Canadian Railroads > Kool-Aid at Springhill Jct.

While the Ocean is on hiatus (until November?), I've been sifting through the archives to find some images of the train from years past.

In the summer of 2000, VIA did a promotion with Kool-Aid that involved wrapping a number (8?) of F40s in colourful advertisement for their product.  Unlike some other promotions (CBC, Spiderman), these ones were peeled off very quickly at the end of summer, although the shadows of the stickers were still visible for a while.  VIA 14 is passing the siding and former junction in Springhill Jct., NS on August 27, 2000.  This is roughly mile 60 of CN's Springhill Sub.  Although the Sub was named for the coal mining town of Springhill, CN didn't actually run into the town.  Instead a company railway, the Cumberland Coal and Railway Co. provided the link, and continued south to the Bay of Fundy at Parrsboro.  It all went belly up after a pair of mine disasters in the 1950s, and today Springhill Jct. is a small cluster of houses, an 11,350 ft. siding and a VIA flag stop.

GTD

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I always liked that scheme and so did a co-workers young sons.

When they saw the 'Kool Aid' F40 on the Bras d'Or....they just had go for a ride on the “Kool-Aid Train”. So a summer trip was booked on the Ocean to Montreal. Well everyone loved the train ride so much they did it for the next couple of years.....and one of those sons is still riding VIA regularly in the corridor.

As there is no train order board on the station at Springhill Junction in 1975, I'm guessing it was a flagstop then.

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Still a flag stop for the Ocean (at least right up 'till Covid)....but this 'Stationette' as VIA called them, built in 1987 is also gone.

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