Canadian Railroads > F-Unit Friday - VIA 6502 in Ottawa on No. 3, 1978

This seemed like a good wintry shot to post up this time of year; VIA really did need a logo on the yellow nose. The date is December 21, 1978, a sunny solstice day, and the time is 1535, about two hours behind schedule. VIA 6502 is on the head end of #3 with two unidentified units, one apparently an F9B still in CN stripes. The location is the short stretch between CN Wass and CN Federal, on the Beachburg Sub, with the train just having crossed the Rideau River, and then Prince of Wales Drive (the abutments for the overpass are visible to the right of the trailing unit). I have to admit some embarrassment here as far as the train number goes; my mind has blanked on how the transition from CP to VIA happened at the change of timetable October 29, 1978. The last WB Canadian, train #3, left CP's Windsor Station on October 28; the next day, departure was from CN's Central Station, but most of the consist was now former CN equipment. Here's where my memory goes sketchy, and I don't have photos to help me out. Of course, the Canadian used to be #1/#2 on CP, at least through early 1978. My slide labelling indicates the train became #3/#4 by July, so likely at the end of April timetable change, to avoid numbering conflict with the Supercontinental. What I'm not sure of, is whether the new VIA #3/#4 ran the old CP route to Sudbury via Carleton Place (retaining the route and name of the Canadian initially), or stayed on the CN line to get to the west (the Supercontinental identity and route). The CN look of the train caused the confusion in my mind. Anyone out there able to help out a "too young to be old" codger, and enlighten the rest of us?
Fred

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Very nice and very cold. cvrrr

Fine shot.

Great Shot !

Mike Bannon
St Catharines, ON

feclark Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This seemed like a good wintry shot to post up
> this time of year; VIA really did need a logo on
> the yellow nose. The date is December 21, 1978, a
> sunny solstice day, and the time is 1535, about
> two hours behind schedule. VIA 6502 is on the head
> end of #3 with two unidentified units, one
> apparently an F9B still in CN stripes. The
> location is the short stretch between CN Wass and
> CN Federal, on the Beachburg Sub, with the train
> just having crossed the Rideau River, and then
> Prince of Wales Drive (the abutments for the
> overpass are visible to the right of the trailing
> unit). I have to admit some embarrassment here as
> far as the train number goes; my mind has blanked
> on how the transition from CP to VIA happened at
> the change of timetable October 29, 1978. The last
> WB Canadian, train #3, left CP's Windsor Station
> on October 28; the next day, departure was from
> CN's Central Station, but most of the consist was
> now former CN equipment. Here's where my memory
> goes sketchy, and I don't have photos to help me
> out. Of course, the Canadian used to be #1/#2 on
> CP, at least through early 1978. My slide
> labelling indicates the train became #3/#4 by
> July, so likely at the end of April timetable
> change, to avoid numbering conflict with the
> Supercontinental. What I'm not sure of, is whether
> the new VIA #3/#4 ran the old CP route to Sudbury
> via Carleton Place (retaining the route and name
> of the Canadian initially), or stayed on the CN
> line to get to the west (the
> Supercontinental identity and route). The CN look
> of the train caused the confusion in my mind.
> Anyone out there able to help out a "too young to
> be old" codger, and enlighten the rest of us?
> Fred

I don't trust my memory but fortunately I found a VIA timetable dated October 29, 1978 to April 28, 1979. The Montreal departure of #3 is named Super Continental. It departed Central Station and transferred to CP tracks after the stop at CN Dorval. It went back on CN near North Bay.

The Canadian kept its traditional numbers 1 & 2 and operated on CN between Toronto and south of Parry Sound (sorry, I will let someone else recall or look up the names of the actual junctions) then on CP almost to Winnipeg, back on CN until Portage la Prairie, then back on CP. Both the CN  and CP  stations in Vancouver were being used at this time.

