# Backing the Ocean from Sainte-Foy to Joffre



## NS VIA Fan (Mar 19, 2020)

As a follow-on to my recent post here on the Ferry and Station at Levis, Quebec......

Ferries, Ferries, and still more Ferries

VIA's Ocean now crosses the St. Lawrence River on the historic _Pont de Quebec _to serve Quebec City at the suburban Sainte-Foy Station.





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www.historicplaces.ca





Here the westbound Ocean has arrived in Joffre Yard at 6:30am and with the F40s leading....heads through Charny and out across the Quebec Bridge.






























Arriving at Gare de Sainte-Foy for a 15 minute servicing stop.....


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## NS VIA Fan (Mar 19, 2020)

Now to return to CN's Halifax-Montreal mainline on the southshore of the St. Lawrence.....we have to back-up 3 1/2 miles to Joffre Yard. Here a crew member takes a rear seat in the Park Car's Bullet-Lounge for the move:



























At Charny we take the east leg of the wye. The track on the right goes to West Junction and is used by the eastbound Ocean


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## NS VIA Fan (Mar 19, 2020)

We continue backing around the wye and into Joffre Yard.









Now we accelerate forward.....passing the east leg of the wye we just used......then on through West Junction....across the Chaudiere River with the tops of the bridges and skyline of Quebec in the distance.... and onto Montreal.


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## railiner (Mar 19, 2020)

Makes the move very clear... thanks for posting.
Wondering if they could stop at Ste-Foy, and then stay on the North Shore on to Montreal?
Wouldn’t that be faster and easier?


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## NS VIA Fan (Mar 19, 2020)

railiner said:


> Makes the move very clear... thanks for posting.
> Wondering if they could stop at Ste-Foy, and then stay on the North Shore on to Montreal?
> Wouldn’t that be faster and easier?



The Durmmondville Sub......the route the Ocean currently follows is fast and it takes 3 1/2 hrs between Ste-Foy and Montreal (corridor trains can do it in 2 3/4 hrs)





To continue on beyond Sainte-Foy on the north shore......the track to Hervey Jct (70 miles) is in place but out of service. At Hervey, the Ocean would have to take the same route the Jonquiere/Senneterre trains use.....and they take 3 1/4 hrs to reach Montreal. Now add the time to cover the additional 70 miles on track that would have to be rebuilt.

There is also the Quebec-Gatineau Railway (former CPR line via Trois-Riviere) It is freight only now and would require some upgrading. CPR trains took around 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 hrs back in the day.

No advantage.....for a lot of additional cost!


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## railiner (Mar 19, 2020)

Thanks... I thought I remembered the CP via Trois-Riviere.
As for going via Hervey Jct...I had a taste of that a couple of years ago when going to Jonquiere, with its convoluted, roundabout approach to Central Station.


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## jiml (Mar 19, 2020)

Thanks for posting NS Via Fan. I remember when some Northern Quebec trains ran out of Quebec City. 

Hoping for more informative posts from the archives to occupy the current void in entertainment.


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## Devil's Advocate (Mar 19, 2020)

Real domes, tasteful seating, through-truss bridges, and searchlight signals. For what more could a rail fan ask?


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## NS VIA Fan (Mar 20, 2020)

jiml said:


> Hoping for more informative posts from the archives to occupy the current void in entertainment.



Thanks all!

...…. and I'll be posting a report shortly for a trip between Montreal and Jonquiere I took a couple of weeks ago.


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