Canadian Railroads > "VIA #2 is hot today. I've got to depart him on time."

Could only be the yearly Moonlighters VIA#2 trip.
It left Vancouver on time at 12:00 on the nose.
Only the moonlighters themselves might have delayed the train; 
a group were photographing the head end at five minutes to noon.

A big train; 41 in the coach, 150 in the sleepers, and 27 crew.
It was a 21 car consist,

VIA 6434
VIA 6428
Baggage 8604
Coach 8143
Skyline 8502
Diner Acadian
Skyline 8515
Franklin Manor
Bayfield Manor
Craig Manor
Lorne Manor
Butler Manor
Drummond Manor
Wolfe Manor
Christie Manor
Monck Manor
Mackenzie Manor
Skyline 8500
Diner Empress
Chateau Closse
Chateau Cadillac    Prestige class
Chateau Varennes     Prestige class
Kootenay Park     Prestige class


 



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/19 00:21 by Marcus.

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Looks like a Summer consist. If the train makes good time, it will only show that it can be done and CN doesn't give a crap about the "regular" VIA passenger. 

#1 and #2 just met in Jasper.

#1 arrived 17 hours late.
Moonlighters #2 arrived one hour early.

I'm all for the Moonlighters having a good time and an on time train.  But what about the rest of us who are somewhat regular on Trains 1 - 2/?  I feel it is very arrogant on the part of the CN to run Moonlighters on time but say the hell with the rest of us who love the train and the route.

Pardon my lack of knowledge .... but who are the Moonlighters?

Are they influential travel writers? Wealthy tourists? Political types?

 

Will MacKenzie
Dundas, ON

thehighwayman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pardon my lack of knowledge .... but who are the
> Moonlighters?
>
> Are they influential travel writers? Wealthy
> tourists? Political types?

No, mostly current and retired railway managers from around North America, plus others who have joined in over the years. In short, they are people who are very knowledgeable about railway operations and would understand that the train's performance reflects CN's work, not VIA's. In response, CN puts on this show for them. By now, though, the Moonlighters must surely know that this is a once-a-year example of the "emperor's new clothes" and that CN in fact is not a fluid railway.

As I type this, the train is stopped at Edmonton, some 2 hr, 34 min late. Perhaps the "emperor's new clothes" are unravelling.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/19 18:42 by railsmith.

thehighwayman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pardon my lack of knowledge .... but who are the
> Moonlighters?
>
> Are they influential travel writers? Wealthy
> tourists? Political types?
>
>  
Mostly retired railroaders.
C

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

Marcus Wrote in part:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ............
>
> A big train; 41 in the coach, 150 in the sleepers,
> and 27 crew.
> It was a 21 car consist,
>
> VIA 6434
> VIA 6428
> Baggage 8604
> 
>  ..............

I noticed that there are only two units on this 21 car train. I rode a much shorter version of #2 exactly a month ago, and we ran with three units all the way across to Toronto. In fact we were delayed over 4 hours leaving Vancouver until they could repair issues with one of the three units. 

I thought they normally run with three units at least unitl Jasper. So my question is: Why the difference in the number of units this time -- is it milder weather?? or something else.

WP17

WP17 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Marcus Wrote in part:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ............
> >
> > A big train; 41 in the coach, 150 in the
> sleepers,
> > and 27 crew.
> > It was a 21 car consist,
> >
> > VIA 6434
> > VIA 6428
> > Baggage 8604
> > 
> >  ..............
>
> I noticed that there are only two units on this 21
> car train. I rode a much shorter version of #2
> exactly a month ago, and we ran with three units
> all the way across to Toronto. In fact we were
> delayed over 4 hours leaving Vancouver until they
> could repair issues with one of the three
> units. 
>
> I thought they normally run with three units at
> least unitl Jasper. So my question is: Why the
> difference in the number of units this time -- is
> it milder weather?? or something else.

Two units is quite normal, even with the longer summer trains. The reason for three between Vancouver and Jasper will often be a ferry move of power for the Jasper-Prince Rupert train, which is serviced at Vancouver. That is one of the reasons the train takes the CN route.

Some examples from my notes and photos (observations near Vancouver) include No. 1 arriving July 25 last year (two units and 26 cars), No. 2 departing July 30 last year (two units and 27 cars) and No. 2 departing October 16 last year (three units and 20 cars).  The shortest train of the three had the three units ex-Vancouver.

Another example that I recorded was on February 2, 2018 when an 11-car train left Vancouver behind four units. One unit came off at Jasper, as per the above, and the second came off at Winnipeg.
 

railsmith Wrote:
...
>
> As I type this, the train is stopped at Edmonton,
> some 2 hr, 34 min late. Perhaps the "emperor's new
> clothes" are unravelling.


The tracking sites show that the train has been stopped at Saskatoon for quite a while. ETA for the next stop (Watrous) is 3 hours 8 minutes late.  There is plenty of make-up time in Ontario. Number 2 was over six hours late at Armstrong on Friday but only 40 minutes late into Toronto on Saturday.

Now it is over 5 hours late and stopped east of Melville. Thats more like it! Where is the worst area for delays, it is between Edmonton and Winnipeg, or more specific than that?

Edit: 6 hours late. Sat at 0mph for an hour... now updates as going between 4mph-10mph for a bit as the lateness adds up.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/19 16:42 by inCHI.

This is an excerpt of a posting by a  passenger  on another site:
" ... about 20 miles east of Melville, waiting for a broken axle on a train ahead."

Sort of ironic:  Moonlighters  #2 over 6 hours late headed towards Rivers.  Westbound #1 only a little over an hour late towards Ferland!  Maybe someone got their orders reversed!!

viatrainrider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sort of ironic:  Moonlighters  #2 over 6 hours
> late headed towards Rivers.  Westbound #1 only a
> little over an hour late towards Ferland!  Maybe
> someone got their orders reversed!!

It shows that andersonb109 has more influence with CN than the Moonlighters.  Maybe CN is monitoring TO!

Seems like anderson109b and the Moonlighters had a meet at Ena Lake about 05:15. I trust we'll be getting a first-hand report.

Wonder how andersonb109's #1will do once they start doing Winnipeg - Edmonton.

Hey andersonb109, people looking for an update.  From Winnipeg?  You probably know your #1 is doing better than the Moonlighters #2!