VIA Corridor Consists 1976-1981

VIA inherited CN's passenger equipment for use in the Corridor. Consists were virtually unchanged from the CN era, including baggage cars, club cars and meal service cars. Some sample consists from the pre-VIA era:
April 17/76 WB: 6532-6620-9650-Empire Club-5478-5503-2512-5634-5544-5651-5452-5489-5573 (above left).
April 17/76 EB: 6771-6777-9657-Hamilton Club-5642-5529-2511-5654-5598-5531-5620-5498.
June 11/76: 6762-6860-6862-8106(baggage)-Club Laurier-5650-5506-5637-5573-5186
Aug 21/76: 6771-6616-3124-9603-Boulevard Club-5534-5651-2503-5452-5542-5635-5622-3038 (above right)
Aug 28/76: 6788-6782-9603-Boulevard Club-5508-5569-2509-5650-5511-3034-5402-Bonheur(club lounge)

The VIA/CN corporate image was unveiled in April, 1976. VIA could be used in either English or French, and initially implied that passengers would travel "via [by]CN". First VIA-painted cars seen: 5525 on June 21; 2508 and 5437 on October 11; Saint James's Club on November 7. First VIA-painted locomotives seen: 6516 on July 28; 6618 on July 29; 6628 on July 31; 6858 on November 11; 6787 on December 12; 6765 on December 19.

Aug 29/76: 6780-6616-9673-Club Laurier-5649-5473-2501-5648-5602-5587 (above left)
Sept 4/76: 6782-6625-9652-York Club-5537-5636-2503-5452-5610-3032.
Sept 4/76: 6777-6623-6870-5220-9673-Club Laurier-5648-5649-2501-5508-5654-5219.
Sept 12/76: VIA 6516-6634-6786-9653-Boulevard Club-5663-5596-2509-5621-5651-5635-5637 (above right)

CN and CP stopped advertising individual passenger services in March 1977, and VIA was fully responsible for managing passenger services, including all CN's passenger cars by June 1977. Painting was well underway, with May-June 1977 seeing the first all-VIA consist, while all-CN consists could also be seen. Other equipment used in the CN to VIA transition era included the CN Turbos and Railiners:
Aug 11/76 at Belleville 1157 WB: Turbo 126-151 (above left)
Aug 1/76: 6114-6002-6118 (above right)
Apr 15/79: 6351-6001-VIA 6117-VIA 6003-6121

Mar 24/77 6760-6869-VIA 9600-VIA Saint James's Club-VIA 5536-5446-VIA 2512-VIA 5591-VIA 5508-5574-Great Slave Lake. GSL was one of six buffet-club-lounges: Caribou, Muskoka, Ontario, Lake Couchiching, Lake Makamik, in service in Corridor from at least May/76 to Sept/78.

The years 1977-1979 saw most of CN's equipment painted into blue and yellow. In 1979-80, there were still consists with two to four CN cars, but by 1981, many trains only rostered one CN car. The majority of locomotives received the VIA scheme by mid-1980.
Apr 13/79: VIA 6780-6860-6519-4105-all VIA...9602-Saint James's Club-5732- 2512- 5536-5441-5542-5633-434-5489-5574-5452-5573-5580-5631 (above)
Apr 29/79: 6513-VIA 6611-VIA 6624-VIA Muskoka-VIA 5733-VIA Club Laurier(partial consist):

The Turbos were suffering increasing unreliability, and were temporarily pulled from service after an onboard fire on May 29, 1979. The Turbos were replaced by short conventional consists, without baggage cars:

June 9/79 Turbo Replacement: VIA 6537-3112-VIA 5447-VIA 2502-5584-VIA 5504-VIA Club de la Garnison

June 15/79 Turbo Replacement: VIA 6516-VIA Club de la Garnison-5584-VIA 5447-VIA 2506-VIA 5504:

Units still in CN paint had their nose logos painted out, such as 6770 and 6773. The diagonal yellow nose with CN logo gave way to the vertical yellow nose, then red and in a few cases, blue VIA nose logos.

