Monday, February 28, 2022
Kingston to Prince Rupert aboard VIA - September 1985, Part 2
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
VIA Siemens Venture's First Visit to Kingston
Passing freights during the wait, none with DPU:
2255 EB CN No 148 Engs 2995-3096
2330 WB CN No 321 Engs 2614-2341
0005 WB CN No 377 Engs 3905-2512
0035 WB CN No 369 Engs 3278-3098
0200 EB CN No 306 Engs 5667-5654
VIA is attaching a certain amount of secrecy to these test trips, hence the zero-dark-thirty times. Also, test trips need to be co-ordinated with CN. Like night work blocks, these late hours keep the wayfreights and numerous VIA trains to a minimum. Goodness knows CN wouldn't want another tiny movement clogging up their double- and triple-tracked mainline and keeping all those 35 mph key train (almost-underpowered freight monsters) from making it to their destination just-in-time! On continue/but I digress! Speed east of Kingston was 71 mph, so I'm sure 100 mph was reached farther east.
Video of the arrival. Apologies for wind noise. It was a very windy night with rain expected the next day and wind out of the east. Temperature -4C but felt colder with the wind. Departing eastward.
After meeting 306 in Queens south service track, 627's headlight and ditchlights could be seen as the tail-end of the freight cleared, and the 'test train' crossed over to the north track for its station stop. Perhaps the first traveller to ever detrain from a Charger at Kingston:
There were tests of the door mechanisms and measurements taken at platform level.
The engineers preparing to switch ends to the cab car: