OK, it was 1980, but still... David Morris sent along the consists of 6 trains he and Bill Linley saw on December 20 and 21, 1980 in Saint John, all in 24 hours.
--December 20--
1. VIA #616
RDC-1 VIA 6105, RDC-2 VIA 6202
2. VIA #11 (First Section)
VIA 6775-VIA 6871-CP 8561
VIA 9645-5426-5409-5389-752
5722-5734-GREENBANK-RIDEAU RIVER-1369
BONHEUR-ELCOTT-EVANSTON-REVERSING FALLS-EXPLOITS RIVER
3. VIA #11 (Second Section)
VIA 6768-6628-6864
VIA 9636-5621-5405-5394-3035
426-5714-FORTUNE BAY-1374-CAPE TORMENTINE
GREENBUSH-GREENDALE-PYRAMID FALLS-FITZWILLIAM
4. VIA #615
VIA RDC-2 6211, VIA RDC-1 6107
--December 21--
5. VIA #12 (First Section)
VIA 6772-6634-6773
VIA SISIBOO FALLS-EXETER-EVELYN-HARMONIE-1348
ECUM SECUM RIVER-GREENLANE-5701-5733-765
5297-5306-5197-9646-BEDFORD
6. VIA #12 (Second Section)
VIA 6776-6865-6780
VIA 9627-5580-5407-3039-432
5702-BUCKLEY BAY-YUKON RIVER-1365-CAPE CANSO
GREENCABIN-GREENRIDGE-RAINBOW FALLS-RESPLENDENT
What's up with the first and second sections? This dates from the timetable & train order period. Scheduled trains like VIA 11 and 12 ran on the times from the employee timetable. Sometimes there was more traffic than could fit on one train, so the dispatcher would run a second "section" of the same scheduled train after the first section. The trains would be referred to as "first 11" and "second 11" to show there were two sections. There could be third, fourth, fifth, etc. sections too.
For example, a January 29, 1957 order to train 113 reads: "No 113 Eng MEC 711 Meet Second 68 Eng 5302 at Bailey". So train #113, led by Maine Central 711, should meet the second section of train #68 (led by CP 5302) at Bailey.
The second section would have the same precedence over other trains that the first section had, and nobody could run in between the two sections unless a train order overrode that. The lead engine of the first* section flew green flags to indicate a second section was following.
(more reading about timetable and train order rules)
* actually, the lead engine of every section except the last flew green engines to indicate another section was following.
2 comments:
Neat consists Steve. There was a discussion about this in CanPassRail Yahoogroup, darned if I can find it in the archives. One item discussed was why the train ran reversed. Some of these Christmas consists operated through to Toronto, so would have been reversed, heading westbound out of Montreal, after entering the stub-end Central Station, and not being turned. I saw one of these consists in Kingston, not sure if it was the same year. Thanks for sharing, Eric
Me again, found that message: #32458 in AtlanticRails Yahoogroup. Gary Hadfield saw the 6772-->Sissiboo Falls consist at Truro on Dec 22, 1980 in Truro, westbound, and I saw it in Kingston on Dec 23, with a new set of power. Gary also referred to the Jan 1982 Railfan magazine which had an article re: the first second sections to operate across Maine in 25 years. Eric
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