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Caption: Reviving a name used for the Super Continental’s “running mate” from 24 May 1964 until 6 January 1970, VIA named its Winnipeg-Edmonton-(3 days per week) Prince Rupert train the Panorama when it was introduced on 3 June 1984. The train and name only lasted for about a year, after which the Super was reinstated between Winnipeg and Vancouver (on 1 June 1985--lasting until the Canadian was re-routed over CN lines in the January 1990 cuts). Interestingly, the Panorama was used to test Amtrak Superliners and head-end power over the winter of 1984-85; VIA eventually bought F40PH-2s but decided to convert its existing stainless steel equipment to HEP rather than buying Superliner cars. In this photo from July 1984, we see the Panorama making its early afternoon station stop at Portage la Prairie before continuing west.
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Brilliant capture John, nowadays its hard to imagine more than only 1 passenger train running out west…
Thanks Ian. When I first moved to Winnipeg in 1980, I remember the departure board at Union Station showing up to 10 trains (the Canadian and Super Continental daily, the “essential service” to/from Capreol, the north trains to/from Thompson (3 days per week) and Churchill (3 days per week), the mixed train to/from Sioux Lookout (two days per week), and the “Camper Special” (Fridays and Sundays/Holiday Mondays during the summer. (Up to 1977, it also would have had the Railiner to/from Thunder Bay North three days per week–but, of course, no Canadian.) I wish I’d taken a photo of it.
Wow, it is sad to see how much of a downfall passenger rail and even railways in general had. Hopefully one day it will grow back to somewhat close to how it used to be, but i’m not very optimistic in that regard… One can only dream !