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:
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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:
Fellow traveler Drew Makepeace took a photo of the two trains showing the second unit, CP 8515:
%2Band%2C%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bbackground%2C%2BThe%2BCanadian%2B(VIA%2B1432%2Band%2BCP%2B8515).%2B26%2BOct%2B1980.%2BDrew%2BMakepeace%2Bphoto.jpg)
There's more in the second part of the trip, from Winnipeg-Vancouver here.
That was a memorable trip. When photographing the freight train I miscalculated which track it would take, and I almost walked in front of it!
ReplyDeleteYour taking meticulous records back then really paid off, in that you now have an interesting and detailed blog. Where/how did you obtain the documents for our train?
Wrote them down in my 'little green book'? Glad you survived that potentially fatal Winnipeg phote-op to be able to comment on this post, Drew! Thanks for your comment,
ReplyDeleteEric