Comments on: When you look at a scene like this you have to wonder how VIA (and the government) managed to kill the country’s passenger business. In this image, people have de-trained the Niagara-bound Budds while the Amtrak #98 slows in the distance until all is clear before making its’ station stop. In 2021, Amtrak is canceled due to covid; the two each way Budds gave way to VIA trainsets; in 1990 that got chopped….VIA service reinstated; then chopped………..the scene is repeated all over the country. When I lived in St. Catharines, my sidekick back in the day enjoyed visiting her parents up in Unionville by taking the train…….it was easy. Now? Good luck trying THAT !!! It is a lonely place around St. Catharines station these days. http://www.railpictures.ca The BEST Canadian photos on the Internet, eh? Wed, 13 May 2026 14:32:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: railwayguy http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=47386#comment-52385 railwayguy Mon, 20 Jun 2022 02:44:42 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/at-the-Sta880-edited.jpg#comment-52385 Love the marker lamps on the end of the RDC-9. And Arnold, travelling by train from St Catharines to Unionville is still very much possible today, especially on weekends, thanks to GO trains with 3 departures from St. Kitts on Sa/Su/holiday Mon and fairly frequent weekend Stouffville Corridor train service to Mount Joy, Today, driving into Toronto on the QEW was a nightmare, and ngineered4u’s thesis “the natural progression of technology and the consumer wanting the fastest, easiest way to travel” meant today NOT to drive in the QEW traffic mayhem with gas at $2.00 per litre ! This means you may just see crowds of passengers like in this picture coming back - GO with a $15.00 weekend 2 day pass to “anywhere” on GO and a 2 hour trip to Toronto sure was better than what I was struggling with on the QEW. Love the marker lamps on the end of the RDC-9. And Arnold, travelling by train from St Catharines to Unionville is still very much possible today, especially on weekends, thanks to GO trains with 3 departures from St. Kitts on Sa/Su/holiday Mon and fairly frequent weekend Stouffville Corridor train service to Mount Joy, Today, driving into Toronto on the QEW was a nightmare, and ngineered4u’s thesis “the natural progression of technology and the consumer wanting the fastest, easiest way to travel” meant today NOT to drive in the QEW traffic mayhem with gas at $2.00 per litre ! This means you may just see crowds of passengers like in this picture coming back – GO with a $15.00 weekend 2 day pass to “anywhere” on GO and a 2 hour trip to Toronto sure was better than what I was struggling with on the QEW.

]]> By: ngineered4u http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=47386#comment-49489 ngineered4u Sat, 18 Dec 2021 17:16:38 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/at-the-Sta880-edited.jpg#comment-49489 I am not sure I agree with the last two statements in regards to the demise of the passenger trains in Canada, or North America in general. Just as diesel did to steam, it is the natural progression of technology and the consumer wanting the fastest, easiest way to travel. We saw it over and over in history, the horse vs the steam engine, steam vs diesel, ship vs airplane and the automobile vs trains. no matter how much we might hate to see scenes like this disappear from everday life, it was inevitable. The railroad, like any other venture needs to make a profit and these trains we not profitable anymore. Sure I think there might have been some bribery and lobbying, but the writing was already on the wall. Lets just be happy that people like AW and all those who capture these moments exist. We are lucky to have them preserve our history. I am not sure I agree with the last two statements in regards to the demise of the passenger trains in Canada, or North America in general. Just as diesel did to steam, it is the natural progression of technology and the consumer wanting the fastest, easiest way to travel. We saw it over and over in history, the horse vs the steam engine, steam vs diesel, ship vs airplane and the automobile vs trains.
no matter how much we might hate to see scenes like this disappear from everday life, it was inevitable. The railroad, like any other venture needs to make a profit and these trains we not profitable anymore. Sure I think there might have been some bribery and lobbying, but the writing was already on the wall. Lets just be happy that people like AW and all those who capture these moments exist. We are lucky to have them preserve our history.

