Early in 2008, our son won a contest on a local radio station. The prize package included a Blackberry (for him) and a trip for two in VIA1 (Business Class) anywhere in the Corridor. He graciously donated his tickets to his parents! We decided to travel to Quebec City, as far as we could go and somewhere we'd wanted to visit, and this trip stands as the farthest east I’ve yet travelled aboard VIA...
Three CN freights plowed through Kingston station in the hour before we boarded our train on June 19: CN No 369 with 2546-5618 and 95 cars, CN No 321 with 5792-5543-5561 and 172 cars, and a 13-car local No 590 with 4701-4717 and 13 cars.
VIA No 53 to Toronto was westbound with Renaissance equipment at 0920, and our combined VIA No 52/40 (Toronto- Montreal/Ottawa) soon arrived, led by 904-four LRC cars- unnoted 64xx –four more LRC cars.
We boarded VIA1 car 3465, and before long were passing CN 4771-4770 and chemical traffic at Brockville. CN's Metals facility occupied two northerly tracks in Brockville yard, with one aluminum ingot stencilled '26100 lbs, 26x80x1887 inches' and CN ingot flatcars 618147-618242-618218-618200-618086-618022. There was more chemical traffic at Maitland and Cardinal; CN maintenance equipment at Coteau and St Anne’s. Parallelling CP’s Toronto-Montreal main into Montreal, an eastbound CP intermodal with 9515-9523 (below) and a westbound CP intermodal at Lachine with 9587-8756, plus a CN westbound intermodal were outside our window, as was Pointe St Charles switcher set CN 7250-276.
This was a vacation, not strictly a railfanning trip. Few train photos exist. As we headed east to Montreal I could hear a conversation ahead of us - a passenger with book in hand was chatting amicably with on-board staff. I put two plus Turbo together and realized it was none other than a certain model train manufacturer doing the kibbitzing. On his way back to his seat up the aisle, it was, "Excuse me, are you Jason Shron?" Surprise! The first of several times meeting Jason.
We spent nearly four hours in Montreal, since I didn’t like our chances of boarding VIA No 22 at 1255 – only a 32 minute connection. Once we arrived, a redcap took our luggage for transfer directly to our seats on No 24 for us. Departing Central Station on VIA No 24 at 1615 aboard our Renaissance consist behind 6421, CN 7240 was at Montbec, we met a two-unit CN Ultramar TankTrain at Bagot, plus a westbound VIA and a westbound CN domestic intermodal at Villeroy. We gained Quebec City ploddingly passing St Romuald, Charny, Ste Foy, Cap Rouge and finally Quebec City where a CN switcher set 7052-213-7224 was near the stately Gare du Palais. Light rain into Quebec City, but not enough to dampen our walk from Gare du Palais to the Hotel Maison du Fort near the Dufferin Terrace.
On our fourth day in the provincial capital, we strolled back along the scenic waterfront to the station, boarding our Renaissance-equipped VIA No 25 behind an unnoted 64xx-7xxx-7xxx-7301-7107-7213-7207-7102. We were seated in seats 9A-9B of VIA1 car 7107, departing at 1300. We'd waited in the Panorama Lounge before boarding No 25 to start our return trip. Rain let go as we departed. Many riders will comment on the ride quality and appointments of the Ren cars relative to HEP or LRC. Major distinctions are the raised seats to gain maximum car diameter, small windows, overhead bins and general tube-like ambience of these cars designed for Chunnel service. Comfort Class car screenshot from the above-linked video:
Another Ren consist was on an adjacent track, led by 6420. Retracing our way over CN’s Bridge Subdivision and Drummondville Subdivision, we met an eastbound CN intermodal with 5601-2655-2608 at St Nicolas.
Through farm country, over rushing rivers and past trackside gravel pits, we passed through St Apollinaire, Drummondville et St Hyacinthe. At St Lambert, CN 7046, 7070 and 4768 were idling. Several passengers in our Ren car on the return trip chuckled at a soundly but sonorously snoring passenger, audible over several rows! Cars for the Ocean were on Central Station trackage at 1615. The Ocean was due to depart at 1830 – ten minutes after our Toronto-bound VIA No 69. We spent a two-hour layover in the station and Lounge.
One of VIA’s Spiderman units led our four or five LRC cars. The usual routine at this time was to take the arriving No 60 out onto the Victoria Bridge, back it into Central Station, then depart just over an hour later as No 69. This day, No 60 was 45 minutes late. Consequently, the consist headed right into Central Station, with only the seats being turned and the consist, with new power, travelling back west without being turned. This put us unexpectedly on the north side, not the south side, in seats 8C-8D!
A real treat was the VIA1 staff providing at-seat service - pleasant and efficient. I was lucky to be able to enjoy the lamb* dinner in both directions. Not b-a-a-a-d!
We met a CN westbound freight at Cape with 5714-5736. Four CN switchers were at Coteau, including 4760. Though we were 40 minutes late departing Montreal, that margin would shrink to 20 at Cornwall, 15 at Brockville, with our arrival back in Kingston only five minutes late at 2120.
*Poetry Corner:
Mary had a little lamb/her father shot it dead,
Now Mary takes the lamb to school - between two hunks of bread!
--by A. Nonymous. The real poet was perhaps too sheepish to take credit.
Running extra...
CN line near Armstrong embroiled in flames! By now you've seen the harrowing video from inside the cab. Some have asked...why doesn't VIA move to the CP line? Oh yeah, like there are no forest fires there. From the Canadian in June, 1980 near Kenora. Note the pole line in foreground:
Things are looking UP. As in restored Big Boy UP 4014 that just made its way around World Famous Horseshoe Curve. Three years ago, it pushed a freight train over a 1% grade in Nebraska!
Projects for Prairie Sky Heritage Railway. So far, YDHR 22, Budd cars 7104 and 7106 and two ONR coaches parked near a grain elevator, waiting for Saskatchewan Ministry of Transportation approval. They look good just sitting there. How did these make it to the Land of Living Skies without photos from trackside? Coming soon: ACR = 'Abandoned' Central Railway cars from Iowa?
First past the post [hitching-post edition]...
The RCMP Musical Ride came to small-town Canada last night. Napanee provided a huge crowd - the turnout even surprised the riders. 'Local boy' Constable Huber received a special mention - his horse Jobs taking two steps forward, then two steps back! One of only three stops in Ontario before the Ride travels to BC where it will spend all of August. Their equine excellence really revealed the finest of Canada - these Mounties live in the communities they serve - and for them it is an honour for them to be chosen for this role.
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