Thursday, May 30, 2024

Retro CN Kingston Sub Freight Locomotive Consists


This post is all about retro CN Kingston Sub freight locomotive consists I observed through Kingston 48 years ago in April-May, 1976. This information may be of interest to those modelling CN in this specific time period, and the late-seventies generally. It's notable to notice how many days of each month I was trackside, with my railfanning and number-collecting interest only two months old. All photos in this post by L.C. Gagnon, including this one of me scanning to the east atop an earthen berm behind multi-unit apartments built west of the water tower along Amherst Drive:
My scribbling was not always legible, and some directions/times are missing in these observations. I've double-checked my transcription, so they weren't recorded contemporaneously, and haven't been unintentionally omitted. 

Otherwise, all trains are shown by date with trains on one date separated by semi-colons, time and direction, locomotive numbers, notes. All are manifest freights between Montreal and Toronto unless otherwise noted. For a few of the May freights, I've included freight car information at bottom of post:
  • April 19: 0603 EB 2041-5059; 0618 EB 5518-4478-4420-3714;  0808 EB work train 5534; 1115 9429-9513-9516; 1127 EB local 4509-4585; 1342 EB 9441-9435-9553; 1440 WB 3727-4486-3711 (second-to-top photo and above). 
  • April 20: 1300 WB 5044-5555; 1555 WB 9516-9513-9429. 
  • April 21: 2357 EB 9441-9435-9553-9525. 
  • April 22: 1308 WB 9515-9540-9598. 
  • April 23: 0849 EB 2034-5049; 1507 EB 9556-9454-9566. 
  • April 24: 0726 WB 9525-2023; EB 2012-2019; 0744 EB 3111-79320 local; 0751WB 2038-5514; 0801 WB 5074-5072-5073 oil train to Lennox Generating Station; 0843 2021-2043.
  • April 25: 1653 WB: 5047-4561-3127.
  • April 27: 1038 9533-9510.
  • April 30: 1456 WB 4508-4581; 1512 WB 5071-5065.
  • May 1: 0627 EB 5054-5032; 0644 EB 5046-2031; 1532 EB 2523-3226-1289 ballast; 1547 WB 5519-9601-2539; 1625 EB 9582-9555-5551.
  • May 2: 1426 EB 9511-9563-9524.
  • May 3: 1223 WB 9511-9563-952W (two days in a row!)
  • May 4: 1035 WB 9563-9510-9581; 5524-4485-5554-4585; 1250 WB 4519-4522 five-car local.
  • May 7: 1250 EB: 4588-3647-3106.
  • May 8: 0639 EB 5542-9571-2529.
  • May 9: 1122 WB 9514-9456-9429; 1601 EB 5035-2003-9584.
  • May 10: 1540 EB 9526-9402-9532.
  • May 11: 1642 WB 9616-9560.
  • May 13: 1250 WB 5063-5053; WB 9560-9570-9571.
  • May 15: 0708 EB 9523-5549-5540; 0739 WB 9515-5506-9564; 1127 EB 5056?-5046; 1540 EB 9550-9517-9553*.
  • May 16: 0946 WB 5071-5073-5070 oil train; 1529 EB 9457-2306.
  • May 20: EB 5071-5072-5074 oil train; 1545 EB steam 6060 deadhead (!).
  • May 21: WB 1612 9423-2017**; 1938 WB 5506-2536-9478***
  • May 22: 9454-9400-9510; WB 5071-5074-5072 oil train; 1508 EB 4426-4472; 1830 EB 2516-3229-4567; 1950 WB 4419-4420; 2006 WB 9587-9497-9551****.
  • May 23: 1332 EB: 5073-9464*****; 1403 WB: 2003-2326; 1558 WB 2022-5057******
  • May 24: 1953 WB: 5071-5074-5072 oil train.
  • May 25: 1255 WB: 9492-9574-9556. 
The majority of road freights were powered by three new GP-40-2LW's in 9400-9500-9600 series. SD-40's in the 5000 series, M-420's in the 2500's, C-424's in the 3200 series. Centuries in the 2000, 2300 series also made appearances, as did GP-40's in the 5500 series. Locals rated RS-18's in the 3100, 3600, 3700 series and GP-9's in the 4400, 4500 series.

Freight car information on selected trains above, as denoted by asterisks*. Car types are abbreviated as BO for boxcars, HO for covered hoppers, RE for reefers, AU for auto racks, FL for flatcars, with each type of car separated by a semi-colon...

* Frisco, UP, SP, CN, CV, L&N, GM&O, GT 516666, CV 50097, WM 26568 BO; and caboose 79620.

** BN, BAR, SF, SP hi-cube 190805 BO; GT UP HO; FGE 11608 RE; TT, CN FL; and caboose 79626.

*** RB 15201, WP, Burlington, SF, UP, IC, UP, P&E, RI, LV 102189 BO; NP, BM, CNW HO; SP, PFE RE; CN 667059 FL; caboose 79731.

**** CN 402344-408015 BO; CN 241086-233038 RE; C&O and B&O CO; D&H 16157 heavy-duty FL; CN 700586-700641 AU; caboose 79515.

*****CNW, D&H, CN 286108-290421-408055, CV, CP, Buffalo Creek 4931 BO; CN 608136 FL, caboose 79285.

******D&H, SF, SP, BCK, NP BO; Burlington, CN 379148, BN HO; BNFE RE; WM 21157 CO; caboose 79320.

Running extra...

I'm looking forward to travelling across to Wolfe Island in July for the WIHS Speaker Series!
Since this top news item from today truly deserves to be at the bottom:

Friday, May 24, 2024

Three VIA Ventures in an Hour - Almost!


On March 1, VIA amended its Siemens Venture set rotation such that three westbound Ventures could be seen in one hour on Fridays: VIA No 643 from Ottawa due at Kingston at 1033, and VIA Nos 43 and 63 due at 1131 and 1134, respectively. This was the only time all week when streetcar-like Venture headways could be recorded. Heading out one week ago today on a somewhat sunny Friday, May 17 to document all three at Kingston station, a somewhat disappointing turn of events awaited me. Youtube video of VIA No 643 with Set 9 (cab car 2308/locomotive 2209)

I would soon realize that not all things on this freaky Friday would be black & white! I call this shot the 'Bytown Railway Society photo contest shot' (below) with that unanticipated architectural aerial accoutrement tower showing through - if ya know, ya know. Meanwhile, uberVIAphile Tim Hayman has published an excellent, comprehensive post on what it's like to ride the Ventures and it's highly-recommended reading!
CN No 149 on the north track had been pulling up to Queens West, as No 643 pulled through Queens on the south track before crossing over to the north track at Queen West, prior to its station stop. Once 643 left, it was giddy-up and go out of Kingston for this land-barge led by CN 3862 with the CN Indigenous Relations logo and 2856 with the Every Child Matters logo:
As long a land-barge as ever, Friday's 149 covered the entire two miles east and west of Kingston station. I snapped these two photos (west and then east - below) as quickly as I could spin around, to try and show the train's length. I find it a challenge to make double-stack trains interesting, though I have been known to hack out a haiku or originate an ode.
VIA No 62/52 was a few minutes off the advertised:
Consist: 6408-3466-3467-3334-3341-3342-4116-912-4004D-4105D-4115D-8106
Fifty shades of...stainless steel.
Business Class car 4004:
VIA No 63 with Set 6 (cab car 2305/locomotive 2206):
Yep, that's the car number. Even GO Transit put the car number on both ends of each side (well, until the Metrolinx scheme) but Siemens has these well hidden. Good luck getting numbers if cars are ever shuffled between sets!

Views of No 63's station stop. Tail-end:
Passengers boarding:


Head-end views.

Departing with cab-car leading (above) with locomotive trailing (below).
Before leaving home, I had checked the VIA website for the schedule updates of all three trains, noticing that VIA No 43 was already showing a 'significant' delay some hours before it even left Ottawa! How could they know this? Well, I found out when VIA No 45 pulled in at 1224 with VIA No 43 in tow - and it was not a Venture! 915-4 LRC-6401-4 LRC.

I suppose some mechanical difficulty befell the scheduled Venture set, that an LRC set was substituted, and that it then was befallen by some difficulty, necessitating the J-training with VIA No 45. So much for three Ventures in one day, or even three VIAs in one hour!
Some confusion at boarding time - passengers were reminded to be sure they were boarding the correct 'train' or half of the train!
The final Friday of this rotation was one week away, and was also scheduled to be my wife's birthday. I was kindly advised that it would not be a suitable day for railfanning to snag all three Ventures in an hour.  This post will have to do!

Running extra...

By road! My son-in-law snapped this Shuttlewagon being transported on a float trailer this past week. It's like a Trackmobile wishing it was a switcher:
By rail! The morning train is b-a-a-a-c-k. VIA e-mail trying to lure Business Class travellers with triple the points for a limited time! 
By REM! Forget three Ventures, try five. These neat photos posted by inveterate train rider and photographer Ira Silverman, posted to social media this week, show as many as five Ventures, as well as the colourful and concantenated Glenfraser, a smattering of stainless steel, a louch line of LRC's, and a panoramic picture of the panoply of VIA rolling stock including an ex-BC Rail Panorama car:

Sunday, May 19, 2024

The Love/Hate Relationship of Bunk Car Life

CN bunk car past its prime (Trackside Treasure collection)

Recently, the over-named 'If You Work[ed] On The Railroad Railfans Welcome' Facebook group, of which I'm a member, hosted an interesting [and long] discussion on the vices and virtues of living in railway Maintenance of Way (MoW or MW) bunk cars. I've selected the most factual, fascinating and/or funny comments for this post, lightly editing them for style. I've previously published a post on the love/hate relationship of caboose life

