The Canadian (train)

Peaceful Canadian (CP)

In the years which followed the Second world war, the passenger trains of the CP, even the train transcontinental flag the Dominion , were composed of a mixture of heavy cars of pre-war period and light cars of before and of post-war period. Whereas these cars were still in service, the American trains of the beginning of the Années 1950, like the California Zephyr , had already adopted compositions all-stainless, aerodynamics, equipped with dome cars panoramic. Following an evaluation carried out in 1949 on the prototype train Train off Tomorrow (train of tomorrow) produced by the company Pullman and General Motors, leaders of the CP, whose Norris Crump, then vice-president, decided to modernize their park of rolling stock.

In 1953, the CP ordered 155 cars in stainless at the company Budd of Philadelphia. This order included/understood 18 panoramic cars of tail (series Park ), 18 panoramic cars of medium of train Skyline , 30 car S normals, 18 restaurant car and 71 sleeping cars (series Manor and Castle ). A further order of 18 car-dormitory for the affected personnel with the luggage carried the total park to 173 cars, sufficient to create a new entirely new transcontinental service and to re-equip partially the Dominion . The interior Aménagement of these new cars was entrusted to the company of Architecture, Harbeson, Hough, Livingston & Larson, of Philadelphia (this company is known for its installations of other famous passenger trains such as the Pioneer Zephyr ), and the result, with its harmony of colors pastel, was very appreciated. After having decided to give to the series panoramic cars Park the name of park famous Canadian, Canadian Artist S of reputation, whose members of the Group off Seven , were selected to carry out murals in these cars.

When it was decided to increase the established budget with the sleeping cars, one added to the placed order with Budd, the refitting of 22 existing heavy sleeping cars that the CP treated in its own workshops. These cars were equipped with a coating matched with that of the Budd cars out of stainless.

To supplement its new field-installed machines, the CP ordered from General Motors Locomotive standard EMD FP9, engines which came to be added to the existing fleet of machines type EMD FP7. These machines type F were the appointed engines of this train, but it on the occasion was tractor drawn by a large variety of engines, including type MLW FPA-2 of the Montreal Locomotive Works and even, until 1959, of the locomotive with vapor.

The CP baptized its new train flag the Canadian and the service began the April 24th 1955. Whereas its competitor, the Canadian National also brought into service him, the same day, its own train transcontinental, the Continental Super , the CP could proclaim without lying that the Canadian was “the first and the only panoramic train all-stainless of Canada”; CN did not bring into service panoramic cars before 1964.

The CP used train CPR in the East of Sudbury (Ontario) in two sections. The principal one ensuring the Montreal-Ottawa-Vancouver services formed trains 1 towards the West and 2 towards the East, the other ensuring the Sudbury-Toronto connection formed the trains 11 towards the West and 12 towards the East which gathered (or separated) with the precedents with Sudbury. In agreement with its aerodynamic pace, the Canadian who traversed his line in 71 hours, was faster 4 p.m. than the Dominion .

In spite of its initial success, the voyage by the train started to decline in Canada during the Années 1960. Vis-a-vis the competition of the Plane and with the use growing of the car in consequence of the construction of the highway Trans-Canada, the CP removed the Dominion in 1966, and asked for the government the authorization of cease the esploitation of the Canadian in 1970. This request was refused, but the CP tried during the Années 1970 to withdraw market of passenger transport. the Canadian continued with a level of increasingly reduced service, the government subsidizing it to a total value of 80% of its losses.

Via Canada Rail

The federal company Via Rail Canada took again officially the load of the services travellers of the CP the October 29th 1978, but the mark Via was affixed on the trains only at the next summer.

After its recovery by Via, the Canadian became the first transcontinental train of this company, and was exploited at the beginning on its old route CP. It was supplemented by the Continental Super , ex-CN, circulating on a parallel route but more in North. the Canadian continued to be exploited so much in two sections in the East of Sudbury with daily services towards the West (Vancouver) that towards the East (Toronto and Montreal).

During the time which followed the severe cuts made in the federal subsidies to Via Rail the January 15th 1990, the service Continental Super was removed and Canadian transferred from the route CP to the route CN of the Continental Super . That made it possible to maintain a connection transcontinental and Via could thus ensure the service the small communities served by the line imposed by the government. The route of CN is well-known to be less picturesque, in particular with the passage of the Rocky Mountains and in the north of the Higher Lac. The frequency was also reduced to three days per week. Now, Via Rail the Canadian by the route CN with material Budd modernized ex-CP continues to exploit.

Some impassioned of the railway voyage and the historical trains consider that it is not any more Canadian “truth” , but Via Rail preserved of it the name, the classification of the trains and the material of origin, and this train remains one of the large passenger trains of North America. Since they have it construi, it functions until this moment.

Reference

Classic Trains , Spring 2005, Kalmbach Publishing, ISSN 1527-0718 pg. 58-69 (in English)

External bond

Official site of Via Rail

Category: Passenger train baptized

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