LRC locos lead the Canadian, July 1982

I've been told that LRC locomotives used to lead the Canadian. VIA Rail's Canadian operated between Toronto and Montreal over CN's Kingston Sub from November, 1981 to June, 1985. I was skeptical. How was this possible? Then, VIA car attendant Mark Sampson sent me the photo above, the result of an Ebay auction. The location is in suburban Rouge Park - Pickering, east of Toronto, where CN's Kingston Sub bridges the Rouge River. The train in Mark's photo was an eastbound VIA No 2/44/54, due out of Toronto at 0900, following No 2's arrival in Toronto at 0700. Oh, snap!

A cropped view of Mark's image shows the consist in good detail: 6901 and another LRC locomotive, stainless steel baggage car, four blue & yellow coaches, (the first a club car), two stainless steel cars, a blue & yellow, a Skyline, another blue & yellow, then five stainless steel cars, the last being a Park car:

Now here's the thing...I now believe I know the consist of this train. How? Recently, I came across four books of VIA consists that my Dad recorded - from 1981 to 1986. He apparently started recording these because the Canadian started operating through Kingston, and he was happy to make many trips trackside to record consists including Budd equipment! On Wednesday July 21, 1982 he recorded, "Eric and I went to Toronto on RDC at 7 a.m. Kingston: 6117-6111. We viewed CN Tower and then toured CN (VIA) roundhouse and tracks. I was in cabs of 6541, 6773 and CN 8512. We returned on LRC Rapido leaving Toronto at 6 p.m: 6906-3338-3340-3302-3343."

The next evening, Thursday July 22, he recorded the "Canadian West" at Mi 184 Kingston Sub at 8:10 p.m.:
6902-6901-9670-5508-5626-106-116-3211-503-5744-Frontenac-Chateau Rouville-Chateau Latour-Laird Manor-Assiniboine Park. That is two LRC's on the Canadian, my friends! No photo, though.

The following day, Friday July 23 at the same location, the "Canadian East" at 11:52 a.m., a little behind the scheduled arrival time at Kingston of 11:42:

6901-6902-609-Laurier Club-5485-3212-5508-125-107-3230-500-5704-Acadian-Chateau Dollier-Chateau Lemoyne-Stuart Manor-Kootenay Park. Notice how this consist matches the one in the photo? Fortunately, my Dad also snapped a photo (above) of the train as it approached - even a puff of MLW smoke emanates from 6901. Cropped image:

Interestingly, he recorded the above consist as the "Canadian West" at 7:46 p.m. back on Thursday, July 15. Except for two blue & yellow coaches: 5487-5534. Other than that, the consist stayed the same all the way to Vancouver and back, before it ventured east on the Kingston Sub on that Friday, when it would be photographed crossing the Rouge River, and where I'd pick up the story 32 years later.

Thanks, Dad.

Now, if anyone has any other sightings of LRC locomotives pulling the Canadian, I'd like to know. Otherwise, I'm convinced these were the only two! This arrangement definitely could not take place during winter, as the LRC would need a steam generator unit to provide heat to the conventional consist and hot water including the diner's dishwasher. The diner drew the heaviest electrical load due to refrigerators, freezers, A/C, exhaust fans, lighting and sound system. If the batteries or generator gave out, there could be a problem. Probably not an issue in warm weather. The diner had 100-pound propane tanks to provide gas for the stoves. Solving mysteries like this one and Sceneramic tiny lettering has been very satisfying here on Trackside Treasure. Of course the C-P-R principle applies...relatively low Relevance Factor! But I'm maintaining an open mind on this subject!

Running extra...

While we're wallowing in 1982 nostalgia, here are three very interesting VIAdeos from that year, posted by Montrealer Bill Morrison. The first shows a Kingston Sub Canadian, the second includes Montreal Central Station switchers going to work, and the third takes us to the switchman's tower for some Amtrak views!

Finding serendipitous slides on Ebay is not Mark's only pastime. He also just got married in beautiful Banff, Alberta - CP country. Congratulations to Mark and his new bride Shileen!

Check out Lance Mindheim's re-designed blog via my sidebar. A nice marriage of prototype and modelling realism.

