Thanks to an early morning OS from fellow VIAphile Matt Soknacki, I headed out to Collins Bay to catch VIA's new Siemens Charge SC42 locomotives and Venture cars heading east from Toronto as CN train No 698. Based on the train's speedy transit east from California, I knew it would be spritely. If not for the trains I encountered as I waited, it probably would have been sooner. Arriving at Belleville shortly after 1130, I was predicting 1215. The deadhead movement was running at track speed, with few delays en route aside from refuelling or recrewing. I took up my position on Kingston's Railfan Walking Trail, planning to take video on my point & shoot with tripod, and stills on cellphone.
VIA No 63 Eng 905 went west (above) and CN No 518 (below) with ailing CN 4789 and GMTX 2284 carrying about 10 KIMCO scrap loads on the south track. With only one engine online and 4789 not loading, the KIMCO cars were all the Little Engine That Could could handle up the hill at Mi 178. Their lift at Ernestown was made off the main to eliminate the need to lift the whole train up and out. CN No 271 took it easy with 518 occupying the south track just ahead!
Five hours from Sarnia to Toronto, with a normal freight train transit time of 10 hours. Only 24 hours from Chicago. And we thought only hogs could clear That Toddlin' Town without changing trains! CN 8869 had taken over at Battle Creek, MI and departed Flint at 2315 on Tuesday night. Elmer Ogden's granddaughter was called for the train out of Toronto at 0800. CN 5638-2204 led CN No 271 at 1238 coming up on CN No 518 lifting at Ernestown, taken from the south side of Bath Road (below). I could not scan the train - I had to keep my eyes on the wheels of cars on CN No 271, concerned that 698 might slip by. Worse than not getting a photo would have been not knowing the short train had sneaked by me, obscured by the all-encompassing auto racks!
VIA No 40 was eastbound on the north track before 698 appeared on its block, also on the north track. (CN No 368 was following 698.) A break in road traffic and ETU squawks alerted me to 698's presence in time for me to cross Bath Road with tripod and all without being flattened.
Siemens Cinema! Watch my my Youtube video of 698.
The consist: locomotive 2200, Business Class/Classe Affaires cars 2600 and 2700, coaches 2800 and 2900, cab car 2300 and locomotive 2201. Business Class car 2700 is at right (below). Notice the Business Class cars have slightly darker grey paint. Good luck to railfans trying to find the car numbers on these CTC (Caved-in Tin Can) cars!
The train continued east to Montreal. Railfan reports: Whitby 0915, Darlington 0945, Clarke 1000, Belleville 1130, Kingston 1300, Prescott 1425, Cornwall 1525, Dorval 1630. Since the Business Class lounge at Ottawa station was just reopened, I can't imagine the new trainset will spend much time in Montreal before heading to Ottawa for a photo op with a plethora of politicos.
This preview of new VIA Rail Canada technology cast my mind back to the debut of the LRC! VIA quickly posted this photo sans CN 8869 at VIA's Montreal Maintenance Centre. Reporting marks SIIX 2200 and classification SC-42 showing. They've ordered 32 of the new consists. CN 8869 returned west on a more pedestrian assignment, CN No 369 about 24 hours later, accompanied by 'BC Rail' 4648 in the blue scheme.
Lots o' video links:
- At the 1:23 mark of this Youtube video still at the Sacramento Siemens plant on September 16.
- Skip ahead to the 1:13 mark of this Youtube video on September 26 north from Sacramento through Marysville, CA.
- Zipping through Kearney, NE at the 26:35 mark of this Youtube video on September 27.
- VIA promotes the new equipment back in December, 2018 when the ordered was placed.
- Watch the train bounce through Brockville.
Until a separate post is required, I'll endeavour to keep track of subsequent Siemens set deliveries here:
- UP 5275 led Set 2 east, OS Kingston 0300 on Saturday, August 6, 2022. A full set of six units by VIA 2202 with cab coach 2301 on the tail-end. West of Sarnia symbolled P623, then L533 east of there. Bayview at 2025 August 5, Belleville 0235 August 6, Coteau 0600. Meanwhile, Set 1 was testing in SW Ontario Guelph Sub, arriving in Toronto August 6 at 1130, through Kingston at 1430:
NOVEMBER 8 UPDATE: After a couple of employee-only runs between Montreal and Ottawa, the first Siemens revenue run took place today, with 2301 leading VIA Nos 33 and 26 on the same run. Further unannounced revenue runs took place into December, resuming again in mid-January still on 33/26.
JANUARY 2023 UPDATE: UP 5736 led Set 3 east out of Sacramento, CA. A full set of six units behind SIIX 2203, cars ending in -02, cab car 2302. Slow progress, with UP 6279 leading through Rochelle, IL on January 28. CN 3061 took over at Battle Creek, down the Kingston Sub eastward as train E276 on the morning of January 30, 13 days after starting its journey, making it here from Sarnia in eight hours. IAt Belleville (below - image courtesy Railstream, LLC):
MARCH 2023 UPDATE
VIA 2301-2202 (Set 2)made a test run to Toronto on March 8, returning east on March 9. Here is the westbound VIA No 627 at 1355, (image courtesy Railstream, LLC):
Running extra...
It's a little unusual to find two contemporary, not retro, posts on Trackside Treasure. Ripped from the headlines of today! I can't help myself. These two recent railway-related events just happened to occur in and around Kingston. To observe each one, I had an hour to spare during my grandson's midday naptime. So conveniently-scheduled!
This is going to take some getting used to: VIA getting new equipment! Not recycled, not refurbished, not second-hand. And a poorly-kept secret, photographed and video'd by railfans across North America and along CN's Kingston Sub. I'm sure if 698's crew had been playing Railfan Bingo, they could have won with a Full Card! Malcolm! Andre! Paul! Zack! Of course the middle spot on the card would be decorated with crossbucks!
Speaking of poorly-kept secrets, CP 8757 makes its debut today, mysteriously wrapped and not-so-surreptitiously transported to Calgary (the wrap blew off in the wilds of Alberta!) in honour of the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: