New VIA Rail Book: Pre-Publication Post

My fourth book on VIA Rail is now ready for my graphic designer. I'm pumped, proud and pooped now that I've written and edited text pieces, populated spreadsheets with data, chosen, edited and balanced photo content. It's only a mockup! (top photo) and the actual cover will be even better. It's time to let potential purchasers in on what will be in this volume. Illustrated trips aboard VIA from 1980 through 2017, to:

• Vancouver, 
• Calgary
• Portage la Prairie
• Winnipeg
• Prince Rupert
• Ottawa
• Quebec City 

And text pieces on interesting equipment and facets of VIA operations, most from personal experience:

• Perks of Business Class
• Steam, traps and air whistles..Kingston platform sights and sounds
• Trains to Churchill
• Swapping sleepers at Winnipeg between the Canadian and Super Continental
• Canadian consists at two locations during the early 80's
• VIA flips the Skylines
• Vice-Regal Car Trips
• More Rescue trains, some wild and wacky combinations
• IC3 Flexliners in VIA service
• Working the Canadian
• Modelling VIA
• triVIA throughout!

And useful data gleaned from various sources:

• F-unit Paint Transition Data from CN to VIA
• Discovered Consists including more early, recently-discovered Corridor Consists
• 2011-2017 Update and Consists or what VIA has been up to lately
• Refurbished LRC cars in Renaissance colours, both clubs and coaches
• F40 Wraps; what wore which wrap when?
• F40 Rebuild dates; when they were rebuilt
• Locomotive Roster
• Car roster

And 180+ interesting, unique and diverse black & white and colour photos illustrating all the above, plus a 10-page colour section and colour illustrated covers to boot.

I'm proud to have assembled (and then been so impressed by the information provided by) my team of contributors for this volume: Don McQueen, Mark Sampson, Tim Hayman and Mark Perry. Each has contributed valuable pieces to this panoramic passenger puzzle.

It's been five years since my previous book hit bookshelves across Canada, the US and around the world, selling over 250 copies. Do people still buy books? You bet they do. 

And to make it easier, I'll be offering new payment methods to make it so much easier for seller and buyer alike.

And best news of all, I am holding the price line and giving great value. Free shipping to your door. Same great content, same great price.

I'll leave it here for now. I really wanted to wait to profile this publication at launch time. But I just couldn't wait, and wanted to put the word out there because the whole process has been so worthwhile, fulfilling and just plain ol' darn exciting!

Of course, you'll have to see it to judge for yourself.

Me too, for now!

Soon it will be time for the...

Highball!

Eric

(Stay tuned to the NEW VIA RAIL BOOK blog at top of my right sidebar for further updates. Yellow background means the proof is done, and green means it's available! This will be the only update you'll see on Trackside Treasure.)