Caption: "CP Rail Train No. 1, The Canadian, is now arriving from `Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Toronto and Montreal". If on time, No. 1 arrived in Calgary at 1305 and would depart at 1340, with ultimate arrival in Vancouver at 1010 the next morning. (Eastbound, The Canadian had a scheduled 1435 arrival and 1510 departure in the summer of 1971.) This timing permitted connections with train numbers 302 (departing Edmonton at 0830 and arriving Calgary at 1210), 301 (departing Calgary at 1600 for Edmonton, arriving at 1940), 310/312 for Lethbridge (departing at 1610 and arriving at 1850; 3 days/week via Fort McLeod and 4 days/week via Coalhurst), and 309/311 departing Lethbridge at 1000 and arriving Calgary at 1240 (also 3 days/week via Fort McLeod and 4 days/week via Coalhurst)--note the two Budd RDCs to the north of the inbound train. FP7 1403 leads a steam generator equipped RS10 and another FP7 with a "summer" sized consist. I'm sure everyone looking at this photo would love to race down to the station concourse to buy a ticket for the West Coast if we could!
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Wow–16 cars (2 baggage, 3 coaches, Skyline, 8 sleepers with a diner in the middle somewhere, and the Park car)!
Perhaps someone familiar with Calgary can comment…is that the team track/piggyback ramp and freight shed north of the sleepers? Also note the Canadian Pacific Telecommunications building near the coaches.
Wonder what the varnish was doing there.
That would have been a very crowded train wth just one dining car and only the Park car dome for sleeper passengers. The year before was the last year that there was regularly a second diner and Skyline car in the summer season which started mid-May. It was May of 1970 when I made my first trip on the entire route of The Canadian. I believe there were 10 sleepers on our train. The second Skyline car had its coach seats removed and replaced with large single parlour car seats.
Great picture Doug, of a good sized Canadian. Rode #2 from Vancouver to Calgary in late August, 1970. The train was completely sold out and my wife and I were on a wait list for a cancellation. The day before we were to fly home, CP added an extra sleeping car to accommodate passengers arriving on a delayed cruise ship on a group trip to Banff, so we managed to get a double bedroom as far as Calgary where the car was being removed. A wonderful trip through the Rockies ! Thanks for posting, John
Note the 2 RDC’s which appear to be coupled to a GM cab unit.My guess this consist might be a connecting train to Edmonton.