Long Trains Running

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.