Until I publish a post perfectly portraying photography of the panoply of CN and CP boarding cars, some of which illustrate this post, the comments herein give some of the plusses and minuses of the accommodation. A consistent theme is the thrifty railways' re-use of revenue coaches and house cars for workers' lodging near work sites. Once those fleets rolled their last mile, 'white fleet' pre-fabricated ATCO-style modules on flat cars, truck-hauled trailers, or motels near the work sites became more common.
CP Service cars at London (Trackside Treasure collection)

AMERICAN RAILROADS

There are some parts of railroading that you cannot explain in words. You can try to tell how it was living in a bunk car with others, but mere words never tell the true experience. ​Bunk car life had to be lived to understand the meaning of the words. As bad as it was, the worst time was in the middle of the summer. There was not much sense in even trying to sleep before the sun went down. Even then it was still warm. You could not beg a breeze on those hot nights. ​During the winters it felt good to get back to the bunk car. It might have been the first warm place all day. Sleeping was much easier in the winter. By the time you got off work there was not much daylight left. ​I never remember being cold during the night. It was easy to throw on another blanket. Some say they woke up with snow on the covers. That never happened to me. Where you could not get a breeze in the summer, the wind never seemed to stop during the winter. ​Bunk car life was a part of railroading best remembered years after the fact.I still miss the bunk cars! My asst. foreman Manuel asked if he could stay in my room during December while I was on vacation. Later he called and asked if he could repaint it. I said sure. When I got back the Olive Drab was now bright red and green. Merry Christmas! 

As a gang foreman I had my bunk car to myself!

I rode our bridge gang outfit cars during a move on my first year - 1968. They put our cars in a small 4 track yard with boxcars on the tracks on either side overnight, so there was no breeze or power. It was also right in the middle of the Ft Worth stockyards. There were two packing plants - Swift and Armour - immediately to the east of the tracks and the cattle pens were immediately to the west. There was a wooden overhead ramp onto the killing floor of the plant. Oh, and it was the first week of July. Between the heat, dust, and the smell of the cattle pens on one side and the packing plants on the other side, along with the constant noise from cattle mooing and tramping across the ramp, it was the most miserable night I ever spent on the railroad - and there were plenty of miserable nights in 42 years.

They had a separate shower car with lots of them, hardly used. Mine did in the middle with toilets, foreman had his own room, next was the kitchen, showers, bunks for 8 men. I remember waking up with a warm head and snow on my feet. Wasn't a good car. Best one was my foreman's car--it was closest to the shower car.

My home away from home for 18 years.

Lived in them in the early 80's. Lucky enough that we only had 3 or 4 guys per car. Seniority got you your own room. Lot's of time stuck out in the middle of nowhere.

When I hired on they had those white trailers that they put at sidings and small yards! Anywhere they could get power and propane bottles. Sometimes out in the middle of nowhere! They were small and had 4 men per trailer 2 bunks at each end with bathroom and kitchenette. We were always against a siding or spur track so good luck getting much sleep as trains went by all night or even shuffled cars in and out!

* * * * *

NS still uses them. Hillbilly railroad. 

Camp cars - spent many nights tie, surface gangs 1975-1989 Conrail N.E. Division.

We had two old Pullman cars with an old wooden sides wash car in the middle. 1975 Buffalo Div. Chicago main line B&B.

I remember my 1st stroll thru the camp cars. A friend and I were new hires looking for some empty bunks. Between the looks, the upkeep and the stench, we were washing up in Lake Erie and sleeping in the truck until the next week when we got paid and could afford a room to rent!

I lived in the wooden version of these. Hauled water and stored it in a drum. Oil space heater, you could see the frost lines on the walls from the steel bracing. Remember to kick the sack tight against the door or the wind blows right through. At least the roof didn’t leak in mine.

Spent my first 2 years on a 120-man rail gang, first year was the old camp cars, all heated by coal, second year we got brand new camp cars electric heat and all. It was rough but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Did stay in a bridge gangs passenger coach with bunks that folded down from the ceilings. In Omaha, NE yards would wake up with a small snow drift on top of your sleeping bag. But it was free -  when you are on $2.00 a day expenses it was like a Hilton.

We at Waycross Car Dept. used to build those box cars for rail Gangs sleeping cars, dining cars, cooking cars, tool cars. On SCL RR. In 1970’s!!

I was a Mopac Bridge guy. Our bunk cars were really pretty good. We had good central heat and air conditioning semi private bunk areas and the Foreman had a private room. Toward the end of the bunk cars we had cable connections and a phone.

You had a better car than us. Ours was an old coach. We did get a shower car just as I was leaving the gang in ‘68. Our foreman had his own car that he and his wife stayed in.

* * * * *

The SLSF/Frisco bunk cars the bridge gang used were transformed passenger cars. They would tie up close to my house. I had a couple relatives that worked that gang and when by our house I'd go hang out there in the evenings. Those cars had an unforgettable smell I can still remember... Creosote and sweaty clothes I guess.

