Railroading In Atlantic Canada (Passenger Operations)

Passenger services within Atlantic Canada were operated by both CN & CP (including Dominion Atlantic Railway) mainly using dayliners (Budd cars) which were subsequently purchased by VIA. Mainline trains to Montreal were operated using coaches pulled by full carbody units.

In the 1970s Canadian National also used RS18 hauled coaches between Sydney and Truro and Gaspe and Matapedia which were then combined with the Halifax - Montreal train. In the late 1970s the Sydney-Truro trains were replaced by dayliners and in 1990 they were discontinued. However the Montreal - Gaspe train soldiers on and is still locomotive-hauled. On the Halifax - Montreal service CN used a mixture of Alco and GM A & B units with the occassional RS18 in the 3100 series (steam-line equipped). In emergencies a non-steam line equipped RS 18 was used on the point.

CP usually used the GM E8A units but an Alco FPA2 or a GM FP7A or FP9A were sometimes substituted.

1) Canadian National Here we see a pure Alco/MLW set comprising three different models - FPA4 6789, FPB4 6869 & RS18 3108 (fitted with a steam line) passing Rockingham station on the outskirts of Halifax bound for Montreal in August 1975.
The Halifax bound Scotian (train 12) leaves Campbelton NB behind a GM/Alco mix: GM FP9A 6536 and Alco/MLW FPB4 6866 & RS18m 3105 on 31 August 1974. More photographs can be seen in Canadian National F units.
A shortage of locomotives has necessitated the use of RS18 3667. Because it does not have a steam line to carry the steam for heating the coaches, it has to be the lead locomotive and is followed by F9B 6621, FPA4 6765 (both equipped with steam generators), a baggage car and 10 coaches passing Fairview shops on 5 September 1976.
The Sydney to Truro train arrives at the magnificent New Glasgow NS station (now demolished) behind RS18s 3858 & 3629 in July 1973. Because these locomotives did not have steam boilers a separate steam generator car was attached behind the locomotives . Here we see steam generator unit (SGU) CN 15413 built by Canadian Car & Foundry in 1956.
Although not strictly in Atlantic Canada, at Matapedia PQ the power off the Halifax-bound Scotian switches out the first coach behind the baggage car to form train 118 to Gaspe in January 1975. When the Scotian's power is clear RS 18s 3865 & 3852 together with a steam generator unit back onto the lone combination coach-baggage car.
CN dayliners ran from Halifax to both Moncton and Sydney. Normally two or three RDC1s were used. Here train 603-602 from Sydney NS is almost at the end of its journey as it pauses to detrain passengers at Rockingham in June 1976. The station is on the left and the freight car scale on the right.
In addition to the Halifax service, dayliners operated from Moncton to Saint John and to Edmundston mainly using RDC2s. On 27 December 1976 a special train is running from Moncton to Mont Joli PQ with four passenger coaches and two RDC2s. A slide had blocked the line and forced the Montreal trains to go via Edmundston. So to provide service to Campbelton and Mont Joli, this special was run. It connected with the Halifax train seen on the adjacent platform.
2) Canadian Pacific Canadian Pacific operated a daily loco-hauled train the "Atlantic" from Saint John NB to Montreal. Power was usually one of the three E8s but an FPA2, FP7A or FP9A were sometimes used. On 7 October 1977 we see the Atlantic being serviced at Saint John station prior to its journey to Montreal. Two days latter the power for the Atlantic - a single FP7A 4073 - is serviced at the shops close to the ferry terminal in Saint John. The ferry linked Saint John to Digby on the Dominion Atlantic Railway. However it did not convey railway cars so all equipment for the DAR had to be sent by CN. Often CP dayliners were carried on the tailend of the Ocean or Scotian.
Dominion Atlantic Railway operated a dayliner service from Halifax to Yarmouth with one dayliner running a roundtrip in each direction each day. In May 1977 CP 9059 is leaving Kentville for Yarmouth. Kentville NS was the DAR shops and dayliners full of passengers often shunted into the yards so that they could be refuelled. The attractive wooden station has regretably been destroyed. Another photo of the DAR dayliner can be seen on the page Old Liveries.
DAR operated a mixed freight train from Windsor NS to Truro NS where there was an interchange with CN. The train left Windsor in the afternoon and returned from Windsor at night. The freight originated at Kentville and then stopped at Windsor NS to pick up an old wooden clerestory coach (latterly 1720) which was equipped with an oil heater and bus style seats. It was coupled ahead of the caboose. In the picture to the left we see CP 8137 with the mixed after arriving at Truro NS in August 1973 and above we see the train passing Clarksville at 4:50 pm on 18 May 1974 led by CP 8139.
3) VIA In 1976 CN introduced the new marketing slogan "VIA CN" and the bright yellow and blue colour scheme. On March 31 1978 VIA acquired all CN passenger services. On April 1, 1978 VIA became a separate Crown Corporation and in September VIA acquired CP's pasenger services and equipment. Here we see FPA4 6765 in its new CN - VIA livery at Fairview, Halifax on 23 November 1976. Later the red CN was discontinued and eventually when VIA became independent a red VIA was added on the nose but eventually this was dropped. For more photos including a passenger extra and a second section see Canadian National F units.
After VIA took over both CN & CP's passenger services the F40PH-2s were introduced. Initially they were paired with an older unit. Here we see 6456 with FPA9 6506 leaving Halifax station and ...	... here we see an F40PH-2 paired with an F9B unit from the rear of the "Atlantic" near Londonderry on 16 September 1989.
Since the cutbacks and the conversion of the coaches to electric heat two F40PH-2s have been used with both units facing forwards. A VIA official told me that this was so that if one unit fails it can be removed and the train can continue with the other unit. Here we see two F40PH-2s (6450 leading) with the eastbound "Ocean" near Nappan NS on 18 August 1997.	Finally we take a look inside the cab of F40PH-2 while undergoing routine servicing in the now closed Halifax shops. The desktop control panel was fitted to many locomotives in the 1980s & 90s but recent CN deliveries now have vertical control stands (apparently at the request of the engineers who found the desktops uncomfortable).
The dayliners services from Halifax to Yarmouth, Sydney and Moncton NB were continued by VIA Rail until the cutbacks in 1990 when all dayliner operation out of Halifax and Moncton ceased.
Here we see three dayliners led by 6219 leaving Halifax station and passing the VIA maintenance shops on 11 November 1988.
In this photo 6122 and an RDC2 are about 30 minutes away from Halifax with train 605 from Sydney NS on 27 October 1987 in beautiful fall weather.
Of course we do have snow in Nova Scotia and here we see dayliners 6218, 6119 & 6139 approaching Windsor Junction about 20 minutes from Halifax on New Year's Day 1989.
Also in the snow on 17 January 1990 two dayliners wait at Sydney before returning to Halifax in the last week of service on 7 January 1990. Currently there is some discussion about the feasibility of reintroducing service between Sydney and Truro on the Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway's tracks.
VIA dayliners 6137 & 6214 provide the last dayliner service to Moncton NB as train 613 on 14 January 1990.