VIA News Editor (East) Tim Hayman:
VIA News Editor (West) Terry Muirhead:
|
Patrick De Larue photographed these three great shots of VIA “meets’ with his train on Victoria Bridge, over the St. Lawrence River. 1) VIA P42DC 910 leads train P02121-16 on August 16, 2007, only minutes from destination in downtown Montréal, QC; 2) Patrick’s train CN M30921-26 is stopped, waiting for VIA P01511-25 to pass and take the cross over for Central Station on June 26, 2008. 3) “Lotto Quebec” liveried F40PH-2 6414 leads train P62021-11 onto the island of Montreal on May 11, 2008. Note the CN westbound freight on the by-pass behind the inbound VIA train, as Patrick’s train holds for the red dwarf signal, before they can move east over the bridge.
On April 18th André St-Amant caught VIA combined trains #601/603 ''Montréal-Jonquière'' / ''Montréal-Senneterre'' at Charette, Québec with a trio of leased units.
RBRX F59PH 18522 RBRX F59PH 18520 * RBRX F59PH 18521 * Coach 8146 * Baggage 8608 * Baggage 8619 and Coach 8147 destined to Jonquière, QC.
Patrick De Larue clicked VIA RDC 6148 and sister on July 4th, 2010 departing the station at Qualicum Beach, BC.
VIA F40PH-2d Status Report (May 16, 2011) (by Tim Hayman Via Editor)
Unit# Status
6400 CAD Rebuild prototype Wrecked February 2010 6401 Rebuilt, Active (former “Spiderman 2”) 6402 Rebuilt, Active 6403 Rebuilt, Active (former CBC unit) 6404 Non-rebuilt, Active 3rd headlight (former Kool-Aid and “Spiderman 2”) 6405 Non-rebuilt, Active (former Kool-Aid unit) 6406 Rebuilt, Active (former “Spiderman 2” and Kool-Aid unit) 6407 At CAD for rebuild 6408 Non-rebuilt, Active 3rd headlight, Coors Light “Silver Bullet” (former “Spiderman 2”) 6409 At CAD for rebuild 6410 Rebuilt, Active 6411 Rebuilt, Active (former Kool-Aid and Operation Lifesaver) 6412 Non-rebuilt, Active 3rd headlight 6413 Non-rebuilt, Active 3rd headlight (former “Spiderman 2”) 6414 Non-rebuilt, Loto-Quebec Promo Scheme, Active 6415 Non-rebuilt, Active 6416 Rebuilt, Active 6417 Rebuilt, Active 6418 At CAD for rebuild 6419 Non-rebuilt, Active 6420 Non-rebuilt, Active 3rd headlight 6421 Non-rebuilt, Active 3rd headlight 6422 Wrecked 1999 (retired 2001) 6423 Wrecked 1999 6424 Non-rebuilt, Active 3rd headlight, and “VIA Rail Canada” logo on side (former Budweiser, “Spiderman 2”, and Kool-Aid) 6425 Rebuilt, Active 6426 Non-rebuilt, Active 6427 Non-rebuilt, Active 6428 Non-rebuilt, Active 6429 Rebuilt, Active (former Home Hardware and Telus) 6430 Wrecked 1999 (retired 2001) 6431 Rebuilt, Active 6432 Rebuilt, Active (former Kool-Aid unit) 6433 Rebuilt, Active (former Kool-Aid unit) 6434 Rebuilt, Active (Former “Spiderman 2”) 6435 Non-rebuilt, Active 3rd headlight 6436 Rebuilt, Active 6437 Rebuilt, Active 6438 At CAD for rebuild 6439 Rebuilt, Active (former Kool-Aid unit) 6440 Non-rebuilt, Active 3rd headlight 6441 Non-rebuilt, Active 3rd headlight 6442 Rebuilt, Active 6443 Rebuilt, Active 6444 Rebuilt, Active 6445 Non-rebuilt, Active 3rd headlight, Coors Light “Silver Bullet” 6446 Non-rebuilt, Active 3rd headlight, and “VIA Rail Canada” logo on side 6447 Wrecked 1997 (retired 1998) 6448 At CAD for rebuild 6449 Rebuilt, Active 6450 Wrecked 2000 (retired 2001) 6451 Non-rebuilt, Active 3rd headlight 6452 Rebuilt, Active 6453 Non-rebuilt, Active 3rd headlight (former Kool-Aid unit) 6454 Rebuilt, Active (former Kool-Aid unit) 6455 Rebuilt, Active 6456 Rebuilt, Active 6457 Rebuilt, Active 6458 Rebuilt, Active
Note: The two Coors units, 6408 & 6445 (each with different ‘Silver Bullet’ designs) are expected to remain wrapped until time for them to be rebuilt, and expect to see a VIA logo added to the units shortly
Units 6400 to 6419 were originally class GPA-30a, 6420-6429 were GPA-30b, and 6430-6458 were GPA-30c. 6400, when rebuilt, was class GPA-30d. All other rebuilt units are now class GPA-30h.
Total Locomotives: 59 Wrecked: 6 Remaining: 53 Non-rebuilt and active: 21 Rebuilt and active: 27 Currently at CAD for rebuild: 5
At the date of this writing, more than half of the VIA Rail F40PH-2d fleet has been rebuilt. When the 5 currently at CAD are completed, 60% of the fleet will have been rebuilt. VIA Rail service on the Esquimalt and Nanaimo railway linking Victoria to Courtenay has been suspended since March 18th, 2011, due to the steadily declining state of the track and lack of funding for desperately needed upgrades, such as the replacement of rotting ties. The two RDCs on the island remained parked at the Victoria roundhouse until May 10th, when they made a final trip across the line to be placed in long term storage in Nanaimo. With rail service suspended, VIA has been providing Charter bus service between Victoria and Courtenay. However, with the long-term future of the line in question, VIA has announced that they will soon be eliminating this substitute bus transportation, and will cease all operations on Vancouver Island indefinitely, until the E&N can reopen. On May 28th, Steve Boyko clicked the westbound Canadian (VIA #1) with two engines and 21 cars at mile 10 on the CN Rivers subdivision. VIA 6442 VIA 6414 VIA 1721 VIA 8604 VIA 8143 VIA 8139 VIA 8516 VIA 8410 Frontenac VIA 8503 VIA 8339 Sherwood Manor VIA 8307 Blair Manor VIA 8336 Monck Manor VIA 8308 Bliss Manor VIA 8310 Brock Manor VIA 8329 Hearne Manor VIA 8219 Chateau Montcalm VIA 8209 Chateau Iberville VIA 8501 VIA 8404 Annapolis VIA 8303 Amherst Manor VIA 8305 Bayfield Manor VIA 8320 Douglas Manor VIA Kokanee Park
http://www.traingeek.ca/gallery2/v/via/6442-winnipeg-20110528.jpg.html
Dean Ogle caught the first Rocky Mountaineer of the season from North Vancouver, with RMR 8015 as the lead unit.
http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff479/graham2128/P1000844.jpg
Gananoque Junction, Ontario.
© CRO June 2011 |
