DIET PEPSI TASTE DRIVE TRAIN, 1990

A collaboration of Diet Pepsi, the Canadian music video TV channel MuchMusic and VIA Rail resulted in the Diet Pepsi Taste Drive train rolling across the country west-to-east, from Vancouver to Halifax for 19 days in June, 1990. (Toronto Sun, credited 'Elaine Boyle, Sun photo' below - appears to be the same location as Phil Mason's two top photos (going-away shot from Highball Graphics website):

'COLAESCING' THE CONCEPT

Concocted in 1893 and named in 1898 by a North Carolina pharmacist, Pepsi was launched in Canada in 1935, and Diet Pepsi in 1965. Cola wars between Pepsi and Coke began in earnest in 1985. The “Diet Pepsi Taste Drive” was launched in 1988, a brand conversion effort where Diet Coke drinkers received Diet Pepsi taste packs - the president of Coca-Cola being given the first one!

MuchMusic launched in 1984, its videos becoming a powerful marketing tool three years with the launch of MTV in the US. Remembering classic Canadian acts like Gowan (doesn't make me a strange animal), Glass Tiger (seems like it was someday in the 80s), Kim Mitchell, The Spoons (brings back old emotions), Prairie Oyster, Men Without Hats (safety, first!), plus Madonna, Thomas Dolby (inventing a hit song not an exact science), Tears For Fears, the Eurythmics  (I mean, would I lie to you?) and who can forget Max Headroom? Even the CBC launched its own video show, Video Hits with Samantha Taylor. The most desirable job in the biz because music video director because every single released also need a video to go with it.

Bubbling under the surface for five years in the mind of John Martin, MuchMusic's Director of Programming, was a music-train tie-in. Diet Pepsi's marketing manager Greg McIntee was keen to co-operate on this rock-festival-on-wheels. 

It's only natural(ly-sweetened) that a carbonated conflation of commercial concerns came together so creatively and casually. The Taste Drive train itself is still saccharinely seen as a marketing coup, a clever carbonated coupling of a train and a TV station sweetened by a widely-consumed product, satisfying each brand's track record. These days, anyone can be a content creator with TikTok and YouTube. Indeed, MuchMusic relaunched as a digital brand on TikTok and YouTube in 2021, aiming at Gen Z audiences. It was different then, and airplay was everything.

CONNECTING COLABORATIVELY

The train's final destination would be Halifax, with the first Canadian Music Video Awards airing live on Monday, June 25, 1990.The concerts along the way were not intended to be arena-fillers. They were merely set pieces to be videotaped and broadcast live, then edited later into the video awards special. Tom Harrison, reporter for The Province in Vancouver, cleverly called the concert series Rolling Stock, riffing off Woodstock!

The symbolism of using a visceral Canadian icon, the railway, to connect Canadians with music was not lost on the performers who participated. It was also a timely diversion from the Meech Lake constitutional consternation concurrent that summer. Another possible moniker could have been MeechMusic? Many Canadians were still mourning the massive cuts to VIA in January, 1990 that had forever removed many of passenger trains that had served their communities. The special tapped into some very Canadian feelings, becoming a short-lived cultural lightning-rod that even had an NDP MP rising in the House of Commons to commend MuchMusic for its choice of an efficient, environmentally-friendly mode of transport. 

Some comparisons were made to the Janis Joplin/Grateful Dead 1971 Festival Express, now largely recalled as a commercial and organizational disaster. Aboard the Taste Drive train, buzz was generated while rolling eastward, and clips were collected for awards broadcast.  Quebec's sister network MusiquePlus did not air the awards special due to coinciding with Quebec's St Jean Baptiste celebrations, instead broadcasting a program of Quebec artists' videos. Live 15-minute TV 'throws' were broadcast on MuchMusic at each stop. The late Morgan Turney captured the train on the curve east of the Winnipeg depot (below), into which videographers traipsed to feature the Winnipeg Model Railroad Club's Gateway Western layout:

CROSSING THE CONTINENT

An initial consist crossed the country westward in late spring, 1990 to be filmed in TV commercials promoting the June Taste Drive Train, including the multiple CN flat cars of Isuzus, stuffed with taste packs, no SGU with passenger cars. The commercials began airing early that June. One commercial showed two Diet Coke truck drivers preferring Diet Pepsi as the train passed their white-and-red truck at a crossing. Another commercial was filmed on CN's Albreda Sub (below - along the picturesque Moose Lake near Highway 16 in BC*):

Ten planned major-city stops and several impromptu ones (in brackets) were made along the way after departing Vancouver. Most stops featured a daytime arrival, evening concert and next day early-morning departure eastward. 

Approximate dates:

• June 7 Vancouver - 300 spectators heard Barney Bentall, Jeff Healey Band, Paul Janz, Jim Cuddy and Jeff Keelor of Blue Rodeo and members of Crash Vegas at the Vancouver station platform in the rain, departing at 1300.
• June 9 Jasper -  Bruce Cockburn singing on the tracks, not on the train.
• June 9-10 Edmonton - Jeff Healey Band, Prairie Oyster at the Cook County Saloon, hurriedly arranged when no venue was available nearer the VIA station (above - backing in*)
• June 10-11 Saskatoon - 300 spectators at the CN station for 54/40, Jeff Healey Band, Northern Pikes
• (Melville, SK - 50 spectators at midnight)
• (Brandon, MB)
• June 13 Winnipeg - 1,000 spectators in a parking lot near the depot to hear National Velvet and the Northern Pikes
• June 14 (Sioux Lookout)
• June 15 (Hornepayne a.m.)
• June 15 (Capreol p.m.) 
• June 16-17 Toronto Union Station track 1, performers at MuchMusic studios on Queen Street West
• June 18-19 Ottawa - 300 spectators at the VIA station
• June 20-21 Montreal
• June 22-23 Quebec City - VIA station with performances by Celine Dion and Francis Martin
• June 24 (Moncton, NB)
• June 24-25 Halifax - 1,000 spectators in a parking lot near the station, Lee Aaron and Blue Rodeo.

Arriving in Toronto past Cabin D (online auction site photos) on the morning of June 16. The special was listed on Union Station's departure board as 'SPL' destination Ottawa, symbolized CN train A002. It must have passed through Kingston in darkness.

Other participating artists included Maestro Fresh Wes, The Pursuit of Happiness, Toronto rapper Devon, Montreal's Layman Twaist, pop kitten Mitsou, George Fox, Murray McLauchlan, Jane Siberry, Burton Cummings and Basic English.

The unofficial dollar figure that Diet Pepsi paid for the train was $650,000. There were 14 VIA on-board staff to see to the needs of Diet Pepsi and MuchMusic corporate types, performers, crew and the inevitable hangers-on and groupies. An advance crew drove the route generating buzz, or should I say fizz, setting up for concerts, live feeds and giveaways in each city visited.

Forty-four year veteran CN and VIA passenger services Ray Borden, then 63 (above - interviewed by Video Jockey ((VJ)) and former Mountie Terry David Mulligan*) had previously overseen Royal Tours and political campaigns on the rails prior to coming out of retirement to provide liaison between Diet Pepsi and VIA.

Onboard VJ's Steve Anthony, Mike Campbell and Mike Rhodes, Dan Gallagher, Terry David Mulligan and Erika Ehm warmed up the locals. Promotions staff released bottled-up crowd enthusiasm by handing out T-shirts, mugs, hats and of course Diet Pepsi!

CONCERTED EFFORTS

Mix in the controlled chaos aboard - last-minute venue booking in Edmonton for which tickets were given away to underage attendees. Rather than going to the club, the youngsters got to tour the train the next day. Jeff Healey jamming at an open baggage car door down the Fraser Valley, an endless supply of hospitality in the form of food and drink, late night dome car card games, jamming in the Park car dome. 

The epic baggage car concert, well after midnight, performed for 50 ardent fans in Melville, SK (above*) by Saskatoon's Northern Pikes epitomized the tour. Sioux Lookout spectators spontaneously sang  'O Canada'. Capreol's citizenry erected a makeshift stage, ensuring the train's 15-minute planned servicing stop grew to three hours for a performance before the eager crowd of 2,000! Hitting the big Eastern cities, the tour took on a more hurried, less folksy and more big-city ambience, logistically and musically.