Lived in them, from 1987 until 1998 we did have air conditioners and heaters, still a hard life. Condensation running down the walls if you didn’t have the heater on.

And how could we forget all the train traffic rolling by as you try and sleep. Not to mention, most sidings where we set up are less than 12'' feet apart, and the joints being pounded just next to you.

We always moved at night - no or little sleep.

Just remember moving them from one siding to another and getting a great meal afterwards!

Those old style camp cars started to disappear in Montana, around that time. Then when BN evolved from district to regional gangs, around 1980, the "camp cars" appeared, which were box cars with a heater and four sets of bunk beds. The regional steel gangs consisted of 60 to 70 men, including a cook and a camp tender. They called them co-op gangs because the cook would shop for provisions, feed everyone three meals a day, then deduct each man's share from their pay. We had a cook car, a dining car, a shower car, a water car, six or so camp cars, and then a few cars with air conditioned camp trailers for the foremen. Each gang had their own Roadmaster, who usually stayed in motels. Porta-johns were as good as it got, and we seemed to always camp on sidings, between crossings. We did get to know a lot of small Montana towns. One of the camp tender's assignments was to make sure the small town bar owners knew we were coming - so they could stock up!

I spent a short time in the MW department for the last of the Penn Central in 1975 and the beginning of Conrail in 1976 near Washington D.C. I never stayed in the camp cars that were occasionally stationed at Ivy City or Bowie, but if we happened to be there around mealtime, they had no qualms about feeding us too. Those guys were some good cooks!

Accurate description of bunk car life, especially in the summer months. Always fun too when parked in a siding that was about 15’ from the mainline. Praying that those suckers were going to stay on the tracks.

Subhuman conditions, and if they all thought they could get away with it today they all would be still in service.

* * * * *

I remember losing a MOW employee to a fire in his sleeper/boxcar about 1988 or so.

My dad was a line man and I remember him putting newspapers between his blankets to keep warm. In the bunk car in the winter waking up with their work boots frozen to the steel floors of the cars.

Coming from a small farm in Central MN, a RR job was a great job. In 1970 the wages weren’t bad compared to farm wages. Living in a Bunk car wasn’t bad.

The sound of a train on the Main Line was sleeping music. We worked hard and we played hard!!! The key was we were younger and stronger and looking for a way to make a living!!!

Most of my bunk car nights were spent in a nice remodeled baggage car with good guys. One of the best spots was in Lincoln, NE next to Husker stadium. We tried hosing down the car to cool it down after work.

My job was caboose interiors carpenter until the gang cars showed up on the West Coast in spring. I built stairs and outhouses, fixed doors and windows, made foot lockers and closets. I got more thanks for improving living conditions on gang cars than I ever got fixing a caboose.

* * * * *

In the bunk cars everyone was eating together and seemed like a tighter group.

Years ago our union was in negotiations when the subject of camp cars came up. The employees preferred camp cars to hotels.

Occupied bunk cars from '68 to '74. Old Pennsy coaches with upper and lower sleeping berths. Cold cement floors. A kitchen car with one long table for everyone to have room to sit. Usually breakfast and supper. Lunch was delivered in the field. A baggage car was our tool room and we had a wire spool as our poker table. Winters gave us frozen water lines to deal with, and summers were hot as could be with little ventilation. Some of the guys would sleep on the ground outside instead of fighting the heat, or listening to camp car romances found at local bars for half the night!! Always something different every day.

They were truly awesome I like them better than the hotel.

Mere words can't describe...

CP mini-box Service car (Tim Reid photo)

CANADIAN RAILWAYS

Remember those days well - always fought for bottom bunk or you would die of heat up top. Had old cattle cars and long coach cars we had in northern Ontario. Lot of fun was had them days.

I always grabbed a top bunk - you didn't have everyone sitting on it hanging out.

When first started on CP, we were parked on a siding next to the main line. A train would go by in the middle of night at track speed. Talk about a rude awakening !

In the 1970s with CN some gangs were still using Red Fleet cars. In 1977, our welding gang consisted of a white fleet. Utility gang had all white fleet cars. Tie gang had red fleet cars.  Only two times I ever stayed in gang cars - first time in old red fleet gang cars for 2 nights, flagging for weldamatic in 77. In 82 when me and my welder were destressing behind RCO, did that for a month, otherwise we were on expenses. Working in Northern Ontario, we had a self-contained personal white fleet gang car. Generator was mounted on the same car as our white fleet. Later they gave a proper Gen car. When started the Rivers Sub, we were all expenses. In 79 I was thermite welding for PIP. They had gang cars sitting on the ground.

I was on the rail gang as a thermite welder a few years ago and if you weren't lucky enough to get a hotel you were on the fleets. I think they still use those white fleets in northern Ontario. It's crazy. In the west it all depends if there's available hotels or not. They still use them at CN. If you're taller than 6ft you're in trouble.

CN 61179 commissary car 'Sioux Lookout Auxiliary' and white fleet car at Belleville, June 1999

Spent time in them all. Red Fleets, White Fleets, Off Track CN Grainline Camps, and motels while on small gangs.. All good...also section bunk house, some didn’t have running water, but at least saved on hotels, no living allowance those days! Even at that, these were high living after living in the red fleets.

Just one big room, 6 beds, oil heater in center of room, wash basin, can’t remember what kinda water supply though. Lived in White Fleet trailer in Nokomis, had water, oil furnace, no rent to pay …. On gangs I think we were charged $2.10 a day for meals if living in gang cars.

* * * * *

Gang 17, Keith Oliver foreman - drank like a fish and sledding gang in The Pas, Manitoba Jack Bar foreman - those cars were stinky. One thing - good food and excellent cooks.

Was in the white fleet 77-80 northern Ontario had one of the last CN railway cooks  at 70 cents a meal. Great times guns & beer gas car ride to nearest town for more bullets & beer when we ran out signals the game climbing poles in winter digging in the summer.

My first summer job for CN I spent living in boarding cars in Prescott, Ontario. There were 25 mostly French-Canadian guys on the gang. We had our own cook and dining car and we ate like kings. Quite an experience for a kid that had never been away from home. I got a real education that summer, no books involved.

1980-1990 Lived in bunkcars - Gang 106 Sled Gang, 65-man crew and Ballast Gang107, 10-man crew. We had 2 wash cars and if you were you late lining up for a shower, too bad. Or you would run out of water. You would have to wait for the tanks to be filled, then wait for the water to get hot. And at supper time frickin hot diner cars, Those were the good ol' days.

CP Service cars (Tim Reid photo)

Running extra...

Coming soon May 27th - changes to VIA Corridor schedules. Can't wait to see these blanks get filled in. Changes include the long-awaited "re-introduction" of VIA No 641, colloquially known locally as the "early morning train".

Did somebody say Morning Train? Sheena Easton seems to say come for the catchy sax riff, stay for the views of British interlocking signalling in her 1981 music video. Not only Dolly worked 9 to 5!

Did somebody say Early Morning Rain? Gordon Lightfoot tells us it's easier to hop a freight train than it is a jet plane. Well, that's plane to see!

Saturday, May 18, 2024

VIA Ventures in Service, Part 2


As of January, 2024 and with the delivery of the twelfth Siemens Venture set, I split my original Siemens Venture post first published on September 21, 2021. That now seems like an awfully long time ago! VIA's Siemens implementation has so far spawned six Trackside Treasure posts in total! They are:
In May, 2024 a major revision to Venture service was made, with a ninth Venture set entering service in the Corridor and 16 of 32 sets already delivered. Even this split-in-two post was getting a little long. So the post you're reading is now entitled VIA Ventures in Service, Part 2 with updates from May, 2024 onward, perhaps until the last of 32 sets are in service? Time will tell.

For your ticket-booking benefit - Venture car seating diagrams: Business, Economy, and cab car. The direction of travel changes during booking, so disregard it here. Someone's selected seats are in yellow. Purple means premium, X for groups of three or four, green available. 
Seats reported with no/poor window views (all rows shown include seats A,B,C,D):
  • Car 3: Rows 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15. Good views: 3, 5.
  • Car 4&5: Rows 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16.
Set 4 remains the lone Venture set at TMC as of May 19.

MAY 2024 UPDATES:
  • The now-together Set 10 (2200-2309) made an in-service run as VIA Nos 61-46 on May 1, after a test run west two days earlier. On May 2, four Venture-equipped trains went east through Kingston: Set 8 (was 61)/66, Set 3 643/646, Set 9 63/54, and Set 7 43/668.
  • Set 14 entered service on May 4 as VIA No 24, already on the Kingston Sub by May 19.
  • During Saturday, May 4's York Sub detours, Set 9 (No 66) and Set 5 (No 46) were planned to J-train east from Union until separated to continue separately down the Kingston Sub.
  • Set 13, so long sitting at TMC, operated as "No 668" Ottawa-Brockville-Toronto with seats still covered in plastic on May 7.
  • Put this under you hat: mystery car at Siemens plant as posted by SJVRailfan instagram (below) though not visible in an April aerial video posted on May 10.