Early-era VIA in Thunder Bay

Brian Martyniuk of Thunder Bay is a stalwart Northern Ontario railfan. Over a year ago, Bryan and I started discussing early-era VIA operations in the Thunder Bay area. Brian kindly shared photos for my posts on the Diefenbaker Funeral Train and CPR 5468. And now, I'm pleased to be able to share some of Brian's fine 'T Bay' area photos showing VIA operations, along with  caption information for the photos in this post. Though I've been through beautiful Thunder Bay  riding aboard VIA, I'm not a Lakehead railfan. To the photos...the first photo Brian sent me (above) is momentous: VIA No 1 with 1409-8558 near Mi 27 CP Kaministiquia Sub in March, 1980. 

Seven miles west and two years earlier (above) the Canadian - led by CP 1407 is just west of Finmark, around Mi 34, climbing the grade out of the Kam River valley. At this time, left-hand running was the norm between Winnipeg and Thunder Bay. This is almost a complete Canadian - one of everything except for the deadhead coach behind the roadswitcher. 

VIA No 2 with 1418-CP 8560 is at Mi 0.5, with the east end of CP's Westfort yard visible at the curve in the distance (above). Arriving at the CP station in Thunder Bay on a warm July, 1980 evening, the train has entered the yard limits on the east mainline and a yardman has lined the train across the west mainline and into depot one track. In the distance (below) a westbound freight waits for No 2 to clear; an eastbound occupies the adjacent track and a yard movement is on the lead on the next track over. All movements come to a standstill until the passenger comes to a complete stop. Boxcars for moving grain are parked on the track adjacent to Saskatchewan Pool #8 terminal elevator. Their days are limited as more and more hopper cars are being introduced to take grain products to port. This image was taken from the Vickers Street bridge which is connected to the upper level of CP's jackknife bridge across the Kaministiquia River. That vantage point is long gone now. 

It is an extremely cold morning in February, 1982. VIA No 2 with locomotives 6508-6602-6510 is running late. Somehwere along its journey, the usual Park car has been set out, likely on account of frozen water or steam lines. Up until November 1981, the Canadian would have been led by ex-CP units on CP lines, but once the Super Continental was cut, ex-CN locomotives immediately began pulling the Canadian. The red-and-white brick Prince Arthur Hotel, built by the Canadian Northern Railway, is seen directly above the last car. The Shoreline Hotel is the white, rectangular structure and the taller building behind is the former James Whalen building, now called the Public Utilities Commission building. While all these buildings remain intact, this view is now obstructed by a bridge over the tracks into the redeveloped marina.

A 1999 view of CP No 408 with engines 5788-6017-6063 shows the now-obstructed view, though as Bryan notes, it's a new looking-down photographic opportunity!

Whenever there was a derailment on the CP between Winnipeg and Thunder bay, VIA would reroute No 1 and No 2 by way of CN trackage from Winnipeg on the CN Redditt and Allanwater Subs to Superior Junction, then the entire CN Graham Sub to Conmee Junction and then the balance of the CN Kashabowie Sub through the Neebing yard and then over the CN Mission Spur to the transfer track with CP at the west end of Westfort yard and finally down to the CP station in Fort William. No 2 with 6542-6626 pulls by the station at Kakabeka Falls in double-track territory on a snowy day in October, 1982:

At Westfort, No 2 has traversed the transfer track from CN Mission Spur and is stopped on the running lead waiting for the conductor to line the switch for track A-1 at the west end of CP's Westfort Yard. CP's double track main line is adjacent and the signals protect the crossovers at Mi 2.3 (Westfort) on CP's Kaministiquia Sub.

No 2 has cleared Current Junction, which is just out of sight around the bend. The towering elevators along the waterfront present the first view passengers travelling westward would see as the train arrives at the outskirts of Thunder Bay. Note the CN boxcars used for grain shipments parked in CN's Current River yard. Current Junction is the end of CN's Kinghorn Sub. At this point, CN trains use CP rails to get to Port Arthur yard.

It is October, 1985. VIA No 1 led by 6313-6628-6625 has arrived at the east switch at Flett, on CN's Graham Subdivision. VIA rerouted their trains on CN tracks due to a derailment on the CP somewhere between Winnipeg and Thunder Bay. The Graham Sub is train order territory, and No 1 is to hold the mainline at Flett until eastbound No 278 arrives and takes the siding:

Not only is this rare mileage - equally rare would be a meet between transcontinental No 1 and the twice-weekly train from Thunder Bay to Sioux Lookout and return. While I managed to capture an image of No 1 arriving at the east switch, I was expecting the train to stop, but it did not! No 1 only slowed to a crawl. Fortunately, No 278 appeared in just enough time for me to get an image of the tail end on the main, and No 278 on the siding before the Canadian disappeared westward.

Bryan sent some interesting photos of cylindrical grain cars at the Lakehead. In February 1981, he caught ALPX 628147 with the original two-colour Alberta Heritage Fund logo:

An absolutely unique cutaway view of ALPX 628503 in May, 2002. The car was involved in a rollover derailment while loaded, and the side removed to facilitate unloading and rerailing. The Alberta administration wished to have new plates welded along the car side. (Brian wrote an excellent illustrated article on ALPX covered hoppers, published in CPHA's CP Tracks magazine issue 8-4.)

Running extra...

It is no secret that the late 70s-early 80s are my favourite VIA era. At just the right moment, I'll publish a post on that Circus-train Era! Speaking of which...two photos of 'grey-ghost' VIA 6532 at Spadina Shops were just shared by Marty Cahill on Facebook. Since there are so few photos of this unique 1980 creation around, I'm posting them here for fellow grey-ghost fans. Minty new paint!

SNL 40 was amazing! Highlights: Jeopardy with Alec Baldwin as Tony Bennett (great, great, great), Miley Cyrus singing 50 Ways, Steve Martin's intro, the inimitable Marty Short and Jerry Seinfeld audience call-outs. Lowlights: Eddie non-Murphy, Paul non-McCartney, stewardess ending to The Californians sketch. 

Oscars not amazing. Neil Patrick Harris is no David Letterman!

CP MoW Truck Lindberg Conversion

I recently acquired several HO scale Lindberg moving van trucks from Trackside Treasure reader Jason Sailer. Two of the trucks, perfect for CP Express, arrive on my Vancouver Wharves layout on a Union Pacific flat car (above). Check out the cool selection of vehicles included in this lot (below). My intention was to convert some of the Lindberg Ford trucks into CP Rail service trucks. NOT hi-rail - we're talking the 1980's here, when most trucks were still only road-based.

Here's the original box design for the easy-to-assemble moving van kit. Snap fit with groovy decals ...'The Moving Van'. That 70's Show ... in H-O!

Here is the assortment double-parked on my layout. Okay, quadruple-parked:

Disassembled. The two screws hold the cab and floor of the box on. I set the cargo box aside, using only the cab, floor, box base and grille.  Some lap-top construction photos follow:

There are four small weights in the cab! Removing these, I painted the cab interior and steering wheel black. Some prototype inspiration in the background (below): TH&B early hi-rail truck courtesy Randy O'Brien, and flatbed at Portage la Prairie courtesy of Brian Schuff:

I added some sides to the flatbed, including a bulkhead with a window carved in it. Yellow paint followed/flowed. The side mirrors really make it come to life! I painted the driver-side wheel covers yellow, leaving the passenger's side silver. I added a spare tire.

Fuel tank on, side mirrors and front grille and bumper painted white per the prototype. Added mudflaps made from coupler pocket covers! And added some detail bits in the back.

Before and after. A blue moving van and the completed CP Rail truck. Many of these did not have CP Rail lettering applied. If they did, it was often red lettering on a white background.

Ready to be parked at Vancouver's 'N' Yard office on my layout!

Running extra...

Just finished reading Front Row at the White House by veteran UPI reporter the late Helen Thomas. The nice thing about Helen's book is that is't not purely chronological. "And I'd like a follow-up question..." The reader is able to read through the book while sharing Helen's experiences with successive presidents, each in various chapters. "Thank you, Mr President!"

Never knew this - Athearn's three-dome tank car is grossly oversized, and has no known prototype. This according to the online February 2015 edition of Model Railroad Hobbyist. No wonder modellers thought the Tangent Scale Models correct model was 'cute'. Hate that word.

