As early as 1981, VIA had
considered following Amtrak’s example of switching from steam heat for its passenger cars
to electric heat. At that time, the cost
per car was estimated at $200,000, plus the cost of electric generating cars or
locomotives equipped with Head End Power (HEP). To-be-converted ex-CP coaches 102 and 112 are behind the power - 6439-6303 on VIA No 62 on April 27, 1991 (top photo) with my mini-me railfan!
THE HEP PROGRAM
In 1987, VIA announced plans for
a massive HEP rebuilding of its steam-heated stainless steel fleet. The $90 million contract was awarded in September 1988. All design and engineering work
was to be done in-house by VIA, with some cars requiring over one thousand engineering drawings! New air
conditioning, electrical appliances, water systems including showers in
sleepers, fire protection, wiring, interior coverings and rebuilt trucks were
some of the upgrades these 35 year-old cars received. Montreal’s AMF Technotransport, a CN subsidiary located in the Pointe St Charles shops, rebuilt the
cars, which were also renumbered: 600-series baggage cars became 8600’s,
100-series coaches became 8100’s, 500-series Skylines became 8500’s,
16500-series diners became 8400’s, 14300-series Manor sleepers became 8300’s,
14200-series Chateau sleepers became 8200’s, and 15500-series Park cars became
8700’s. Renumbered 8101 as part of the HEP rebuilding program, ex-CP coach (101) is on VIA No 60 at Kingston on September 2, 2011:
CONSISTS COMPLETED FOR DISPLAY
The first planned consist: 8601-8104-8118-8518-Burton Manor-Carleton Manor-Dunsmuir Manor-Empress-Chateau Bienville-Chateau Radisson-Assiniboine Park. A guard consist of spare cars would be rebuilt next: 8604-8117-8515-Elgin Manor-Fairholme-Chateau Levis-Tremblant Park.
As consists were completed, they
were placed in service. Early plans to
rebuild 45 ex-CN CC&F blue & yellow cars were shelved, in light of the
devastating 1990 cuts. While it was seen
as a knock against the cars’ steel construction and subsequent corrosion of the
car bodies, these cars went on to extended careers with other railways and
private operators. Eventually, other stainless steel cars were bought and converted to HEP to 'replace' these ex-CN cars in the VIA fleet. VIA acquired, but did not convert to HEP, four baggage cars (planned as VIA 618-621), 1 dome-obs (15519) and seven dome coaches (518-524).
An HEP display train for viewing debuted on May 18, 1990: 8120-8515-Elgin
Manor-Fairholme-Chateau Levis-Tremblant Park, with coach 8117 released for
cold-weather testing in August, 1989 by Ottawa's National Research Council. Over 1,000 miles of road-testing was required prior to acceptance of the cars by VIA. VIA 8117's road testing lasted from December 989 to May 1990, then the car was returned for improvements before final aceptance in August 1990. Here's 8117 on No 63 at Belleville on April 30, 1990:
HEP CONSISTS ENTER SERVICE
It was expected that one 11-car
HEP consist would be in service in May 1991, three consists by June 1991, with
program completion in May 1992. In fact,
three consists and spares, 47 cars in total, were completed by July 1991. Five HEP consists were in service on the
Canadian by January 1992.
Departures of VIA Nos 1 and 2
with HEP consists grew from two to four monthly through the months of November
1990-March 1991, five and six from April 1991 to June 1991, eight and nine from
July 1991 to November 1991, and all HEP consists as of November 28, 1991. Ever seen this many passengers trying to board a Park car? It's Brian Schuff's photo of HEP refurbished Banff Park on the CBC anniversary train at Winnipeg in September, 2002!
FORMER U.S. RAILROAD CARS
Interestingly, when the last
conventional Corridor trains were converted to LRC consists in mid-1991, ex-CP baggages 612, 613 and 615 were modified with pass-through HEP cables for heat
and light, intended for baggage service on train Nos 62/63 and 70/79/172. This allowed the baggage cars to operate next
to the locomotive. HEP baggage car 8605
also operated on Corridor trains.
Pass-through cable-equipped 615 operated until its AMF rebuild scheduled
for 1993.
THE HEP2 PROGRAM
Announced in June 1992, this program involved the rebuilding of 33 cars with unique blue & yellow letterboard above the windows, at a cost of $57.8 million. The contract was awarded in December 1992 and would result in 74-seat coaches and 56-seat first class cars with interiors similar to those of the LRC. The cars, originally from SP and other U.S. railroads, were renumbered 4100-4125 and 4000-4006 respectively would replace ex-CN blue & yellow cars still in Corridor service. Coaches 4123-4125 were converted to club cars in 2000, renumbered 4007-4009. The cars were stripped to their shells, many in Halifax, then moved to CN’s subsidiary AMF in Montreal. Interestingly, downsizing at VIA meant hat in-house engineering was no longer feasible for the HEP2 program. Modern interiors were created by AMF and Stone Safety Corp., Coach & Car Inc. and Polatec Inc. Thirty-three pairs of trucks came from ex-CN blue & yellow cars. HEP2 coach 4109 is on VIA No 60 in September, 2011 (above).
HEP2 cars entered service
beginning on April 28, 1995, with an HEP2 display train touring Toronto, London
and Windsor in late-February 1996: 6405-4002-4104-4124(still waiting for its
seats) and the last HEP2 car was delivered on March 25, 1996.
Eventually a fleet of 78 cars was
amassed between 1987 and 1993 with 57 cars actually rebuilt (24 HEP1 and 33
HEP2), 18 later sold and three still stored in Montreal. VIA gave each car purchased from U.S.
railroads a temporary three-digit number. For a
summary of the lineage of these cars, see the Canadian Trackside Guide. I’ve seen photos of Southern Railway, Amtrak,
and Chesapeake & Ohio cars taken in Halifax in the early 1990’s with
crudely lettered “VIA” and three-digit numbers on their number plates. What a sight!
The HEP rebuilding program took VIA's stainless steel fleet from sizzling steam-leakers to sleek silver serpentine streamliners.
Further reading:
Running extra...this week in italics!The HEP rebuilding program took VIA's stainless steel fleet from sizzling steam-leakers to sleek silver serpentine streamliners.
Further reading:
- VIA "HEPPED" FOR SUCCESS by Douglas N.W. Smith, Canadian Rail Passenger Review No.1, 1997.
- REBUILDING THE DREAM by Douglas N.W. Smith, Canadian Rail Passenger Yearbook, 1995 Edition.
Watch for an upcoming post on Kingston's new Railfan Walking Trail!
Looking for some fun? Every time someone asks, 'How are you?' just say the following...."So Good!" and pause. I have found that 90% of people will then repeat exactly that, and say 'So Good!", either in a surprised or pensive tone. Fun!
The three most-overused phrases of the week:
- 1. Let's walk that statement back.
- 2. They just moved the goalposts.
- 3. So good!