    That 'big white door' at the left looks like a letter 'A' from 'VIA' but the two yellow stripes??
    Also, Set 17 completed with final preparations before delivery:
  • Watch for this change: Effective May 27, there will be nine Venture consists in daily service. A guard Venture set will then be maintained at the TMC, with another at the MMC. The last Ren set is expected to be out of Corridor service. Quite a change from 2009 when there were 5 Ren, 17 LRC and 6 HEP sets. The latter two numbers have remained constant, with Ventures replacing Rens.
  • May 19 - VIA No 61 fatally hit a car at 0745 at a private crossing near Coteau, with Set 10's cab car 2309 sustaining damage to headlights, nose dent, scrapes to side and arriving in Toronto 4 hours late, with No 63 following 2 hours 40 minutes late. Returning as No 668, it had power problems near Cornwall. The set remains in service, contrary to railfan rumours.
  • May 27's rotation quickly went right out the Venture window as reinstituted VIA No 641was not the planned HEP consist, but instead Set 7, arriving in Toronto 42 minutes late. This substitution may have been made for en route publicity photos with the mayor and local MP Philip Lawrence at Cobourg:
    Unlike plans, 643-54 are not planned to be Ventures. VIA No 40 was a Venture; VIA No 63 was Set 4; VIA No 45 was Set 14; VIA No 46 was Set 10; No 55 was a Venture set. The Rens have had their life in the Corridor extended by one week.
  • Tues. May 28: VIA No 50 was a Venture set, not running J-trained as usual with No 60, suggesting non-interoperability of Siemens and other consist types. Other trains planned as Ventures continue (i.e. No 40 Set 12, No 47 Set 14, No 55 Set 9), except No 53 showing HEP.
  • Wed. May 29 Ventures planned: No 45 was Set 7, 40, No 55 was Set 2. Plus No 46 (Set 14).
  • Thu. May 30 Ventures planned: 643 (Set 14), 668, 40 was Set 4 and confirmed 44. VIA No 35 delayed at Drummondville arriving Montreal four hours late, low oil. Set 8 sent from MMC to couple on and tow to MMC.
  • For three of the first four days of the ninth set implementation, VIA's own rotation differed by one Venture set each day, with one Venture train replaced by LRC or HEP, except for:
A second version of the May 27 rotation thanks to Doug Bardeau (below) and the train numbers through Kingston match the list of new trains posted on VIA Rail's webpage, although the sequence is not always accurate.
VIA is reportedly producing a new rotation as of May 28! It has not been widely circulated at VIA yet, so I'll keep the above rotation diagram on until I have something concrete to publish instead. Or, I'll just sleep for a week and let VIA get this all sorted out and save myself a few grey hairs!

JUNE 2024 UPDATES:
Let's do another week of ninth set implementation, comparing reality to the rotation diagram above! Ventures "planning" is based on same-day information from traincar.info as taken from VIA's reservation, though this can and does change on the date in question. I then correlate those train numbers with VIA's webpage showing the trains Ventures are in service on. Confirmed (Sets) are from OS reports/photos.
  • Sat. June 1 Ventures planned: 42, 643, 46 (Set 6 - ours), 47 was Set 14, 59 was Set 12. Plus No 54 (Set 2).
  • Sun. June 2 Ventures planned: 40, 643, 46, not 646 nor 55.
  • Mon. June 3 Ventures planned: 40, 45 was Set 7, 48, 54, 55 not 643 (was LRC).
  • Tue. June 4 Ventures planned: 40 (Set 12), 45 (Set 7), 48, 53 (Set 14), 55 (Set 15). Eleven sets in service, three not in service, one recently-arrived (posted by Luc Lanthier - below). Notice three duplicate locations/sets!
  • Wed. June 5 Ventures planned: 40, 45, 55 not 46.
  • Thu. June 6 Ventures planned: 40, 643, 44, 55, 668.
  • Fri. June 7 Ventures planned: 40, 47, 48, 54, 55, 63.
  • Sat. June 8 Ventures planned: 42, 643, 46, 47 (Set 14), 59.
  • Sun. June 9 Ventures planned: 40 (Set 12), 643 (Set 15), 46, 55, not 646.
  • Set 15's first documented trip through Kingston this week, meanwhile Set 16 is testing Montreal-Ottawa
  • Mon. June 10 Ventures planned: 40, 643 (Set 15), 45 (possibly Set 8), 48, 54, 55 (Set 12). 
  • Tue. June 11 Ventures planned: 40, 45, 48, 53, 55.
  • Wed. June 12 Ventures planned: 40, 45, 46, 55.
At this point, actual Ventures versus planned Ventures is about 85%.

On June 13, Set 2 was halted at Trenton on VIA No 55 with what was described as electrical breaker trouble for over 60 minutes.

Sun. June 16: 55 was Set 5.
Mon. June 17: 45-->48 were Set 12, 55 was Set 4.
Tues. June 18: 45 was Set 4.
Wed. June 19: 40-->55 was Set 4.
Sat. June 22: 643 was Set 4, 47 was Set 12, 42 was Set 11.
Sun. June 23: 55 was Set 5, 646 was Set 8.
Mon. June 24: 53 was Set 14, 55 was Set 6.
Tues. June 25: 45-->48 was Set 8, 40 was Set 6, 53 was Set 14, 55 was Set 5.
Wed. June 26: 46 was Set 14, 40 was Set 5, 45 was Set 8, 55-->40 was Set 12. Unusually, 63 was Set 11, departing Thursday as a Special - a media availability for VIA's New Fleet Arriving in SW Ontario at London and Windsor - implementation loosely described as 'this summer' in SW Ontario!
Thu. June 27: 44 was Set 8, 643 was Set 14 and had to be pushed by 63 from Kingston to Toronto.