Time well wasted...Images of Prairie Towns website, showing some historic views of some of my favourites including Portage la Prairie, MB (already featured in many Trackside Treasure posts) and Stranraer, SK, the subject of an upcoming post on my visit to the Sask Pool elevator there. Thanks, Dave and Wilf for the link!

Screenshots from the latest episode of TLC's long-running series Railfan Sisters! Here are some gloaming photos of Aberdeen, Carolina & Western units taken by my sis in Southern North Carolina. Or was it northern South Carolina? Regardless, what do all the AC&W locos have in common? Hint: It's not wide noses alone, but it borders on that spotting feature....

The local Southern Pines Amtrak-served station is classic, and a nearby church even publicizes the series!

GMD-1 at Kingston, February 2015

Though the General Motors GMD-1 was primarily a Western unit, some of the units did operate in eastern Canadian passenger service in the 1960s and more recently, remanufactured units operated as far east as Quebec City and Halifax. And these days in Oakville, Toronto and east on CN's Kingston Sub out of Belleville, ON. Though I knew one of these 1400-series occasionally made it to Kingston, I'd been at work or otherwise unable to check out CN no 518's Belleville to Kingston daytime turn. That changed on February 4!

While heading home via Kingston Transit's Kingston Express bus service, I glimpsed 1444 on my way by the Kingston Invista nylon plant along Front Road. The fact that it was snowing heavily, and that I didn't really have time to make a trip back to photograph this unit meant nothing to me. I made the time, figuring this might be my one-and-only chance!

Fortunately, the train was hog-lawed, awaiting a relief crew which would not board and take the train north up the Cataraqui Spur until after 1900 hours. Stuffed and mounted. Sitting duck. These photos are taken from my railfan ride since this is private plant property and one is not supposed to be out running around with camera in hand, otherwise known as trespassing.

I moved from the south side of the train on track KM35 to the north side:

That white stuff was perpetually pelting! Formerly 1046 before being converted to 1614, 1444 is the unit's third number.

Ron Visockis caught the two units being towed into Belleville on February 5 by the four units on CN No 373: 2504-2008-2622-5743 on February 5 at Airport Parkway:

Then, two days later on February 6, I happened by Invista, noting the two units were back on No 518. A quick trip back by car, with camera, and I realized the train was not hog-lawed, but instead working the plant. And it was sunny, with good southern exposure:

Ditch lights on, the train soon pulled east with two Norfolk Southern gondola empties lifted from the KIMCO spur on CN's Aluminum Spur remnant plus several tank cars for Invista.

Photographed from the plant road crossing of tank car track KM28:

The 1-4-4-4- numerals appear to have been stencilled on, not applied individually to the side of the cab.

A bit of blue diesel exhaust - movement was imminent.

The units started pulling east across the plant crossing, with Front Road crossing visible in the background. The crew was about to switch the tank car track, where at least two cuts of three cars waited. Having a driveway to shovel, I couldn't wait for this movement, as it wouldn't bring the units to the tank car track crossing, anyway.

But that didn't mean I couldn't shoot a quick video before I left!

And last but not least, Ron Visockis also shot CN 1444 leading CN No 518 back into Belleville from Cobourg on February 10 with empty centrebeams and covered hoppers. And more blue smoke!

Watch for an upcoming post on the plethoric panoply of units plying the spur over the years...from 3700's to 4100's through to unusual 3500's and 5300's.

Back at Invista - February 13 - INVX 38479 derailed. Rerailing activities at 1815 hours included several heavy-duty road cranes along Front Road. View from north side:

 View from south side:

Running extra...

Welcome to George Dutka's White River Division blog, now in Trackside Treasure's sidebar. A frequent collaborator with perennial train-show favourite Peter Mumby, George's blog is a constant supplier of visitors to this blog. George has just posted a seminal series of posts on woodchip boxcars!

This weekend - Saturday Night Live's 40th anniversary special...now extended by 30 minutes! Live from New York - it's Sunday night (well, the special broadcast, at least) including a red carpet pre-show. I 'm looking forward to it, I must say!

Ron Visockis photographed CN No 704 at Belleville, ON on February 12, led by brand-new CN 3034 and 2935 with the former soon to be renumbered 2934. Thanks, Ron!