Winnipeg to Vancouver on VIA's Canadian, Oct. 1980

Before departing Winnipeg after arriving from Toronto, a quick tour of East Yard revealed rusting CN dome Fraser in need of repair, and VIA sleeper Greenwood with wreck damage:

Wascana, an ex-CP diner was added to our train. Once again aboard VIA No 1, departing Winnipeg at 1330 October 26, we met a four-unit CP Rail freight at Brandon with 30 stock cars, open auto racks of Datsuns and TOFC. The next morning, during the 0830-1200 Calgary station stop, a power swap was made. Old power at left, with CP 1413, CP 1964, and VIA 1418 at right:

Drew Makepeace photo showing the new locomotive consist:

VIA 1418 promptly died and was replaced after a 30-minute delay with a CP Geep, making it a completely CP power consist. Two CP freights eased by: 5601 - 5585 - 8613 - 5649 - 5778 with an eastbound at 0930, and 8424 - 8821 with a 61-car westbound at 0945:

West of Calgary, a smudge of exhaust shows that our power consist is working hard as it pulls us into the foothills of the Rockies. We met an eastbound freight with 5673 - 5791 - 5720 - 5566.

At Banff station, sleeping car passengers prepare to board:

At 1645, we passed a manned pusher station, with three units on the siding and five on the wye. Passing over the bottom portal of the lower Spiral Tunnel, our train will soon follow the track below westward at Cathedral, 45 feet below:

Very soon afterwards, leaning out the open Dutch door, two VIA stainless steel cars are entering the top portal of the lower Spiral Tunnel:

As light fades and mist descends on the mountain valley, our train exits a tunnel bearing the date 1908, as we approach Field, British Columbia, arriving in Vancouver the next morning.

CP Rail Consist at Chapleau, October 1980

Here is the consist of the CP Rail freight that pulled by us at Chapleau in the previous post. Unless otherwise noted, most cars are CP boxcars of various types, other car types are shown as originally noted:

5748
5547
5656
4233
CP 166076
CPAA 207321
CP 166191
CP 313517 flat
CP 204201
CP 58461
CP 352212 (a string of brand-new bathtub gons)
CP 352213
CP 352214
CP 352211
CP 352208
CP 352228
CP 352232
CP 352233
CP 352234
CP 352229
CP 352230
CP 352231
CP 56151 boxcar
CP 51652
CP 51150
CP 54684
CP 57472
CP 165082
CP 330709 gondola
CP 330701 gondola
CP 344701
CP 344736
CP 315234 flatcar
CP 315106
CP 315038
CP 315281
CP 336701
BCOL 5554 boxcar
CP 345369 gondola
CP 54335
CP 201111
UNPX 122331 covered hopper
UTLX 41326
CGTX 20523
CGTX 20618
CP 200025
CP 166156
CN 568474 boxcar
CP 52448
CP 202267
CP 166508
CP 143050
CP 205084
CP 205200
ACFX 90887
CP 56835
CP 167004
CP 165018
CP 55795
CP 57812
UTLX 99315 tankcar
CP 166142
CP 71027
CP 165066
CP 70134
CGTX 29213 tankcar
CGTX 20118 tankcar
CP 344285 gondola
CP 286086
CP 251060
CP 291582
CP 298081
CP 261288
CP 268820
CP 205083
CP 118179
CP 23801
CP 115333
CP 260922
CP 57457
CP 205385
CP 301943 (a string of 14 bulkhead flatcars)
BCR 866020
CP 317182
CP 317452
CP 317502
BCR 866022
BCR 866064
BCR 866017
CP 317030
CP 317197
CP 317111
CP 317425
CP 317461
CP 317440
CP 341271 gondola
CP 337262
CP 336760
CP 316421 bulkhead flatcar
THB 2691 gondola
CP 330717
CP 81162 newsprint boxcar
CP 380885 covered hopper
CP 383952 covered hopper
CP 291601
CP 434314 van

Toronto to Winnipeg on VIA's Canadian, Oct. 1980

Riding VIA Train No 5, in roomette 9 of ex-CP Chateau Rouville, we departed Toronto Union on the evening of October 24. We joined VIA Train No 1 out of Montreal and adopted that train number at Sudbury. (Due to the change from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time, VIA No 1 would operate west of Thunder Bay as Passenger Extra 1432 West. Train orders received in Thunder Bay showed regular CP trains 401, 956, 405 and VIA Nos 1 and 2 annulled due to the time change.)

We departed Sudbury at an eye-rubbing 0710 October 25. While the Montreal section was being combined with ours, coach 5506 and Dayniter 5721 were on the next track. At 1140, beneath an overcast sky near Woman River, VIA 1432, CP 8515, an ex-CN baggage car and coach, ex-CP coach, CP Skyline and Dayniter 5731 were visible ahead:

Looking toward the tail-end, VIA Aylmer Manor (added at Sudbury), Chateau Rouville, Belle River, diner 1370, Erwood, (CN Exeter was removed at Sudbury) Chateau Jolliet and CP Assiniboine Park (both added at Sudbury) round out the train:

Arriving in Chapleau, the CP Rail auxiliary train is a few tracks over, in the yard. Three cars in the centre of this photo are: 411692, 412517, and 411281:

A four-unit CP Rail freight followed us into Chapleau from Sudbury, engines 5748 - 5547 - 5656 - 4233. (Watch for the consist of this train in a future post.) CP 8735 was working the Speno rail grinding train near Wayland. At Dalton, we took the siding for a four-unit eastbound hotshot, engines 4735 - 4743 - 4730 - 5561, with many auto racks filled with new Datsuns. Algoma Central Geeps 167 and 101 were working at Franz:

On October 26, we hit flat prairie at 0820, and entered Winnipeg at 0915:

During the 0945-1330 station stop, three CN freights passed, including this westbound with 5272 - 5079 - 5157 - 5173 at 1240:

Fellow traveller Drew Makepeace took a photo of the train from a slightly different viewpoint:

At the west end of the Winnipeg trainshed, newly-painted ex-CN 6505 is ready to pull the Super Continental to Edmonton. 1432 and 8515 are taken off for servicing.

Fellow traveler Drew Makepeace took a photo of the two trains showing the second unit, CP 8515:

There's more in the second part of the trip, from Winnipeg-Vancouver here.