Interestingly, between June 8 and June 27, only Sets 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 14 and 15 have been observed into Toronto. That's only eight out of 15 in-service sets!

VIA's CEO, MP's and mayors rode Set 11 at London and Windsor (as train 671 westward and 678 eastward) to introduce SW Ontario to their future with Ventures. Now, there was some disparity between the actual implementation date and the wished-for implementation date. VIA did not publicize the event on its own website, though it was posted on Canada News Wire. then took to social media in the evening of June 27 to proclaim that the entire corridor is now served by [Ventures]. A Railway Age story later in the day correctly inserted the important words "by the end of summer 2025" into that sentence and removed "now". A win for accuracy and a loss for hype!

JULY 2024 UPDATES:
Mon. July 1: 643 was Set 8.
Tues. July 2: 40 was Set 6.
Thu. July 4: 643 was Set 7.
Fri. July 5: Set 16 was in service here (below - at Townline Road, Andre Gerow photo), 54 was Set 6, 47-->48 was Set 4.
Sat. July 6: 47 was Set 4.
Sun. July 7: 46 was Set 5, 646 was Set 8.
Mon. July 8: 48 was Set 6.
Tues. July 9: 40 was Set x, 45 was Set 8, 53 was Set 6.

The First Venture set has reportedly been used as a parts source so often that it may have to be returned to the Siemens in California before it can be used in revenue service. VIA No 20 (Set 9) stopped due to a filter not being replaced. After filter replacement, it was good to continue.
On July 10, VIA had a media availability to introduce Set 18, curiously christened Lumi. The marketing people were busy generating copy for this: Lumi is another way to celebrate the arrival of our new fleet and to let even more people know that they can now enjoy an unparalleled onboard experience thanks to these new modern and state-of-the-art trains. Simple and efficient, the monochrome yellow, our brand’s signature colour, is a bold brand play that will stand out in the Canadian landscape. From my unscientific polling, 99% of non-railfan passengers do not even notice the type of train they're riding on, much less the paint scheme. 

As others have done when introducing a new fleet, VIA Rail wanted to make a strong gesture by differentiating one of its trains with a special exterior design. [Well, I wouldn't call Set 18 our of 32 introducing...] 

Simplicity won: reminiscent of the design of the Turbo Train that ran between Montréal and Toronto until 1982, Lumi stands out and becomes a "Champion" for the new fleet with its luminous design. [This is the first official, i.e. not only employee, acknowledgement that this paint scheme was patterned on the Turbo. Also, the Turbo's last few years were short and ended in ignominy and scrapping after VIA service. Although Set 18 was photographed at the MMC the day before in the company of what look like Set 17 and Set 15, before being in the spotlight at the media availability.
The media kit was an salad bar of images: animations of Lumi operating unaccompanied in rural and urban areas, a fine David McCormack photo of the train being delivered with its two units to Montreal, a B. Nicholson photo of the Turbo, and two photos of cab car 2317 at the Siemens plant. In the same press release, some hard [well, as hard as they get with VIA] dates for further implementation]: 
  • Summer 2024: Commercial entry into service of the new trains in Southwestern Ontario.
  • End of 2024: 63% [not round number!] of new trains in service in the Corridor.
  • Summer 2025: Complete replacement of all the trains in the Corridor.
This email landed in my inbox. The graphic on the left actually toggles between the Lumi scheme and the regular Venture scheme in animation! VIA really is hanging its blue & yellow hat on the Turbo comparison!
Parlez-vous...? Check out this status board at the MMC (Lion Liu photo - below). Set 13 was sitting at TMC depuis longtemps and was testing through Cedars as No 331 on July 2.
A tenth set joins the Kingston Sub rotation on July 10. That's as many as eight trains a day (M, T, F) to as few as four (Sat). I'll likely wait awhile before posting more Venture OS's. I'll take VIA at its word that the stated trains on its webpage will indeed be Ventures, or until a rotation diagram is available.

July 11 - Set 18 was testing between Montreal and Ottawa. Also the debut of the ten-set rotation. Diagram of the new rotation thanks to Doug Bardeau (below). The train numbers through Kingston match the list of new trains posted on VIA Rail's webpage, with the exact sequence yet to be verified. Lest we think all trains between Ottawa and Toronto are Venture-equipped, there are 2-5 LRC trains per day and 6-9 HEP trains per day in this service lane.
July 17 - Lumi had its second test trip Montreal-Ottawa as train 631.
July 27 - Set 16 was on No 63 (not per diagram);  Set 17 is in service, seen below at Kingston on No 47:
July 28 - Set 7 made one round trip in SW Ontario.
July 31: Set 18 was in revenue service on No 24-->31.

