# Why no P42s on the Canadian?



## Amfleeter (Jun 28, 2014)

I rode the Canadian this summer in May, and something I noticed is that it uses F40s - not the P42s, which have more horsepower and range (quite a bit more - the P42s can push 700-900 mile range from what I've heard), and (to some degree) more reliability. I looked it up, seeing if they ever used P42s on the Canadian, and came up empty. Can anyone explain why VIA has kept the F40s, which are short-legged, on the Canadian, when they could reduce fueling stops and increase fuel efficiency by switching to P42DCs? The F40PHs, from what I've heard, would be much better suited on the Corridor, where their range isn't as much a problem.


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## Acela150 (Jun 29, 2014)

To few of them and no need for them across the country. They are used for the Montreal-Toronto corridor to attain the speed.


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## Amfleeter (Jun 29, 2014)

Fair enough - if there's one thing the P42DC is good at, it's hauling ass at high speed. That 4200 horsepower isn't for nothing. The smaller numbers make sense - the Canadian probably uses a fair number of locomotives, and I imagine the F40 can't get up to speed like the P42 - which isn't a problem with the Canadian. VIA doesn't have P42s left and right like Amtrak does, and never electrified like Amtrak, which allows Amtrak to dedicate P42s to smaller corridors and LD trains. Never actually realized how few P42s VIA actually has - 20 something P42s and 58 F40s to Amtrak's 300+ P32s, P40s, and P42s, on top of 70ish electrics and 20-30 Dash 8s.

Thanks for helping me connect the dots there!


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## Gord (Jul 14, 2014)

Amfleeter said:


> Fair enough - if there's one thing the P42DC is good at, it's hauling ass at high speed. That 4200 horsepower isn't for nothing. The smaller numbers make sense - the Canadian probably uses a fair number of locomotives, and I imagine the F40 can't get up to speed like the P42 - which isn't a problem with the Canadian. VIA doesn't have P42s left and right like Amtrak does, and never electrified like Amtrak, which allows Amtrak to dedicate P42s to smaller corridors and LD trains. Never actually realized how few P42s VIA actually has - 20 something P42s and 58 F40s to Amtrak's 300+ P32s, P40s, and P42s, on top of 70ish electrics and 20-30 Dash 8s.
> 
> Thanks for helping me connect the dots there!


High speed is not needed on the Canadian which now takes 4 days from Toronto to Vancouver and rarely exceeds 70 mph. Much running between Tor. and Winnipeg is well below this due to speed restrictions on the numerous curves. The F-40PH3's were rebuilt by CAD over the past few years and I don't recall their current gearing but it's in the to 90 mph plus range. Fuel range is not a problem as there are fairly frequent stops for operating crew changes at many divisnal points with fueling facilities. In Saskatoon, they use a local fuel delivery truck to fill the tanks on the 2 or 3 units!


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## Guest (Jul 14, 2014)

Gord said:


> Amfleeter said:
> 
> 
> > Fair enough - if there's one thing the P42DC is good at, it's hauling ass at high speed. That 4200 horsepower isn't for nothing. The smaller numbers make sense - the Canadian probably uses a fair number of locomotives, and I imagine the F40 can't get up to speed like the P42 - which isn't a problem with the Canadian. VIA doesn't have P42s left and right like Amtrak does, and never electrified like Amtrak, which allows Amtrak to dedicate P42s to smaller corridors and LD trains. Never actually realized how few P42s VIA actually has - 20 something P42s and 58 F40s to Amtrak's 300+ P32s, P40s, and P42s, on top of 70ish electrics and 20-30 Dash 8s.
> ...


From the 2012 Canadian Trackside Guide:

Via's P42DC's are geared for 110 mph but not used over 100 mph in service.

F-40PH #6400-6436 are geared for 95 mph, #6437 to 6458 are geared for 90 mph..


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## NS VIA Fan (Jul 17, 2014)

Gord said:


> ........In Saskatoon, they use a local fuel delivery truck to fill the tanks on the 2 or 3 units!


[SIZE=11pt]This is the usual practice on VIA. Fuel trucks meet the trains at designated points. Here’s the w/b Ocean being refueled at Moncton, New Brunswick……fuel contractor here is Irving. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]




[/SIZE]


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