THE CANADIAN 60 Years of Transcontinental Passenger Service 1955 - 2015 VOLUME 2: The VIA Rail Canada Era 1978 - 2015 C. van Steenis, Calgary, AB. April 2015 CONTENTS Though by no means complete, this series is a pictorial journal of Canadian Pacific Railway’s THE CANADIAN and VIA Rail’s CANADIAN marking 60 years of operation from the inaugural runs on 24 April 1955 to 2015; in four volumes: Vol. 1A: The Canadian Pacific Era 1955-1978 in Eastern Canada Vol. 1B: The Canadian Pacific Era 1955-1978 in Western Canada Vol. 2: The Via Rail Canada Era 1978-2015 Vol. 3: Motive Power & Passenger Equipment This Volume, Vol. 2, focuses on VIA Rail Canada’s ‘CANADIAN’, from Oct of 1978 to Jan 1990 on the Canadian Pacific Railway southern route and from January of 1990 on the Canadian National Railway northern route. The author wishes to express thanks to the following individuals who kindly provided photos and information for this volume: John P. Carter, Andy Cassidy, Bruce Chapman, Kevin Dunk, Raymond Farand, Phil Mason, Claude Prutton, Wilco van Schoonhoven and Ron Visockis. Special thanks to Bruce Chapman for reviewing this volume. Photo Credits: All photos are used with the permission of the photographers. The photos of the old stations from the early part of the 20th century are in the public domain; the copyright has expired. Cover Photo: KOKANEE PARK brings up the markers on Train No. 2, VIA’s CANADIAN at CN Home, AB., west of Jasper, on 10 April 2010, – Cor van Steenis Photo VIA 1147 (ex-CNR) Sleeper ERWOOD at Edmonton 04 Dec 1978 Cor van Steenis Photo THE VIA RAIL PASSENGER FLEET In March of 1978 Canadian National transferred most of its extensive passenger car fleet to VIA Rail, such as the ‘E’ sleeper ERWOOD (blt. 1954 P-S, above). In October of 1978, the entire Canadian Pacific stainless steel Budd-built car fleet and other cars were transferred, such as SKYLINE DOME 503 (blt 1954, below). VIA (ex-CPR) SKYLINE DOME 503 on No. 2 at Field, B.C., 28 Jul 1981 Cor van Steenis Photo THE ROUTE OF VIA RAIL’S ‘CANADIAN’ 1978 - 1990 & 1990 - 2015 The route of Canadian Pacific’s THE CANADIAN remained unchanged from the inaugural runs on 24 April 1955 until the last trains left the eastern and western terminals on 28 October 1978; over 23 years of daily trans-continental passenger service in each direction. On 29 October 1978 VIA Rail Canada assumed operations and from then their ‘CANADIAN’ traveled on CPR’s tracks, the ‘southern route’ (shown in dashed red); Toronto to Vancouver. There was no ‘Montreal’ section again until 17 June 1979, when VIA’s CANADIAN returned to Montreal, using Central Station (solid red). For a time, in the early 1980’s, VIA’s ‘CANADIAN’ ran from Montreal-Ottawa- Toronto-Vancouver (not shown on map) rather than in sections from Montreal and Toronto to Sudbury. From 15 January 1990, after severe budget cuts, the southern route was dropped and VIA’s ‘CANADIAN’ commenced running on CNR’s northern route (shown in blue). The Montreal-Sudbury section was gone; the ‘transcontinental’ now went only from Toronto to Vancouver, bypassing Regina, Calgary and Banff. VIA FP9A No. 1413 (ex-CPR No. 1413), two CPR 8500 series GP9’s and another VIA FP9A (ex-CPR) are all still in the CP Rail ‘action red’ livery as they take VIA’s CANADIAN, Train No. 1, down the ‘Big Hill’ into Field, B.C., on 06 August 1981. C. van Steenis photo VIA Rail’s ‘CANADIAN’ ON THE SOUTHERN ROUTE (Canadian Pacific Railway Route) October 1978 – January 1990 Canadian National Central Station – Montreal – 1943 Unknown Photographer – Public Domain VIA RAIL’S EASTERN TERMINALS CANADIAN NATIONAL CENTRAL STATION - MONTREAL After the takeover by VIA of CPR’s passenger services on 29 October 1978, VIA Rail dropped Montreal’s Canadian Pacific Windsor Station as the eastern terminus for its CANADIAN; the train ran only out of Toronto to Vancouver. Then, on 17 June 1979, VIA’s re-established the ‘Montreal’ section; the eastern terminus for the CANADIAN was became Canadian National’s Central Station (above). Construction was started in 1926, was suspended in 1930 due to the Great Depression and resumed in 1939. The station opened on 14 Jul 1943. VIA No. 1 at Ashton, Ontario, 27 Dec 1979 Bruce Chapman Photo VIA RAIL ‘CANADIAN’ – THE EARLY YEARS VIA Rail is just into its second year of operation as VIA 6514 heads up Train No. 1 at Ashton, Ontario, MP23 on the Carleton Place Subdivision, on its run from Montreal to Sudbury and on to Vancouver. The consist is a mix of ex-CPR stainless steel