Canadian Railroads > Via #15 Follies, 18 Hours Late

What the heck?
I doubt a good time for all involved:
https://asm.transitdocs.com/train/2025/3/7/V/15

So anyone know what happened to cause this delay? Last month they held #14 and #15 around Moncton and Montreal due to known weather or a freight train issue. I thought it was weather, but could be wrong. 

They lost almost 2 hours between Moncton and Rogersville (about 40 miles), and then another 2 between Miramichi and Bathurst.  I'm up in that area for the weekend and was going to do some night shots at Bathurst, but also needed to get up early in the morning, so I bailed on that idea.

The scuttlebutt from a CN employee is that they had power problems, and 402 was going to rescue them at Rimouski.  That may have happened since they left Rimouski about an hour ago.  Seems like odd power problems though, because they were traveling at 50 mph towards the meet at Mont Joli early this morning

The weather has been very rough up here, with rain recently and then a snap freeze.  14 looked pretty rough when they arrived in Campbellton, about 4 hours late.  14's lateness seems to be due to 15 failing before they could meet just east of Mont Joli.

GTD

Gotta wonder how long the Ren cars are good for before the toilets need dumped, that might've become an issue.

Food situation onboard no doubt causing grief, when I rode last fall running out of a meal choice was common.

Bigger deal probably is finding/positioning rested train crews.

Have never heard of a train this late for this length of run, a real whopper, and a real can of worms to put right.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/25 19:39 by PumpkinHogger.

According to tsimobile arrival at Montreal was 09:16, almost a full day late.  As long as I was in a sleeper cabin I wouldn't mind that unless I had something urgent to do.  I feel sorry for those in coach.

Is #15 of March 9, 2025 now leaving on March 10, 2025 - Monday? I see it listed on transit maps with a 24 hour delay departing Halifax........

Tsimobile shows #15 in Halifax arriving (sic) at 20:32.  That site often says arrival at the point of origin when they mean departure.

The departure of today's #14 from Montreal is expected at 03:08.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/25 12:22 by DrawingroomA.

It appears that both 14 and 15 have been delayed by 24 hours.  VIA seems obsessed with making sure the meet happens around Rimouski so the crews can trade and return home on the other train.

14 got to Halifax about 4 and a half hours late last night.  They've been later and still departed on time the next day.

15 never made it much past Rimouski under its own power on Saturday.  From sources at CN, they used 402's power (a 3000 and a new 8300) to take it as far as St. Foy, where VIA put a P42 on the front of the two F40s for the rest of the trip to Montreal.  At this point it certainly seems to be a problem with the power, not the Ren cars freezing up.

GTD

cn6218 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> 15 never made it much past Rimouski under its own
> power on Saturday.  From sources at CN, they used
> 402's power (a 3000 and a new 8300) to take it as
> far as St. Foy, where VIA put a P42 on the front
> of the two F40s for the rest of the trip to
> Montreal. 

I wonder if a P42 leading #15 was unprecedented.
From the image I saw it was 907 leading.

...jr
 

And I don't think VIA Rail has plans to put any of the P42s on their LD trains. So it could be unprecedented to have this locomotive on a LD train like the Ocean. Very interesting!