Canadian Railroads > Once Upon A Time…….On Time !!

Today when an hours late Canadian is the norm....here’s an interesting read from a Trip Report I found in a 1972 issue of RAIL TRAVEL newsletter*** The author, Paul Rayton was riding CN’s eastbound Super Continental.


"All morning I had been on tenderhooks, for, having consulted both CN and CP timetables, I knew that both trains were scheduled to run on almost exactly the same schedule into Toronto. Was CP’s CANADIAN on time? Would we see it?

We were stopped near Parry Sound when I heard another train whistling in the distance. I could see some other tracks about 100 yards distinct. Whose were they? As we slowly built up speed from our station stop, suddenly there it was – rolling right alongside of us. I went into a frenzy of picture taking, all the while marveling at the event. Imagine: two full-service trains – competing, yet – each of which had come over 2500 miles from Vancouver – the other side of the continent – and there they were, on time and running side by side for these few brief seconds of their trips.

Arrival in Toronto was on time to the second, 5:00 pm sharp."


Transcontinental Schedule for summer 1972

CN Super Continental: Dep Vancouver 5:35pm >>>> Arr Parry Sound 12:40p Arr Toronto 5:00p
CP Canadian: Dep Vancouver 6:30pm. >>>> Arr Parry Sound 12:42, Arr Toronto 4:20pm


***RTN was a great little newsmagazine. I subscribed for years!

Back then, the trains schedule (albeit a different train) was way shorter than current. So what is the main reason, other than occasional bad weather or mechanical problems, that the current VIA version is so consistently hours late? Is freight traffic that much heavier? Or is it that  it is no longer CN's own train and they just don't give a dam. If the later is the case, VIA should be able to take some sort of legal action to insure better handling of a measly 6 trains (in peak season) per week. People have places to be, things to do, connections to make, etc. Material goods do not. 

Yes, RTN was a great little publication, probably a victem of the Internet where such news is now instant on sights like this. 

During the early 1970s we were having lunch in the dining car of The Canadian in the area of CN's South Parry where the CP and CN are very close for a short distance. Suddenly we noticed the dining car of the Super Continental was right beside us. Both trains were going the same speed so passengers in both diners raised their glasses to each other.

Thanks for reminding me of RTN to which I subscribed for many years.

My first transcontiental ride on the CP Canadian in September 1977 arrived in Montreal within one minute of the scheduled 8:00pm arrival time.  And, on my return trip west on the CN Super Contiental to Vancouver, it also was on time. 

Lee Hower - Sacramento

mcfflyer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My first transcontiental ride on the CP Canadian
> in September 1977 arrived in Montreal within one
> minute of the scheduled 8:00pm arrival time. 

In the mid ‘70s CP scheduled a 15 minute connection between the e/b Canadian and the e/b Atlantic Limited at 7:50pm in Montreal West (there wasn’t time to go into Windsor Station)

I made the connection without a problem but I did have a Plan ‘B': I would have taken the CN Scotian at 11pm from Central Station.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/17 11:52 by ghCBNS.

When we rode Vancouver to Toronto last August we were 1 1/2 hours late.  We were amazed at the lenghth of the freights which passed us.  Monsters!!!   At one point we were 3 hours down but they made up some of it somewhere during the night.  

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

The biggest timekeeping issue today is non-clearing or oversiding freight trains.  This is most prevalent in northern Ontario where CN has only a few long sidings.  But many extended sidings west of Winnipeg are only 10000 to 11000 feet while CN now runs many 12000 to 14000 foot trains.  In addition the train counts east and west of Winnipeg are considerably higher than 40 to 50 years ago, while on CP the opposite is true.
Dick Eisfeller

ghCBNS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> mcfflyer Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > My first transcontiental ride on the CP
> Canadian
> > in September 1977 arrived in Montreal within
> one
> > minute of the scheduled 8:00pm arrival time. 
>
> In the mid ‘70s CP scheduled a 15 minute
> connection between the e/b Canadian and the e/b
> Atlantic Limited at 7:50pm in Montreal West (there
> wasn’t time to go into Windsor Station)
>
> I made the connection without a problem but I did
> have a Plan ‘B': I would have taken the CN
> Scotian at 11pm from Central Station.

Actually, on that 1977 trip, I was continuing on east on the Atlantic Limited, but the CP Canadian arrived in Montreal at 8:00pm, but the Atlantic Limited was scheduled out at 6:00pm, requiring an overnight stay in Montreal, at Le Chateau Champlain.