I watched a video on YouTube recently ("All 8 VIA trains on the Chatham Sub on 12-03-2023") and it occurred to me that a change is on the immediate horizon, just across the border from Detroit and Port Huron. VIA Rail's Corridor consists, largely unchanged for roughly the last 20 years, and using equipment that mostly hails from the 1980s and 1940/50s, is finally on the eve of an upgrade. Where we in the USA haven't seen mainline F40s in service since 2000 and Heritage fleet passenger cars in regular service since about 2019, solid consists of this type of equipment provide vital passenger service from both Windsor and Sarnia eastward in 2023 (and, shortly, 2024). Throw in the additional mix of VIA's low slung LRC coaches and a fleet of P42 Genesis and the trains offer some variety and history a railfan can appreciate. Here's the 8 trains video I was watching:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbC5s8ToxDI
Meanwhile, the most recent Charger/Venture trainset destined for the VIA Corridor passed through Michigan on December 12, heading for service between Ottawa-Montreal-Quebec City and eventual service spanning the entire corridor between Windsor/Sarnia and Quebec City. The first several Charger/Venture sets are already in service between Ottawa and Montreal, with a single set already running between Toronto and Montreal or Ottawa (depending on the day of the week) for crew and mechanical familiarization. Which trains are regularly assigned the new equipment? Check this list here:
https://www.viarail.ca/en/plan/new-flee ... PuDoX6d1NM Delivery of the new trainsets will continue into 2025 and the goal is to replace all consists on the Corridor with the new equipment. Shiny, modern, state-of-the-art, but lacking some of the character and history of today's varied VIA trains.
ALL OF THIS TO SAY: The coming of the new trainsets inspired me to hunt back for some photos of earlier generations of VIA equipment on the Corridor as we are on the eve of the next transition. My first trip on VIA was in 1989 behind classic F-unit power, and my family visited Windsor several times through the 1990s which offered chances for photos of typical F40 and Heritage or LRC fleet coaches. Although LRC locomotives were used until about the year 2000 on the Corridor, somehow I never recall seeing one in service. I thought I would share a few photos of the typical equipment I did see:
In July 1994, F40PH-2 6455 brings a westbound train up to the platform at Windsor with a classic set of ex-CN coaches in tow. The dark blue with yellow stripes cars looked, in my opinion, great as a matched train. Most were not upgraded from steam heat. The cars were all retired in the mid 1990s, although many were sold to tourist lines for preservation. 6455 wears the original as-delivered VIA scheme in this photo.
In the summer of 1996 (I think) this consist of stainless cars lays over at Windsor. The VIA Station is located in the Walkerville neighborhood, which strikes its name from the large distillery and company town created by distiller Hiram Walker, on the banks of the Detroit River across from Belle Isle. The Hiram Walker distillery still looms large over the station to this day. The VIA stainless fleet of Budd cars comprises Canadian Pacific's fleet purchased in 1954 and '55 for the Canadian and the Dominion, augmented by ex Amtrak and other Budd cars from United States origins. 4108 is a former USA car.
In March of 2004, another westbound has tied up at the end of the line at the Windsor station, behind F40PH-2 6417, which wears the second-generation of the VIA F40 yellow-gray-blue scheme. LRC coaches offer accommodation on this day. The aging ex-CN station behind was replaced by a new station facility in 2012 which is substantially more modern and full of sunlit windows. Meanwhile, starting in 2007 and concluding in 2012, VIA's entire 54-engine fleet of F40PH locomotives was extensively modernized and upgraded by CAD in Quebec. They now sport the fleet's standard "renaissance" scheme with a few wearing other commemorative liveries, including the current marketing "Love the Way" silver and yellow scheme. The rebuilds were predicted to extend the F40 life by another 15-20 years at a minimum, and at least some of the F40s are projected to remain in service even after the Charger sets are all in operation.
Anyhow, I just wanted to recount some of this history. I'll share some more photos when I dog them out. I'd love to see some others if anyone has VIA to share!
