Spotted in Toronto

[MasonJar]

... but no camera! Ever the story of my accidental railfanning...

At Toronto's Exhibition Station, I saw "The Canadian" - at least I think that's what it was. A very long Via train consisting of fluted steel cars, plus the LRC coaches. The "SpiderMan 2" engine was travelling backwards on the rear-end. Don't know why...

A MOW/railgrinding crew along the line east of Toronto.

A tanker with a spray painted note on it: "Safe to cut for scrap" in a huge CN consist on the move eastbound from Toronto.

I need a new camera...! Or even an old one

Andrew

 

[Will_annand]

Is that the Canadian in your avatar, Andrew?

 

[grumbeast]

Yep that sounds like its probably the Canadian. I think the old Budd cars (the stainless steel ones) are only used on the Ocean from MTL to Hfx and on the Canadian.

Graham

 

[60103]

Andrew: what you saw was probably the Canadian plus another train deadheading from Mimico yards to Union Station. (or vice versa)
At Union, the Canadian will be put on its track and then the other consist will be uncoupled and shifted over to its track.
Via saves a bit on crew costs and track occupancy by combining empty trains like this. Sometimes you see a couple of LRC sets or even 3 trains together.
Its a long run (7 miles) with no income.

 

[Traisessive]

VIA also uses the stainless cars on corridor trains #57/69 and 60/68 ... you will also see them if they do not have certain LRC coaches avail

 

[MasonJar]

Thanks for the additional info guys.

And Will - that's Thomas (as interpreted by my 4-year-old daughter... )

Andrew

 

[60103]

Via has 2 series of stainless coaches - the 8100s are long distance coaches and are the original Canadian cars plus a few used ones, and the 4000/4100 which are more second hand adn used on shorter distance trains. The 4xxx coaches have a blue and yellow band above the windows while the rest have all blue bands. (For our UK readers: these are not (necessarily) first class cars.)
Did the train you saw have domes? That would be the identifier.

 

[Traisessive]

I have also seen both blue and blue.yellow ribbons on the corridor ... as well as domes .. most likely deadheading the equipment