Although the timetable is short on details, it does confirm my memory  that through sleeping car service was provided between the two trains with switching at Winnipeg. So it was possible, for example, to go Toronto - Jasper or Montreal - Banff in a sleeper.

What’s the circle sign to the left of the engine for? Never seen that sign before:)

Posted from iPhone

Close snowplough wings.

Snow plow and flanger sign, calls attention to an obstruction ahead, raise the plow or flanger.Doug

An "A+" image.
Bob

hoggerdoug Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Snow plow and flanger sign, calls attention to an
> obstruction ahead, raise the plow or flanger.Doug

I presume the stacked or double sign is because there are two obstructions ahead, the turnout for the Smiths Falls Sub diverging to the left at CN Federal, then almost immediately the turnout for the siding at Federal that allowed for meets, and access to an oil tank farm, among other things, also diverging to the left. When I scanned and posted this, I noticed that the circles appear to be holes, rather than white-painted circles you often see on a solid background. Any reason?
Fred

DrawingroomA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> feclark Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This seemed like a good wintry shot to post up
> > this time of year; VIA really did need a logo
> on
> > the yellow nose. The date is December 21, 1978,
> a
> > sunny solstice day, and the time is 1535, about
> > two hours behind schedule. VIA 6502 is on the
> head
> > end of #3 with two unidentified units, one
> > apparently an F9B still in CN stripes. The
> > location is the short stretch between CN Wass
> and
> > CN Federal, on the Beachburg Sub, with the
> train
> > just having crossed the Rideau River, and then
> > Prince of Wales Drive (the abutments for the
> > overpass are visible to the right of the
> trailing
> > unit). I have to admit some embarrassment here
> as
> > far as the train number goes; my mind has
> blanked
> > on how the transition from CP to VIA happened
> at
> > the change of timetable October 29, 1978. The
> last
> > WB Canadian, train #3, left CP's Windsor
> Station
> > on October 28; the next day, departure was from
> > CN's Central Station, but most of the consist
> was
> > now former CN equipment. Here's where my memory
> > goes sketchy, and I don't have photos to help
> me
> > out. Of course, the Canadian used to be #1/#2
> on
> > CP, at least through early 1978. My slide
> > labelling indicates the train became #3/#4 by
> > July, so likely at the end of April timetable
> > change, to avoid numbering conflict with the
> > Supercontinental. What I'm not sure of, is
> whether
> > the new VIA #3/#4 ran the old CP route to
> Sudbury
> > via Carleton Place (retaining the route and
> name
> > of the Canadian initially), or stayed on the CN
> > line to get to the west (the
> > Supercontinental identity and route). The CN
> look
> > of the train caused the confusion in my mind.
> > Anyone out there able to help out a "too young
> to
> > be old" codger, and enlighten the rest of us?
> > Fred
>
> I don't trust my memory but fortunately I found a
> VIA timetable dated October 29, 1978 to April 28,
> 1979. The Montreal departure of #3 is named Super
> Continental. It departed Central Station and
> transferred to CP tracks after the stop at CN
> Dorval. It went back on CN near North Bay.
>
> The Canadian kept its traditional numbers 1 & 2
> and operated on CN between Toronto and south of
> Parry Sound (sorry, I will let someone else recall
> or look up the names of the actual junctions) then
> on CP almost to Winnipeg, back on CN until Portage
> la Prairie, then back on CP. Both the CN  and
> CP  stations in Vancouver were being used at this
> time.
>
> Although the timetable is short on details, it
> does confirm my memory  that through sleeping car
> service was provided between the two trains with
> switching at Winnipeg. So it was possible, for
> example, to go Toronto - Jasper or Montreal -
> Banff in a sleeper.

Thanks for the clarification. The few other times I shot #3 before moving to Calgary in 1979, there were one or two Manor cars, good old Budd stock, on the tail end.
Fred

An absolutely awesome photo in all respects and a great accompanying narrative.
Thanks very much for your posting.
ALLEN