June 19/79: 6758-6862-VIA 9602-VIA Mount Royal Club-VIA 5727-VIA 5571 (partial consist):

By 1981, the Turbo's demise was looming, while the LRC's debut was on the horizon. Some units retained CN colours, such as 6866 and 6867 in October 1982 and some would be retired still wearing them.

Feb 9/80: 6785-VIA 6620-baggage-rest of consist VIA (below, at Benjamin's cut Mi 184 Kingston Sub)

Mar 14/81: 6535-all VIA...6614-9613-5482-5618-2502- CN Club St-Denis-all VIA...3024-5649-9641.

Finally, here comes a matched consist of blue and yellow, passing through the limestone rock cuts at Queens, Mi 174 Kingston Sub. May 9/81: all VIA...6523-2509-5580-5494-5654-Club Laurier :

West of Toronto, CN Tempo equipment carried on, with the Tempo cars receiving blue and yellow striping. June 22/81 Bayview Jct WB: 3150-321-343-367-354-361-362:

Battered CN units helped out too. June 23/81 Bayview Jct EB: 4017-3107-VIA 5433- CN 5423-all VIA...5641-5630-4888-5562-2508-5594-5506-9628

Some all-VIA consists round out this pre-LRC era:

Sept 12/81: 6528-9628-5522-3035-5474

Oct 24/81: 6787-5748-765-5504-5486-5437

Nov 15/81 6533-6635-5542-3200-4888-5518-5465-5504-5641-2514-5737

Those clean yellow noses look pretty good in the morning sun, as the head-end crew brings their coffee back from the club car:

From November 1981 until 1985, VIA's Canadian ran Montreal-Vancouver. Below, an eastbound combined No 2/No 44 makes it station stop on the north track at Kingston. A partial consist of one of the first such trains, totalling 14 cars:
Nov 21/81: 6542-6634-6532-baggage- CN Club St-Denis-all VIA 122-116-118-505-Ellerslie-Chateau Salaberry-Strathcona Park

VIA in its infancy experienced more corporate change than equipment change. While necessary, new equipment waited until VIA gained its footing, although its mandate has remained murky. This brings to a close VIA's Corridor consist series, spanning the six eras of VIA trains in the Corridor. Someday I'll collate all the consists I have from VIA's various eras. No doubt this era's consists would be the most interesting.

Running extra...

Listening to Stephan Talty's Empire of Blue Water. Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum, ye dogs! It's the tale of Captain Henry Morgan and some fantastic feints of strategy against overwhelming odds. Buried treasure meets Trackside Treasure.

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Pieces of eight, you say? The Empire Builder, Great Northern's pre-eminent streamliner, passed through eight states, or at least pieces of eight, and was also the nickname of James J. Hill. Omaha Orange and Pullman Green adorned the cars, with the train's name writ large, in script larger than "Great Northern".

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Am I the only person in North America who hasn't seen that freaky movie Avatar? Reminds me of a switching crew's radio transmission about to make the joint "half a car". That'll do.

CP Ballast Train on the Minnedosa Sub, September 1985

CP 5923 is applying sand, with white extra flags flapping, as it attempts to lift its heavy ballast train across the Eighth Street crossing and out of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, at 0930 September 18, 1985. 5923 and 5742 are on the north lead, next to CP's two mainlines and the elevator lead:

Tank car UTLX 312 is carrying fuel, likely for Jordan spreader CP 402892:

Van 434526 is at the tail-end of the 45-car ballast train as it passes CP Rail 382177, Canadian Pacific script and CPWX "Coke can" covered hoppers being loaded at the United Grain Growers elevator. The tail-end trainman is already on the rear steps of the van:

After dropping down to the ballast in the shadow of the elevator, the trainman lines the mainline switch and runs like h&%$ to get back on the van. The train was not slowing down as it started to curve westward then northward.

As the train accelerates its Branch Line Rehabilitation program hoppers across the already-harvested wheat fields, it produces an interesting visual pattern:

Late the next day, a rainy afternoon, a westbound freight behind 5852-8657 pulled into the yard and added 5923 and 5742 to their power consist before continuing westward.

Running extra...

Tracklaying is complete for now on my Vancouver Wharves layout. "Coke-can" grain cars as mentioned above don't fit into my mid-70's era. Banished to storage. Taking their place are CPR 40-foot boxcars, and some idler flats for the Vancouver Island car ferry operation.

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This will be one layout without the cliche' pier/fish reefer/tugboat scene. Also, no non-terminating highway overpasses. I always wonder where the cars would drop off, if they were actually driving on such overpasses, often featured in model magazine articles as scene dividers.

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Ricky Gervais did a ho-hum job hosting the Golden Globes. The only beer-swilling awards show host I've ever seen. At least Penelope Cruz and Kate Winslet were there to save the evening.

VIA Corridor Consists 1982-1986

By 1982, Turbo, LRC and short F-unit conventional consists co-existed in the Corridor. The LRC's entered service in early 1982, and the Turbo's last revenue run was in October.

August 18/82: 146-151
September 18/82 149-154 (above, eastbound at Mi 184 Kingston Sub)
Ex-CP Canadian equipment operated in the Corridor in two services. One was the Montreal-Vancouver Canadian, running as VIA Nos 1/55, and Nos 2/44 Montreal-Toronto between 1981 and 1985. In addition, coaches and baggage cars were mixed with blue&yellow consists.

March 5/84: 6787-612-3229-108-3241-Saint James's Club (above)
May 7/84: 6781-9664-5546-3219-126 (below)
May 18/84: 6775-6867-124-115-118-5580-5569-5504-2508-5532-5649-Club Richelieu-5729.
VIA Nos 1/55 smoked its way out of Kingston on May 7/84:
6775-6863-617-3229-108-5649-760-123-3228-Thompson Manor-Edgeley

A typical westbound consist included baggage, coach, Dayniter, meal service cars, sleepers and dome car for the transcontinental, plus coaches for Corridor service. This westbound didn't include a Park car, with Edgeley bringing up the markers:

LRC locomotives also pulled SGU-less conventional consists in warmer weather, or teamed up with F-units.

May 25/84:6908-6632-617-3234-5558-752-101-3218-Dawson Manor-Chateau Dollier

July 28/84: 6908-9 blue&yellow cars (below)

July 28/84: 6911-5719-2512-5437-5467-5488-3222

Occasionally, CN passenger Geeps powered conventional consists, like this one pulling in to Kingston station then accelerating westward after its station stop:

August 26/84: 4361-6632-602-5458-3217-5594-5487-5595-3202-Union Club

On a sunny October 20/84, 6758 was eastbound with six cars, east of Napanee:

and 6781 was westbound with four cars:

On December 21/84, the pre-Christmas rush is on, and two long trains meet at Kingston at 1220:

EB: 6530-6864-University Club-5734-5447-5586-2512-5483-5516-3216-5700

WB: 6782-6865-York Club-108-5545-5486-2510-5494-5562-5574-3211

Two typical LRC consists pass through Napanee:

February 10/85 EB: 6923-6 LRC cars-6921

March 30/85 WB: 6928-3382-3368-3362-3349-3329

GP-9 4366 smokes it up with an eastbound at Kingston, punctuated by VIA pseudo-markers:

April 27/85: 4366-6624-9653-5452-5618-750-Club Richelieu-3226-5617

July 28/85: 6314 (GPA-18b)-5506-3201-5519-3225-9614

August 31/85: 6540-3223-5455-3248-604-Osler Manor(deadhead)

October 14/85: 6900-6505-5443-3229-5569-3218-5514-5471-3205-5642-3236-5728-5722-5455

On a pleasant June evening, 6784 is lifting a four-car consist westward out of Kingston:

June 14/85: 6784-5647-5452-3243-9616

Soon the F40's will arrive. In the meantime, 6762 has a westbound five-car consist in tow, including an ex-CP baggage car.

Running extra...

This leaves only one more post in the VIA Corridor Consists six-part retro series: 1976-1981. Arguably one of the most popular eras, at least according to our Trackside Treasure survey.

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A couple of interesting blogs to recommend. Will Van Dorp's New York Harbor:
http://tugster.wordpress.com/ and the Open Passage team's sailboat passage through the Northwest Passage: http://www.openpassageexpedition.com/index.html

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Hear that sucking sound? That's democracy leaving our nation's capital as Parliament is prorogued. What's next, should we build a (Red &) White House for our executive branch?

CN Consist at Belleville, November 1991

Here's a CN freight consist from November 15, 1991. Seen at Belleville, Ontario this 84-car ETU-equipped train stops at the east end of the yard for a crew change at 1405, meets an eastbound Laser with 30 platforms behind 9589-9562, and heads west for Toronto through the drizzle and mist at 1440. Most cars are CN boxcars. Other cars are shown as originally noted:

2408
2103
CN 633020 COFC flatcar
CN 404322
CN 404238
CN 400749
CN 401694
CN 407067
CN 400820
BCOL 5356 boxcar
CNIS 408011
CGTX 13432 tankcar
CNIS 376016 covered hopper
CN 704001 first of 7 autoracks
CN 704421
CN 704030
TTGX (CR) 253955
SOU (NS) 250791
CN 712270
CN 710089
CN 404093
ATSF 306992 covered hopper
ATSF 303385 covered hopper
LW 1040 boxcar
CN 374218 pd covered hopper
CN 416380
PROX 29579 tankcar
CITX 35368 tankcar
CNA 553615
CN 557014
CN 138215 gondola
CN 137497 gondola
CN 401663
CN 400780
CN 375107 covered hopper
CNIS 412020
CNIS 412010*
CNIS 412006*
CNIS 412002
CN 157065 gondola
CN 157240 gondola
CNIS 412037
CNIS 412065
CN 157226 gondola
CN 711911 autorack
TTGX(UP) 964472 autorack
CN 710013 autorack
CN 157146 first of 7 gondolas
CN 157075
CN 157001
CN 157143
CN 157063
CN 157281
CN 157064
CN 401437
LW 1005 boxcar
CNIS 400576
CN 407087
CN 157002 gondola
CN 157200 gondola
CN 157151 gondola
CN 400781
CN 401327
CN 407012
DWC 403589 boxcar
CVC 402183 boxcar
CN 401123
CN 418122**
RBOX 38748 boxcar
CN 416332
RBOX 36932 boxcar
CN 416513
CN 418158**
CNIS 412083*
CNIS 412087*
CN 412099
CN 412080
CN 412070
CN 411039
CN 157267 gondola
CN 157181 gondola
CN 401365
CV 402xx1 boxcar
NAHX 487562 covered hopper
CN 369873 covered hopper
CN 694038 wire reel flatcar

*blt NSC 11/89
**blue ex-N&StL
The eastbound Laser pulls in for a crew change as the westbound departs, and the tail-ends of both trains are about to pass each other:

This two-hour visit to Belleville also netted three VIA trains, eastbound and westbound locals, and a westbound Laser.

Trackside with my trusty Hawkeye

Westbound out of Capreol on VIA's Super Continental in August/78, the Instamatic I had with me started to misfire. Above is one of its last successful shots, taken during the servicing stop at Hornepayne. CN 760-VIA 5703 are in the foreground, with a GP, lots of interesting cars and the Hornepayne auxiliary behind. Upon arrival in Portage la Prairie, my aunt and uncle donated a Kodak Hawkeye for my use. Little did I know it would become my railfanning camera for the next six years.