AUGUST 2024 UPDATES:
August 19: An eleventh Venture set has been added to the Corridor equipment cycle, with Venture sets now equalling the number of LRC sets (11). VIA Nos 42-59 will now have Venture sets every day of the week:
August 20: Set 19 made a test run to Ottawa as train 631.
August 23: Set 20 made a test run, returning to Montreal from Ottawa as train 636.
August 31: Set 10 as VIA No 622 had an air line problem, marooned for 7 hours between Montreal and Quebec. The expected social media outrage included a video showing an engineer grabbing a passenger's cellphone during the delay. VIA's rescue train consist from MMC on Sept. 1 was symbolled 308 was: 901-3478-913. Lion Liu shared this great photo of the eclectic P42/LRC/Venture consist:

SEPTEMBER 2024 UPDATES:
Sept. 1: Set 12 made a trip to Windsor trailing Burton Manor and an 8101, as VIA No 331, apparently assessing the pulling power of the Charger locomotive. Experiencing mechanical trouble by London, Windsor was eventually reached. Due to the two trailing HEP cars, the bidirectional Venture consist had to be wyed. The crew booked rest and departure east was planned for 0200 Sept. 2 as VIA No 334, although the return trip took six hours!
Sept. 12: Set 12 operated as VIA No 87 to Sarnia, returning Friday Sept. 13 as VIA No 84.
Sept. 20: Set 20 operated as VIA No 55.
Sept. 26-29: I spent four days trackside, logging 10 Venture sets, each observed (one to three times) during that time: Set 2 (1), Set 5 (1), Set 8 (2), Set 9 (3), Set 11 (1), Set 13 (2), Set 16 (2), Set 17 (1), Set 19 (1), Set 10 (2). Watch for an upcoming four-part Trackside Treasure series!
OCTOBER 2024 UPDATES:

October 1: Oddly, VIA No 69 (Montreal Central Station to TMC) was 6457-4LRC-6411-2310-2210 (Set 11) deadhead. Perhaps being staged into Toronto for the new October 7 twelve-set rotation. 
October 3: Even in advance of the 12-set rotation beginning, Set 11 ran as VIA No 72, expected to operate as No 79/72 October 4.

The twelfth Venture set will be added to the rotation beginning October 7. The number of Venture sets will now exceed the number of LRC sets (11) and the HEP sets will be reduced (5). New Venture trips: Mondays 641, 644; Tuesdays 643, 53, 87; Wednesdays 44, 73, 78, 84; Thursdays 71, 76; Fridays 71, 76; Saturdays 71, 76; Sundays 71, 76, 48. New LRC runs (were Venture): Tuesday 41, 44; Wednesday 41, 46. New HEP run (was LRC): Wednesday 54. There are two HEP consists with two VIA1 cars each and HEP-I cars are mostly gone. One-time additional Venture runs appear: Saturday October 5 on 75 and Sunday October 6 on 72-48 (for Monday’s #641
Equipment rotation diagram by Doug Bardeau.

October 8: Set 5 operated as VIA No 87 and as No 84 on October 9.
October 12: Set 19 operated as VIA No 76 and as No 71 on October 13.

Also on October 12, a major operational challenge for VIA's Ventures was introduced by CN. As infrastructure owner, CN is concerned about loss-of-shunt affecting signalling and crossing operation on VIA's Corridor lines. I will be updating the situation in this post as the situation evolves.

October 17: Set 21 made a test run as 331/326 Montreal-Ottawa return. Earlier, last week, Set 21 made two round trips to Quebec City.

October 20: Due to crew shortages, eight Corridor trains operated as J-trains today: 50/52, 62/64, 645/55 and 647/59, the lattermost being the first time an HEP/Venture J-train have operated in revenue service together: 913 and Set 14.

October 22: Set 15 operating as VIA No 40 had mechanical issues that blocked single-track mainline in Brockville, VIA 42 towed 40 to Brockville station, 134 passengers from 40 bussed to Ottawa, Set 16 left in Chelsea siding. VIA 40 was over 4'30" Late, VIA 42 over 4'20" late. Other late trains as a result: 44 (3'48", departed Toronto 28' late), 46 (2'37"), 48 (1'8"), 55 (4'8"), 644 (4'14"), 645 (5'23").

October 23: Set 8 operated as VIA No 73 (and as No 71 on Oct. 24); Set 4 operated as VIA No 84.

October 27: Set 15 operating as VIA No 71 stopped at Mi 38 Dundas Sub 0825-0925, Economy coach 2814 lost communication with entire consist running 1'45" late east of Woodstock. Around the same time, VIA No 70 Eng 904 broke down awaiting rescue. 

October 28: VIA No 59 (likely Set 19) was halted by engine problems at Smiths Falls for 85 minutes before resuming their trip west.

October 29: Set 16 operated as VIA No 87.

NOVEMBER 2024 UPDATES:
November 2: Set 10 operated as VIA Nos 71/76.