Canadian Railroads > The Canadian (VIA) on the CPR - Jan. 1990

The morning of January 11, 1990 was on the chilly side while standing above the Canadian Pacific tracks and the Bow River between Lake Louise and Banff, Alberta. The river was not totally frozen over, so the relatively warm water vapor mixing with the sub-zero air provided an interesting swirl of frozen mist. The sun was about as high in the sky as it was going to get when #2 came around the curve and vanished off into the distance. I shot a backlit, going-away shot just for kicks. I had no idea it would be so pleasing. Here it is.

That's really cool. I'm not a big fan of "nice shot!" posts but this one is deserving, especially because it's unconventional.

That wouldn't be the curve just east of Helmstetlers Curve?

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

I think it's Morant's Curve, but not the view we usually see. This is looking East.

I thought the Canadian moved to a CN route after January 15, 1990. Was this a detour, or am I mixed up?

GTD

There were some detours over CP after Via 1 & 2 were transferred to the CN route.

There are several "blue fleet" (smooth side) cars on the head end, it looks like three deadhead coaches and a baggage car.
The power looks to be an F40PH-2R, ex-CN F9B, and a steam generator car. Typical power for 1 & 2 before the HEP program.

The location is definately Morant's Curve, two miles east of Lake Louise AB.

Looks like the eastward view at Morant's to me, too.

Helmstetter's Curve is on the ex-WM (now Western Maryland Scenic) near Cumberland MD.

I am also pretty sure that the changeover from the CP route to the CN route on the Canadian as in 1990. So this could be a detour?

cn6218 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think it's Morant's Curve, but not the view we
> usually see. This is looking East.
>
> I thought the Canadian moved to a CN route after
> January 15, 1990. Was this a detour, or am I
> mixed up?
>
> GTD

You are correct on both accounts. I did not notice that I screwed up and typed "1991" instead of "1990". The only reason I was in Canada at the time was to capture the final runs of the Canadian on CP rails.

Thanks for having sharp eyes!

And this is the "coming at you version" which was posted some time back.

JCL

I remember that day! My wife and I took a VIA cross-Canada roundtrip right after Christmas 1989 to catch the final weeks of the "real" Canadian and the Super Continental. Even rode the Malahat, which was supposed to expire on January 15th but is still hanging in nearly twenty years later.

If memory serves we arrived Banff the day before you took your picture and spent the next couple skiing Lake Louise before heading east on the 13th. While we didn't see the train in the picture, I vividly recall the clear - and very cold - day skiing. We stayed at Post Hotel adjacent to the CP main in Lake Louise - nothing beats watching trains from a hot tub after a day on the slopes.

The consist on the 11th was typical of what VIA was running after New Years until a day or two before discontinuance, although with four deadheading cars behind the steam generator. The full diner had been replaced by a Skyline dome during this period, but was back on the expanded consist we rode east a couple of days later. We also had a second F40PH. Our train ended up running about eight hours late, turning our connection at Sudbury from a daylight coach train to an uncomfortable overnight sitting up in an ex-CN high-density car. Because VIA #2 ran as a separate train Sudbury - Montreal (the consist from Vancouver became #10 to Toronto), ours was the last Canadian into Montreal, arriving early on the 16th. The remaining couple of eastbound Canadians proceeded through Sudbury with no Quebec connection.

Dave

Just a reminder, folks, that train, with that equipment, is still in regular revenue service, 3 runs a week each way from Vancouver to Toronto. It runs on the equally scenic CN tracks these days. Ride it before it's gone. It's the deal!
http://www.viarail.ca/pdf/guides/en_canadian.pdf
http://www.viarail.ca/trains/en_trai_toja.html

For all the attention that each run of 3 remaining CZ cars in California get, I'm amazed at how few people go north of the border and ride The Canadian...

Ride it in the middle of the summer and the nights are so short you'll see most of the Rockies and Coast Range by daylight. In the late 90s, you'd have as many as 35 cars on a single train, and a whack of domes. Don't know if they still have that many, but, it's still a heck of a timewarp.
Ted in Vancouver WA

Be great to see that train back on that route again someday!