Produced by Kodak from 1974-1979, the Hawkeye Pocket Instamatic camera reflected the shift away from 126-format film to 110-format. The smaller film format made for a thinner camera that could fit in a pocket, compared to the 126 Instamatic that could fit in...a box, I guess. The viewfinder is at the opposite end to the orange shutter button, and the film advance is below the button. Handy carry-strap and camera ready for film loading, not including the elastic band I used to keep the back from popping open:

Downside was a tiny negative that resisted all attempts at enlargement, decent reproduction, and detail. It is amusing to find an unused Hawkeye for sale on eBay for prices ranging from $5 to $40, referred to as "vintage". Notice the pedestal for the flashbulb, used for indoor photography before built-in flash. That yellow box contains the film that was in a sealed foil package.

One of the first photos I made with this new acquisition shows CP 8532-5553-5541 switching at CP's Portage station early on the morning of August 16, with CN's main in the foreground:

Not every shot was a keeper. Prone to vibration while taking a photo, the camera nonetheless documented some classic trains with CN GMD-1's and "black-widow" straight SD40's, and CP tiger-stripe SD's. In the digital age, I would have deleted some of these shots right away. (At the time, I would've de-selected them if I could've, but in retrospect, I'm glad I didn't). The digital vs. film debate was recently discussed on the MB-SK Rails Yahoogroup - click to join on my right sidebar. On August 18, CN 4245-4315-4317 were switching the yard. This shot clearly shows both the Flexicoil trucks of the Geep plus the elevator behind, proving that the little Hawkeye could do a pretty good job:

Pacing poetry in motion at 75 mph - 6759 westbound at Beaurepaire with an Ottawa train in October/78:

Over the next six years, my trusty Hawkeye accompanied me on railfan trips from coast-to-coast, surviving all types of weather conditions and minor accidents. Pacific: BC Hydro Railway 900 switches in Vancouver, October/80:

Atlantic: CN 1751 rests at the ferry dock at sunset, Borden, Prince Edward Island, April/82

To paraphrase Puff the Magic Dragon, A dragon lives forever, but not so Kodak Hawkeyes. During a week-long Canrailpass trip around the Corridor in March/84, it became apparent that its remaining photographs were few. I left the last few photos entombed in the Hawkeye on its last film. Years later, I had them developed. Here are the results of the two photos at Dorval as I received them along with a note: "Film old or left in camera too long. Subjected to heat or high humidity."

Taken on the platform at Dorval, 5186-5156-5095 haul eastbound covered hoppers ahead of International Service caboose 78108 at 1230 on March 9/84 (above). December 2014 Update! Drew Makepeace worked some colour correction magic both of these nearly-unrecognizable images. Here's the much better result:

 Seven minutes later, 4240-3726-3122 haul three tank cars and 79556 westbound:

I bought a Yashica FX-3 SLR and finally entered the 35mm world. One of its first photos (f2.8 at 1/1000) shows 2332-4349-4117 eastbound at Mi 191 Kingston Sub at 1618 on May 2/84:

Trying out the camera a week later, 6784-6865 were in charge of an 8-car VIA westbound at Mi 183 (f8 at 1/500):

Running extra...

The Christmas break is allowing me some time to work on my layout and its new prototype. Some of the progress to date shows track laid to represent CP Rail's 'N' Yard on Burrard Inlet in Vancouver. In the background are a mock-up of CP Pier B-C and some photos for inspiration. CP, BN and some CN operations will be represented.

Hey, is there any fruitcake left? Why is fruitcake so maligned, anyway? It's enjoyed in many countries, and its history dates to the Roman era. Once used to preserve candied fruit, it was enjoyed by early hunters on lengthy hunting trips. I propose "Nutty as a can of cashews" instead.

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Seems two nativity pageant donkeys escaped from their pen at Eagle River Presbyterian Church in Eagle-Vail, Colorado. Following their trail, pursuers found the donkeys had travelled up the UP (ex-DRG&W) tracks toward Minturn, and were safely captured. The wonky donkeys were on burro-ed time and made complete asses of themselves.