Jonathan Lee

Worldly Images

VIA Rail August 2012

This would be our first taste of VIA Rail Genesis GE P42DC’s and our first train had two of them involved. We’d booked all our VIA tickets online, luckily for us during a half price sale too.

Friday 24th August

0925 Toronto – Montreal was formed of two trains, both going Montreal – Quebec, one via Ottawa, the other via Cornwall.

Train 56 via Cornwall was leading with GE P42 #917, Train 54 via Ottawa was coupled behind with GE P42 #902 in the middle of the formation and its train trailing behind. The trains were split at KM127 about 2km outside Brockville station.

At Montreal we had time for lunch before going forward to Quebec City.

Train 24 1610 Montreal – Quebec City was GE P42 #920 and our arrival into Quebec was bang on time.

Sunday 26th August

Having done the Le Massif on the Saturday we were plagued by 920, all the way back to Montreal, we had it on the following:

Train 23 0745 Quebec City – Montreal from Quebec to Drummondville, where we spent the day doing the Orford Express in Sherbrooke &

Train 27 1730 Quebec City – Montreal from Drummondville to Montreal, it having worked Train 22 1300 Montreal – Quebec City in between. We’d been hoping it wouldn’t but common sense prevailed. The only other GE we saw that day was pioneer of the VIA fleet #900, which worked the following, seen both times at Drummondville:

Train 620 0830 Montreal – Quebec City

Train 26 1755 Montreal – Quebec City

Common sense also says it worked:

Train 25 1310 Quebec City – Montreal

Back at Montreal that night we stayed in the Hotel Visitel, which was a very short walk from the UQAM stop on the Montreal Metro system in what can only be described as a ludicrously large room on the hotel’s ground floor, which had 3 beds, and a separate bathroom, with two sinks. Good value for money too at $99 for the room.

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