Dorval Memories 1975-1991

Time for another dip into the video vault, this time we visit a favorite Candian railfan spot, Dorval, which is just west of Montreal, Quebec adjacent to the Montreal International airport. It is a commuter stop as well as a stop for main line passenger trains so patrons can have direct access to the airport. The main lines of CP and CN parallel each other here and at the times of these filmings, both sides of the track were accessible. Since then new ramps to access the airport have added large overhead bridges which limit sight lines and cut off access on the south side. The variety of equipment and train types passing here has varied over the years with the creation of VIA and the Montreal commuter agency, but it never failed to entertain and was always busy.

[@iusetano]

Great catches of locomotives, paint schemes, companies of of the past. Excellent video. Thank you for sharing.

[@MrMASSEYJONES]

Nice capture of the Turbo train. I rode it several times between Toronto and Montreal and my favourite trick was to show up early and secure a seat in the front dome for the duration. Unfortunately, I only have still photos in slides and black & white of the train, which I captured on a curve past Dorval in the 7, then 9-car versions when the train was in white livery, and subsequently at Kingston on yellow (VIA) livery. Thanks for the memories also of those smoky Alco-led freights I come from the "real" steam era (sdult in the 50s)

[@b3j8]

Great to get a look at some Old School railroading! Love those trains flying "Extra" flags!

[@JoxBoxProductions]

Wow!!!!! I enjoyed every minute of it! Thanks for that post :)

[@allegheny48]

Thanks for another blast from the past. It was nice to see some of the first and second generation diesels running and, on occasion, making excess smoke. Also good to see all the passenger trains running at track speed. Your winter scenes reminds me of another northeast Ohio winter which will soon be upon us. Thanks again!

[@trains-of-canada]

My home town! Thank you for posting this... I can't get enough of this kind of video (film!). The Dural factory is still there (Durapro now...)

[@spitfirenutspitfirenut4835]

Excellent !!

[@trainrover]

Eye-catching filming there, cleverly done 🍺

[@tombell108]

WOW! A blast from the past! In 1995 my friend and I headed up from New Jersey to Quebec. And we weren't disappointed! A whole lot of RAIL activity! I know it's not the same anymore. But I'd still love to head up there again with my friend! Only problem is I now live in South Carolina. And he still lives in New Jersey!

[@MontrealtrainChannel]

Remember when I used to take rides on commuter trains in the 90’s

[@plaws0]

OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY! My favorite spot to watch trains. Dad worked at the now-demolished industrial company between the tracks and A-20 (Atlas Copco) so I got to visit here a lot. Thanks!

[@daveyboy_]

i remember that co. u cant even go into that parking lot anymore without paying . And its packed . Still remember that track that went through the parking lot and always wondered if it was ever used

[@plaws0]

@@daveyboy_ Rarely. I remember Dad taking me there when they used it to load up some "Jumbo" drill rigs destined for the Mica Dam project in BC, probably early 1970s. Of course, the long metal sheds at the back of their property used to run alongside the CN main before it was relocated. There was a point near the station building where you could sight along those buildings and see how it lined up with Boul Bouchard.

[@daveyboy_]

@@plaws0 That track that im speaking of is at 0:41

[@plaws0]

@@daveyboy_ That's the one. You crossed it when you exited the back way ( the only way once they made the whole CN/VIA lot one way). I looked at the Montreal aerial imagery from 1948 and the Atlas Copco building was still being built and CN had not yet relocated. In the 1966 images, it's where it is in the film and even extended further along Copco's property. Seems like it came out in the 1980s?

[@shawiniganterminal7061]

Loves these Canadian Vickers Bi-Level , each cars had small gen for heating and lighting. Im building those in HO scale ,watch out next open house Vermont & Essex RR club.

[@plaws0]

There is a lovely Multimark retrospective at 1:54. Just missing Smith Transport and maybe a ship. :-)

[@fmnut]

My "CP Canadian in Film" video has the Dorval DC8, the hotels, the needle in Calgary and the ships. I think there are some Smith Transport trailers on my "Sherbrooke Thunder" videos, and the needle at Niagara Falls is on my "Railways in Niagara Falls" video. I think that about covers it.

