Recent content by Trackside_Treasure

The government has already had to admit that the rails will not be Canadian content because after the glory years of DOSCO, Algoma et al, no rails are currently produced within Canada's borders. That's a pretty basic component for any railway, high speed or low speed.

This is a very valuable report!! My cocktail-napkin count gives a rough(!) total of 42 LRC cars still in service. A running tally is maintained in this post: https://tracksidetreasure.blogspot.com/2024/05/vias-lrc-in-decline.html

Yes, I'm actually the one that initially posted that table. 😎But it is from a VIA document, not a Transport Canada one.

The bad news on top of that bad news...will VIA's wish for an injunction against CN be resolved in the Quebec Superior Court? "No date for the hearing on the merits has been fixed at this time. The parties are still in the process of completing their respective files, and everything should be...

There can still be equipment issues causing occasional Cab Car Lead Ventures. The vast majority have very noticeably returned to Venture Loco Lead toward Montreal.

I would love to see that TC mandate. I think it's more of a VIA mandate.

Not sure how it increases wear and tear, at least on the buffer cars that were already sidelined. Equipment cycling is the same as before - the buffers stay with the set. We THINK the LRC's only have seven months left....maybe there will be a life extension. It seems odd that a car at a time...

Word choice. Two buffer cars, one at each end. See VIA bulletin here: https://tracksidetreasure.blogspot.com/2026/04/three-days-in-march-2026-and-lrc-buffer.html

All consists seem to have been adjusted to account for buffer addition. Five car consists eliminated, either 4- or 6-car consists, now totalling 6 or 8 with head-end and tail-end buffer cars, most with locomotives on both ends. The exceptions are Nos 65/75/70/64 now totalling 9. So, in other...

Sorry, but what do you mean??

No, they do have buffer cars at each end whether one locomotive, or one on each end. All the buffer cars so far observed in use were retired in the most recent lot, by the end of January, 2026. Yes, I also noticed loco-to-the-east operation has really taken hold in the last day or two. We're...

No details accompany this VIA table, re: what constitutes HEP1 or HEP2. NA is not really a date, though...

The LRC fleet retirement schedule is at least five years old, and can be seen in this post: https://tracksidetreasure.blogspot.com/2024/05/vias-lrc-in-decline.html

Like the HEP buffer cars, the LRC buffer car consists are going to look identical to regular LRC consists, except for perhaps car count. There are very few buffer consists complete as of today. The main visual difference is going to be whether there are heads in windows or just an empty car. Is...

Breaking...Buffer cars to be required coming Monday on LRC consists...structural integrity issues discovered last September. I've seen this movie before....