CN Passenger Service in Film 1970s

A recent Ebay acquisition of some on-board footage of CN's Super Continental spurred this compendium of passenger services on the CN in the 1970's. We start with the Turbo, Super Continental and a corridor train at Dorval QC, an FPA4 at Alexandria, ON followed by scenes from Spadina Ave. in Toronto. Some head end shots from the Super Continental are followed by a jump west to the "Rupert Rocket", both onboard and lineside at Jasper. The final scenes are taken from both the dome car and dutch door on the Super Continental from Vancouver to Edmonton, interspersed with some lineside shots. This is intended as a companion video to my CP Canadian film footage. The early years of VIA coming soon. Enjoy!

[@merc340sr]

Great scenes! I took the Super Continental from North Bay, ON to Winnipeg in 1978. I took the CN passenger train from Cochrane, ON to Quebec City in the early 60s (Northern QC route). Great memories.

[@PunkyBear36]

There are a few different eras worth of Super Continentals in here. The one at 11 minutes is a 1976 edition, you can tell by the Cape sleeper lounge behind the Dayniters.

[@tannerhall494]

Where did you find the information about the super continental consists? I’ve been looking everywhere but can’t find a reliable source.

[@suzannewilde6733]

My ex-brother-in-law lives near Cochrane, Ontario,Canada. Besides his farm, he worked for the CN from Cochrane to Moosenee. We went up there a few times in the 70's. Besides the Polar Bear Express at Christmas time, you can go to Moosenee, where they have a moose factory. On a Saturday, the native workers get paid, hop on the train and head down to Cochrane (no roads above Cochrane). If someone wants to get off, they pull the cord and the train has to stop. If someone wants to get on, they flag down the conductor. Some people live in the middle of nowhere. Cochrane is 500 miles straight north of Toronto.

[@bunkerhill4854]

Yeah, I went to Moosonee in 1984. I too was impressed by the moose factory. A truly iconic feature of Canadiana!

[@drgwdrgw]

Between Cochrane and Moosonee runs the provincial ONR, not the CN.

[@James_Knott]

Cochrane to Moosonee would be Ontario Northland, not CN. The ONR ran from North Bay through Cochrane to Moosonee, with a branch to Timmins. CN through Cochrane was the line from Quebec City to Winnipeg.

[@rhettinski]

My mother rode the SC roundtrip from Vancouver to Toronto twice in the early 1970s. She can recall the service being very good. Had the good sense to book a roomette!

[@James_Knott]

I also took it from Toronto to Vancouver in 1974. I wonder if I met her! 🙂 On that trip I had berths, but on a later trip to the east coast, along with all my work travel with CN (former CN Telecommunications employee), I had a roomette.

[@PhilThomasTrains]

Superb Rich. You are doing a fantastic job getting this old footage out. Keep 'em coming!

[@Greatdome99]

8:18 Fraser River Bridge at New Westminster, BC. 12:43 Mt. Robson, visible about five days a year 14:40 Moose Lake 18:30 Flat wheel on sleeper 21:15 Adding ice for A/C on the old heavyweight cars Sherbrooke & Whycocomagh--how quaint!

[@jdigg2007]

Love how there's audio of the passengers. Speaking French no less! Canadiana at its best.

[@charlesb8713]

Nice, NICE footage! Hard to believe those days are gone! ALL of the equipment was soooooo familiar to me! ---Rode all of it, many times.

[@cpeast]

Awesome footage, it takes me back to the good old days when I was a kid.

[@neilhunter6026]

Beautiful footage. The scenes of the Fraser Valley and my hometown, Chilliwack, brought back some good memories of that time.

[@cathyv51]

Loved this! Brings back memories of my time as a child, travelling with my family on the Super Continental, Montreal to Vancouver. Wonderful times.

[@trainsupporter9088]

This was a fantastic video! Thanks for posting it. I wish i could have ridden to Super Continental back in those days.

[@krazytrainguy]

Great footage. I have fond memories of the tempo trains led by the RS18s going through Bayview Jctn. I look forward to watching more of your videos.

[@samtrak1204]

I love how CN keeps its windows clean for a clear view of passing scenery.

[@richardgerlach5156]

That was incredible! Spectacular scenery! I think CN got those full-length dome cars from the Milwaukee Road. I know they purchased some of the Milwaukee's Hiawatha observation cars. Good Ebay purchase!

[@donaldinho62]

That's right...CN bought six of the ex-MILW sceneramic domes.

[@iusetano]

Excellent video. It was greatly enjoyed. Thank you very much.

[@Aidan_Rattlehead]

I don’t think I have ever clicked on a notification so fast in my life You never disappoint

[@shirleybalinski4535]

Now to hat was some train design that opened this flim!! Very up to date for the era. Those cars need to be in a RR museum.

[@DennisW19copyy-lg1du]

In 1964 we rode from Vancouver, B.C. to Durand Michigan

[@daveyboy_]

Old school Dorval one of the best catch spots for trains

[@nskid]

Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful footage. The film quality and sound is superb for its age; it would be interesting to know who shot it and with what. Watching and listening brings back many clear and happy memories of riding CN trains in the 60s and 70s, although mostly in the east.

[@fmnut]

It's Super 8mm silent film shot by a fellow from Colorado. He evidently stored his film well as most of it has shown little color shift. I'm slowly accumulating his films from Ebay. I've added the sound from my personal videos and Arkay recordings.

[@robinroberts3335]

Fantastic video wish more were to be found it takes me back 👍🏻

[@grahamsawyer831]

some heritage RR should make this their livery; that black/white/red scheme is super smart, especially against the snow

[@richardhammer6559]

Was that Edmonton at the end of the film? I worked in the Edmonton Yard in 1975 -76 servicing train #1 coming in from east, heading toward Hinton, Jasper. Thanks for the film

[@fmnut]

Yes, I believe so. I checked the diesel shop in the film against Google Earth and it appeared to be the same building.

