-11-21T14:03:00.000-08:00

As a bit of a departure, I decided to produce a short VIA Rail-themed rap music video. Note that the letters of the word 'viral' are in block caps within 'VIA Rail' in this post title. No, no, the video has not gone viral yet, nor do I expect it to. However, it is being received favourably in the railfan community.

The video was born out of the anniversary of massive VIA cuts thirty years ago this month. Usually referred to as the 1981 Pepin cuts, one resulting major loss was the Super Continental. Recently, while doing some enjoyable VIA 'fanning at Kingston, it struck me that there's still lots to see trackside, even with all the changes, cuts and improvements to VIA throughout its history. My son shared the 'Songify' app on his iphone with me, and the rest is history. Here are the full original lyrics, used in the But It's a TRAIN video which appears on my main blog, Trackside Treasure.

I was standin' on the platform
Feelin' down, feelin' forlorn
The classic trains all gone
Yo, yo, what's goin' on?

Not the Super Continental
It can still be transcendental
Canadian's got a Park car
I'm a railfan sittin' in my car

But it's a TRAIN
Yeah it's a TRAIN
'Cause it's a TRAIN
Yeah it's a TRAIN

It's not the Scotian or the Ocean
Ain't got no Sceneramic magic potion
On the Kingston Sub like a yoyo
I still like to watch them go go.

'Scuse my Cavalier attitude
Don't wanna sound too rude
It ain't blue & yellow
But I'm chill, yo I'm so mellow.

But it's a TRAIN
Yeah it's a TRAIN
'Cause it's a TRAIN
Yeah it's a TRAIN

Now and then I like the Ren
LRC sweet as can be
P42 whatcha gonna do?
Ain't got no steamy SGU.

F40PH what the H?
HEP yeah it's gotta be.
Skeena Turbo Rapido GONE
Atlantic Limited with E8 GONE

But it's a TRAIN
Yeah it's a TRAIN
'Cause it's a TRAIN
Yeah it's a TRAIN

Comin' down the mainline
It's HEP ain't got no steamline
Not carryin' emotional baggage...CAR
You can join my club...CAR

Print your ticket get on board
Down the track you won't be bored
Doesn't matter which train you're on
Ride it like you're Jason Shron

But it's a TRAIN
Yeah it's a TRAIN
'Cause it's a TRAIN
Yeah it's a TRAIN

Book Donation

2011-11-16T19:40:00.001-08:00

Lyon Valley Northern blogger Chris Lyon recently posted a request for donations for a great cause. Eastern Ontario's largest model railroad show, the Ottawa Train Expo is coming up in May. A Draw Table is part of the event, where tickets are sold on items donated by participating vendors or in this case, VIA book creators. Proceeds from the Draw Table will go to Roger's House, an eight-bed pediatric hospice located on the grounds of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa.

Upon reading Chris' request, I was happy to donate a signed copy of Trackside with VIA - The First 35 Years. Here's hoping it will add to funds raised during the event. To find out more, simply click on http://www.ottawatrainexpo.com/

Book Review Number 4

2011-10-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

Canadian Railway Modeller's August-September edition (T18T2) includes a review of my book. VIA Train 4 is refuelled at Jasper, Alberta on the morning of May 30, 1986 (above):

Trackside with VIA will appeal to those who have an interest in knowing exactly what VIA passenger trains consisted of between the years 1976-2011. The professionally-printed, soft-cover, 114-page book will be most valued by modellers who wish to match and operate accurate consists of VIA locomotives and passenger cars to a specific-era train. It is an excellent reference guide and detailed history of this specific aspect of Canadian passenger train history.

Eric Gagnon's book follows the real meat-and-potatoes, 35-year history of VIA passenger trains after the 1976 'merger'. He admits it is not a coffee table book nor a corporate history. The book serves its purpose with lists of train consists as recorded by the author over the 35-year period. It is broken down into 6 specific eras, listing train consists within that time frame and shows how VIA progressed to where it is today. The book covers are in colour and there is a limited selection of black and white locomotive and passenger car photographs throughout the book, along with a brief explanation of the era following. Also included is a complete roster of locomotive and passenger cars used by VIA from its beginning, along with corridor schedules, paint transition data that will be of interest to modellers, and a recommended reading section. The foreword is written by Jason Shron, president of Rapido Trains, a VIA enthusiast himself.

Thanks to Canadian Railway Modeller's editor Morgan Turney and reviewer Russell Morgan. CRM is in their 19th year providing interesting information to Canadian modellers, and has been instrumental in growing the Canadian market, now well-served by Canadian and American model railway manufacturers.

Six More Things I've Learned

2011-09-30T04:45:00.000-07:00

Here are six more things I've learned about creating a self-published book:

1. Give value for money. By doing so, people will be pleasantly surprised by what they're receiving for what they've paid.

2. Be responsive and nimble. Respond to emails, phone calls, and any other questions - promptly and politely. Be prepared to answer questions on every facet of your book, everything you did and why. Make deliveries if practicable, even to passing trains (this is the fun part).

3. Include more information and photos than you think you should. See also 1. It's very unlikely anyone will tell you there's toooo much good stuff in your book.

4. Think about the logisitics involved: shipping methods, marketing and pricing ahead of time. Never increase costs or prices once set or quoted.

5. Remember the "10% writing, 90% marketing" mantra. This kicks in right around the time your book is released. The writing is very important, but marketing becomes very, very important if you want anyone to know about this book you've just spent time creating.

6. Customers and readers really want you to succeed. If they're happy, they'll tell someone.

(I suppose if they're not happy, they'll tell ten people. Better to keep them happy.)

Highball!

Eric

Six Things I've Learned

2011-09-27T04:43:00.000-07:00

Here are six things I've learned about creating a self-published book:

1. Write where you are: More frequently this is expressed as 'write what you know'. My version means that it's OK to publish a book and not know absolutely everything on that topic. Sometimes, what you have to share with others is more valuable than knowing everything on a topic. If everyone who creates a book had to know everything about the book's subject, most books would never make it to print. There's always more to learn. Find a micro-niche and expand on it.

2. Don't release your book in June. Statistically, June is the worst month in which to release a new book. (February is the worst month in which to release a Christmas book.)

3. Unexpected Canada Post lockout won't help 2. above. (My timing may have been a little bit off, but I was so happy to see my book in print and be able to share it with others, that I went ahead anyway!)

4. Customers always want more information than you've provided. This is OK. At least you'll have provided a starting point, and the requested information can often be researched and added later.

5. Find a good designer and printer. This is very important, as this is how readers "see" your book. I was happy to deal with Bryan Babcock Design and Allan Graphics, both local enterprises here in Kingston. Did I mention delivery of boxes of finished books to my door?

6. I don't have a 6. This is invariably something I haven't recognized or learned yet, or people have been too kind to bring it to my attention. I'll keep 6. open and I'm sure I'll learn it soon.

Highball!

Eric

1976 VIA consist analysis

2011-09-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

Chris Mears, creator of the Prince Street Terminal blog, is another reader who's using the data in my new book. Chris is really taking it to the next level by entering the equipment on trains I observed into a brand-new database. From there, Chris is beginning to analyze individual locomotives, cars and RDC's, and their direction of travel and frequency.

This is a great application of the data the book contains. Read for yourself Chris' first post: VIA Rail consist summaries, second post: VIA consists and early observations, and the inevitable nexus of my book and Rapido Trains' fine products in N scale.

Sounds like Chris is onto something here, and while he kindly credits my book as the inspiration, he in turn deserves credit for synthesizing new secondary information from my primary data. Chris is definitely getting a...(wait for it)...

Highball!

Eric

Book Signing at George's Trains

2011-09-16T06:08:00.000-07:00

I did something new yesterday - a book signing. Dan Darnell of George's Trains in Markham (pictured at right, with me in front of the store - above) invited me to participate in George's annual Customer Appreciation Sale and Charity BBQ. This year's charity was Make-a-Wish Foundation. The event was well-attended, and the donation jar was full of a variety of colourful bills. Thanks to everyone's generosity, over $500 was raised at the event! It was great to sign copies of my new VIA Rail book, but even better, to donate a portion of the proceeds to Make-a-Wish. It was also rewarding to answer questions and inquiries about my book, and just talk trains for the afternoon. One of George's employees, S**t (sorry, I can't reveal his complete name due to some ongoing issues to do with online dating) was the genial BBQ operator, shown above with his helpers. S**t's friendly banter kept me and the customers amused (and abused in some cases) during the afternoon. I can't think of a better way to spend the afternoon - situated between a hobby store, an appetizing BBQ, CN's York Sub, and a steady stream of train enthusiasts and VIAphiles. It was great to see Matt Soknacki and John Riddell there, both of whom share my interest in rolling stock (you know, those rattly things behind the power.)

Needless to say, when CN decided to roll a freight through (three westbound and one eastbound during the event) I quickly doffed my chapeau, grabbed my camera and abandoned my station to take some notes and photos. The weather was definitely co-operating!

Thanks to Dan, Richard and all the staff of George's for making this a fun and worthwhile event, all the while helping out a great cause. It was great to meet so many of my fellow enthusiasts and spread the word about my book.

Highball!

Eric

Now arriving...train 55

2011-09-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

I met VIA engineer Terry Brennan in Ottawa station on Labour Day weekend. We talked about my book, and in the ensuing week, we arranged to meet at Kingston station for Terry to pick up a copy. Terry made it easy, since he was working four different VIA trains along the Kingston Sub this weekend. Saturday afternoon, train 55 arrived with Terry at the controls of VIA engine 904, and we had a chance to meet and talk about railway books while Terry's mate handled the baggage.

Two things about our conversation stuck with me. Terry asked some questions about the book, specifically what the 8000's and 8100's were that appear early on, in 1976. These were CN baggage cars that VIA didn't acquire, and I actually mentioned them briefly in the roster at the back of the book. As I see it, this is part of the value of my book - the information I recorded can generate interest and discussion about the equipment that VIA was operating, especially in its early years. (More especially when the information resonates with a 23-year VIA employee.)

The other thing was that Terry mentioned was the possibility of recording his experiences working for VIA, as well as his colleagues and those who came before. Definitely a good idea. The most daunting part is actually starting; the rest will follow.

Highball!

Eric

Book Review Number 3

2011-09-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

A review of my book has just been published in the September issue of Bytown Railway Society's Branchline:

The author has taken a different path in looking at the history of VIA. This is not done by narrative, but there are brief write-ups, nor is it done by photographs, but a smattering of photos (50) are found throughout the volume. The author has taken an historical look at VIA by examining the equipment that could be found making up VIA trains.

The book is divided into six major time frames, and the book presents consists of VIA trains for each of these periods. Most of the spotting was done in Kingston, Ontario, but there are consists spotted on several tips to western Canada. The time frames used generally relate to major changes in equipment used by the company.

The book contains 114 pages and probably 90% of the volume is listing of consists. For the consist information the author presents: date, location, time, direction of passage, train number, locomotive(s), cars and any pertinent remarks. If you are interested in what could be found on VIA trains at pretty much any point in the history of the company, it can be found here, at least for the major trains in the corridor.

There is information on paint schemes, a roster of equipment and power and some schedule information. This volume is certainly aimed at the hard core VIA fan but it is extremely useful for the modeller who wishes to portray a specific VIA train in a certain year. With all the VIA and CN equipment available in the marketplace today, especially that from Rapido Trains Inc., this could be done accurately and without too much effort.

While I found the book interesting, it mainly covers the operations in Ontario. I did not note any coverage for Atlantic Canada, but then again I did not examine every consist so there may be a few entries. There are probably well over 4,000 consists listed in the book. This is a true labour of love and will be appreciated by the fan of passenger service in Canada since 1976.

Thanks to Paul Bown for writing this review, and to Branchline and BRS for supporting Canadian publications, restoration and education efforts. VIA train 3 is shown at Portage in 1980 (above).

Highball!

Book Signing

2011-09-02T06:10:00.000-07:00

George's Trains is holding their 14th annual Customer Appreciation Sale at their Markham store at 550 Alden Road, Unit 1 on Saturday, September 24. Dan Darnell from George's was kind enough to invite me to sign copies of my book at the sale.

The best part of this event is the fundraising aspect, with this year's chosen charity being the Make-a-Wish Foundation. To get into the spirit of things, we'll be donating $5 from each book sold on the 24th to Make-a-Wish.

Hope to see you there. Stop by to pick up a copy, have your copy signed, or just say 'hi' and talk about VIA. Thanks again to Dan for inviting me - it should be a great day. Oh, did I mention there's a BBQ?

1993 Toronto Run-Throughs

2011-08-23T01:05:00.000-07:00

Steve Roberts has been looking through his copy of Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years. I'm always interested to hear how customers are utilizing the book, putting the data to use in unique applications, and Steve provided me with his application. Steve models southwestern Ontario, which means that trains seen on the CN's Kingston Sub were running through Toronto to the area he models. These trains weren't all being shuttled to the Toronto Maintenance Centre - they would basically run-through in many cases, based on VIA's equipment cycles. Similar cycles existed at Ottawa and Montreal, keeping consists together since there was no need to turn the cars or change the length of the consist.

Steve sent two interesting examples of these cycles at Toronto, with each number being the VIA train number:

March 19, 1993

70 becomes 64

80 becomes 66

50 (loco & first 3 coaches/ via TMC) becomes 44

61 (cars & trailing loco) becomes 166

63 becomes 75

41 (loco & first 3 coaches/ via TMC) becomes 46

45 becomes 51

636 becomes 645 (wyed at TMC)

74 becomes 68

65 becomes 87

April 14, 1993

50 becomes 44

61 (cars & trailing loco) becomes 166

63 becomes 75

41 becomes 46

45 becomes 51

65 becomes 87

Steve adapted the above rotation from the April 1993 Rail & Transit, originally shared by Sean Robitaille. Indeed, based on the trains I saw at Kingston, it's possible to extrapolate these same consists into southwestern Ontario.

Highball!

Eric

The 'Bible' of Paint

2011-08-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

A nice recommendation from VIAphile Mark Kaluza today. The question was posed on an online forum: Were all VIA's ex-CN cars wearing the VIA blue & yellow scheme by 1980?

Mark answered in a a subsequent post entitled 'The Bible of Paint'*: Many of VIA's fleet never received the blue & yellow treatment at all. I am going to suggest since VIA's fleet is so ginormous and too extensive to get into car by car, that you consult Eric's latest book. Jakob Mueller contributed a spreadsheet including just the information you're looking for, regarding individual cars and repaint (or not) dates. Exhaustive work on his part, and quite an interesting read for any sort of VIAphile out there.

Mark has helpfully identified one of the best parts of my book, and one of its most valuable uses, namely using Jakob's paint transition data for VIA's cars to answer just such a question. I included similar data for VIA's locomotives and RDC's based on my observations made during the transition era, when the shops were busiest covering over CP and CN paint.

That's VIA-CN 5217 at Kingston on December 24, 1976, likely the first Canadian Flyer car to wear the blue & yellow.

Watch for an announcement here in the next few days.

Highball!

Eric

A Guy Walks into a Hobby Shop...

2011-08-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

Fellow VIAphile Jakob Mueller relayed an engaging story from Halifax recently. Seems a Swedish tourist happened into Maritime Hobbies, one of several fine hobby shops who've stocked my book. Anyway, turns out this guy absolutely loves VIA. He takes one look at the books for sale, grabs mine as a lucky find, and leaves. He had to get back onto the cruiseship that was soon to leave port.

Jakob visited Sweden in 2007, and mentioned while that VIA can't hold a candle to the Swedish system, although the blue and yellow (pre-Renaissance) colour scheme is something both systems have in common.

