Caption: VIA RDC-2 6224 leads three other sister RDC's on a westbound passenger run near Bayview Junction, about to pass under Plains Rd. bridge. This is likely a Toronto-Niagara Falls train.
VIA 6224 has a bit of an interesting history, part of it evident in this photo. She was built as CP RDC-3 9023 by Budd in March 1955, later becoming part of VIA in September 1978. 9023 (still operating under CP colours for VIA) was wrecked at LaCombe AB in April 1980 (probably at a grade crossing accident while on the Calgary-Edmonton Budd run) and was repaired and repainted/renumbered as VIA 6357 by CN's Transcona Shops. 6357 didn't last long, as the unit was involved in another wreck at Balzac AB in August 1981, and this time Transcona repaired the car but also rebuilt it as RDC-2 6224 (a common conversion at the time that many VIA's RDC-3 units underwent: the RDC-2 featured more seating and a smaller baggage area). It was probably because of this latest accident that 6224 received its visibly noticeable carbody warping and sag, but the car soldiered on for VIA until retirement sometime in the 90's and was sold to Industrial Rail Services (IRSI) of Moncton NB in 2000. There it sat with many other RDC units as possible rebuild fodder, until IRSI experienced financial difficulties in the mid-2010's and most of the fleet was cut up for scrap metal. 6224 was finally cut up for scrap in January 2016.
Bill McArthur photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection slide.
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