VIA to renovate 4 historic stations
- Thread starter danasgoodstuff
- Start date
Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:
danasgoodstuff
OBS Chief
Vancouver is the only one of these I have ever been in, and there it's mostly a long time ago except for one recent-ish trip. Neither Van nor Winnipeg get much traffic now, could this mean they are considering adding more?
They're all beautiful reminders of when train travel was "the thing". I thought the Palais in Quebec City was done just a few years ago (as far as the building itself) and Halifax was in pretty good shape, so your thought may not be wrong. Both of those are lacking tracks and platforms for more than two trains (or one lengthy consist divided) at a time. I haven't been to Winnipeg or Vancouver in several years but they could have similar constraints. A couple of recent reviews have shown the interior of Winnipeg and it retains its classic charm so I suspect the problems may be similar. It certainly is a long way from its "hub" status when multiple trains arrived and were resorted daily - even under VIA.
Last edited:
Vancouver shown briefly at the start of video and Winnipeg at 23 minutes in:
I always liked the Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver better than Pacific Central, but it's now just a Subway type Station for Commuters by Canada Place!
Pacific Central could certainly use an upgrade to get it back to what it was in its heyday, a busy, Major Rail Hub.
Pacific Central could certainly use an upgrade to get it back to what it was in its heyday, a busy, Major Rail Hub.
fdaley
OBS Chief
Is Halifax really down to just two tracks now? I guess it has been quite a few years since I've been there. I can remember when it still had multiple tracks and local trains heading out to Sydney, Yarmouth and Moncton as well as the Ocean/Atlantic, and the tracks and platforms for that level of service lingered for many years afterward.
There are 3 physically although only two were in use when we were last there, with one showing signs of disuse (rust, vegetation growth). Prior to the latest incarnation of the Ocean, which is not turned, they would split the consist in two in peak season to facilitate boarding and reconnect on departure.
I'm pretty sure the gravel patch adjacent to the bus station used to be a track, as well as double track on the right side of the picture next to the parking lot.
fdaley
OBS Chief
Definitely that gravel patch was a track. I'm sure there were at least four tracks when I first was there. There also was a big train shed that once covered them all, which I have seen in photos, but I think that was removed by the early '80s.
You are right about that. I'm trying to remember whether it covered what are now the tracks or if it was to the right (east) of the current platforms, which may be repurposed freight/parcel/mail tracks. There were certainly a lot more tracks.
Last edited:
Interesting that the RDC is still in CN colors as late as 1980. About that time I rode the train to Sydney which was in VIA colors. Perhaps this is the Yarmouth train.
You'll see the second unit was repainted, and Yarmouth was CP. As a sidebar, the Yarmouth service was one of VIA's success stories. They greatly increased ridership over CP during their tenure and the train was extremely popular at the time of its discontinuation in 1990 due to budget cuts.
Last edited:
