VIA Rail Canada

[Michel]

2 LRC CARS FOR SURE , The other 4 cars looked like renaissance not 100% sure sorry , last car was defiantly the GlenFraser

I happened to drive by while the buses were just pulling into Fallowfield station and again later with the train already arrived. All I saw were HEP cars immediately behind the engine. I did not see any Renaissance cars.

[G.A]

I happened to drive by while the buses were just pulling into Fallowfield station and again later with the train already arrived. All I saw were HEP cars immediately behind the engine. I did not see any Renaissance cars.

Business affair cars you mean?

[dev161]

sorry did i say rennaisance , i meant HEP no wonder I confused people , gotta stop working Nights on the 94 !! Last car was definatly GlenFraser though since i needed to google it to figure out what It was as Ive never seen the Car in Ottawa

[Shaun]

In the budget that the Liberals announced it allocates 7.7 "pre-procurement activities” related to the renewal of its train fleet, safety improvements at grade crossings and improved security at its stations, and another $34 million to improve the company’s stations and maintenance centres." and " $3.3 million over three years for an “in-depth assessment of Via Rail’s high-frequency rail proposal.”" this is from the national post.

So i guess there isnt enough money for new passenger rail cars?

[Dane]

You've included the answer to the question in your own post. "Pre-procurement activities." This would ordinarily include writing out statements of requirements for equipment, forecasting maintenance needs, determining what the market could produce, and other similar planning items to ensure a smooth acquisition process if they were to go down that road.

[Shaun]

So the funds are to be used to determine the procurement process of new rolling stock?

[Dane]

Not the process I suspect (that's outlined in the Financial Administration Act) but rather the requirements.

[dowlingm]

Gotta have a pre-process because Bombardier sure as hell aren't ready to stand up a new car line when their working capital is burning furiously. Have to wait until after the cash injection rather than do something like tag on the end of the Brightline Siemens order because politics.

The question for me is, who provides the power? Does VIA scrape the Amtrak cast off bins for P42DCs once the Chargers arrive, or splash out for Chargers or F125s themselves? I'm betting it's the former.

[J. Bullock]

Where are the Rennie cars hanging out these days? Haven't seen them on the TOM corridor for quite a while now.

[ghYHZ]

Where are the Rennie cars hanging out these days? Haven't seen them on the TOM corridor for quite a while now.

VIAs Renaissance equipment is used on the Ocean between Montreal and Halifax.

[Shaun]

Is it just me or is the second car from the rear have purple paint for the bottom stripe instead of green?

Is there any significance to this?

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=571640&nseq=0

Can anyone confirm if #6202 and #6130 where really scrapped?

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2016/01/28-rdc

[webfil]

It's blue and it's the original LRC paint scheme.

[Shaun]

So the car behind the club car with the blue stripe is not original paint?

[skyfirenet]

On 2016-04-01 at 0:03 PM, Shaun said:

Can anyone confirm if #6202 and #6130 where really scrapped?

 

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2016/01/28-rdc

From what I understand, 3 have been scrapped so far with Rapido saving one. The remaining 8 have gotten a temporary stay of execution.

Of those scrapped, I know BC-12 and VIA 6224 were.

[awstott]

VIA #2 by Andrew Stott, on Flickr

VIA #6 by Andrew Stott, on Flickr

[gecalsthom]

I will be taking VIA Rail Train 2 from Vancouver to Jasper in July and would like to know if there are any seat assignments in economy class. And if not, how early do they allow you to board? Thanks!

[Viafreak]

There are no seat assignments in economy class.

[Shaun]

You can sit in the skyline car if you wish. But not the park car. 

[MTL66]

VIA 6459 (Ex-6403) was heading the 600/604 Convoi today in Repentigny.

[M. Parsons]

VIA #2 at mile 233 of the Edson sub, about 1 hour late on April 2, 2016.
The Skyline car behind the power in awstott's photo has been dropped in Jasper for the Skeena. 

 

[webfil]

On 3/4/2016 at 2:45 PM, awstott said:

VIA #2 by Andrew Stott, on Flickr

VIA #6 by Andrew Stott, on Flickr

 

On 10/4/2016 at 0:45 AM, M. Parsons said:

VIA #2 at mile 233 of the Edson sub, about 1 hour late on April 2, 2016.

The Skyline car behind the power in awstott's photo has been dropped in Jasper for the Skeena. 

 

So... No more ultradome cars for the Skeena?

[awstott]

49 minutes ago, webfil said:

 

So... No more ultradome cars for the Skeena?

I'm guessing that's the Panorama cars?  Last summer we only had one trainset with it.  The other one was just a regular car and the park car.  It's nice because you can sit up in the dome on the trainset without and not have to pay anything extra.

[TheAverageJoe]

On 3/25/2016 at 10:56 AM, dowlingm said:

Gotta have a pre-process because Bombardier sure as hell aren't ready to stand up a new car line when their working capital is burning furiously. Have to wait until after the cash injection rather than do something like tag on the end of the Brightline Siemens order because politics.

The question for me is, who provides the power? Does VIA scrape the Amtrak cast off bins for P42DCs once the Chargers arrive, or splash out for Chargers or F125s themselves? I'm betting it's the former.

Amtrak is keeping the P42DC's. The Chargers are for the state run trains. If anything the F59PHI's would be sold off as they would be old ball in the fleet.

[dowlingm]

22 hours ago, TheAverageJoe said:

Amtrak is keeping the P42DC's. The Chargers are for the state run trains. If anything the F59PHI's would be sold off as they would be old ball in the fleet.

I expect the PHIs to go too, maybe to a commuter operation like Sounder or AMT, but as far as I recall those cover services in Oregon and California. What about the P42s the Chargers will displace in the Midwest? I doubt Amtrak has such ambitions to add service that they need a much bigger locomotive pool, especially when a possibility of the P32ACDMs replacement may draw on Amtrak's capital too. If VIA adds Chargers or F125s that gives them 125mph capability vs the 100-110 possible from P42s. Where will that high speed running happen?

[TheAverageJoe]

25 minutes ago, dowlingm said:

I expect the PHIs to go too, maybe to a commuter operation like Sounder or AMT, but as far as I recall those cover services in Oregon and California. What about the P42s the Chargers will displace in the Midwest? I doubt Amtrak has such ambitions to add service that they need a much bigger locomotive pool, especially when a possibility of the P32ACDMs replacement may draw on Amtrak's capital too. If VIA adds Chargers or F125s that gives them 125mph capability vs the 100-110 possible from P42s. Where will that high speed running happen?

P32ACDM's are safe for now as New York state is funding the rebuilding of them. They will be repainted into classic Amtrak colours after rebuild. I Can see Amtrak finally retiring the P32-8W's.