Talk:Super Continental

Image
Well, the article is in better shape now (but please see comments embedded in the text). But please continue to improve. In particular, it is crying out for a good image, but I can't find one (that I want) that is PD or which I can reasonably claim fair use. Could anybody contribute one of their own? I am particularly hoping for one in CN green and black or CN black and white with a red-nose FP9 up front.... Fawcett5 14:22, 11 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Domes
JYolkowski, are sure about the Montreal electrification bit...even after they got them they were only operated between Winnipeg and Vancouver, at least at first. Do you have a ref? Moreover, those particular cars were not available until the Milw. Rd. cut the Olypian Hiawatha.... and CN was too cheap to buy new. Fawcett5 22:53, 11 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * I got it from Canadian National Railway by Tom Murray, page 84: "CP's Canadian used 173 Budd-built cars, including domes, which CN was prevented from using because of the overhead wires at Central Station, Montreal" (I'll cite it later). JYolkowski 23:07, 11 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Issues to be resolved
JYolkowski, thanks for the improvements to the article, I liked the improvement to the CN main pages with the new passenger train section too. There are still a few points maybe you could clarify: 1. I'm not sure what you mean by 'mixing sleeping cars' in Winnipeg. Were there two sections that met there? If so what were their numbers? 2. Did it run only from Toronto after it was restored? The routing is a bit more complicated than I realised, maybe Al guy would be willing to revisit the route map after it is all straightened out...  3.  Was there ever a time when sections met/split at Sudbury as with The Canadian? Fawcett5 03:26, 14 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * With regards to question 1, they were exchanged between the Canadian and the Super Continental, not between two sections of the Super Continental. With regard to question 2, I agree that the routing over the years is really rather complicated.  I don't know for sure, but I can find no evidence that it ever ran from Montreal between 1985 and 1990.  As for question 3, I'm not sure (although I would assume that something of the sort occurred).  JYolkowski 00:40, 15 Mar 2005 (UTC)

well, i can add some info:

1) the mixing of cars was common for this train, from it's birth in 1955, to it's demise of via's budget of 1981, to the new funding in 1985. certain cars were added or switched as needed, such an extra E series sleeper or a 12-1 sleeping car being added at winnipeg, or the diner car being swamped with a dinette for the return trip to toronto.

the super continental or super c for short, had a variety of cars in the early 60's and possibly early-middle 70's. including a wide variety of baggage cars, coaches (both Heavyweight--ice a/c and the new Lightweight "EM" EM= electro mechanical), sleepers (also a mix of Lightweight and Heavyweight, such as the 14 section tourist kitchen sleeping cars, removed in the early 70's when new cars arrived), diners, rebuilt sleeper-lounge-club cars such as "Fete" "Cordial", ex-fort and sometimes, even unique cars such as 8-4 Island sleepers and Cafeteria cars

the power would often be one of these, usually 2-6 engines: fp9a, f9b, fpa-2, fpb-2, fpa-4, fpb-4. sometimes rs-18's or gp9's.

it was at a time, over 13 cars long. via cars would be mixed by 1976-77 and cp cars were sometimes added after 1977.

the last run was nov 15 1981, the dome car seemed to be absent, but on the march 8 1981 train, it's there. parts of the train would be switched in alberta: the club car (usually the fort or the rebuilt club lounge) that is from toronto would be switched with the super dome at edmonton.

it was revived in 1985, but lost the glory of the former 1964-1978 version. the canadian ex-cp domes showed up in 1985. and yes, it was called "the canadian" in 1980.

sources: rail canada vol 4, misc railroad books, cn passenger equipment roster for 1967 and cn discussion groups check out yahoo groups cnlines-cnet and canmodeltrains. and a website for old cn cars--cnrphotos.com — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.57.233.74 (talk) 23:10, 6 June 2012 (UTC)
 * CN's Pullman-Standard super dome cars were added to the Super Continental at Edmonton (west bound) or Jasper (east bound) and removed from the trains at Jasper or Edmonton respectively (rarely were they observed passing between Winnipeg—Edmonton). CN would use Skyline (club) dome cars for trains passing through the Canadian Shield between Ottawa—Winnipeg (or alternatively Edmonton). MelioraCogito (talk) 22:47, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

Route Map Incorrect
CNR's Super Continental never ran between Toronto and Sudbury. The service ran between Montreal and Vancouver via Ottawa, North Bay, Sudbury N., Hornepayne, Sioux Lookout, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Jasper, and Kamloops. CNR's passenger services to Toronto were via the Montreal—Windsor corridor. The map should reflect this.

Furthermore, to the point preceding this note, the Canadian was Canadian Pacific's transcontinental passenger service between Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver following the CPR main line west through Calgary. The Super Continental was Canadian National's transcontinental service between Montreal and Vancouver following the CNR main line west through Edmonton. Both services operated under VIA for a period following VIA Rail's creation – VIA Rail using former CN Pullman-Standard equipment for the Super Continental route and former CP Budd streamline equipment for the Canadian route.

The Canadian service was discontinued sometime in the early 1980s, revived briefly in the mid 80s and finally discontinued altogether. The Super Continental (CN) route was renamed the Canadian in 1990 using the Budd streamline equipment while the Pullman equipment was retired. MelioraCogito (talk) 22:47, 25 July 2020 (UTC)