Scribbling last-minute lyrics for performers to join in 'Farewell to Nova Scotia' in Halifax. Off the wall, on the fly, every day a challenge. The CN dispatcher's lineup in Capreol listed the train as "VIA Extra 6400 East, Pepsi Express, PARTY PARTY PARTY". Canadian Press photo showing Jeff Healey performing prior to the June 7 departure from Vancouver:

The June 12, 1990 edition of the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix shows Jeff Healey Band performing for a crowd at the relatively remote CN station location:

The Winnipeg Sun's June 14 edition featured this photo of the Northern Pikes filming a segment at the depot (above) for the upcoming awards special* (below) 

At Ottawa Station, complete with Isuzu Troopers on the platform. An excellent series of photos posted to social media in 2024 by Bruce Giles: 

Note the non-standard VIA logos applied to the entire height of the fluted side:

Baggage car 615 (above) and Chateau Roberval (below):

Reporter Alan Cochrane of the Moncton Times-Transcript was onboard the train, photographing the Barra McNeils playing in the dining car 'kitchen party' while videographers shown, likely in the Park car, include Bill Welychka later a reporter, anchor and weatherman here in Kingston for CKWS-TV and Global Kingston.

'CONSOUNDLIDATING'  THE CONSIST

Wrapped as early as April, 1990, VIA's first wrap, and its first F40 6400 led the train (above - arriving in Winnipeg*). Emblazoned 'Taste Drive' on the conductor's size and in French 'Osez le goût' on the engineer's side, though the TV commercial showed English on both sides. 

Publicity photos show four 89-foot flatcars loaded with about 25 Diet Pepsi-branded 1990 Isuzu Troopers (top two photos), though only one flatcar made the whole trip to the East Coast, with a huge satellite dish installed. The SGU and flat cars were also wrapped. No visible number was applied to the SGU side. A team of four took seven days to apply the vinyl wraps.

Though former Canadian cars were not wrapped, red and blue stripes were applied on the lower car sides and too-tall large blue 'VIA' lettering was applied to the side fluting, with the usual yellow window-band VIA logo absent. A large vinyl Diet Pepsi logo was also applied to each car side, cleverly but not necessarily centrally - fit under an upper roomette window on the Chateau cars, for instance. Baggage car 615 (pre-HEP) was outfitted with a full 16-track recording studio including crossbucks hung on the interior walls. Tweedsmuir Park's bar was taken over by an edit studio. Miles of cables strung inside, and in some cases outside, the cars ran from recording to editing sites.  Doug McClement, the recording engineer, described using a step-down transformer to get 120V power from the 480V supplied by the locomotive. With all the flat cars between the F40 and rest of the train, that must have been a challenge! The SGU and Tweedsmuir Park also had French lettering and pink or blue MuchMusic logos applied, and a Diet Pepsi drumhead adorned the Tweedsmuir Park's rear door.

Highball Graphics produced decals for the train, including several photos of the train on their website, some credited to Phil Mason, some appear to be other Bruce Giles photos taken at Ottawa. Fellow Kingston railfan and modeller Paul Hunter used the Highball set to create his Diet Pepsi unit:

David Morris kindly shared his photos, taken as the Taste Train passed through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia on June 24. The engineer's side:

Steaming at Moncton, the conductor's side:

David's very scenic view of the full consist at Gaytons, NB:

David's most excellent conductor's side views of the full train:

Meeting the westbound Ocean at Aulac, NB:

Three final photos by Bill Linley. At Folly Lake, NS:

Crossing the trestle at East Mines, NS:

Tail-end view at Halifax. Note Diet Pepsi drumhead!

