VIA returns to the USA: Inaugural Run - June 1, 1985

[NS VIA Fan]

After a 3 1/2 year hiatus....VIA restored the 'Atlantic' between Halifax and Montreal serving 5 stops in the State of Maine and the consist included a 'Park' Dome Observation. Its 30 years ago today, June 1, 1985 since that first train and I was aboard for the inaugural run to Montreal.

Here's the first w/b #11 arriving at Truro. I boarded a coach and rode to Moncton NB where I changed to a Roomette for the rest of the run into Montreal.

 

[NS VIA Fan]

Then it was onto a foggy Saint John to be greeted by to an enthusiastic crowd. During the Atlantic's 3 1/2 year hiatus, Saint John residents had to travel to Montreal via Moncton and Campbellton on the Ocean....a 750 mile trip. Now it was just a quick 470 mile overnight trip across Maine.

There was quite a few aboard including several politician and a TV crew from Portland riding to Brownville Jct. I can't remember what I had for dinner but It was a long wait and we were nearly over the Maine Border before all were fed.

Here the timetable and the consist of inaugural Atlantic:

VIA #11 Atlantic w/b, June 1, 1985

6772 MLW FPA4

6869 MLW FPB4

6865 MLW FPB4

9620 Baggage

5578 Coach

5622 Coach

3032 Cafe Coach

764 Cafe Lounge

5724 Dayniter

5738 Dayniter

Green Ridge Sleeper

Greenfield Sleeper

1349 Diner

Chateau Richelieu Sleeper

Chateau Radisson Sleeper

Ernestown Sleeper

Waterton Park Dome Observation

 

[NS VIA Fan]

I had planned to return home on June 2 taking the e/b Atlantic but no space was available so I changed my reservation to June 3 and was able to secure a Roomette on #12.

Here we're looking forward into New Brunswick (it's an hour later over there) and back into the US as we cross the International Bridge at Vanceboro-St. Croix...... then stopped in McAdam, New Brunswick on June 4, 1985.

As a side note.....the Atlantic lasted another 9 1/2 years and was discontinued on December 15, 1994 and I had numerous trips. It eventually got a full Budd Stainless Steel HEP consist and was the running mate to the Ocean.

 

[NS VIA Fan]

If anyone is wondering what crossing the border was like back then...... Here you go:

On the original Canadian Pacific ‘Atlantic Limited’ only coach passengers and those getting off in Maine had been inspected by US Custom and Immigration......Sleeping Car passengers were just left alone.

Now US Officials insisted all passengers would be inspected. Eastbound Sleeping Car passengers were woke at 3am ET in Jackman, Maine. Westbound wasn’t as bad: 9pm ET (10pm AT) at Vanceboro. The trains were running long and full so there were major delays in clearing the train.

Returning from Montreal on that first trip, I was in a sleeper. When they woke us at 3am the Inspector asked me the purpose of my trip. I said I was in the States only because the train was. He asked if I was trying to be “Smart” and said he would be back. Well he must have got the same reply from most others as I didn’t see him again. If they had left passengers alone, they would have gone to sleep in Canada and woke in Canada the next morning, some not even realizing they had been thru the US.

The restored Atlantic was only back a short time before people were calling for it to be rerouted via Edmundston NB on the NTR to avoid crossing the US border. Passengers were switching to the Ocean to escape the hassle from US officials even if they had to change trains and wait a couple of hours in Moncton to connect to Halifax.

It took a couple of years of negotiations but eventually the train was “sealed” while on the 200 miles of CPR track across Maine. A metal “tag” was placed on all doors except in the car where the US Customs & INS Inspector rode only checking passengers getting off in the US. Passengers in both coach and sleeper....’just passing through’ the US were again just left alone.

Anyone boarding in the US was checked by Canada Customs when the trains crossed back into Canada at McAdam NB or Megantic, Quebec

Wonder how things would be handled today if the Atlantic was still running in these post 9-11 times!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Thanks for sharing! As usual, most enjoyable!

And your question about the border hassles, if this train ran today, boggles the mind! Its not hard to imagine a process similar to the bad old Cold War Days in Berlin when attempting to cross to/from West and East Berlin, especially if one were an American!

Look how long it's taken to get the Adirondack I&C checks moved to Montreal and it's still not happening!