Scotian Railroad Society 1979-11,12 News - Various News Items, Including VIA service on DAR Extended

Scotian Railroad Society - News November/December 1979 - Various News Items, Including VIA service on DAR Extended

Scotian Railroad Society covers the last run of Windsor-Truro mixed trains, VIA takeover of DAR Dayliner, private party interested in purchasing coach 1720.

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Reference Tag

Please use this tag when referring to this article: Scotian Railroad Society, News November,December 1979

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Atlantic Railway News

* The last mixed train service operated in Nova Scotia was discontinued effective 28th October. The VIA service operated by the Dominion Atlantic Railway linked Windsor and Truro. The CTC reported that the train service lost $62,000 in 1978; only 29 passengers used the service and these generated $111 revenue. There is no loss of jobs since none of the men is assigned specifically to the passenger train operation. (Several members of SRS took one of the last rides -- see separate story.) The last run was handled in a wake fashion complete with black crepe paper streamers, songs and refreshments. Two bus loads of people descended on the train for the last run of a passenger train over what originally was the Midland Railway.

* An eleventh-hour approach to the Minister of Transport to spare the jobs of 22 men (eight in Halifax, four in Amherst and ten in Moncton) failed. CNR said that anticipated traffic did not materialize, and in addition it lost a contract with Sears.

* A tractor-trailer laden with a bulldozer collapsed the single-lane 260-foot Cookville bridge into the LaHave River near Bridgewater. The driver was pinned in the wreckage for two hours until the Bridgewater Fire Department succeeded in rescuing him. Damages to the truck and dozer exceed $250,000. There is no estimate for replacing the bridge.

* The Halifax City Council has expressed strong opposition to the re-scheduling of trains by VIA Rail on 28 October. The Council was particularly upset about the change in schedule for the RDC which now could not function as commuter service for Halifax-Truro. Council said this went against VIA's mandate to develop commuter railway services. (The Council is misinformed -- Ed/RDT)

* Rod Norrie of Truro is conducting a one-man campaign to preserve CP Rail coach 1720 in Truro, a town with much railway history. He has not, however, found a group to take over the project. The Colchester Historical Museum has expressed interest in the idea, but said that maintaining the car would be a problem. The coach, still wearing CPR livery, is currently in Kentville, and may well be assigned to duties elsewhere on the CP Rail system.

* The Bedford Service Commission has become the latest agency to talk about a commuter rail service between Halifax and Bedford, and possibly Windsor Junction and Waverly. A Canadian National Railways' spokesman has commented that such a project could prove to be very costly. Two Halifax County councillors had also expressed interest. CNR estimated that the costs would be so high that only the provincial government could handle them. Dr. Bandeen had stated earlier that CNR would be willing to operate commuter services provided its costs were met. The Nova Scotian Department of Transportation may well establish a "metrorail" service, but the volume of traffic would have to be much higher than it might be now.

* The passenger services operated by the Dominion Atlantic Railway for VIA Rail Canada have been the subject of public hearings. VIA Rail has applied to the CTC for permission to discontinue them for financial reasons. VIA's application was supported by Dominion Atlantic, Canadian Pacific and Acadian Lines (a bus operator). The application was opposed by Transport 2000 Atlantic, the Annapolis Valley Affiliated Boards of Trade, the Province of Nova Scotia, and various organizations and individuals in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. More than 200 submissions were received; many public hearings were very well attended. On Thursday, 8 November, the Canadian Transport Commission announced its decision that VIA Rail must not only continue passenger services linking Halifax and Yarmouth but also improve them, and furthermore, give such new services a public test lasting a year. The test period will not begin until sometime in the spring of 1980. That means that passenger services will be continued for at least 28 months from now, The passenger railway has been directed to make a variety of improvements: scheduling, equipment, stations, tariffs and publicity, The present one train a day each way the whole distance, with another between only Kentville and Halifax, will be replaced by one train over the whole distance. However, this train will be scheduled such that someone from Yarmouth could arrive in Halifax about noontime, conduct business or health appointments, and leave around 1800 for the return trip. The trains would be equipped with meal service (perhaps something like on BCR). The stations would be fixed up in terms of appearance, interior furnishings and ancillary services (e.g. parking). Tariffs would be revised to make them more competitive with bus transport. The services would be promoted more aggressively and imaginatively.

As reported in the last issue, CPR coach 1720, which was used on the Midland mixed has been taken out of service while the DAR ponders its fate. Manager E.W. Pursell says the company will consider selling the car if there is a taker. At the same time, a Truro man, Mr. Rod Norrie, has expressed interest in having the car brought to Truro and preserved. Also, the curator of the Colchester Historical Society, Mrs. Francis Langille, says she would like the car to come to Truro, but she thinks the money for maintenance costs could the hard to come by. Sounds familiar. (Chronicle-Herald)

The CTC has ordered VIA Rail to continue operating the DAR service from Halifax to Yarmouth for one year on a trial basis. The operation will consist of one round trip daily and will be evaluated after a year when a permanent decision will he made on its future. Changes will not likely be made until the spring.

The 6-channel radios on VIA (ex CN) passenger units have been modified to include two CP channels. This is to facilitate operations on CP tracks in New Brunswick and Maine on the Atlantic.