1.
Halifax-Montreal
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TORONTO - WINDSOR
THURSDAY 24th JULY 1997
I caught the 07.50 Toronto to Chicago services which was made up of
Amtrak
Superliner double deck coaches and a VIA F4OPH-2. The lower level has seats,
a baggage area and toilets. The corridor connection is on the
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An Amtrak "Superliner" Coach on the Toronto to Chicago service at London (Ontario)
The
route to London was via Guelph through rolling farmland. At Guelph station there was a
preserved CNR 4-8-4 steam loco. Arrival
in London was at 10.55, after passing a Sarnia to Toronto
VIA train in a loop west of Guelph. A connecting service to Windsor was in
the platform just ahead of the Chicago service. I talked to the conductor who,
on discovering I was a railfan, gave me a child's card press-out model of a VIA
train! He told me that most freight on the line was at night, but that one had
just been given the
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The train to Chicago prepares to leave London
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Map of VIA's Corridor services west of Toronto.
Map reproduced courtesy of VIA
I decided to walk across the town to the CP tracks. I arrived at a level
crossing half a mile away to find a CP maintenance crew in their truck so I asked
if anything was due. They said they were waiting for a freight to pass in the
next ten minutes. It was a westbound behind a Norfolk Southern lease
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A CP freight heads past the old CPR depot at London with a westbound freight. CP's GP9 #8221 and Norfolk Southern SD40 #1615 power the train.
West from London to Windsor the line crosses flat farmland. At Chatham there is a flat crossing and
an interchange with the CSX - a Chessie System GP40 was standing in the yard.
Further towards Windsor the line runs along the shore of Lake St Clair, an area
obviously popular for boating holidays.
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VIA 6404 after arrival at Windsor(Walkerville) with a service from Toronto
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One of VIA's modern lightweight coaches seen at London
On arrival at Windsor, where the station is a modern one situated in an industrial areas - mainly distilleries, I walked down to the St. Clair River to look across the water and photograph the tower blocks of Detroit.
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The skyline of Detroit seen from the Canadian side of the St. Claire River at Windsor.
The return to
Toronto was at 18.00 and the only items of real note were three brand new BNSF
locos at London. There was no sign yet of the Class 66s for EWS. The train arrived in
Union at 22.00 on time. There had been a large amount of freight going west to
the USA just as the conductor had said.
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