Thinking About The Atlantic

[NS VIA Fan]

[SIZE=10.5pt]It was 35 years ago today, October 29, 1979 the first eastbound VIA Atlantic arrived at Moncton, New Brunswick. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]The previous evening the new Atlantic had departed Central Station in Montreal for the first time and now run on CN to a junction with CP and its former route at Lennoxville, Quebec....then through the now infamous Lac-Megantic and across the State of Maine……but instead of terminating in Saint John it now continued on to Moncton and Halifax.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]And the new VIA Saint John Station that first morning: [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt](The day before the old Atlantic had run on an all CP route, departing from Windsor Station in Montreal for the last time and terminating at CP’s Dever Rd Station in Saint John)[/SIZE]

 

[NS VIA Fan]

I was on the first run and here’s some souvenirs:

1) [SIZE=10.5pt]My ticket (& still on CN ticket stock) for Roomette 10 in Car 1240

2) The Atlantic’s consist on “Instructions Speciales” (in French) issued at Gare Centrale, Montreal. (Note the Amtrak Montrealer’s consist to Washington listed above the Atlantic)

3) VIA Atlantic Timetable[/SIZE]

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Awesome souvenirs, NS VIA Fan! Did the train pick up many pax in Maine in the middle of the night?

 

[NS VIA Fan]

Awesome souvenirs, NS VIA Fan! Did the train pick up many pax in Maine in the middle of the night?

[SIZE=10pt]I wouldn’t say there were great crowds boarding at the Maine stops but always a steady business. Sometimes you would get groups from Bangor boarding at Brownville Jct and heading into Montreal.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]For several years we did weekend ski trips on the Atlantic from Halifax to Greenville. VIA[/SIZE] offered Package Deals...... rail, hotel and lifts at Squaw Mountain and the Atlantic had a great bar car! We would leave Halifax at noon and the hotel shuttle would meet the train at midnight in Greenville. Returning, we would board the Atlantic in the wee hours of Monday morning.

[SIZE=10pt]In its final years.....the Atlantic was “sealed” across Maine. US Customs Agents rode the train and only checked those getting off in the US......through passengers were just left alone.Those boarding in the US and going to Canada were checked by Canada Customs when the train reached Megantic, Quebec or McAdam, New Brunswick.[/SIZE]