[@plaws0]

@@fmnut Ships! We need ships! :-D Thanks - this is a great film. SO MANY memories.

[@daveyboy_]

damm, i used to go there all the time with my Dad . One time the guy who worked at the Cp station on the north side invited us in to check out the station ( there was no more cp passenger service by then . ) Great place to catch as these trains were basically just coming out of the yards and starting to pick up speed Look at the train at 2:46 . He's probably going to T.O yet they have a dome car - bar car . Thats the way to travel Btw , if u notice where that small curve is , at 5:23 that was the first spots in Canada where a CN track had a switch to a CP track . Christ, i could talk for hours about this spot , great memories

[@cathyv51]

Pretty sure that was the Super Continental at a little past the 4-minute Mark. Love it!

[@JeanDuPays]

Indeed it was the Super!

[@AndreiTupolev]

I like the way CP's Pac-man logo goes together on a pair of E units coupled back to back. Nice display from that trio of Alcos at 8:00.

[@fmnut]

Agreed on both. By the way, those are FP9's, not E's.

[@Pensyfan19]

Great footage! As a Long Island railfan, I immediately noticed the new M1 at 3:33. Does anyone have any info about M3s being built all the way up in Canada?

[@LanceCampeau]

LOVE IT... Dural is still there.... (DuraPro)

[@chuckabbate5924]

Awwsome!!!

[@dennishogan7804]

Dorval is my kind of train watching place! I've been there twice: 1987 and 1993. Lots of trains and friendly Canadian railfans! During my 1993 visit, the Via Rail station agent came out and served us coffee. Such service! What happened to the old CP station across the tracks? I'm sure I saw it in 1987.

[@fmnut]

Original station replaced with platform shelters for commuter service.

[@flexmann2148]

@ 2:00, the original Silver Streak. Love that movie.

[@PatFrenchLeafsFan1]

Looks good, but I was wondering if you happen to have footage of CP & CN from Ontario in the 1970s?

[@fmnut]

See my Toronto in Film video.

[@Greatdome99]

No honking at road crossings in Quebec! I got startled one day when an LRC zipped by me at 100 mph without warning.

[@fmnut]

Must have been some kind of quiet zone. I have many, many shots of trains blowing for crossings in Quebec. See my Sherbrooke Thunder videos for examples.

[@oscarjetson128]

I miss the old cabooses that would be on the back of the freight trains. I remember as a kid, the guy in the back would sometimes sit on a chair and just watch the world go by!

[@MrSonicthehedgehog31]

I didn’t know Canadian Pacific and AMT had Bi-Level Coaches in the early years.

[@fmnut]

They were built by Canadian Vickers for CP in 1969.

[@daveyboy_]

That CP was the commuter train . A few of those cars sit a the Point St Charles shops

[@daniellibich1376]

As those dug into their archives of train watching on the Dorval platform when they caught CN's turbo-liner as they had evidence CP was in the PAC-MAN era.

[@johnpatterson4272]

I've never seen double-deck CP Rail passenger cars before, and what vintage are the locomotives with the arrow marking on the front? Great video.

[@fmnut]

The double deck CP cars date from 1970 and were only used in Montreal commuter service. The locomotives are also ex CP and date from the 1950s.

[@johnpatterson4272]

@@fmnut Thank you.

[@davidlisowski5245]

What railroad is the EMD unit between the two MLWs in the first shots?

[@fmnut]

Chesapeake and Ohio.

[@davidlisowski5245]

@@fmnutThanks.

[@marcleslac2413]

Can we get a F for the galley cars, all of them exept 900 just got scrapped

[@ZombieSlayer-dj3wb]

So i guess cowls mainly worked ot west then ?

[@fmnut]

They did get east, but most of this footage was from before they were built.

[@ThatOneExoRailfan]

9:18 13:08

[@bryanlarocque7627]

Many year ago i had a fine from CP police... I going to a place i not suppose to be for just watching train. When you love train you love train ! 🤣 After 9/11 railfan are suspicious cop tell to me...

[@ThatOneExoRailfan]

The F7PA is louder then all the f59phis and f59ph

[@ThatOneExoRailfan]

Didn't know they had FP7AS and all of the f7pas got scrapped in 2000

[@ThatOneExoRailfan]

1990 is when the horn complains started