VIA Rail

[Bordercollie]

What I had said a few months ago is they could revive part or all of the Toronto-Winnipeg CP route so that they can service them either in Toronto or Winnipeg to solve that problem. If the swap is true, we shall see whether they:
1) just replace the RDCs with the F40s and HEP and service them locally, or
2) whether they try to service them in Toronto (The closest), or
3) whether they extend the route negating this problem.
My guess is the 1st one. My hope would be the 3rd one.

To do that they would need time slots of CP northbound. This train would require sleepers due to the time it takes to get to Winnipeg.
But that would be a good idea since the stations already exist such as Parry Sound.

 

[micheal_can]

To do that they would need time slots of CP northbound. This train would require sleepers due to the time it takes to get to Winnipeg.
But that would be a good idea since the stations already exist such as Parry Sound.

The question isn't whether it is a good idea or not, but whether the funds and agreement can be found.

 

[Urban Sky]

To do that they would need time slots of CP northbound. This train would require sleepers due to the time it takes to get to Winnipeg.
But that would be a good idea since the stations already exist such as Parry Sound.

Whatever happens on the fleet side will have zero impact on the route and frequency of the SUDB-WHTR service (provided that there is still enough fleet to run this service). No need to raise false hopes by feeding the fantasy bear…

 

[smallspy]

The issue with this is that they will need to rotate F40's on the Canadian through TMC or Winnipeg since all that work cannot be done in Sudbury unless they can use the CP shops.

The RDCs today are serviced by a contract repair and rebuild facility near the Sudbury Station. Why wouldn't they be able to do the same for the F40s?

Dan

 

[dowlingm]

Wasn‘t there talk of replacing the RDCs with locohaul in the 2010s but there was a question over whether the White River wye was suitable to turn a consist?

 

[micheal_can]

Whatever happens on the fleet side will have zero impact on the route and frequency of the SUDB-WHTR service (provided that there is still enough fleet to run this service). No need to raise false hopes by feeding the fantasy bear…

Fantasy to use he F40s and the HEP cars?

I bring up the whole change of service as the question was about servicing the trains.

Wasn‘t there talk of replacing the RDCs with locohaul in the 2010s but there was a question over whether the White River wye was suitable to turn a consist?

If they have 2 engines facing opposite, they could just do what they do with the Ocean in Halifax and just move the engines to the other end.

 

[dowlingm]

If they have 2 engines facing opposite, they could just do what they do with the Ocean in Halifax and just move the engines to the other end.

6400hp to move 2-3 cars seems excessive. Wonder if converting one or more F40s to NPCUs would be an option.

 

[micheal_can]

6400hp to move 2-3 cars seems excessive. Wonder if converting one or more cars to NPCUs would be an option.

The Wye in White River on Google Earth looks like it may fit a single engine. So, if they don't want to run 2 engines back to back, they may be able to wye the engine. There are enough options that it really will be a 'wait and see' situation.

 

[lenaitch]

Without knowing the actual terms of Via's remote or mandatory service mandate, the Sudbury-White River run strikes me as quite tenuous. I don't think there are many, if any, full time residents on the line that don't have some form of road access. I believe the 22 residents (according to Wiki) of Biscotasing can use the Sultan Access Rd. Seasonal camps (northern term for cottage) and perhaps one or two outfitter camps might be impacted, but I' not sure accommodating them on the public purse remains appropriate.. The service certainly doesn't exist to connect the 650 people of White River with Sudbury. When those folks need to access a city it is either Sault Ste. Marie or Thunder Bay.

Argue for a CP 'north shore Superior-Thunder Bay' VIA service if you wish, but I don't think the the current service remains justifiable.

 

[DSC]

The Wye in White River on Google Earth looks like it may fit a single engine. So, if they don't want to run 2 engines back to back, they may be able to wye the engine. There are enough options that it really will be a 'wait and see' situation.

