Comments on: In one of those cases of, “It’s better to be lucky than good”, I caught the last mixed train to Waterways (Fort McMurray). I had seen it in the VIA timetable and meant to catch it one day. Finally, when I made the time, I got out there to capture the last one. Go figure. This train did not leave from the VIA station in downtown Edmonton. Rather it picked up passengers at a shack adjacent to Fort Road. There was no platform, nor was the shack open for shelter. There was, however a tiny parking lot. Note the significant smoke stacks on the passenger cars – no HEP or steam for heat on this train.

By: smallspy

smallspy — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 13:15:31 +0000

Eric, that first car is the former NAR 1460. It was built in 1948, and was the only smooth-side car that they would buy new.
-DG

By: Steve Young

Steve Young — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 22:10:16 +0000

That is interesting, but I suspect that it did not see any mail at the time – more likely it handled the stuff that folks bought in Edmonton to bring back home, up north.

By: Eric May

Eric May — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 21:13:55 +0000

Interesting. The first car looks to be an ex CP smooth side RPO. I was not aware that any of the former CP smooth side cars had made it in to VIA paint.