[@tonyhull4978]

Has anyone noticed the two people jumping of the train at 4.18 ?

[@fmnut]

Hadn't noticed, but they're probably rail workers heading into the shop.

[@James_Knott]

I used to work for CN Telecommunications and back in the mid 70s, when I was based in Capreol, I frequently hopped on and off freight trains in Northern Ontario.

[@OfficialSEIC2K6]

Canadian National Railway passenger services before Via Rail came along. CN and CP Rail took on passengers. Extreme nolstagia. This brings back history.

[@jdigg2007]

10:59 14:51 listen to those GMDDs. Drool!

[@campbell9091]

Ah the good old days when toilets flushed onto the tracks!

[@davidlisowski5245]

Is that silver CN baggage at 3:55 one of a kind?

[@michaelroper4237]

11:51 were the staff always just randomly cleaning the outside of the train while its at full speed? Thanks for the splendid video too, the scenery is gorgeous

[@fmnut]

The train is nearing a station stop. The sleeping car porters are wiping road grime from the handrails in anticipation of their patrons deboarding there.

[@tommythomason6187]

That Super Continental was a BIG passenger train.

[@James_Knott]

They used to run two sections in the summer, one from Toronto and the other Montreal, all the way to Vancouver. In the winter they'd combine the sections at Capreol to make one big train.

[@MikeG42]

Good video 👍🏻

[@danielr8566]

I absolutely loved this! Those 'self propelled' units - were they called BUD cars?

[@fmnut]

They were often called "Budd cars" due to their manufacturer, the Budd Company of Philadelphia PA. The correct model name was RDC, for Rail Diesel Car. Budd made many other types of rail passenger cars, including the 1955 Canadian sets still in use on VIA today. Technically, all of those are Budd cars, too, so RDC is a more precise term.

[@James_Knott]

This Budd's for you! 🙂

[@elizetes7313]

Wow

[@Railfanning_Wisconsin97]

cn was the best rail company ever.

[@agrady7216]

Does Canadian National no longer use the green and yellow livery?

[@fmnut]

Not since 1961.

[@agrady7216]

3:13 What type of locomotive is that? Seen again at 4:15 and 5:08.

[@fmnut]

MLW RS18. Six were modified for Tempo service with extended short hoods housing head end power supplies for the trains, and the red paint scheme.

[@NewBrunswickRailfanner]

the uac cab cars look like a side of a passenger jet

[@dodo1opps]

[sarcasm] Hay hosser, this can't be Canada, there's no snow on the ground. [/sarcasm] After the pandemic is over, I would love to take VIA from Vancouver to Toronto. It on my bucket list

[@AndreiTupolev]

Some of the CN commuter rolling stock looked very ... distinctive, though the black & white livery seemed to suit the passenger cars very well. The designers of the Turbotrain really let their imagination go didn't they.

[@TucsonBillD]

Actually, the cars weren’t painted white, but a very light grey. It didn’t show the dirt as well as white would.

[@johnpatterson4272]

Freakin' fantastic video. I'm actually vibrating from all of this vintage railway porn. This is primo-shiznitz that brings back a multitude of great memories. As a child I rode the CN passenger service many times and to be completely honest it felt more 'Canadian' than the generic and utilitarian VIA Rail service which replaced it. Seeing the white and black cars with the red 'CN' accents was like watching a glistening high-end Cadillac rolling on rails. I caught a glimpse (in the Toronto yard I believe) of CN's limited livery of the all silver/steel clad passenger cars; very rare sighting.

[@fmnut]

For more "porn", see my video "CN around Jasper".

[@jslasher1]

Travelled aboard "Super Continental" in the early 1960s. Excellent service and superb equipment.

[@trainrover]

most of CN's passenger coaches were designed to look good 🍺

[@aeyb701]

Is the sound actual? If not, it’s very accurate and well synchronized; example, the jointed rail ( still, in the mid seventies) and the squeaking and groaning of the buffers over turnouts. My family used to travel Halifax to Montreal on the Ocean or Scotian in summers of the late 60’s, and as a five year old I was already a couple years into my fascination with trains, specifically CN. It was my wish to go as a family on the Super but it never happened.

[@fmnut]

The sound is dubbed in. Thanks for watching.

[@James_Knott]

Many years ago, I was a technician with CN Telecommunications. As a CN employee, I had a service pass which provided basic coach service on any CN train, bus or ferry. If I wanted better, I had to pay the difference. I used this pass on a couple of vacations, one to Vancouver and also to the east coast. One thing I recall was the Super Continental had coach and sleeper (berth or better) sections and the coach low lifes weren't allowed in the sleeper part of the train. The sleeper section included a proper dining car and the dome car between Jasper and Vancouver. I also used my pass to go to Montreal with my girlfriend, but had to pay for her ticket. Since I was a CN employee we were able to stay at the Queen Elizabeth hotel for half price. In the mid 70s, I was based in Capreol and worked all over the province, from Armstrong down to Stratford. Since I was often on trains, frequently freights, I had a work pass that was good on anything that moved over the rails in Ontario region. On one occasion, I was even on a little gas car that track crews used.

[@lukethegeneralelectrice60p80]

No wonder why FP9As have Ditchlights

[@jamesstuart3346]

Totally Awesome! I would spend lunch hour on the Spadina Bridge watching the Skunk Stripe coaches and Tempo Trains. Always late getting back to the office

[@g.noreau291]

Wow!!!!!