Interesting Sighting

Bob Collins

Active Member
Yesterday I noticed a number of passenger cars stuck back away from normal public view and too far away for me to get a picture, but I did some checking and discovered that there are 20 coach cars that were formerly a part of the Montreal transit system. All of the cars seem to be numbered in the 800's. I have absolutely no clue why they are sitting in an obscure yard in Council Bluffs, Iowa. As best I can figure from where they are sitting they are actually on a spur off of the BNSF mainline that runs from Kansas City to Omaha.
 

60103

Pooh Bah
The 800s are a series of commuter coaches, built for CPR in 1953. Some were sold to a Tacoma, Wash group and others (2) to an Anaconda, Mont group. Most of the rest were sold to a Quebec outfit that is scrapping them.
 

Cannonball

More Trains Than Brains
There were several old coach cars sitting on a small spur in Fairfield, IA a few years back. I doubt they were from the same line but the guy who owned them was converting them into houses. Kinda like a singlewide trailer only a lot heavier.
 

Bob Collins

Active Member
I have train club tonight, so I'll ask around and see if I can find out any more information. I'm curious as to why they are here, of all places, and what they are to be used for. We don't have a big scrap yard here in CB, but we're only 5 miles from Omaha and that may be their destiny, a trip to the scrap yard?
 
These former Agence Metropolitan de Transport (AMT), the Montreal, Quebec transportation authority, were recently sold to the Railroad Development Corporation. These are former commuter coaches built for Canadian Pacific Railway by Canadian Car & Foundry of Montreal in 1953 for commuter service in Montreal.

Nine cars were sold in mid-October 2006. These were #804, #806, #809, #816, #819, #820, #834, #836, and #827. The cars were shipped from Lachine (Montreal) to the Iowa Interstate Railroad.

Ten additional cars were sold in November 2006. The car numbers were #803, #808, #812, #814, #818, #822, #826, #830, #831, and #838. (Source: Branchline - Canada's Rail News Magazine). If you travelled the VIA train to Montreal, you could see them parked in the yard of the Alstom facility (the former CNR Point St Charles shops) before they were recently sold.

Just goes to show that old passenger cars never die.

Bob M.
 

Bob Collins

Active Member
Very interesting Bob. Apparently all 19 of those cars are now sitting in Council Bluffs, which just happens to be the western end of the IAIS (Iowa Interstate), so instead of those cars sitting in the eastern edge of the BNSF yard they are actually in the western edge of the IAIS yard. The two yards sit side by side. I guess now that I know they were sold to IAIS I can try to do some checking and see what the scuttlebutt is about them. Thanks very much for all the good info and I'll try keep folks posted here as I learn more (if I learn more):thumb:
 
A lot of old AMT commuter cars are ending up state-side as AMT slowly modernizes its fleet. The commuter lines out of Montreal go way back to before the 1900's when both Canadian Pacific and the Grand Trunk (one of the predecessor railways to Canadian National) ran commuter trains out of downtown Montreal. Some of the more famous of these commuter trains were the saddle-tank locomotives of Grand Trunk (and subsequently lettered and numbered into CN) (CP also used saddle tank steamers), the CP stainless steel bi-level cars (which served as the model for the Toronto GO Transit bi-level cars), the Canadian Northern's (subsequently Canadian National) English box-cab electric locomotives that ran through the Mount Royal tunnel from Central Station out to St Eustache which were only recently retired, the rebuilding of this electrified line through the Mount Royal tunnel, and the expansion of the commuter train service to the south shore of the St Lawrence River. One could write a very large book on the commuter train services out of Montreal.

Bob M.
 

Bob Collins

Active Member
An interesting piece of information I picked up yesterday was that last year the IAIS purchased two Chinese 2-8-2 steamers and had them brought to Iowa (google Iowa Interstate and you can see them on their website). Our question is whether or not IAIS might not be getting ready to set up some excursion trains in the area:thumb:

One of the members of our train club went down into the yard and looked over the cars and told the rest of us that the trucks, etc look to be in excellent condition and he doesn't buy into any theories about them being scrapped. :)
 
The two Chinese steamers were tried out a few months ago on a cople of trips, I believe, and the IAIS, or whoever actually owns them, has options on several more. The intent, as I have heard, is to resell them to other lines for excursion use.
 
The Chinese steamers were used on a least a couple of excursions a few months ago, as I understand the situation. The owner (whether it is IAIS or someone else, I'm not sure) also have options on some more. The intent, or so I have heard, is to resell them to other lines for excursion purposes.
 
The Chinese steamers were used on a least a couple of excursions a few months ago, as I understand the situation. The owner (whether it is IAIS or someone else, I'm not sure) also have options on some more. The intent, or so I have heard, is to resell them to other lines for excursion purposes.
 
The Chinese steamers were used on a least a couple of excursions a few months ago, as I understand the situation. The owner (whether it is IAIS or someone else, I'm not sure) also have options on some more. The intent, or so I have heard, is to resell them to other lines for excursion purposes.
 
Here I go with duplicate posts again. Sorry. I think the problem is that I simply clicked too many times. Too impatient, I guess.
 

Bob Collins

Active Member
Thry are blue, but I haven't been close enough to them to see any of the markings. They are all numbered in the 800 series I am told.
 

Triplex

Active Member
Actually, the Chinese engines are QJ-class 2-10-2s.
the Canadian Northern's (subsequently Canadian National) English box-cab electric locomotives that ran through the Mount Royal tunnel from Central Station out to St Eustache which were only recently retired
I wouldn't call 1995 exactly recent.

Didn't AMT recently buy some E60C-2s?
 

60103

Pooh Bah
1995 is a "recent" retirement for a loco built in 1914; you might argue about the ones built in 1926. :)
 

Cannonball

More Trains Than Brains
Bob Collins said:
An interesting piece of information I picked up yesterday was that last year the IAIS purchased two Chinese 2-8-2 steamers and had them brought to Iowa (google Iowa Interstate and you can see them on their website). Our question is whether or not IAIS might not be getting ready to set up some excursion trains in the area:thumb:
That would be so cool. Excursion trains through the right areas would do wonders for boosting Iowa's economy. Heck, I might even have to come back home for a ride or two. :D
 
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