At the end of the line - VIA 6400 at Halifax (online auction site photo):

Wascana and Tweedsmuir Park dedecorated, deadheaded back west behind the power on the Atlantic, No 11 on June 30. Baggage car 615 and Chateau Roberval deadheaded similarly on July 2. MuchMusic's Dan Gallagher interviews metal queen Lee Aaron (below*) beside the MuchMusic-branded SGU on the platform at Halifax:

 A COLA CODA CONCLUSION

I watched the awards special that Monday night, noting its footage from the train. (It was a short evening having worked overtime and with an eight-month old in the house! The awards special was widely panned by critics for its format - chosen by MuchMusic insiders rather than an academy of peers, or the fans.  The awards were renamed in 1995 as the MuchMusic Video Awards, hosted as a street party at 299 Queen Street West and morphing into just Much. In 2016, the show was rebranded under the iHeartRadio banner after Much's parent company, Bell Media, reached a licensing agreement with iHeartMedia. The 2018 edition would ultimately be the last, with the scaling back and eventual discontinuation of all music programming on the channel due to falling ratings. The age of TV-based music videos had come to an end.

*Screenshots from the MuchMusic Canadian Music Video Awards broadcast.

Lots o' links:

• The MuchMusic Canadian MusicVideo Awards, Part 1 YouTube link (the Pikes in Melville at the 1:27 mark!) and Part 2 YouTube link
• Canadian Rail No 418 includes contemporaneous coverage by David Morris at Aulac, NB.
• 'Well-trained' music videos of the era: Bad Day For Trains by Patricia Conway; One Way Track by Prairie Oyster; I Am Falling by Bruce Gouthro.

Thanks to Bill Linley and David Morris for sharing their photos and for their assistance in the preparation of this post.

Running extra...

An unnamed urban explorer posted these photos to social media of the interior of the CN Ernestown station taken over the winter. Although a township and secondary school were named Ernestown, out of Loyalist loyalty for the eighth son of King George III, there never really was much of a settlement around the station, located near Mi 188 CN Kingston Sub. The station's location on the GTR north of Millhaven and Bath was perhaps its main raison d'être.

What with CN's requirements that station buildings to be occupied trackside be fenced or moved altogether, combined with Ernestown's somewhat-remote location, it's not surprising that despite calls for its preservation, the station remains in this sad state.

First past the post...

Bill Linley and David Morris deserve extra thanks. Bill kindly sends out regular emails of photos and consists preserved by David, as well as updates and progress at Nova Scotia's Middleton Railway Museum in which Bill's been instrumental. Bill is also an author - I have his Morning Sun Books on my bookshelf -  and a frequent presenter. I had the pleasure of meeting Bill at Real Rails 2025 and enjoying his Zoom presentations to our ARK group. David is a consist collector of the highest order, and if it moved on the rails in Eastern Canada he has likely preserved it for posterity. 

50 YEARS TRACKSIDE...2006-10 RECESSION RAILFANNING

Welcome aboard this year-long retrospective series celebrating my Fifty Years Trackside - watching trains and taking numbers. This is the Seventh of a year-long series celebrating those five decades - each month's post is a time capsule; a five-year slice of those fifty years. In the previous post, we entered a new millennium. This month, it's 2006-2010 and during those troubled years the world entered a recession due to a U.S. housing market bubble burst. Though we'd long heard many in my healthcare and other fields would be retiring in these years, many stayed on since their retirement savings decreased rapidly in value. But the trains kept rolling!

On Dec 3, 2005 on a trip to Belleville, UP 4492 was between 2640 and 5626. As part of a regular move, high-priority ingots of aluminum from Arvida were transferred from CN No 369 directly onto intermodal CN No 149 for furtherance to the Chicago area.

My note taking was back on track in March, 2006. Andrew was photographing an eastbound CN freight at Kingston station with 5777-2444 (top photo).

CN No 590 was routinely dragging its entire 20-car plus Brockville-Belleville train down to Invista. Interesting 86-foot hi-cube boxcars were hauling peat moss, also making freight consists more interesting.CN was starting to use clapped-out gondolas an open hoppers to haul scrap ties from tie replacement programs. Calling it the CN 'Heritage Train': WC, BLE, IC and other predecessor roads made CN freights more interesting. AC 432, dogwood BCOL 9112 and IC 102020 at Queens:

CN freights were often three units, including occasional 'Heritage' WC, GCFX, BNSF, IC and CR units. 