I think it wait be a wait and wait and wait again situation. I doubt that this will ever happen so worrying about the Wye in White River should really not keep you up at night :->

 

[micheal_can]

Without knowing the actual terms of Via's remote or mandatory service mandate, the Sudbury-White River run strikes me as quite tenuous. I don't think there are many, if any, full time residents on the line that don't have some form of road access. I believe the 22 residents (according to Wiki) of Biscotasing can use the Sultan Access Rd. Seasonal camps (northern term for cottage) and perhaps one or two outfitter camps might be impacted, but I' not sure accommodating them on the public purse remains appropriate.. The service certainly doesn't exist to connect the 650 people of White River with Sudbury. When those folks need to access a city it is either Sault Ste. Marie or Thunder Bay.

Argue for a CP 'north shore Superior-Thunder Bay' VIA service if you wish, but I don't think the the current service remains justifiable.

The service connects people to various places that may or may not be road accessible along the line. The TVO special on it opened my eyes to who uses it.TBH I feel any extension except maybe to Toronto is a fantasy. Even that is a stretch. My guess is the justification is in the remote service agreement.

I think it wait be a wait and wait and wait again situation. I doubt that this will ever happen so worrying about the Wye in White River should really not keep you up at night :->

The switch to the HEP or the expansion?

 

[roger1818]

I think DMU's make more sense for this route.

If VIA had a fleet of DMUs, then maybe. An order of one (or two if you want a spare) custom DMUs approved for use on an active freight mainline line by TC, and then supporting the maintenance for that unique trainset would be rather costly. If part of a bigger, long distancer fleet replacement plan, then maybe, though I have a feeling that if that is approved (and that's a big if), the White River, Norther Quebec, and possibly the Skeena will end up using 3 car venture trainsets, similar to what ONR is planning on using. Optimally they would be modified slightly to have a baggage car of some type to handle things like canoes and other large items.

Wasn‘t there talk of replacing the RDCs with locohaul in the 2010s but there was a question over whether the White River wye was suitable to turn a consist?

Times have changed. Back in 2010, VIA's F40s were not geared for reverse operation (at speed) and VIAs coaches had all seats facing forward, so they needed to be turned. On top of that, there was no order to replace the corridor fleet, and the E&N (Victoria-Cortney) was still running with RDCs, so the equipment needed to replace the RDCs would have been harder to come by (unless the plan was to build up more Renaissance equipment).

6400hp to move 2-3 cars seems excessive.

From a pulling power perspective, definitely, but given the remoteness of the service, they may need it for redundancy. The HVAC system in the coaches receives power from the locomotive, and if it were to fail in the middle of winter, it would get very frosty inside. A second locomotive could, at a minimum, be used to keep everyone warm (or cool in the summer) until the train can be rescued. Granted the Northern Quebec trains only have a single locomotive north of Hervey, so maybe it is a risk that VIA would be willing to take.

Wonder if converting one or more F40s to NPCUs would be an option.

I'm sure it is theoretically possible, but it hardly seems worth it for 1 train that runs 3 times a week.

 

[cplchanb]

If VIA had a fleet of DMUs, then maybe. An order of one (or two if you want a spare) custom DMUs approved for use on an active freight mainline line by TC, and then supporting the maintenance for that unique trainset would be rather costly. If part of a bigger, long distancer fleet replacement plan, then maybe, though I have a feeling that if that is approved (and that's a big if), the White River, Norther Quebec, and possibly the Skeena will end up using 3 car venture trainsets, similar to what ONR is planning on using. Optimally they would be modified slightly to have a baggage car of some type to handle things like canoes and other large items.

They can probably easily get waivers for the Flirts since they are approved for oc transpo use. Those are the perfect set to use

 

[kEiThZ]

I'm sure it is theoretically possible, but it hardly seems worth it for 1 train that runs 3 times a week.

Basic economic concepts like marginal costs and marginal return are apparently hard to grasp for a lot of railfans who think money grows on trees.

 

[Urban Sky]

They can probably easily get waivers for the Flirts since they are approved for oc transpo use. Those are the perfect set to use

OC Transpo’s Flirts are operated with temporal separation from freight operations. How do you want to achieve this on active freight lines (especially: transcontinental ones)?