Speaking of fine hobby shops, here are a few more places you'll be able to find my book:

-Ware House Hobbies in Winnipeg

-Exporail in Saint-Constant

-Canadian Museum of Rail Travel in Cranbrook

-Ontario Electric Railway Historical Association in Milton

I'm still filling individual customer orders, usually next business day. As always, I appreciate the interest I'm receiving in my book. It's gratifying to know there are others who share my enthusiasm for the history of VIA thus far.

Highball!

Eric

The Blue and Yellow Crewe

2011-08-10T16:23:00.000-07:00

This week a copy of Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years winged its way to Crewe in the United Kingdom. Terry Wynne, a fan of Canadian railways and British railroader for 40 years resides in Crewe, home of the Grand Junction Railway Crewe Works, which date from 1840 and are now operated by Canada's Bombardier Inc. Don't you think DRS 37038, shown here at Crewe, bears a resemblance to VIA's blue and yellow scheme?

Terry rode VIA from Vancouver to Toronto in 1990, including cab-rides from Blue River to Valemount BC and Melville, Saskatchewan to Brandon North, Manitoba. Sadly, the trip was interrupted by native blockades and was completed by air east of Winnipeg. Terry has travelled other VIA routes, and still wants to travel east of Montreal on VIA's Ocean. Firmly anchored in the VIA F40PH era, Terry also models Canadian railways and works on a club layout located in the signal box at the Crewe Heritage Centre.

I trust you'll enjoy the book, as much as you have your very varied VIA experiences, Terry!

Highball!

Book Review Number 2

2011-08-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

I just received a review of my book from Hugh McCormack. While Hugh's book travelled all the way to Newfoundland, he actually grew up near the Pickering GO station, later moving to the Ontario railfan hotspot of Newtonville. Hugh says he was always amazed by the amount of traffic on CN's Kingston Sub, and the sounds of Alcos chugging across the landscape are embedded deep in his memory. Thanks to Hugh for sharing his comments contained below.

Ex-CP 1418 at Calgary on train number 2 (above). Now here's book review number 2:

"My copy of Eric's book arrived in today's mail. For anyone seeking a reference for accurately modelling VIA trains, this book is what you need.

I am amazed at the amount of detail it contains and it is worth every penny of the $25 price. I am also amazed that a book of this size and quality can be produced in Canada for such a low price in this day and age.

Congratulations to Eric for this valuable piece of research."

Highball!

At Fine Hobby Shops Everywhere

2011-08-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

Several fine hobby shops now stock my book. These include:
-Maritime Hobbies in Halifax

-Central Hobbies in Vancouver

-Hobby House in Ottawa
-Credit Valley Railway Company in Mississauga
-Larkspur Line in Merrickville
-George's Trains in Markham
-Kelly's Kaboose in Kamloops
-Leading Edge Hobbies in Kingston

and...
-Al's Hobby Shop in Elmhurst, Illinois

If you don't see the book in your local hobby shop, ask the owner or email me at mile179kingstonATyahooDOTca.

Coast to Coast

2011-07-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

I listed some of the destinations to which my book has been delivered in my July 5 post. Now I'm able to add the final Canadian province...Prince Edward Island. VIA didn't run trains in PEI, so above is a photo I took of CN 1751 at the ferry dock in Borden in 1982.

Fellow blogger Chris Mears picked up his copy this past weekend. As many customers tell me, Chris mentioned that the book looks great, and that he needs more time to digest it further. I completely understand why. There's so much information in the book that even if a customer wanted to read it cover-to-cover, sleep and meal breaks would get in the way.

So now, Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years has truly gone coast-to-coast, sort of like the classic 1965 National Film Board short comedy The Railrodder.

Highball!

Errata

2011-07-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

Now that I've initiated another printing of my book, it's time to correct a few errors. As always, errors creep in despite best efforts. These will be corrected by Bryan at Allan Graphics in the new printing. If you already have your copy, here are five items listed by page number that you may wish to correct:

1. Page 56: May 18/84 1929 W Consist

-6798 should read 6789 (first locomotive)

2. Page 56: Sept 27/84 1500 W Consist:

-add "5" between Endeavour and Vice-Regal car 1

3. Page 85: June 15/10 Toronto Union Consist

-add "Manor" to "Douglas" so it reads "Douglas Manor"

4. Page 102: Club Galley section (car 654)

-change "St. James's Club" to "Saint James's Club"

5. Page 104 Sceneramic Dome section, (car 2703):

-change "Frazer" to "Fraser"

Let me know if you've come across other errors that may need correcting. My email address is listed in the Ordering Information in the sidebar.

Highball!

Welcome CRO Readers

2011-07-14T07:16:00.000-07:00

If you're reading this, you're interested in Canadian railroading. Thanks to editor Will Baird of Canadian Railway Observations, Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years, there's now a banner ad on CRO's main page, just under the photo of the June 2011 edition advertising my book, which will also interest you.

CRO is a must-read. Period. OK, you might say "I'm only interested in railroading of yesteryear, not of today". My favourite links in each issue are the Vignettes, where classic photos of Canadian railroading in each section can be enjoyed while wallowing in nostalgia. There's something for everyone: CN, CP, VIA, Shortlines, Modellers' Corner and much more.

Thanks Will, for advertising my book and also for working with your team of contributors each month to provide online news and features. CRO is one of many excellent websites, magazines and books on Canadian railroading that allow us to get informed, stay in touch and use information to further our modelling, knowledge and enjoyment of Canada's railways.

Highball!

VIA down under

2011-07-11T07:28:00.000-07:00

Another customer order fulfilled - down under in Australia. The farthest by far - Andreas Keller, VIAphile and model builder. In fact, Andreas built the LRC pictured above in 1987. The model was part of the 1989 RPM meet in Troy NY, and was featured in Canadian Railway Modeller magazine in 1995. Andreas, your copy is on its way, and thanks for reminding me about the spectacular train voyages of Australia: the Indian Pacific, the Ghan, the Sunlander and Spirit of the Outback.

What's next, a customer in Antarctica? So far, my only experience down under was photographing this LRC under me on a rocky outcrop at Kingston Mills. Oh, and hearing about Jason Shron and Dan Garcia crawling under various VIA equipment taking measurements for future Rapido Trains models.

Highball!

Via Air Mail

2011-07-05T18:11:00.000-07:00

Remember those red-and-blue striped air mail envelopes that used to say Via Air Mail - Par Avion? It's doubtful there's any mail on the ex-CP baggage car sandwiched between a VIA-painted CN business car and a VIA1 LRC car, shown above.

Now that book orders are flowing in after the forgettable Canada Post lockout, copies of my book have found their way to Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland; US states: New Jersey, Illinois, Ohio, California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, New York, Texas, Virginia and Vermont.

Thanks to the easy-to-use Western Union funds transfer, my first international customer in Hungary is about to receive his copy. Now that's what I call VIA air mail.

Highball!

Back to Work

2011-06-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

"Our long national nightmare is over", intoned newly-inaugurated President Gerald Ford upon taking office and putting the Watergate area behind him in 1974. In 2011, this long national nightmare for me has been the Canada Post lockout.

Being completely dependent on Canada Post, the stream of incoming book orders trickled dry, and books ready to fulfill orders piled up here and have waited for the lockout to end, for over a week-and-a-half. A long week-and-a-half. A filibuster worthy of the lengthy parliamentary debates during the building of the CPR finally resulted in back to work legislation.

Canadian mail service will soon be restored. If you'd like to let the backlog disappear and save your mail for another couple of days, I'll be doing the same. But then it's 'game on'. Several of you have patiently emailed me during the lockout, and I will fulfill your orders upon receipt. Not to worry - I hope we can put this work disruption behind us and I can continue sharing my book with readers in Toronto, Toledo and Tokyo.

Highball!