On March 25, 2006 in Belleville, IC 6108 was on No 377, and a flared Wisconsin Central SD45 7531 with silver trucks was between 5726 and 5247 on No 308:

On July 2, 2006 GCFX-->WC 6924 was behind CN 2428 through Collins Bay on No 321:

We managed to record some dimensional movements and CN freights in emergency, though only occasional VIA HEP2 consists and ZERO LRC consists for the first half of 2006! Most VIA corridor trains used LRC cars, but the HEP cars continue to be used for Nos 57, 60, 68 and 69. Operational variations include extra cars during peak periods, the use of lounge car Glenfraser on some trains, or J-trains consisting of two trainsets joined together, with only one crew as far as Brockville, such as Nos 52/40 and 648/668. In 2009, the announcement of F40's, HEP and LRC fleet refurbishing suggested that VIA was moving towards a sunny next era.

The kids were getting older (15 and 12), more independent and less likely to joining on my time trackside. We did make it to Kingston Mills for a Canada Day picnic at Kingston Mills locks on July 1, 2006. We also made a family trip to Montreal July 18-20, 2006 taking in the Biodome, riding the Metro and staying at the Dorval Best Western where we had a view of the CN and CP tracks from our room! CP 8231 leads an 11-car local and Angus van 434957, seen from our window on July 18:

That day we rode the 1152 eastward AMT train comprising three bilevels from Dorval to Windsor Station, returning westward at 1728 on an eight single-level car consist. While on the AMT trains, we observed CP 1697-1549 switching CP's Lachine intermodal terminal, CP 1626 switching an auto compound as well as the AMT shop and trains:

Again heading into the city on July 19 in three bilevels, departing Dorval at 0840, returning at 1630 to Dorval on five bilevels. From the room, we could see CN Nos 309, 308, 782, 121, 376, 363 with CSX 7554 and CR 8664; CP Expressway and  255 with seven units: CEFX blue 1058 and 1038, CP 9573-9118-8543-8620-STLH 8245 and VIA No 60.

The American Orient Express, 18 cars led by CN 5265 and VIA 6433 headed east at 2305 on September 20. We made a couple of trips to Belleville yard. On November 25, 2006 an afternoon at the VIA station with three LRC and one HEP2 consists and CN Nos 321, 305, 377 and 106.

On March 17, 2007 Dad, Erika and I took in the Kingston train show followed by a stop at Country Style. An eastbound VIA J-train with 920-5 LRC cars and CBC-wrapped 6403 and a 7-car HEP2 consist.

An interesting dimensional movement, CN No 319 with CN 5715-2507 headed west at 1840 on Victoria Day, May 21, 2007 (below). Sixteen QTTX flatcars with heat exchangers for Brampton, each separated by two CN ballast cars, plus two more QTTX flats on the tail-end sharing a giant grey, cylindrical tank. Limited to 25 mph, the extra had to coordinate its movements with four VIA and five CN freights between Kings and Ernestown. QTTX 131320 and 131452 separated by CN 53398-53399, and QTTX 131453-131344 with the huge tank:

I observed my first CN Distributed Power Units experiments:

• May 8 CN 2200 on No 363
• June 16 CN 2205 on No 363
• July 22 CN 2537 on No 308

CN was actively modernizing its power. CN 8824-8823, new SD70-2M's in the new www scheme were on No 376 on November 7, 2007, then:

• Dec 6/07 CN 8808-8834 on No 305
• Dec 6/07 CN 8845-8812 on No 369
• Jan 11/08 CN 8812-8824 on No 309

In the fall of 2007, Andrew started his paramedic course at Oshawa's Durham College. He would return home each Friday night on VIA No 64 before returning Sunday afternoon on VIA No 45 (above). He made use of the commuter pass.

Andrew generously gifted us with trip he won in a radio contest: anywhere in the Corridor for two in Business Class. While he won the prize, which included a Blackberry for him(!) we travelled on June 19-22, 2008 to Quebec City. Eastward on Thursday's VIA Nos 52/40 and 24, returning Sunday on VIA Nos 25-->69. As we headed east to Montreal in VIA1 on VIA train No 52/40. Hearing a conversation ahead of us, a passenger with book in hand was chatting amicably with on-board staff. I put two plus Turbo together and realized it was none other than a certain model train manufacturer doing the kibbitzing. On his way back to his seat up the aisle, it was, "Excuse me, are you Jason Shron?" And the rest is history!

