In October, 1993, several pieces of then-surplus VIA equipment were moved from Montreal to Ottawa: VIA 757, 1347, 5594, 5736, 5754, 9654, Evanston and sleeper-dome-observations Algonquin Park, Riding Mountain Park and Sibley Park. On June 11, 1996 Sibley Park is shown stored at Ottawa Union station (top photo) and then on March 3, 1997 with a weathered, wintered look:
The cars would be returned by VIA 6402 to VIA's Montreal Maintenance Centre in December, 1998 along with six RDC's that had been brought to Ottawa for storage. Algonquin Park appears in this post on VIA's scrapped stainless steel cars. The three Park cars were retired by VIA in the fall of 2001, with Algonquin Park going to Luxury Rail Car/Bill Harman; Riding Mountain Park sold to Harry Purnell/Adrian & Blissfield RR and Sibley Park acquired by the Canadian Railway Museum/Exporail, all dispositions in 2004. Riding Mountain Park is also shown on June 11, 1996:
NOVEMBER 2022 UPDATE: Riding Mountain Park has been acquired by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society to undergo a $250,000 HVAC and electrical upgrade for potential use on their excursion train.
Acquired by VIA for possible Head-End Power conversion was ex-Rock Island "VIA 618" shown on June 11, 1996:
Arriving in Ottawa on VIA No 40 on February 7, 1994 but camera-less, I could only note the numbers and names of 15 of these stored cars! With numerous tracks not in use, Ottawa was a natural spot for VIA to stash cars awaiting disposition.
Santa's slide scanner has been put to good use scanning these slides recently added to my collection. Watch for more nineties VIA in upcoming posts!
Fine photos taken by Claudette Cousineau during a tour of VIA's MMC in 2003 and posted to social media show a RB&BB circus baggage car 621 and two other short former Rock Island baggage cars that were not ultimately part of VIA's HEP conversion.
Running extra...
Thanks to Lance Gleich and Bill Staiger for sending these festive Christmas cards my way:
Consistency. You can see it here or in the sidebar. The number of posts since Trackside Treasure was launched in September, 2008 (hence the reduced 18 posts for that year of inception!) Don't expect any giant leaps, nor gaps, in this very relaxed weekly posting schedule. This bunny just keeps going, and going...
I remember seeing these cars in my early university years. There was once a very railfan friendly yard at the station, where you could always see pieces of rail history. Sadly, much of that yard is now a retail development named, uh, well, Trainyards (one word).
ReplyDeleteOttawa has hosted lots of neat stuff in that yard - GG's cars, the Discovery Train, head-end traffic, RDC's, and then the VIA surplus cars. Lots of neat history. Real Trainyards!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Michael.
Eric