Book Review Number 1

2011-06-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

I just received a review of my book from Steve Boyko. Steve is a Winnipeg railfan, photographer and blogger. Steve's blog Confessions of a Train Geek is located prominently in my sidebar on my main blog, Trackside Treasure. When he bought his copy, Steve said he'd review the book. I appreciate the thought Steve has put into his review, most of which follows in italics. Pictured above are VIA No 1 and No 2 at Winnipeg in 1980.

I'm going to start by saying what the book is not.

It is not a coffee table picture book.
It is not an exhaustive history of VIA Rail.
It is not a Greg McDonnell book.
So... what is it? Physically, it is a 114-page book, containing mostly text with some black and white photos, soft cover and perfect bound. Eric is selling it for $25 (including shipping in Canada). Trackside with VIA is divided into six sections, by "era", plus a bonus section:1976-81 / Beginnings
1982-86 / Potpourri
1987-90 / New Power
1991-95 / End of Steam
1996-00 / Transition
2001-11 / Renaissance
Western Trips
Each section has a page of text talking about the changes in VIA during the period, together with a half dozen or so black-and-white photographs. The real meat of each section is a list of trains he saw during that period, with times and locations and all the engines and cars he noted for each train. We railfans call these "consists". These are a treasure trove for train researchers, as well as anyone wondering what kinds of engines and cars VIA hauled at various times in its life.

The book also includes a foreword by Jason Shron of Rapido Trains, paint transition data for the modeler, provided by Jakob Mueller, a brief VIA roster, train schedules in the Ontario-Quebec, the various Canadian/Super Continental routings, and recommended readings. I think Trackside with VIA is a book by a railfan, for railfans. This book will appeal to VIA Rail enthusiasts, and train enthusiasts in general. I don't think the "general public" (whoever that is) would really enjoy it, and they are not the intended audience.

The book is well written, with very few typos, well laid out, and it is professionally printed. I love the cover - it is very reminiscent of VIA timetables from days gone by.

This is a quality product.

I recommend Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years to anyone with a serious interest in railways, especially the history of VIA Rail. As Eric notes in his recommended reading section, there have been very few serious books on VIA Rail. Now there is one more.

Highball!

Not such a Strange Request

2011-06-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

Jordan McCallum is a VIA Rail engineer who emailed me this week with what he termed a strange but fitting request. He wondered if I could deliver a copy of Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years to VIA train 57, which Jordan would be one of the engineers on. Do fish swim?

My wife and I arrived ahead of 57, which soon arrived on the south track. After Jordan headed back to ex-CP 8609 to handle the baggage, and brought a snack back to the cab of 6440, it was time to make the delivery as my wife snapped a few photos.

Jordan, it was indeed a fitting way to deliver a copy of my book, especially to a VIA fan at Kingston, who is ALSO a VIA employee, who is ALSO operating a VIA train at the time.

Highball, Jordan!

Reviews and Deliveries

2011-06-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

As the first and second waves of deliveries of my book are now being made, I'm receiving some welcome feedback from customers. Here are some samples:

"The book looks fantastic. It's a real treasure trove of information that I'm very happy to have. Your overviews of the different "eras" are straight to the point and give a great summary of what was happening in each period. And the consist lists...superb! As a VIAphile and modeller, having more details about typical consists is always a help. I'm quite familiar with the sorts of consists in the last decade. I've seen plenty of them whizzing by!. I must admit that my knowledge of the previous decades, perhaps the most interesting in VIA's history, is quite a bit more limited. So your book is fantastic for giving me an insight into the many years of VIA I missed (what with not being alive for many of them), and also having some well-documented records of consists in the more recent years to supplement my own observations.Thank you for putting in the effort on assembling this great resource. I'm sure I echo the sentiments of many VIAphiles and modellers when I say well done!" - Tim Hayman

"Perfectly packed, promptly sent, professionally printed and bound. And the contents? Tremendous! This book is not festooned with page after page of pictures (though there is a respectable number of them), but it is filled with detail and above all, years and years of VIA consists. It certainly equals and possibly exceeds Kalmbach's current effort on Amtrak's 40th anniversary. Anyone who has not yet ordered this book would be well served by doing so now. Eric - my congratulations. You should feel very proud. Thanks so much." - Derek Thompson

"My book arrived safe and sound. It looks great and I know I will spend many hours reading its contents! I really appreciate that you signed the book and the “bookmark” that you included is very much appreciated. It is a real keepsake. Thanks again and I hope the book sales continue to grow." - Steve Taylor

Many more customers kindly email me to say: Received the book in good condition - at first glance it looks interesting - I'll be looking at it in more detail over the coming hours/days /weeks. That's OK too - there's a lot of content in there - take the time to enjoy it.

F is for F-unit, F is for Fulfillment

2011-06-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

This is the Trackside Treasure Publications mail room. Here, it's all about fulfilling customers' orders. These are the books I sent out Thursday morning, now in the capable hands of Canada Post. Notwithstanding the sporadic service disruptions due to its internal labour strife, copies of Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years are being sent and received.

This is fulfilling for my customers and also for me. Customers now have an intensely informative book in their hands that if not at first glance a page-turner, should prove to be an excellent reference resource when needed for VIA modelling or research, to delve into recent Canadian railway history, or just to settle an argument. It's fulfilling for me because this is how I envisioned the book creation process evolving - it really is 10% creating and 90% marketing. Oh, and it's humbling - so I thank you for orders and for your interest in this project.

I'm assessing the impact of Canada Post's labour problems. It's not fulfilling if someone's book is misdirected or in some sort of limbo. Books are shipped in padded mailers with cardboard stiffeners, and they're arriving in fine shape. So far, books have gone to: an Austrian rail dispatcher, a biker-railfan, a Trains magazine author, an American rail travel consultant, a VIA employee, and many others. Still others are stopping by the house for their copy, or jokingly asking if I can 'hoop up their copy' to their train at the Kingston VIA station.

I want the fulfillment process to be easy, stress-free and above all accountable to my customers. If you have any concerns or questions, as always email me at mile179kingston@yahoo.ca

(The plastic VIA FP9ARM is included to show you that the mailers do in fact contain books on VIA. And the mail room = our dining room table)

Highball!

Now Available

2011-05-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years. I'm pleased to announce that this book, seven months in the making, is now available. This was a very enjoyable project to work on, and I trust it will be of use to VIA enthusiasts everywhere. Please see ordering information in the right sidebar.

Above you'll see colour scans of the front and rear covers. Below are three low-resolution scans of sample pages to give you an idea of what the inside of the book is like. Each era of VIA that I profile leads off with a description of VIA operations, equipment and a description of some of the trains I observed, plus some representative photos I took during that era. Here is one such page, which is from the 1996-2000 era, during which HEP2 cars were in service, and Rens were on the horizon. Click to enlarge:

This page is from the first era in the book, which some have called the transition era. This page represents the first runs I observed of the Canadian on the Kingston Sub. Each era has corresponding tabs in the margin. These consists are all original, previously-unpublished material. Click to enlarge:

One more scanned page - this is from a description of some of the trips I was able to take on VIA, again with some representative photos. Also included in this section are consists of trains I rode and observed, iterations (routings) of the Canadian and Super Continental, followed by rosters and paint transition data. Lots of information here to round out the book! Click to enlarge:

I'm excited to be able to share these sample pages of the book with you. I hope that you like what you see. It's self-published, but professionally-printed, and it's unlike any other book you've ever seen. I'm always interested in any feedback or suggestions you might have. I'll add it to the sidebar at right. Please email me with any questions you may have about the book or ordering: mile179kingston@yahoo.ca

Order Form

2011-05-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

Click to enlarge:

This order form can be saved and printed from you computer. It's optional - if you'd prefer not to print the form, please include the information from the form with your payment.

Flyer

2011-05-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a flyer with more information on my book. This flyer can be saved to your computer, sent to a friend or family member, or printed. Click to enlarge:

Ready for Departure

2011-05-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

Just got word this morning about a delivery to be made later today! If all goes as planned, the Victoria Day weekend will include some announcements to be made on this blog, on Trackside Treasure and on Yahoogroups.

Like the Canadian at Calgary in November 1980 (above) - VIA unit removed for servicing, CP units ready to head west. Highball!

Thanks to Jason

2011-05-18T21:07:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be cool to have a foreword written by someone else. Now, who to ask? Someone knowledgeable about VIA. Someone who is perhaps the uberVIAphile of VIAphiles, the Dalai Lama of the LRC, the Renaissance Man. Someone who's done much to promote accurate modelling and the history of VIA. Who else but one Jason Shron, President of Rapido Trains Inc.

Jason graciously agreed to write the foreword. Now, a foreword precedes everything else in a book, i.e. beFORE the WORD. But I asked Jason to write his before the book was completed, because I was trying to be proactive, and because I know Jason is an international businessman, who's just as likely to be jetting off to check production of Rapido's fine products in China as he is to be taking a day-trip with his family to Cobourg or somewhere else in VIA's Corridor. So he hadn't actually seen the words.

I really appreciated Jason's contribution, and it's given pride-of-place in the book...Page 1. Like my book, Jason's foreword covers the gamut of VIA's operations, history and equipment succintly, and it's a great lead-in to what follows. You know, kinda like a Rapido "Oh, So Steamy SGU" leading off the head-end of a VIA train.

Highball, Jason!

What's it Worth?

2011-05-17T17:36:00.000-07:00

What's it worth to be in the open Dutch door of the Canadian, enjoying the fall colours and the blue and silver consist forward to the power and rearward to the Park car? Priceless.

I've had as many book-related questions about price as I have about content. I've committed to keeping it affordable from the project's inception last October, and I believe I've kept that commitment.

Now that printing and postage costs have been finalized, the price will be:

$25 to Canadian addresses (shipping included)

$29 to US addresses (shipping included)

International customers, please email for price including shipping to your country.

If you order this book (watch for the green blog background - it should be happening soon) I trust that the cost-to-contents ratio equals value to you.

Update: I just received the final proof copy today, including the extra photos. I'm very pleased with the result and trust you will be too.

Highball!

Cover and more photos

2011-05-15T16:54:00.001-07:00

As part of the final proof, here's a cover shot. In addition, I selected 15 more photos to add. As I've already written, this is not a picture book. But the photos have reproduced so well that I thought it would be great to include some more.

Whatever magic Bryan is able to work with these photos, they cover the entire gamut of VIA operations, and they really add to the information presented in the book.

I'll be announcing pricing in the next few days. It will be affordable. Highball!

The Proof, the Whole Proof.

2011-05-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

I burned the late night oil last night. It all started with a knock on my door. It was Bryan with the proof copy that he'd just finished, and I am very pleased with the work he's done. There are a couple of minor text edits, and white space to fill with more photos. Memo to self: must include a Flexliner photo. At 2330 hours (a little earlier than the last Cavaliers, shown above in January 1990) I put the proof down for the night.

Coming in at a meaty but manageable 114 pages, the book has a good heft to it, while still keeping shipping costs reasonable. Next task is to set pricing and get some mailers ready.

As you can see in the sidebar, this project is now governed by signal indication. So the background is red - watch for it to turn green which means I have a stack of books ready for shipping. A true highball!

Going Without Knowing

2011-05-08T17:34:00.000-07:00

This is my last post. For awhile. Waiting for my book proof to return from the printer, I'm going to indulge in the freedom that is blogging. Reflecting on this book project, I realize that like Abraham, at many stages I've been going without knowing. That is, embarking on a journey without reluctance and without questioning, trusting in the journey itself and where it might lead, like the track stretching out westward from the cab window of 6507 in 1982.

Considering content and page count, I decided to include everything and let the book take shape as it would. That resulted in 95% of all the VIA trains I've seen in 35 years being included. (Not a bad result.) I decided not to impose any self-limitation, letting the book grow organically.

The narrative of this book encapsulates my VIA experience, from trackside as well as onboard. I've included trips I made west on the Super Continental and the Canadian, perhaps self-indulgently, but also to give readers an idea what the pre-HEP Canadian experience was like.

More self-indulgence: recording all my VIA sightings together in one place. No matter where, the trains I observed as I observed them, plus additional detail so it makes sense to the reader. As I wait, I'm given to wonder where the next stage of the journey leads. We'll all find out together once the ink hits the pages. Waiting for the Highball?

39 and Holding

2011-05-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

Here's 6439 "third eye" holding its place at Belleville station during train 57's station stop.

Right now I'm also in a holding pattern while the book proof is finished. Like the travellers behind 6439, I'm anticipating the journey, since getting there is half the fun. Promotional material is taking shape, and I'm anticipating doing everything I can to get this book into readers' hands.

I'm receiving lots of inquiries about when and where. Answers: soon and here. I will be permanently posting ordering information in the sidebar as soon as I have it. I'll also include this information in a post.

While you're waiting, peruse the hopefully humorous information I've added to the sidebar. Thanks to those who've contributed comments, even my wife. Patience - while waiting for the inevitable...HIGHBALL!

Here's the Proof

2011-04-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

The LRC was in production for years. It wasn't until we saw the initial touring consist, pictured at Kingston (above) that we could believe it was finally complete, and about to debut.

I received a proof from my printer on Sunday. It wasn't until I saw the initial proof that I could believe it was almost complete, and about to be printed.

The proof was a full-colour illustrated cover, and several pages for my perusal. Bryan Babcock of Allan Graphics has done some very nice graphic design work. I shouldn't have been impressed, knowing he's good at what he does, but I was. Truly impressed.

I've heard a lot about this moment, when an author sees his work coming to fruition for the first time. Though only a partial proof, I shared that feeling. I'll be adding some more photos and making some minor revisions, but I already know this book is going to look good on my bookshelf. Or night table, railfanning bag, computer desk or other handy location. Maybe yours too.

Highball!

The Talisman

2011-04-20T15:07:00.001-07:00

No, the talisman is not the biggest guy on a basketball team. It's from the Greek and refers to an amulet or other item that possesses magical powers. In my world, it refers to the memory stick I've been carrying around with me for the last 7 months. On this stick was the text and data for my new book.

On Tuesday, I visited Bryan, my graphic designer at Allan Graphics here in Kingston, where my book is about to be printed. He magically downloaded all the files from the memory stick, and returned it to me. That was it. I had my talisman, and although it still retained the files, they had gone on to be transmitted into something mysterious and as yet unseen.

OK, enough mysticism. This is where it gets good. Bryan is now working to get my jottings, which have been transcribed, checked, reformatted and rechecked, into book form, sandwiching them with titles, text, photos, tables, schedules and rosters. I'll let him work his magic. I predict (mystical background music here) a book of about one hundred pages.

Highball!

Gimme Two on the Trainline

2011-04-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

The cab whistle's shrill "pheeeeep-pheeeeeep" sounds in the FPA4 cab as the conductor pulls twice on the trainline. The engineer reaches for the controls and he replies with two toots on the air horn. The train is about to leave the station.

The finality of departure, coupled with the anticipation of the journey are wrapped up in the sounds of air whistle, air horn, and engines throttling up.

Same goes for my book. Everything is in readiness. The text, data and photos have been selected, gathered and are ready for the next step in the journey. Supporting rosters, schedules, some historical notes and data. Lots of data. This step will involve transmission from computer files to paper. Finally. Highball!

Chapters

2011-04-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

This picture encapsulates VIA's history: a telegraph pole dating back to the era when passenger service was a proud part of CN's operations and a P42DC - the most modern units in the modern VIA locomotive fleet.

As I enter the final stages of tying together the two ends of VIA's relatively short history, I'm struck by the stages of its evolution. Here are the working titles for chapters covering these eras:

1976-1981 Beginnings

1982-1986 Potpourri

1987-1990 New Power

1991-1995 End of Steam

1996-2000 Transition

2011-2011 Renaissance

Now, to select photos to accompany the text. Highball!

Eras and Context

2011-03-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

Not only have I finished the transcription phase, I've now finished proofreading all the train information that I've prepared for the book. Though the information is ready for publication, it isn't really complete without being presented in the appropriate historical context. (I hesitate to use the term historical when referring to VIA Rail, but there it is.)

To accomplish this, I'm drafting a composite history of VIA: combining corporate, operational, equipment and trackside elements to give the reader an idea of why VIA ran the trains it did, when it did, in each of its eras. This history will precede each era's train information, and help to answer those often-asked questions...When did the LRC enter service? Why did VIA buy F40's? How and when did VIA's transcontinental trains operate on CN and CP?

If you enjoy this type of contextual background, and find it as educational and interesting as I do, it should add to your enjoyment and reading of this book. VIA's trains tell a story, and I think you'll find this a good read. Highball!

Heading West

2011-03-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

In December of last year, I mentioned trains I'd seen on several trips across western Canada aboard VIA Rail. As I work my way through them, I'm again surprised at what I'm finding as I'm transcribing. It's not limited to information on the trains I was able to ride.

There are the trains I saw while waiting to board the Canadian, trains we met along the way, switching and combining of sections at Sudbury, business cars in Calgary and Vancouver, and an absolutely rich and astounding variety of cars in trainsheds and coachyards.

A current Yahoogroup discussion focuses on "transition eras", normally thought of as steam-to-diesel, but also including sea change in trains, equipment and operating philosophies. The early decade of VIA involved impending transition from service on the full VIA network, through cutbacks, to the advent of Head End Power, and F-units being replaced by newer power. Rolling stock was standardized and then sold off.

But why was 9480 tagging along on the end of the Super Continental? Highball!

Time for Moving On

2011-03-05T07:36:00.000-08:00

This engineer has just picked up his mid-morning snack from the club car. A quick word with the conductor and it's time for moving on.

Earlier this week, I completed the formidable task of transcription of original train information, which now covers the entire history of VIA Rail, from 1976 to 2011. I was amazed by the amount of information transcribed - VIA's motive power, rolling stock, equipment cycles and rotation of equipment, and of course unique and colourful consists. And many, many additions to paint scheme transition data.

Now I'm moving on. Western consists throughout VIA's early years: River-class and I-series sleepers used as crew accommodation, a nice mix of E-series and Chateau/Manor cars, CP Geeps and RS's on the Canadian, and quite a few surprises.

Then I'll be working hard to complete the many other parts of this book. Expect a notable contribution from a well-known VIAphile. Highball!

Turbo Not Working

2011-02-23T14:26:00.000-08:00

VIA's Turbos were increasingly unreliable towards the end of their career, bepatched with yellow duct tape. From 1979 to 1981, VIA replaced the Turbos with conventional consists, both morning and evening runs.

These "Turbo replacements" were notable because they were the only VIA trains operating on the Kingston Sub with one unit, usually a FP9A, but sometimes FPA4. Also of note were the consists' length - as few as four cars, as many as seven. Each comprised a Club car, a Cafe-Bar-Lounge, and two to five coaches. Often, the coaches were 5200's or 5300's!

In 1979, as CN passenger equipment was receiving the VIA scheme, these trains were often a mix of CN and VIA paint. I've come across a plethora of interesting consists in preparing this book. VIAphiles will find them of great interest. Highball!

Paint Chips

2011-02-13T17:53:00.001-08:00

An important component of my new book will be CN to VIA paint transition data. This information will be very useful to VIAphiles and modellers of VIA alike. Rolling stock, SGU's, locomotives and RDC's will all be included. With the able and generous assistance of Jakob Mueller, we've been able to put together spreadsheets with hard data as to when all the above rolling stock received VIA colours. New data points are being added daily from 1977-1979 train information I'm currently transcribing.

Dayniters, sleepers, baggage cars (wow, a lot of them hung on to CN colours for a long time), coaches, ex-CP stainless steel cars, and some neat niche cars including lounge cars, various meal service cars and Canadian Flyer cars included.

I'll also include some locomotive paint variations like the FPA4 that had a blue VIA on the nose (the Bluenose?), CN units that had the white CN painted out (the Rednose?) and other neat stuff.

I haven't seen this depth of detailed information anywhere else. This book will have it and more: timetables, consists of transcon trips I took, and what-happened-when in VIA's relatively short history. Highball!

Long Trains Running

2011-02-04T16:35:00.000-08:00

Fifteen car trains. Thirteen car trains. Even the shortest ones were seven cars, not including the temporary Turbo replacement consists which were still six cars. The length of these trains that I'm currently transcribing explains the long, lighted platform at Kingston and other Corridor stations. These trains were long enough for two 2500's and two baggage cars, and occasionally two club cars, plus a cornucopia of coaches.

Quite a departure from the current VIA Corridor trains that can be as short as four or five cars. Somehow one P42 is just not as interesting as two RS18's and an F9B, or three FPA4's. Horsepower! Highball!

All VIA Consists

2011-01-29T09:47:00.000-08:00

From 1977 to 1979, the look of VIA trains was changing radically. From mixed CN and VIA consists, to VIA-painted cars and locomotives, with the latter dominating each consist. In 1979, I'm starting to come across "All VIA" trains. Sometimes, in a moment of bilingual patriotism, I had recorded "Toute VIA" along with the train information.

And the horsepower! One train notation: 5400 hp for six cars - that's three smoking MLW's. Two are shown above in 1984.

How about five RDC's on the Ontarian, running between Kingston and Toronto, with a nice mix of RDC types? It was an interesting period in VIA's history. I have transition data for the RDC's too, including when each received VIA stripes and yellow ends. Highball!

Business Cars

2011-01-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

Company varnish was a regular sight on the end of VIA trains. Back in 1977, CN cars, both black&white and aluminum, plus GTW business cars could be seen tagging along. I was surprised how often this occurred, based on the trains I recorded. A couple of decades later, here's CN 94 in 1993, at the end of an LRC consist.

Nowadays, it's the CN corporate jet. Costs, adding the cars to trains, and compatibility with today's VIA consists probably contributed to end the practice.

Then there was a 6-car joint CN-N&W business car train in April 1977 on the Kingston Sub. Wonder what was being discussed on that train?

1970's at the Station

2011-01-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

VIA's early years. Late 1970's. The VIA/CN era, before the CN "wet-noodle" was officially no longer part of the VIA logomark. In this photo taken in March 1977, 6765 is arriving at Kingston station proudly displaying "CN" for all to see. Not for long.

I'm currently working through this time period for my new book. The paint shops were busy, with VIA paint appearing on more and more rolling stock. The trains were long, each with a full baggage car and a club car and heavyweight lounge cars, snack service and coaches, with the end of each train sometimes including the 5100-5300 series coaches with six-wheel trucks. By May 1977, many trains had two baggage cars. Any ideas as to why?

Work Blocks

2010-12-30T12:36:00.000-08:00

Work on my book is progressing well. How about a six-hour "work block" transcribing consists, which covered the end of F-units up to the advent of Renaissance equipment? Fuelled by Pepsi and leftover fruitcake, my fingers were flying and my neck swivelling by 0215 hours. I settled my brains for a long winter's nap.

With 1981-2008 covered, all that remains is 1976 to 1981, and 2008 to present. These two remaining blocks of time will tie together the alpha and omega of VIA's existence, linking a CN/CP castoff with tired equipment to a modern intercity network with (relatively) new equipment.

I'm starting to work on bonus features, to round out the book and make it more useful to the VIAphile and modeler alike. Happy New Year and highball!

VIA Christmas Consists

2010-12-17T10:58:00.000-08:00

I'll be working on my book over the Christmas holidays. To tide readers over, here's a post from my main blog, Trackside Treasure, originally published in December, 2008.

Elvis sang "I'll have a blue Christmas..." How about a VIA blue-and-yellow Christmas? Bing Crosby sang "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..." Why not a CN black-and-white Christmas?

Extra Christmas ridership usually means that every available car is out of the coach yard carrying passengers homewards and generating revenue. This can lead to some weird Christmas consists. Stormy winter weather, unforeseen delays and heavy passenger loads can make operations unpredictable. Here are some Christmas consists from CN's Kingston Sub, in the CN and VIA eras, each year from 1976 to 1985. Merry Christmas and here's hoping you find some treasure under your tree.

December 24, 1976 1230 E: 3101 - 6633 - 9657 - 5639 - 5394 - 5217 - 5413 - 5423 - 3034 - 5643. Here's VIA 5217 with the early VIA:CN markings:

December 24, 1976 2027 E: (All CN markings) 6537 - 6859 - 3126 - 3109 - 9654 - 5627 - 5589 - 753 - 5589 - 5534 - 4886 - 5588 - 5638 - 5635 - 5471 - 5533 - 2512.

December 26, 1977 1224 E: (Partial consist) 6533 - 3107 - SGU - silver coach (probably one of the ex-Reading Crusader cars that seemed to appear around Christmastime)

December 26, 1977 1302 E: (Partial consist) 6776 - 6871 - VIA 6775 - VIA 9600 - VIA York Club (VIA paint is starting to appear)

December 29, 1978 1330 W (Partial consist) VIA 6516 - VIA 6637 - VIA 6539 - CN University Club - CN 425

December 26, 1979 1545 E (Partial consist) Here's a weird one. VIA even borrowed CP Rail and Ontario Northland coaches for the Christmas rush this year. VIA 6539 - VIA 6621 - CN 5208 - CP 108 - ONR 836. The photo is taken late on a dreary December day, and is mainly presented to show it really happened:

December 27, 1979 1243 W: (All VIA now except as noted) 6761 - 6870 - CN 3112 - CN 5382 - CN 5181 - CN 5491 - 2504 - 5455- Mount Royal Club - Warpath River - 4888 - 5574 - 3032 - 9663. Here's a photo taken the same day of an eastbound Rapido with 6788 - 6624 - CN 3126 and CN baggage car 9604:

December 30, 1979 1546 E: (Partial consist) Another dreary day and another weird one - 6523 - 6635 - CN 304 (silver) - CN 5620 - 5292 - 9483 - Muskoka. This Christmas, VIA was running Toronto - Montreal through trains replacing the normal Toronto-Kingston RDC's:

December 26, 1980 2038 W: CN 4520 - CN 4561 - CN 4560 (stripes) - CN 3118 (stripes) - 15423 - 15473 - 9631 - 5443 - 5449 - 5531 - 2513 - 5298 - 5302 - Empire Club - 3030 - 5652 - 5399 - 5301 - 9632.

December 19, 1981 1203 E: (The Canadian running between Toronto and Montreal, with extra coaches) 6764 - 6619 - 6630 - 612 - Club de la Garnison - 5595 - 5511 - 5654 - 2513 - 5449 - 3215 - 116 - 104 - 507 - 5733 - Chateau Cadillac - Chateau Rouville - Riding Mountain Park.

Here's Club St-Denis, one of the few cars remaining in CN paint, December 1981 - note the steam, stepbox and markers:

Of course lots of passengers means lots of baggage. Here's skis and other items being loaded aboard baggage car 9662:

January 4, 1982 1541 E: 6786 - 6629 - 6521 - CN 3126 - 9603 - Laurier Club - 5726 - 5447 - 5494 - 2503 - 5618 - 5495 - 5558 - 5610 - 2505 - 5634 - 5640 - 5635 - 5517. Here's 6521 MU'd in the middle of that four-unit locomotive consist:

December 28, 1982 1146 E: (The Canadian, again with more coaches than usual) 6532 - 6612 - CN 3118 - 612 - Club de la Garnison - 5545 - 3223 - 5455 - 5519 - 5443 - 3213 - 5627 - 107 - 503 - 5720 - Chateau Varennes - Chateau Brule - Banff Park.

January 8, 1983 1143 W: 6760 - 6870 - CN 15476 - CN 9657 - 5446 - 3037 - 3232 - 5519 - Club de la Garnison. SGU 15476 has a small VIA decal before its number:

December 23, 1983 1551 E: 6786 - 6634 - 5590 - 3219 - 5588 - 5532 - 5750 - 5483 - 5500 - 2503 - 5725 - Chateau Laval

December 21, 1984 1225 W: 6782 - 6865 - York Club - 108 - 5545 - 5486 - 2510 - 5494 - 5562 - 5574 - 3211.

December 21, 1985 1203 E: CN 4362 - 6624 - Tweedsmuir Park (running backwards) - 612 - Boulevard Club - 3210 - 5495 - 5541 - 759 - 117 - 3200 - Chateau Laval - business car 95:

Maybe some CN bigwig was heading home for Christmas, or maybe going to a Habs game in Montreal with some customers...

December 30, 1985 1455 W: 6783 - 6780 - Empire Club - 5516 - 3209 - 5468 - 2503 - 115 - 3237 - 105 - 3231 - 5610.

Running extra...

Looking for a gift that gives enjoyment all year long? I've been fortunate to receive the Bytown Railway Society Branchline - Canada's Rail News Magazine for several years now (thanks D&S!). Each month it brings a wealth of information, photos, recollections and data for the discerning rail aficianado. Check it out at: http://www.bytownrailwaysociety.ca/

Western VIA Consists

2010-12-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

In the 1980's, I made several trips on VIA to Winnipeg, Vancouver and Prince Rupert. I'll be including these consists in my forthcoming book. They've been the topic of discussions on Yahoogroups recently, as group members try to recall the Kingston Sub Canadians of this era.

I'll also include notes on cars that I saw stationed at various VIA terminals: Winnipeg, Vancouver and Toronto. These cars were either in the trainsheds, or in Winnipeg's case, spares or serviceable cars stored in CN's East Yard near the station. The variety of cars was startling: ex-Milwaukee domes, RDC's, minor fleets of second-hand sleepers, and railway business cars.

Above: VIA No 1 at MacGregor, Manitoba. Highball.

LRC+LRC+LRC+LRC

2010-11-24T19:55:00.000-08:00

Wading through 1984-1985 VIA consist notes, would you believe a train with 4 LRC locomotives? My original notes say "two LRC trains operating together". Three LRC locomotives up front, 9 cars and one LRC locomotive on the tail end. Nothing in the notes about why I didn't get a photo of this unique movement though. Then lots of consists with CN 4300-series Geeps and GM F9B's operating together on trains which often included ex-CP stainless steel cars bumped from the Canadian.

It's amazing how many parts a book contains: foreword, acknowledgements, table of contents, ISBN, catalogue data, appendix, etc. All these parts contribute to a quality publication, and will be part of this VIA Rail book.

Canadian consists on the Kingston Sub

2010-11-14T16:11:00.000-08:00

The original 1955 Budd CPR Canadian consist was baggage-dorm, coach, Skyline, diner, Manor car, Chateau, Park car. Would you believe near-original consists were running on CN's Kingston Sub in 1983? Except for the ex-CN F's, and sometimes missing the diner, shortened winter-spring consists of VIA train 1/55 were nearly-original. In summer, up to three Budd sleepers were in the train, in winter sometimes just one. And Budd diners were also in evidence.

This is the kind of uniqueness that we're lacking today. But wait, looking forward to the 1990's, there were still some pretty cool consists being operated by VIA, blue & yellow and stainless steel, F40's and LRC's. That's seven years beyond 1983, where I'm currently data-mining. Highball.

Cookie-Cutter Consists

2010-11-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

I find today's VIA consists somewhat the same. There's not the variety that existed in the 1980's. Standardization is the new buzzword, and no business wants to maintain product lines and service programs for multiple fleets with different requirements. The LRC consist above as VIA's attempt at standardization. A single fleet, but unlike the earlier Turbo, some flexibility in consist length and options for locomotives at each end.

