Nice link! Thanks!
Replying to VIA's Rainbow Era
Topic Summary
Swadian Hardcore
Posted 07 June 2012 - 11:09 PM
Nice link! Thanks!
NS VIA Fan
Posted 03 June 2012 - 06:23 AM
No……one of the baggage cars used now contains a diesel or gasoline generator to provide power. Some of the cars used on these remote services also had individual stoves or furnaces….don't know if any of these are left or not.
Only these few remain now…….VIA concentrated on rebuilding the xCP stainless-steel cars instead when they initiated the HEP (head-end power) program in the late '80s.
You mean these blue & yellow cars still use a steam generator?
Here's a link to VIA's car fleet on their web page: Click on each for a description and some have diagrams and 360 deg. Photos:
http://www.viarail.c...-rail/our-fleet
Swadian Hardcore
Posted 31 May 2012 - 05:42 PM
Only these few remain now…….VIA concentrated on rebuilding the xCP stainless-steel cars instead when they initiated the HEP (head-end power) program in the late '80s.
You mean these blue & yellow cars still use a steam generator?
Swadian Hardcore
Posted 30 May 2012 - 04:53 PM
The blue & yellow cars you see in the video were originally from the CN fleet (CN had very few stainless-steel or flutted cars) There were hundreds of these smooth sided cars that eventually went to VIA and were used everywhere across the system.
Only these few remain now…….VIA concentrated on rebuilding the xCP stainless-steel cars instead when they initiated the HEP (head-end power) program in the late '80s.
So did they ever cange the seats?
NS VIA Fan
Posted 30 May 2012 - 10:18 AM
The blue & yellow cars you see in the video were originally from the CN fleet (CN had very few stainless-steel or flutted cars) There were hundreds of these smooth sided cars that eventually went to VIA and were used everywhere across the system............I wonder if they ever changed the seat, and also where they were used before been put on this branch route.
Only these few remain now…….VIA concentrated on rebuilding the xCP stainless-steel cars instead when they initiated the HEP (head-end power) program in the late '80s.
Swadian Hardcore
Posted 29 May 2012 - 10:50 PM
Photos of their interior appear to be non-existent online, however some folk who traveled up there about four years ago uploaded this video to Youtube which has some shots of the inside of the carriages from about 2m 15s.
Ah, nice! Looks just like the current VIA coaches inside. I wonder if they ever changed the seats, and also where they were used before been put on this branch route.
jamesbrownontheroad
Posted 27 May 2012 - 12:01 PM
Some additional info: the last remaining blue & yellow cars in service out of The Pas are 9631 (baggage), 3248 (cafe/coach), 5648 & 5649 (combine coaches). I think one or two of them have made a few trips down to Winnipeg or even Toronto in recent years for maintenance, but otherwise you'll only ever see them between the Pas and Pukatawagan.
Photos of their interior appear to be non-existent online, however some folk who traveled up there about four years ago uploaded this video to Youtube which has some shots of the inside of the carriages from about 2m 15s.
Photos of their interior appear to be non-existent online, however some folk who traveled up there about four years ago uploaded this video to Youtube which has some shots of the inside of the carriages from about 2m 15s.
Swadian Hardcore
Posted 23 May 2012 - 11:16 PM
Nice to see that the old cars are still in service! Would love to ride one of those!
jamesbrownontheroad
Posted 23 May 2012 - 10:22 AM
Those blue railcar with yellow stripes didn't look very good. They should have just kept them in the original ivery. Does anybody know where the smooth-sided cars went?
I believe the blue and yellow fleet as they we called lasted on VIA until the late 90s and were sold off to private operators or scrapped. A couple still survive on The Pas to Pukatawagan mixed train in Manitoba which is operated by the Keewatin Railway with the VIA train stuck on the rear of the freight train.
+1
I last saw a few of these in 2006 when I was touring the USA and Canada by train (my pic of a baggage car here). Although VIA Rail promote it, a number of locals and VIA Rail employees strongly advised against travel unless you were either a local or accompanied by one. Can be a rough ride, and I'm not talking about the track conditions. Here's a video of a typical consist.
That said, I've never seen inside one of those cars, I'd be interested to know what condition they're in today.
NorthCoastHiawatha
Posted 13 May 2012 - 04:16 PM
I believe the blue and yellow fleet as they we called lasted on VIA until the late 90s and were sold off to private operators or scrapped. A couple still survive on The Pas to Pukatawagan mixed train in Manitoba which is operated by the Keewatin Railway with the VIA train stuck on the rear of the freight train.Those blue railcar with yellow stripes didn't look very good. They should have just kept them in the original ivery. Does anybody know where the smooth-sided cars went?
