Caption: No sign yet of the fact VIA was coming into being..all CP "Canadian" stopped at the old West Toronto station before moving on up the MacTier sub to meet up with its connection from Montreal at Sudbury. I recall seeing this particular unit, CP 4066, rather frequently back then. Built in 1952, it was sold to VIA in 1978 and renumbered to 1422 in 1979. It then got rebuilt to #6566 in 1980, only to die in the infamous Hinton, Alberta wreck in 1986.
Quite a life.
|
This picture shows that CP was losing interest in the passenger train. The locomotive is both grubby and battered looking. The Canadian, 10 or so years before that, was always immaculate, gleaming with corporate pride.
Sad sight for a “major train”. Old and rusty looking loco. You’re so right. No pride whatsoever. And this is long before someone came along and said “clean engine or dirty, the haulage money is the same”.
Is that a CPR Business Car hitching a ride on the tail-end?
Terry….in all honesty I forgot to note that car on the end, and decided I would leave it out and rather follow up with another photo of the car to RP.
It is indeed the business car “Ontario” with nice observation deck on the end.
Congratulations…you win the Hawk Eye of the morning award. )
Typically CP “varnish” would be marshalled right behind the power instead of on the tail of the Canadian, so that right there is pretty odd.
After the steam generator equipped dual freight/passenger FPA2′s were parked in ’75 and retired (4094-4097), the 4066-4075 lot of FP7′s became common passenger power on the short Toronto-Sudbury leg of The Canadian (they had 65mph gearing and all still had their SG’s). When VIA took over, they got part of them from that group (which were renumbered back to their former 1420-series numbers while still in CP paint, prior to being rebuilt as VIA 6550/60′s). CP kept units 4070-75 themselves for Montreal commuter service, which later went to MUCTC/AMT.
I never saw CP put a business car behind the Park car, although I can’t say it was never done. At that time of year the Toronto-Sudbury Park car was usually operated from mid-June to mid-September, so it would be on soon after the photo was taken. I see only two sleepers and the diner ahead of the business car.
Attention Mr.Mooney,the Hinton wreck was tragic and not infamous as you state.Check your dictionary.
I stand corrected. I was thinking more along the lines of ‘unforgettable’.