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No locomotive?
sdforty, what a nice picture ! Had no idea the L’Amiral tourist train was back in operation. The last news was that it closed down in 2016. Thank you for the update. Does it run on a regular schedule, is it just a summertime operation and did you ride it ? So nice to see original single level cars are still running. Thanks for posting, John
I’m thinking this consist has been sitting in that spot for quite some time, sadly.
For the record though, the intention of the Government of Quebec is to eventually restore rail service back to Gaspe. They’ve committed $900 million to the project over several years, and have already started rebuilding bridges and conducting major track bed rehabilitation projects to extend the usable portion of the line.
Today for Gaspe, the nearest locomotive (likely a SFG RS-18 (ex CP 18xx) could be, on occasion, at Caplan P.Q., some 122 un-passable rail miles to the west…..
Gaspe rail line has two Subdivisions, (for a distance perspective think CPR Havelock Sub, Union – Havelock – Tweed – Sharbot Lake – Smiths Falls, 210 miles) :
Cascapedia Sub, from Matapedia mile 0.0 (CN interchange) to New Carlisle mile 98.0 (Papiers Gaspesia 1912-1999 (former Abitibi Paper plant))
Chandler Sub from New Carlisle mile 0.0 to Gaspe mile 104.2
December 10, 2011: the last VIA train departs Gaspe, VIA cites poor track condtions, bridge issues. At that time the most easterly freight customers, with occasional carloads, was in New Richmond (mile 68 Cascapedia Sub) and Caplan (mile 80 Cascapedia Sub).
August 13, 2013: the last VIA train departs New Carlisle
L’Amiral Train most recent run was 2014. Given that, the train is in remarkable condition considering it has been parked at the Gaspe station for 9 years. Does not appear to have remained idle for that length of time.
This summer (2023) the P Q government pledged to fund completion of the rail line rebuild (including some bridge rebuilds) to enable freight service to resume east from Caplan (mile 80 Cascapedia Sub) to Gaspe by 2024. Just east of Port Daniel mile 22 Chandler Sub the rail line is seriously washed out – located beside the salt water beach – as of June 2023 repairs have not commenced.
Today (2023) SFG freight operates as far east as Caplan (mile 80 Cascapedia Sub): Regular freight train service is provided to one regular customer the Temrex sawmill in Nouvelle (mile 35 Cascapedia Sub), with occasional carloads to serve a couple of customers in New Richmond (mile 68) where in 2017 a trans load facility was built and Caplan (mile 80 Cascapedia Sub). Summer 2023 VIA stated that service will resume only after the whole line to Gaspe is deemed safe for passenger trains. (Interesting to ponder what the status of this rail line would be if located in Ontario….consider ACR & Orangeville situations)
sdfourty
Sources: https://www.transportaction.ca/regions/quebec/gaspe-railway-reopening-progress/
https://www.gaspetrain.org/gt-pdfs/2023-02-Brief-returning-VIA-train-NewCarlisle.pdf
E&OE