]]> By: jk_eaton http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=47386#comment-49488 jk_eaton Sat, 18 Dec 2021 17:10:16 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/at-the-Sta880-edited.jpg#comment-49488 An RDC-9 out on the road! And what killed passenger train service - and intercity public transit in general - is heavily subsidized highways and airports. Even without the lobbying of the automobile industry, free highways (highways pay no property taxes, for instance, while the railway pays taxes on every inch of rail, and every building) was going to make railways expensive in comparison. An RDC-9 out on the road!

And what killed passenger train service – and intercity public transit in general – is heavily subsidized highways and airports. Even without the lobbying of the automobile industry, free highways (highways pay no property taxes, for instance, while the railway pays taxes on every inch of rail, and every building) was going to make railways expensive in comparison.

]]> By: awmooney http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=47386#comment-49468 awmooney Fri, 17 Dec 2021 22:17:11 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/at-the-Sta880-edited.jpg#comment-49468 I will not disagree with that assessment. This is roughly the same idea of when governments (in conjunction with auto manufacturers) got rid of trolleys many years ago in order to force people to buy more cars and spend more on (taxable) gasoline. I will not disagree with that assessment. This is roughly the same idea of when governments (in conjunction with auto manufacturers) got rid of trolleys many years ago in order to force people to buy more cars and spend more on (taxable) gasoline.

]]> By: Alexander Medora http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=47386#comment-49467 Alexander Medora Fri, 17 Dec 2021 21:42:49 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/at-the-Sta880-edited.jpg#comment-49467 The auto industries and other related industries, such as paving companies, lobbied, bribed, and blackmailed the various levels of government to destroy passenger rail transportation. There is way more money to be made from the inefficiencies of private automobile transportation vs. passenger trains. The auto industries and other related industries, such as paving companies, lobbied, bribed, and blackmailed the various levels of government to destroy passenger rail transportation. There is way more money to be made from the inefficiencies of private automobile transportation vs. passenger trains.

]]> By: ngineered4u http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=47386#comment-49461 ngineered4u Fri, 17 Dec 2021 16:30:40 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/at-the-Sta880-edited.jpg#comment-49461 AW, you always seem to capture the best of railroads. Awesome pics and again this brings back memories for me. LOL, I seem to remember my first derailment just past this location at Merriton (brakeman lined the wrong switch) and I had to send my engineer trainee flagging (flagging kit in hand) towards St.Kitts. Ahh the good old days! AW, you always seem to capture the best of railroads. Awesome pics and again this brings back memories for me. LOL, I seem to remember my first derailment just past this location at Merriton (brakeman lined the wrong switch) and I had to send my engineer trainee flagging (flagging kit in hand) towards St.Kitts. Ahh the good old days!

]]> By: awmooney http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=47386#comment-49455 awmooney Thu, 16 Dec 2021 19:56:45 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/at-the-Sta880-edited.jpg#comment-49455 Thanks, Jacob. They must be turning it at the wye in the Falls. And Ken, sure; you're the master of the NFLD books. You make it all sound so easy. :o) Thanks, Jacob. They must be turning it at the wye in the Falls.
And Ken, sure; you’re the master of the NFLD books. You make it all sound so easy. :o )

]]> By: Jacob Patterson http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=47386#comment-49453 Jacob Patterson Thu, 16 Dec 2021 19:41:38 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/at-the-Sta880-edited.jpg#comment-49453 A great scene. The trailing RDC-9 is interesting. I figured that would be in the middle to avoid turning the train. A great scene. The trailing RDC-9 is interesting. I figured that would be in the middle to avoid turning the train.

]]> By: harricottbay http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=47386#comment-49452 harricottbay Thu, 16 Dec 2021 19:36:47 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/at-the-Sta880-edited.jpg#comment-49452 Arnold, you have captured so much! I do believe that a book by you would be amazing! Arnold, you have captured so much! I do believe that a book by you would be amazing!

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