On July 1, 2008 we were at Kingston Mills for a suppertime Canada Day picnic. CN Nos 377 and 321, VIA Nos 64, 46, 65, 47, 66 and 67 were all P42-led, passed during our pastoral canal-side and trackside time.

A derailment just west of Coronation Boulevard happened at 0330 on July 30, 2008 - three to five covered hoppers. Many VIA trains were cancelled-combined-late. Not accessible nor photographable, a contractor worked to rerail the errant cars under the eagle-eye of a CN policeman on overwatch atop a nearby berm. CN No 590's power operating as Work 4701 was pulling away cars at 1700. J-trained VIA Nos 64/66 and 67/65, 8 and 10 cars respectively, stopped at Kingston station around 1930.

On August 19 I pressed 'Publish' to launch Trackside Treasure. Its first post was the first of the thousand-plus (you're reading #1,012!) and asked simply 'why?'. My answer included the words depth, retro and treasure. This post shows readers I'm still digging back in time and wallowing in nostalgia with you as we are mere days away from Trackside Treasure's 18th anniversary. 

Pressing 'Publish' that first time seems like just yesterday, and I can still see myself sitting in front of a computer screen on a work lunch break pecking at the keyboard. I knew little about blogging, and now I know a little bit more. Watch for Trackside Treasure's 18th anniversary celebration in a week or two!

A trip to Belleville on September 2, 2008 netted a CWR train working east. Trailed by caboose CN 79707, we got ahead of it, photographing it crossing the photogenic Salmon River bridge.

Karen patronized a Shannonville craft store named Ecstasy Crafts (questionable choice of business name?) which meant time trackside for me while she shopped or attended open-house crafting classes. On September 27, 2008 I was at Shannonville Road crossing by 0930 for four CN freights, three VIA and two CP trains before noon, then a two hour lull. CN 4717-4143 were bringing five CEFX short covered hoppers for Bath LaFarge into the yard at 1630 before we headed home. 

I attended a one-day symposium for work at Sick Kids Hospital on October 9, 2008. I travelled to Toronto on VIA No 651, a P42-led four car LRC train consist, noting Amherst Manor-Kokanee Park on VIA No 1 under the Toronto Union train shed. Returning home on VIA No 69 in seat 14A of car 3337, we had an eclectic consist: 9xx-40xx-4115-4117-3304-3337-8139-1722 backwards-Grant Manor. Why are the most photogenic consists also the ones that are unphotographable? To wit - VIA No 69 at Kingston station 6 HEP2 cars led by two wrapped F40's ...Spiderman 6401 and Telus green 6429 on October 9, 2008. 

On February 2, 2009 INVX covered hopper 38406 rolled over the derail at Invista and just sat right where it landed - for four days!

Dimensional loads kept a-comin'! Watch for an upcoming post on the plethoric loads... On a snowy but sunny Sunday February 8, 2009 CN No 363 had five up front - two Bechtel condensers, an Indeck boiler and two transformers!

March 21, 2009 found a triple J-train going through at 1230. Nos 651/641/43 due to a derailment at Brighton: 915&3 LRC cars-905&5 LRC cars - 901&7 Ren cars combined and deadheaded to Belleville. May 2, 2009 meant more crafting and more time trackside - springtime in Shannonville. Three CN, CP 115 and 235 and one VIA No 57 led by CBC-wrapped 6403 with six HEP2 cars (below). One CN westbound was a rare CN one-lunger with CN 5796 leading 90+ grain empties west: CN, CNWX, SKNX, ALNX, IC and DWC. 

An overcast afternoon on June 20, 2009 found me at Rigney Street. CN Nos 368, 309, 310 (below - led by 5620-BCOL 4646-IC2725), 376 and 377; VIA Nos 60, 44, 45/57 (combined due to an engine failure - 910 & 5 LRC cars + 7 HEP2 cars). I really should have taken more photos of the Renaissance fleet when in service here!

September 10-19, 2009 - a road trip to Daytona Beach, FL garnered these photos. From the Interstate in transit: train on Rockville bridge; Enola Yard in Harrisburg, PA:

On September 26, 2009 I walked in to the CP Belleville Sub mainline crossing over CN, just west of Shannonville Road (Mi 214 CN Kingston Sub) with CN Nos 149 (below) and 308 but no CP activity. I took some documentary photos, not planning to return, Though I WOULD, years later to find CN's federally-funded triple-tracking program had managed to wedge a third CN Kingston Sub track under the CP bridge near the eastern abutment.

