Caption:

Algonquin Park.....in Parkdale !

For Real.

And the daily VIA Canadian is on that other road's set of tracks – but not for much longer *

On the left is the CP Rail Galt Subdivision – the regular daily route of the CPR The Canadian.

VIA #1 is traversing the CN Weston Subdivision and in under one mile, at Parkdale, will swing north on to the Newmarket Subdivision.

On the approach to Parkdale, with ex CP Rail 1413 and ex CP Rail 8512 power on the head end and ex CP Rail Algonquin Park gracing the tail end of VIA #1, May 6, 1979 Kodachrome by S. Danko

Noteworthy

Algonquin Park, the CPR version, built 1954 by The Budd Company, to CPR specifications, included a Mural Lounge (beneath the Dome) with two unique, hand painted murals and a hand painted map of Ontario's Algonquin Park for the Observation Lounge. All three created by the Canadian Group of Seven artist: A.J. Casson R.C.A.

Each of the eighteen 1954 built Park cars had different murals, uniquely depicting scenes within the parks after which the cars were named - hand painted by one of eighteen artists - selected by the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. The Mural Lounge main mural was 81 inch by 41 inch ( front wall), and the auxiliary mural 163 inch by 45 inch (window-side wall). Also each artist provided a 3 by 5 foot hand painted decorative map for the observation lounge that was mounted above the writing desk to the right of the dome staircase. VIA removed all the murals by 1986. (per Wikipedia), whether VIA holds the original murals somewhere, is unknown.

1990: VIA contracted Canadian designer Madeleine Arbour to recreate the Canadian train interiors with an 'Of Style & Steel' theme. “ ...in the fabled Mural Lounge, a singular tradition is continued: displayed against tones of grey is an original work of art by one of sixteen acclaimed Canadian artists.” per VIA brochure. (excluded: Fundy Park (original murals by Lawren P. Harris Jr. A.R.C.A.) wrecked 1959 at Gull Lake, Saskatchewan and Sibley Park (original murals by Yvonne McK. Housser) donated to the Canadian Railway Museum ( Saint-Constant) August 2004).

An Un-Canadian Act, Shocking: In 2004, your VIA Rail Canada Inc. SOLD the ex CPR Algonquin Park to Luxury Rail. Ex CPR Algonquin Park currently resides at the Tennessee Valley Railway Museum., state of restoration unknown. Also sold 2004 ex CPR Riding Mountain Park (original murals by William Winter, A.R.C.A.) to a private party, currently for sale by Ozark Mountain Railcar, state of repair unknown.

Dear VIA Rail President: Cynthia Garneau and Minister of Canadian Heritage: Pablo Rodriguez, Buy Back Our Heritage!

Notable

* The June 17, 1979 timetable re-routed the daily VIA #1 & 2 CANADIAN exclusively onto CP RAIL Vancouver (CN station) through Banff to/from Montreal (CN) Central Station.

and concurrently daily trains #3 & 4 SUPER CONTINENTAL exclusively on CN Vancouver through Jasper to/from Toronto Union.

sdfourty