Russian
Saskatoon railfan
Hello, not sure if I should post this here or anywhere for that matter, but I thought it was worth sharing...
My Railway town has been lobbying VIA Rail for some time now to provide passenger service. When they refused the first time it made sence, as we only had the tracks on the ground. Since then the town has been built up and a number of CN & CP and detouring BN trains have successfully ran through the town. VIA still wouldn't consider us.
So when they brough in an old FP9u to CN for contract maintenece, the town seized it for the passenger service. Apparently VIA was slow to respond, as another VIA engine, an F40PH-2 made it into town as lease power on a CP train. After negotiating with CP, we made a deal that they would keep the VIA foreign power within the town vicinity so that it could be used for a passenger train anytime. VIA was still skeptical. So we assured them passenger service would suceed, as the town banned airports (except helicopters), marine travel (except sailboats) and bus service that would compete with the railway. Finally VIA agreed to bring service!
The talks started good, since the town agreed to build a passenger station at its own cost and guard the train against graffiti artists with two full time policeman. So VIA gave us one old coach. We then asked for a baggage car, but VIA said we wouldn't have enough traffic, so they gave us a combine.
Since a combine is 1/2baggage, 1/2 coach, VIA refused to give us another coach now... We then said that the train wouldn't attarct much notice without a sleeper car, so VIA gave us a sleeper as long as we had a diner to go along with it to actually generate some money. There, we lobbyed hard and got 4 cars!
VIA refused to commit anymore locomotives though, except for "old junk" that was scheduled for retirement anyway, namely (all ex-CP) FP7A, FP9A and a F7B. We were also banned from using the F40PH-2, unless we absolutely had to to, since CP paid good money for leassing it. The old CP F units would be leassed to CP anytime we weren't using them either. (They're really powershort, so powershort they even have an old BN C Liner running!)
Thinking creatively we came up with three passenger trains that could run on the layout:
- The commuter:
F unit
coach
combine
F unit
This train broke two VIA rules at once, as it will be using push-pull service and be a commuter, both of which are no-nos. We don't care what VIA says anymore though.
- The daily
F unit (maybe two F units, including a B unit)
combine
coach
diner (optional)
Will be running on a couple times a day servicing the city and nearby areas. Here's a photo of a prototype:
http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=96562
- The Continental (connecting to another major city)
F unit
F (B) unit
F unit (optional)
combine
coach
diner
sleeper
VIA says if service picks they might have enough cars to make this train longer. What those cars will be though is another question, lickely more blue cars or the old CN Budds, all of which aren't rebuild. At least they all are freshly painted.
We're saying however that if service picks up, we should have a completely "new" Continental with Budd cars, observation car included, and F40PH-2's for power (we already have one of them!)
VIA isn't buying that either though.
Another issue still to be discussed is switching. Is the VIA F unit going to do the switching? CN SW900? CP GP9u?
VIA says they'll be in town in about a week, still thinking of a good welcome ceremony. Maybe I should start building the station?
What do you all think?
My Railway town has been lobbying VIA Rail for some time now to provide passenger service. When they refused the first time it made sence, as we only had the tracks on the ground. Since then the town has been built up and a number of CN & CP and detouring BN trains have successfully ran through the town. VIA still wouldn't consider us.
So when they brough in an old FP9u to CN for contract maintenece, the town seized it for the passenger service. Apparently VIA was slow to respond, as another VIA engine, an F40PH-2 made it into town as lease power on a CP train. After negotiating with CP, we made a deal that they would keep the VIA foreign power within the town vicinity so that it could be used for a passenger train anytime. VIA was still skeptical. So we assured them passenger service would suceed, as the town banned airports (except helicopters), marine travel (except sailboats) and bus service that would compete with the railway. Finally VIA agreed to bring service!
The talks started good, since the town agreed to build a passenger station at its own cost and guard the train against graffiti artists with two full time policeman. So VIA gave us one old coach. We then asked for a baggage car, but VIA said we wouldn't have enough traffic, so they gave us a combine.
Since a combine is 1/2baggage, 1/2 coach, VIA refused to give us another coach now... We then said that the train wouldn't attarct much notice without a sleeper car, so VIA gave us a sleeper as long as we had a diner to go along with it to actually generate some money. There, we lobbyed hard and got 4 cars!VIA refused to commit anymore locomotives though, except for "old junk" that was scheduled for retirement anyway, namely (all ex-CP) FP7A, FP9A and a F7B. We were also banned from using the F40PH-2, unless we absolutely had to to, since CP paid good money for leassing it. The old CP F units would be leassed to CP anytime we weren't using them either. (They're really powershort, so powershort they even have an old BN C Liner running!)
Thinking creatively we came up with three passenger trains that could run on the layout:
- The commuter:
F unit
coach
combine
F unit
This train broke two VIA rules at once, as it will be using push-pull service and be a commuter, both of which are no-nos. We don't care what VIA says anymore though.
- The daily
F unit (maybe two F units, including a B unit)
combine
coach
diner (optional)
Will be running on a couple times a day servicing the city and nearby areas. Here's a photo of a prototype:
http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=96562
- The Continental (connecting to another major city)
F unit
F (B) unit
F unit (optional)
combine
coach
diner
sleeper
VIA says if service picks they might have enough cars to make this train longer. What those cars will be though is another question, lickely more blue cars or the old CN Budds, all of which aren't rebuild. At least they all are freshly painted.
We're saying however that if service picks up, we should have a completely "new" Continental with Budd cars, observation car included, and F40PH-2's for power (we already have one of them!)
VIA isn't buying that either though.
Another issue still to be discussed is switching. Is the VIA F unit going to do the switching? CN SW900? CP GP9u?
VIA says they'll be in town in about a week, still thinking of a good welcome ceremony. Maybe I should start building the station?
What do you all think?