The same day, up and down the razorbacks near Shannonville, CN 2257-5699 lug CN No 305...

...and Erika pictures auto racks on that 305 at Belleville - a 145-car train pull-by:

I always aim to wangle one April Saturday morning session trackside each year. The morning air and sun seem warmer, and the leaves are just starting to burst out of their bud phase, giving the trees a bright green aura/halo. April 24, 2010 found me near Vista Drive for CN No 106 at 0621, No 309 at 0637, VIA westbound at 0656, CN No 368 at 0725, No 369 at 0738 and No 371 at 0752, then VIA No 40/52 at 0914: 914&LRC, 918&Ren.

On April 29, 2010 I asked Erika to photograph a Herzog inspection truck near Mi 179 CN Kingston Sub while I was driving along parallel Bath Road:

Another work symposium on May 17, 2010 found m aboard VIA No 655 at 0655: 909-3475-3337-3320 Seat 14A north side window - 3344, arriving at Toronto at 0921. Returning on J-train No 668/648 with 9xx&4HEP2-916-3465-3308-3314.

Former CN gypsum car 198588 in scrap tie service at the Cataraqui Spur team track on May 16, 2010 in the company of BN/WC hoppers and BCOL gondolas:

Thanks for being aboard this year-long train of thought as we retrace, remember, and yes, wallow in nostalgia these fifty years trackside. Watch for an upcoming Part 8 profiling 2011-2015, when Trackside Treasure turned over a new leaf and began a new chapter - book creation!

* * * * *

VIA has sidetracked P42's 906, 908, 912, 916 and 919 at their Montreal Maintenance Centre for pending scrapping. Many railfans are equating the P42 fleet's retirement and subsequent scrapping synonymous with that of the LRC's in January, 2027, though I've seen no evidence of that happening. Lion Liu got an excellent drone [header] photo of the five on July 22:

A previous light engine movement (VIA 912, VIA 919) on July 13 was proceeding westward on shop track H8 when unit VIA 912 derailed. VIA 916 was the first of all-but-four of the fleet to receive the Canada 150 wrap on February 2, 2017. Its white cab side lettering was replaced by black when I photographed it at Kingston one month later:

Just ten days later, Lion Liu was a-snapping again, "Panorama dome cars VIA 1720 and 1721 and Lounge car VIA 1750 ‘Glenfraser’ are being repositioned from Wheel shop east to H tracks at MMC by VIA 6459 [the ten-dollar bill unit]. So far 1720 and 1722 have been marked ‘for scrap'." Looking like the elephant boneyard:

Running extra...

The house next to us is for sale. AI has apparently positioned a vehicle, clearly not ours, on our front patio which is definitely a no-parking zone! Pssst, AI. Fake interior and exterior lights when there is a northern redbud tree shadow on that front lawn. Midday ground, sunset sky = AI slop. Oh, and the house number is wrong!

Thanks to Mike Kulesza for sending a panoply of recent CP photos from Calgary. Alternate-fuel locomotives contrast nicely with the Royal Canadian Pacific locos behind another alternate-fuel installation!

Who says these are Great Discussions? The CBC, that's who! Are VIA trains too old? Are journalists too young? This recently-posted YouTube video answers both questions! (There are certainly no great discussions, in fact no Prestige Class passengers, in the Park car lounge shown in the video - screenshot above). I've been watching lots of Tye's YouTube videos. When he calls out the Venture cab car and/or the locomotive, it's like watching the state lottery ball-caller on TV. There's genuine suspense...what will the next number be?

First past the post...

It was great to talk to fellow pickleballer Jim, a former principal at Lachine High School/Lakeside Academy and interestingly a native Noo Yawker! Jim told me he would take classes of Quebec students to the Big Apple annually and never lost one. I said, of course not! After experiencing life in the brash big city, they would only be too happy to return home, as in, "Don't leave me here!". Still a place I would like to visit - maybe someday!