I've seen some reference to 3-car LRC consists on Yahoogroups, but haven't come across any yet. Witness the single-locomotive 3-car consist above.

I'm transcribing daily Corridor Canadian consists from 1982 right now. It's interesting to see differences in consists from day to day, so I'm including them all. Eastbound consists from Torontoreturn westbound from Montreal the next day, but with an E-series sleeper substituted for a Chateau, or a 3200-series coach substituted for a 100-series. The same but different, remarkably different, and definitely not cookie-cutter. Highball.

Time for Transcription

2010-10-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

My fingers are flyin'. OK, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement. In one hour the other night, I was able to fly through two months of 1982 consists, and get them typed into spreadsheet format. I'm making a point of proofreading each page after transcription, to make sure there are no transcription errors from my original notes. Accuracy is important.

Yahoogroups are humming with discussion of LRC-hauled VIA trains of the eighties. These unique locomotives were used in many services, especially just before the F40's arrived. I've got these consists in my notes, and I'd like to share them with potential readers. They'll help settle a lot of unanswered questions, such as did VIA ever run such-and-such equipment together, and can these be realistically modelled on a model railway layout? I call these fantasy consists, and yes they existed and thus can be modelled if desired.

I'd like to finish this book early in 2011, marking the 35th anniversary of VIA. Highball.

Printer and Pages

2010-10-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

I met Tuesday night with Bryan, of Allan Graphics here in Kingston. Allan Graphics website.

Bryan will be doing the setup for the book. He knows his way around printing, graphics, fonts and all things book-related. That's good, because I know very little, so I'll be relying on Bryan's years of expertise. In return, he has jokingly assured me he doesn't want to proofread all my content. It seemed prudent to meet before starting the transcription of my consists.

Speaking of content, Bryan's thought on page count was...more. More pages. That means possibly increasing from my initial projection of 50 pages to 60 or 70. So those are my new projections, not promises. I'll have to see how much from each era I'll be presenting to my readers. I took a run through 1976 consists tonight, complete with business cars and open-platform Bedford. Then on to 1986, with lots of overnight Cavalier consists, the variety of which was amazing.

Highball.

F is for Format, F is for F-Unit

2010-10-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

Before this project gets too far out of the station, it's time to invest some time thinking about readability. This book is going to be data-dense. You want consists and train detail, you're gonna get it. But it's gotta be readable. Nobody should have to break out a magnifying glass, and the book shouldn't be so big that a cart is needed to move it.

At this point, I'm getting two months worth of consists on one page. At that rate, ten years of VIA is sixty pages. More years will mean more pages. One thing is for sure, it'll be packed as full of consists as I can get it. There will be some text to break things up visually. I'll be thinking about column breaks, bullets, shading, font size, all that nuts-and-bolts stuff that separate a readable book from Excedrin headache number 37.

But oh, those 1981 Canadian consists are AWESOME! Highball.

Clear Track Ahead

2010-10-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

Just like the Canadian crossing miles of Saskatchewan prairie, the track looks clear ahead. Offers of assistance, expressions of support, and a generally increasing level of interest appear as this project hurtles along.

One thing is clear: VIAphiles, as I'm calling those who share my interest in VIA Rail, represent all eras of VIA. This is something I'll bring to the book. It's not enough to proclaim, "These were the trains of the glory years of VIA...", because this is a question of perception. It seems fair to include all parts of VIA's sometimes tumultuous past, from its inception to the present.

Thanks to all who've expressed interest in this project, along with their unique viewpoints.

Just today I've put together my first draft page. Highball.

Initial indications of interest inundate my inbox

2010-10-05T20:31:00.000-07:00

My inbox is brimming with expressions of interest in my new VIA Rail book. I am obviously in good company with some dedicated VIAphiles, including the sterling members of the VIASIG Yahoogroup. Thanks to all who responded in this initial wave from Canada, the U.S and internationally. You are confirming my hunch that it's time for such a project, and you're convincing me to commit my time and resources to its completion. I've thought of getting this information into useable format for my personal use for years now, but I'm increasingly realizing there is an audience, albeit a niche audience, who share my enthusiasm.

As I mentioned in my initial post, the scope/content is something I'm trying to come to grips with. I certainly won't be skimping on the detail. It's all there already. I'll include interesting consists, including the Cavaliers, Royal train and those krazy and kooky consists of VIA's colourful "circus train" era. I'm still interested in which eras interest you. I'm also still interested in ideas on price point. What's it worth to you as a potential reader? Email me at mile179kingstonATyahooDOTca with your idea, in confidence.

Here's one facet of the detailed consists I want to share. For one summer month in the early 1980's, I have 15 consists ready to go listing Canadian consists operating in the Corridor. Absolutely amazing consist combinations and passenger permutations!

Make this blog your one source of information on this project. I'll be posting progress and describing developments as the project rolls on.

Highball.

A New Book on track: Consists from VIA's early years

2010-10-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the consists of the early VIA years? I do. I have thousands of them. I'd like to share them with like-minded fans of VIA Rail.

I'm planning a new book, unlike any other book written on VIA Rail until now. Here are some some working titles:

-1000 VIA Consists
-VIA Rail Consists...the Early Years
-Trackside with VIA Rail
-VIA Rail 1976-1986

Who will be buying this new book?

-VIA fans
-modellers with an interest in prototypical VIA consists, especially those with fleets of fine Rapido Trains passenger equipment
-photographers who need to know what cars were on that train they photographed in let's say, 1984
-transportation historians
-locomotive and rolling stock enthusiasts
-railfans looking to fill a gap in their book collection

What will this new book look like?

-professionally-printed and perfect-bound 8x11-inch format on 70-lb stock, readable print with clean and neat design
-intense data: time/date/direction, consists including motive power and cars
-consists from across Canada
-special interest areas: Montreal-Toronto on CN's Kingston Subdivision, VIA's Canadian and Super Continental, conventional, RDC and Turbo corridor consists.

There's never been a book like this before. It'll be affordable, unlike many books aimed at the railfan market today.

I'd be interested in your thoughts on this project. What would you like to see on its pages? What might you use it for? Would you buy it? How much should the purchase price be?

Leave a comment below, no registration required, or email me at mile179kingstonATyahooDOTca. Stay tuned for more as I begin work on this project.

NEW VIA RAIL BOOK

See you at the show!

Cross-Canada Reading

Now what?

VIA Mountain

2011...What a great year !

Six Forty-Eight at Twenty One Twenty-Five

But It's a TRAIN...VIa RAiL Video

Book Donation

Book Review Number 4

Six More Things I've Learned

Six Things I've Learned

1976 VIA consist analysis

Book Signing at George's Trains

Now arriving...train 55

Book Review Number 3

Book Signing

1993 Toronto Run-Throughs

The 'Bible' of Paint

A Guy Walks into a Hobby Shop...

The Blue and Yellow Crewe

Book Review Number 2

At Fine Hobby Shops Everywhere

Coast to Coast

Errata

Welcome CRO Readers

VIA down under

Via Air Mail

Back to Work

Book Review Number 1

Not such a Strange Request

Reviews and Deliveries

F is for F-unit, F is for Fulfillment

Top Ten Questions about my Book

Now Available

Order Form

Flyer

Ready for Departure

Thanks to Jason

What's it Worth?

Cover and more photos

The Proof, the Whole Proof.

Going Without Knowing

39 and Holding

Here's the Proof

The Talisman

Gimme Two on the Trainline

Chapters

Eras and Context

Heading West

Time for Moving On

Turbo Not Working

Paint Chips

Long Trains Running

All VIA Consists

Business Cars

1970's at the Station

Work Blocks

VIA Christmas Consists

Western VIA Consists

LRC+LRC+LRC+LRC

Canadian consists on the Kingston Sub

Cookie-Cutter Consists

Time for Transcription

Printer and Pages

F is for Format, F is for F-Unit

Clear Track Ahead

Initial indications of interest inundate my inbox

A New Book on track: Consists from VIA's early years