Comments on: VIA 81, Amtrak’s “International” switching to the Dundas sub in the days before they switched to the Guelph sub. http://www.railpictures.ca The BEST Canadian photos on the Internet, eh? Thu, 07 May 2026 18:00:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Jakob Mueller http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=31325#comment-24273 Jakob Mueller Sun, 26 Nov 2017 05:50:52 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Amtrak32281-Bayview-Feb1983-edited.jpg#comment-24273 With a VIA TEMPO coach on the rear - nice! Not many realize this, but the TEMPO cars and GO Transit equipment originally used 550V HEP. Occasionally the orange CN 3150-series RS-18Ms would haul GO trains, and GO GP40TCs could haul TEMPO trains. The LRC equipment went into regular revenue service in 1982 with 480V HEP. The TEMPO cars were converted to 480V over 1982-1983. This ended inter-operability with GO, and led to the retirement of the orange RS-18Ms in March 1983. However, it allowed LRC locomotives to haul TEMPO equipment, and it also made TEMPO cars compatible with Amfleet. The first "International" was LRC 6901 with four TEMPO cars; thereafter, Amtrak and VIA shared equipment until VIA dedicated the ex-Amtrak LRC cars to the "International" in 1988. There are a few photos around the internet of Amtrak F40s hauling TEMPO cars, but I have never seen a photo of a VIA LRC hauling Amfleet. Challenge, anyone? With a VIA TEMPO coach on the rear – nice!

Not many realize this, but the TEMPO cars and GO Transit equipment originally used 550V HEP. Occasionally the orange CN 3150-series RS-18Ms would haul GO trains, and GO GP40TCs could haul TEMPO trains.

The LRC equipment went into regular revenue service in 1982 with 480V HEP. The TEMPO cars were converted to 480V over 1982-1983. This ended inter-operability with GO, and led to the retirement of the orange RS-18Ms in March 1983. However, it allowed LRC locomotives to haul TEMPO equipment, and it also made TEMPO cars compatible with Amfleet. The first “International” was LRC 6901 with four TEMPO cars; thereafter, Amtrak and VIA shared equipment until VIA dedicated the ex-Amtrak LRC cars to the “International” in 1988.

There are a few photos around the internet of Amtrak F40s hauling TEMPO cars, but I have never seen a photo of a VIA LRC hauling Amfleet. Challenge, anyone?

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