Canada 2018 (Toronto, Sudbury-White River)

[dibber25]

VIA Rail is very fond of vinyl wraps. Last year it was Canada 150 and this year it's VIA's own 40th anniversary. Happily, there still remains plenty of stock that isn't wrapped. 

[dibber25]

Shortage of rolling stock as the LRC cars become life-expired has led to HEP cars being added to formations. They look incongruous and are, of course, far older than the LRC cars, being mainly ex-US cars which are 60+ years old.

[dibber25]

Here's what the 40th anniversary wrap looks like on a 900-series. The same type of locomotive (MP42) is also used by Amtrak on the 'Maple Leaf' from New York via Niagara Falls which still uses Amfleet coaches.

[dibber25]

GO had at least four of its remaining F59s in daily traffic and I even got to ride behind one. They were all in use with six-car push-pull sets, the 12-car sets (most of them with the new style driving trailers) being in the hands of the 600-series locos. 

I'll post some pictures from Sudbury later this weekend. (CJL)

Edited August 25, 2018 by dibber25

[Dava]

Shortage of rolling stock as the LRC cars become life-expired has led to HEP cars being added to formations. They look incongruous and are, of course, far older than the LRC cars, being mainly ex-US cars which are 60+ years old.

Budd cars, the best investment a North American passenger railroad could make....

 

Dava

[pH]

Most of those pictures are straight out of the "When the real thing looks like a model" topic!

[BR60103]

Chris:

on the "mainly ex-US cars" remark. Most of the ex-US cars are assigned to short-distance (under 400-miles) service but the Canadian cars also show up. Generally, the US cars have a yellow/blue stripe above the windows while the Canadian ones have a blue stripe.

 

Some years back, one of the magazines had a table of projected life-span of VIA's various fleets. The Canadian cars were going to outlast even the cars then being delivered.

[Oldddudders]

Budd cars, the best investment a North American passenger railroad could make....

 

Dava

 

A genuine question - were they really much better built than ACF or PS?

[dibber25]

....And so to Sudbury, less than an hour in the Dash 8-100 aircraft. A great view of the station and yard from my bedroom window.

I wasn't expecting the Budd cars from White River to arrive quite so early in the afternoon. I would be riding them next day.

CP had two four-axle units switching the yard (rebuilt GP38s or 40s?)

A footbridge east of the station was a great vantage point, particularly for westbound trains. Someone had even cut a camera-sized hole in the wire mesh!

One of the Geneses & Wyoming lines has a daily service into Sudbury but I found their motive power elusive and this was the best shot I could get. When I saw them later, one loco was lettered for Ottawa Valleys Railway, and the other for Huron Central. I suspect it is the latter that connects to Sudbury.

These were the first Ontario Northland boxcars I had seen. I have had models for several years - without the graffiti!

CN switchers were busy beside the Railway Museum at Capreol, an hour's bus ride from Sudbury.

I guess the CP line is busy but there's an awful long wait between trains. This was one of two westbound that I photographed. Without the need to sound the horn for grade crossings, trains pass through Sudbury pretty quietly, so I missed several double-stack container trains because I didn't hear them coming in time to get to my vantage point. (CJL)

 

 

[mdvle]

A genuine question - were they really much better built than ACF or PS?

 

I suspect it is more a case the Stainless Steel doesn't have the corrosion issues that other materials have.

 

And I am sure it's just a typo but for anyone reading not aware the VIA/Amtrak engines pictures are P42DC

[peach james]

 

One of the Geneses & Wyoming lines has a daily service into Sudbury but I found their motive power elusive and this was the best shot I could get. When I saw them later, one loco was lettered for Ottawa Valleys Railway, and the other for Huron Central. I suspect it is the latter that connects to Sudbury.

 

HC connects through Sudbury, running to the Soo (Sault Saint Marie).  If there was any connected up thinking, the federal government would be looking at that as one of the lines that should get VIA re-instated, as there is no bus service now from Sudbury-Vancouver.  (about 600 communities lost their only public transit service).  It doesn't help that when ISRL went belly up, the scrappies scrapped about 24 Budd railcar shells.  (where Rapido got 6133 from)  

 

James

[mdvle]

One of the Geneses & Wyoming lines has a daily service into Sudbury but I found their motive power elusive and this was the best shot I could get. When I saw them later, one loco was lettered for Ottawa Valleys Railway, and the other for Huron Central. I suspect it is the latter that connects to Sudbury.

 

Both Huron Central and Ottawa Valley run into Sudbury.

 

The Huron Central is currently planned to be abandoned by the end of the year.

[dibber25]

Both Huron Central and Ottawa Valley run into Sudbury.

 

The Huron Central is currently planned to be abandoned by the end of the year.

 

The G&W trains which I saw (two - I was in Sudbury two days) seemed pretty well loaded and a real assortment of cars. I didn't count but I reckon 30-40 cars each day. Several centre beam flatcars with wrapped lumber loads in each train. (CJL)

Edited August 26, 2018 by dibber25

[mdvle]

G&W say they need $42 million over 5 years to continue operations:

 

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/huron-central-railway-to-discontinue-operations-by-year-end-683336021.html

 

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/industry-news/transportation/task-force-makes-final-push-to-save-huron-central-railway-997303

[steve1]

Thanks for he pics Chris. Reminds me of all too short stays in Canada a few years ago and the unlikelihood of ever getting there again.

 

steve

[dibber25]

Sudbury 7.30am. An eastbound freight passes.

The two Budd cars, RDC4 No. 6250 and RDC2 No. 6219, forming VIA 185 to White River, enter the station from the yard.

Baggage is loaded - supplies for lodges and fishing equipment, mainly. Hadn't realised how much beer was necessary for fishing. Presumably for pickling the catch!

The train stops twice at MP 22.7 and 22.8. Two lodges just 100yds apart but the forest between them is so thick that each has its own access to the railway. 

Stopping for gas at Chapleau, one of only two fully-equipped intermediate stations on the 300 miles route.

After arrival at White River. That might look like a substantial station but is out of use and locked up. The only 'facility' of any description was a plastic and wood bench seat which is unsafe!

It's 6.45am at White River and the Budd cars are just coming out of the yard, ready for the return trip. The passenger load in this direction was much lighter - fewer than six of us for much of the journey. 

Just before the flat crossing over the former Algoma Central main line (at a place called Crossing!) this work train was waiting on the connecting spur. 

Edited August 26, 2018 by dibber25

[steve1]

Budd RDCs are nice to ride in. We did the Vacouver Island Malahat both times we stayed in Victoria.

 

steve

[dibber25]

Budd RDCs are nice to ride in. We did the Vacouver Island Malahat both times we stayed in Victoria.

 

steve

 

Yes, the 'day liner' as the islanders call it was the first Canadian train I ever rode. Here's a shot of one of the last rides I had - amazingly it was 28 years ago! The Budd car is 6133 as now owned by Jason Shron of Rapido Trains. 

That's Victoria station, as was. I'll look out the shot I took of the same spot this year. Victoria couldn't wait to be rid of the train and it's fascinating bascule bridge, which has been replaced with a much less impressive modern thing. (CJL)

 

YES - it really IS the same place! Well, as accurate as I could get it without a single surviving landmark.

Edited August 27, 2018 by dibber25

[steve1]

Chris,

 

That is a very sad and depressing picture of Victoria. There's so much that could be made out of that line for both commuters and tourists with the right investment and imagination.

 

steve

[dibber25]

Chris,

 

That is a very sad and depressing picture of Victoria. There's so much that could be made out of that line for both commuters and tourists with the right investment and imagination.

 

steve

 

You're right, but sadly the wealthy in their new condos don't like the sound of the train's horn, or having to wait for it at grade crossings, so they couldn't wait to get rid of it. I rode the Dayliner and the Pacific Wilderness tourist train years ago. The tourist train went - pointlessly - to Malahat, where there's nothing to see. A day excursion to Chemainus would have worked much better.

I found the end of track about 200yds from the far side of the bridge and everything is still in place from there right through to Courtenay. I doubt it will ever come back but the corridor is preserved. It just won't necessarily be a rail corridor. Out at Vic West they are building new condo blocks all round the roundhouse and it looks like most of the yard will disappear, although the historic buildings - the roundhouse, car repair shop and goods warehouse - look like they will survive and be found alternative uses. If the railway was ever to return, I think it would need complete reconstruction from the trackbed upwards as it was neglected for so many years and most of the bridges, large and small, need major remedial attention. (CJL)

[dibber25]

This artists impression of the finished development around the roundhouse was on display at Victoria Airport. My nephew, who sells condos for a living, reckoned that the roundhouse development will be years before its completed as the market has slowed right down in recent months. Interestingly, the rail corridor which runs in that lazy 'S' from top left to bottom right, is NOT shown as preserved on the artists impression - indeed, there's a road and parking lot apparently on the upper section in the picture. (CJL)

Edited August 28, 2018 by dibber25

[steve1]

Chris,

 

Thanks for those pics, depressing though they are. I have similar set from when I was there last in the early 2000s. I'm guessing the green vehicle is a baggage car, possibly put to MoW service?

 

Have you visited the preserved line at the top of the Island?

 

steve

[dibber25]

Chris,

 

Thanks for those pics, depressing though they are. I have similar set from when I was there last in the early 2000s. I'm guessing the green vehicle is a baggage car, possibly put to MoW service?

 

Have you visited the preserved line at the top of the Island?

 

steve

 

The artist's impression of the finished site appears to show the baggage car down near the roundhouse as some sort of feature. I think it (and the couple of 40ft boxcars) came from a short-lived preservation project at Parksville. I don't know a preservation project at the top of the island. There's one over in the west which runs from Port Alberni to the MacClean Mill (preserved steam-powered sawmill) and there's a bit of preservation going on at Coombs on the E&N line from Parksville to Port Alberni. There's a major logging railway in the north of the island, at Woss and through to tidewater at Beaver Cove. However it suffered a tragic accident a couple of years ago, when some log cars ran away and hit a work crew, killing two men and injuring several more. The railway shut down pending an inquiry and I understand that since the inquiry reported, it has closed down permanently. I think pretty much the only regular rail movements are at the Forest Museum at Duncan which is 3ft gauge. They have a Plymouth 0-4-0 diesel in use most of the time but they also own a Shay which has worked and several larger logging locos which are static exhibits.  (CJL)

[dibber25]

Flashback to 2011 and two shots of the Alberni Pacific 2-8-2ST working between PortAlberni and McClean Mill. The third shot shows the two Budd RDCs wrapped for protection while stored at Nanaimo prior to shipping them east to Toronto. I think the cars were 6135 and 6148, both of which are stored at the TMC in Toronto.