cars and ex-CNR cars, including a steam generator car in the blue and yellow livery behind the engine. The engine is ex-CNR 6514, an FP9A built by GMD in 1957, still in Canadian National colours, but with the CN logo removed from the nose. VIA No. 1 crossing the Rideau River, Ottawa, ON., 19 May 1987 Raymond Farand Photo; from his book ‘Steel Passageways Up The Valley” THE MONTREAL – SUDBURY SECTION VIA Rail FPA-4 No. 6780 heads up westbound Train No. 1, the ‘CANADIAN’, out of Ottawa with a mix of ex-CNR and ex-CPR cars, all painted in the VIA blue and yellow livery. The engine is ex-CNR 6780, built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1959. Two and a half years later, on 15 January 1990, this train will no longer travel the Montreal- Ottawa-Sudbury route; the train will run out of Toronto to Vancouver. VIA No. 2 East of Levack, ON. 1989 John P. Carter Photo LEVACK, ONTARIO VIA No. 2, headed up by VIA F40PH-2 No. 6408, a ‘B’ unit, an-ex-CNR Steam Generator Car, an ex-CNR Baggage Car and 7 other ex-CPR and ex-CNR cars including 2 dome cars is east of Levack, Ontario,MP104 on the CPR Cartier Subdivision just before the VIA CANADIAN discontinued running on the southern CPR route on 14 January 1990. Toronto Union Station 1935 Arthur Lane photo – Public Domain VIA RAIL’S EASTERN TERMINALS TORONTO UNION STATION Canadian Pacific’s Train No. 11, the Toronto section of THE CANADIAN, used to start its journey to Sudbury, Ontario, at Toronto Union Station; that did not change when VIA assumed ownership of the CANADIAN on 29 October 1978. The station was built from 1914-1920 for the Toronto Terminals Railway (owned jointly by the CPR and Grand Trunk Railway). It was opened on 06 Aug 1927 by Prince Edward, Prince of Wales. The station is still the eastern terminal for VIA Rail’s CANADIAN today. 1981 VIA CANADIAN TIMETABLE MONTREAL-TORONTO-SUDBURY-WINNIPEG Winnipeg Union Station – circa 1920 Library & Archives Canada - Unknown Photographer – Public Domain THE WESTERN STATIONS - UNION STATION - WINNIPEG When VIA Rail assumed ownership of the CANADIAN on 29 October 1990, it moved the station stop in Winnipeg from the CPR Higgins Avenue Station to Union Station (above). The station was built between 1908 and 1911 by the Canadian Northern Railway, Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and the Dominion Government; the first train to use the station was on 07 Aug 1911; it officially opened on 24 June 1912. 1981 VIA CANADIAN TIMETABLE WINNIPEG – VANCOUVER At this time, VIA’s CANADIAN was running from Montreal (Central Station)-Ottawa-Toronto- Sudbury-Winnipeg-Vancouver; it did not run in two sections from Montreal and Toronto to Sudbury. Train No. 1 (left) at Winnipeg Union Station 01 May 1981 Ron Visockis Photo WINNIPEG, MANITOBA VIA No. 1 is headed up on this day by an eclectic mix of road power: VIA 1406 is ex-CPR FP9A 1406 built 1954 by GMD; retired 1983 VIA 1965 is ex-CPR F9B 1907 built in 1954 by GMD; became CPR 4478 in 1971, became VIA 1965 in 1979; retired in 1983 VIA 8558 is ex-CPR RS-10 8558 built in 1956 by MLW; retired in 1981 VIA 6504 (on the right track) is ex-CNR FP9A 6504 and might here be the power on the SUPER CONTINENTAL…? VIA No. 1 Brandon Manitoba 01 May 1981 Ron Visockis Photo BRANDON, MANITOBA After departing Winnipeg’s Union Station, we see the same train later that day stopped at the station at Brandon, Manitoba, 133 miles west of Winnipeg, the division point between the CPR Carberry and Broadview Subdivisions. The lead unit, VIA 1406, is having her water topped up at the stand-pipe. The train has two dome cars (a Skyline dome and a PARK car) and a mix of steel cars (in blue with yellow striping), inherited from the CNR in March of 1978, and stainless steel cars inherited from the CPR in October of 1978. VIA No. 1 east of Banff MP77 Laggan Subdivision 16 May 1982 Claude Prutton Photo ANTHRACITE, ALBERTA VIA No. 1 is here passing the site of the ghost town of Anthracite, Alberta, about 3 miles east of Banff. It was in existence from 1886 to 1904 as a coal (anthracite) mining town to supply the CPR and reached a population of 300. The train is headed up by an A-B-A lash-up, all in VIA blue and yellow and has 14 cars. The car between the locomotives and the baggage car is a sleeper used to accommodate the passenger car attendants. On the right is the Trans-Canada Highway. VIA NO. 1 at Banff East 17 Aug 1980 H.A. Kinsey Photo from the Ron Visockis Collection BANFF EAST, ALBERTA Stoney Squaw looms over VIA Train No.