To answer Michael’s earlier question about the train length, Steve Bradley’s terrific image holds the answer… 14 coaches. (My shot of the train approaching didn’t capture the entire consist.)

And wow, have you ever seen, or heard of, FPA-4′s lashed up nose to nose – fully MU’d ( include GMD F’s in that too ! )

and elephant style to boot !

[ and of course not possible with CP Rail F's: those units delivered from GMD sans MU nose cables ! ]

And no doubt those five FPA’s are powering a super-sized * Rapido ! ( I recall seeing Rapido consists up to twenty-two cars ! )

…and today the most exotic we can expect is a P42DC – F40PH-2 lashup !

See: modern exotic

No doubt the super-elevated S curves through Golf Club Road accentuated the sloshing in those FPA water tanks !

What’s interesting ( & * reason for that Ultimate five pack ! ):

1978, interesting year – as witnessed by this image – VIA only existed as the new marketing department for CN Passenger Sales Department – hence referred to as VIA CN ! [ the first equipment painted in the VIA livery: Turbo ]

( and CP Rail, at the time this film was exposed, was not part of VIA (one can only imagine what would have been if CP Rail had decided not to join Via. Example: the Southern Railway – the Southern Crescent – remained out of Amtrak for many years – and ditto for D&RGW ) ).

Travel disruptions were rampant during summer 1978: the Canadian Air Traffic controllers were an unhappy bunch and staged rolling work to rule and work stoppage campaigns – VIA CN and CP Rail were overwhelmed with disgruntled regular air travelers having to reluctantly to revert to the rails.

Imagine four daily fast Toronto – Montreal trains – each direction: each under 5 hours: two Turbo’s; two Rapido’s ( plus the three local’s Lakeshore, Bonaventure, Cavalier) pulled by 89 mph geared FP9A’s / 93 mph geared FPA-4′s and today? ONLY three daily fast trains – under 5 hours each direction ! (Such is progress ?)

By August 26 1978 a full Controllers strike canceled ** all air passenger travel over Canadian air space – VIA CN and CP Rail had every piece of usable rolling stock in service and we experienced * super – sized passenger trains on every route: see the super- sized CP Rail Toronto section of ‘ The Canadian ‘ ( the REAL ‘ The Canadian ‘ ) :

‘ The Canadian ‘ – Toronto section

one last hurrah !

[ ** bonus interesting, in 1981 the American air traffic controllers strike resulted in the 40th President declaring " (if they) do not report for work within 48 hours, they have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated". So... Regan fired 11,345 air traffic controllers ! ]

super bonus: see Steve Bradley’s shot: Five Pack ! !

Times certainly have changed ! And again an Ultimate Five – Pack Catch !

sdfourty