Comments on: The Turd on 85: a classic consist for many years, VIA Rail F40PH-2D 6414 leads the normal two stainless steel Budd coaches on train #85 from Toronto to Sarnia, departing downtown Brampton after making its afternoon station stop at 11:29am and about to “slam the diamond” with the OBRY to the west. For those who didn’t have the pleasure of living through VIA’s wrap era, a number of colourful wrapped F40′s made otherwise mundane VIA consists just a bit more exciting trackside. VIA 6414 was wrapped for Lotto Quebec, and was nicknamed “The Turd” because of it’s predominately brown livery, that could be easily seen at a distance coming down the track (versus the yellow nose of a normal F40). Equipment cycling meant the same consist could stay on the same run for week or two (85 was one of six Toronto-Sarnia corridor trains that took the Halton Sub, running as 85 Toronto-Sarnia in the afternoon and returning in the evening as 88), hence if The Big Brown Turd was on 85 you knew to avoid it all week, or shoot it, depending on preference (same with Telus-wrapped “Green Booger” 6429. Another common annoyance to some trackside was the front MU cover being left open, or in the “flap up” position (the rebuilds eliminated the nose MU plug, and the open flap was never an issue again).

By: awmooney

awmooney — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 16:03:02 +0000

Yes, definitely. Made for a turdy nice shot.

By: mile27

mile27 — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 15:59:41 +0000

Nicely framed with the old building and signal bridge.

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 19:51:23 +0000

I don’t miss all the Spiderman wraps…. I actually turned my camera away from VIA during that period.

By: cp5756

cp5756 — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 03:21:05 +0000

I miss this era! I have a soft spot for the turd as I saw it on a westbound run on the Oakville as a kid back in 2011 before rebuild, wish we still had ad wraps that’s for sure

By: awmooney

awmooney — Sat, 14 Jun 2025 15:05:40 +0000

There are a number of silly names that fans have attached to certain locomotives or a certain model of locomotives, but none of them are more obvious than “The Turd”. This thing is hideous. Rather than an ad for Lotto Quebec it should have been one for Charmin.